Sacramento councilman complained about neighbor’s rooster after man criticized him in The Bee
Sacramento City Councilman Sean Loloee reported alleged animal code violations on a neighbor six weeks after the man criticized Loloee in a news story published by The Sacramento Bee, according to records obtained by the news organization.
Loloee on Aug. 17 emailed city Code and Housing Enforcement Chief Peter Lemos to report that Nogales Street resident Juan Del Toro appeared to be keeping roosters at his home.
“Mr. Lemos, I was just notified that the residents at 1204 Nogales have multiple roosters which might be used for fights,” Loloee wrote in an email Aug. 17, obtained by The Bee from a California Public Records Act request. “I would appreciate if you could look into this. Thank you.”
Del Toro played a small part in the series of events that led to Loloee facing a city investigation into whether he actually lives in the neighborhood he represents on the council. Loloee recently emerged unscathed from that period in October after the city investigation concluded he lives in the council district he represents.
The Bee on June 30 quoted Del Toro saying he had not seen Loloee at the Nogales Street house Loloee owns, and doubted the councilman lived in the neighborhood.
“He doesn’t live there,” Del Toro said in the news story. Del Toro lives across the street from Loloee’s home. “I’ve lived here 20 years. I’ve never seen him.”
Code enforcement officers have not visited Del Toro’s home in connection to Loloee’s complaint, Del Toro said. He learned about Loloee’s message from The Sacramento Bee and viewed the councilman’s email as a form of retaliation against him.
“How’s he going to snitch someone out to try to get me in trouble?” Del Toro said. “They’re just my pets.”
City code prohibits roosters on any developed lot used exclusively for residential purposes, such as Del Toro’s house. Del Toro owns roosters and has faced citations over them in the past, he said.
Loloee said he did not read the story that included Del Toro’s comment.
“I didn’t read the article then and still haven’t,” Loloee said in an email. “Please reach out to Code Enforcement to better understand the level of complaints and history of illegal roosters and non-code-compliant chicken owners in District 2. This would not have been my first complaint received on roosters and chickens, and I’m sure it won’t be the last.”
Loloee said he did not hear the rooster himself. He said he wrote the message to pass along another resident’s complaint.
“It was from a resident and the concern was the roosters were being used for fighting,” Loloee wrote.
The city launched an inquiry into whether Loloee lives on Nogales Street in early July after The Sacramento Bee reported that another family resides at the home. When The Bee visited the house in early June, a man there said he and his son rented the home from Loloee.
Loloee’s wife owns a $1.4 million home in Granite Bay. Loloee in interviews with The Bee and other news organizations gave inconsistent descriptions of his family’s living arrangements, leading the council to appoint an outside attorney to investigate.
The attorney, Melinda Guzman, concluded that Loloee lives in the district, and the council did not take steps to remove from him office.
Loloee represents Sacramento’s District 2, one of the eight in the city. His district covers the northeastern part of the city and includes Old North Sacramento, Hagginwood, Woodlake, Del Paso Heights and part of Robla. City code requires council members to live in the districts they represent.
This story was originally published November 10, 2022 at 7:35 AM.
