Also, take a closer look at the Diaz family, who had seven children run for McFarland. All of a sudden I saw these headlights and it was Mr. White in his '59 Chevy." Uh, it was 1988 and I was a senior at that time and my brother, Damacio, was a junior. We signed with this one company. Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. Right before interviewing Kevin Costner (see that here), we had the great privilege of interviewing the real life inspirations behind the new Disney film, McFarland, USA, Coach Jim White and the Diaz brothers, David, Damacio and Danny.They were so charming, and funny, and honest. How much or any input did you have to have on the filming, the making the movie? So that was my experience for the first time at state having the pressure. Is that still happening in McFarland? Former Bakersfield Police officers Damacio Diaz, 48, and Patrick Mara, 40, have been released from federal custody, according to the Board of Prison's website. But if it werent for sports our kids would be lost, because its either education and sports or the streets. potential at the predominantly Latino high Thanks! It gave you character. A lot of us competed in college. Plus I love Kevin Costner! Updated: May 11, 2020 / 06:23 PM PDT BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) Disgraced former Bakersfield police detective Damacio Diaz has been released from custody after serving a federal term for stealing drugs during the course of his police work and putting them back on the street. All the notoriety that theyre getting and what this man over here, Mr. White, our coach, has brought to not just our program but to our community. [CHUCKLES] And, and we didnt train and we got fifth that year. However, he did rebuild the boys and girls cross country programs from the ground up. Julie and Jami are depicted in the McFarland, USA movie. The Feds arrested him at the department Friday morning and removed evidence. Dozens of Coach Jim White's runners ended up going to college or into the armed forces. As, as hes retired. His viewpoint of not changing too much from that aspect I see a definite change. Bakersfield. Sunny to partly cloudy. I wanna know is your mom really that way, because she was a scene stealer? Damacio Diaz one of the three Diaz brothers depicted in the 2015 Disney film about the victorious Central Valley team admitted to lying on his tax returns and accepting bribes from an . September 22, 2016, 12:07 PM. . Diaz was a Tulare county sheriffs deputy years ago, but he's been at the Bakersfield police department for 17 years, the last four as a narcotics detective. Mara, a 13-year veteran, had 55 cases involving 70 defendants. DAVID DIAZ : And just to let you know, um, Gods good and we own almonds now. Juanita Diaz. How often do you guys still train together with the new students? Ray was arrested in February 2020 and in April 2022, following a four-week trial, he was convicted on several counts. The. This is going to be a huge hit, I live about two hours from the area it's based on and I'm really looking forward to seeing it. Both men are currently in halfway houses, Diaz in the Sacramento area and Mara in the Long Beach area. View the profiles of people named Damacio Diaz. That was something that we did since we were third, fourth, fifth graders and by the time we got to college and were now training and, and running and living our lives with Mr. White some of us traveled out of the state, out of the country with Mr. White it became something that was gonna help us get out of our environment, and it did. But even prosecutor Brian Delaney of the U.S. Attorneys Office seemed satisfied with Diazs ultimate sentence, a dozen years fewer than the minimum he had recommended. Damacio seemingly prefers to stay well away from the spotlight these days, but we do know the family man tied the knot with his long-term partner, teacher Courtney Diaz, on January 26, 2021. "Niki Caro wanted to show more family in the movie so they chose me," says the real David Diaz, who actually graduated during the school year before the first state title win. These I was able have an interview with Jim White and the Diaz brothers (David Diaz, Damacio Diaz and Danny Diaz) who are the real life inspirations behind the McFarland, USA film. I feel safe knowing he is in my corner.. In the least, such scenes seem to have been exaggerated by the filmmakers. Calif. Coach Jim White and his wife, Cheryl, with team member Thomas Valles at the 1987 California Southern Area cross country meet at Hart Park in Bakersfield. An elderly couple from Las Vegas were found dead earlier this month in Death Valley National Park, law enforcement officials said. When the informant left, the narcotics detective found just under $1,000 in the passenger-side door pocket. school and decides to put together a cross 1972 March 9 - Damacio Diaz birth date 1973 April 17 - Noel Carter birth date 1980 March 16 - Noel Carter birth date 1982 July 15 - Derrick Penney birth date 1986 August 7 - Logan August birth date 1996 August - Damacio Diaz hired by the Tulare Police Department. If one or two of those boys couldn't make practice at four o'clock 'cause they're just gettin' in from work, then I might practice at 6 or 7 o'clock with those boys. Damacio Diaz, 44, of McFarland, formerly a detective with the Bakersfield Police Department, was sentenced today to five years in prison for bribery . Join Facebook to connect with Damacio Diaz and others you may know. This hearing is not about telling someone they are no good, ONeill said. These guys are amazing and it was a pleasure meeting them and listening to them. The DOJ said Diaz and Mara deliberately failed to submit seized drugs as evidence and instead provided the stolen narcotics to Carter. Do you feel like the movie does a good job of describing that culture (of family and pickers)? Like in the movie, Thomas Valles went to an overpass above Highway 99 one night after his parents got into a horrible fight. Twitter. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Welcome to Killing County. Then the following season, we were ranked number one for the entire season. Their parents are also highly regarded by each of them and they obviously have a deep love for the family unit. Select this result to view Damacio Diaz's phone number, address, and more. Damacio is related to Elizabeth Z Diaz and Delia G Garza as well as 3 additional people. DAMACIO DIAZ, by and through his counsel, DAVID A. TORRES, hereby submits Damacio Diaz' Statement in Mitigation for the court's consideration. I am excited to share with you another great interview from my McFarland, USA press trip. I was just running to, to displace other runners and add them more points. Some, like David Diaz, became teachers themselves. Two years later, we signed with another one, not quite that often, but it took a long process. The U.S. Attorneys Office had recommended a sentence of between roughly 17 and 22 years, but the judge had discretion. "I think it goes to show that sometimes the portrayal of images, and good work that has happened in the past, sometimes comes to what we see today and that people aren't always what they seem," said Greg Williamson, Bakersfield police chief. Matter of fact, he ordered us and he forced us and he made us play sports, because the way he saw it hes the first one, and so he learned it before us. Damacio Diaz was a Bakersfield police detective who was sentenced to five years in prison in October 2016 for stealing drugs to put back onto the street. They are portrayed to be 15 and 10, a few years younger than they actually were at the time of the first state title in 1987 (the girls were in college at the time). experience coaching the team. I had never been the top five, and as you know the top five are the ones that score. Damacio Diaz was a Bakersfield police detective who was sentenced to five years in prison in October 2016 for stealing drugs to put back onto the street. Wife of California doctor who drove family off cliff in Tesla doesn't want him prosecuted . In fact, a blink of an eye as you drive down Highway 99 in California and you will miss it. Michael Aguero as Damacio Diaz Rafael Martinez as David Diaz Ramiro Rodriguez as Danny Diaz Diana-Maria Riva as Seora Diaz Vanessa Martnez as Maria Marsol Martha Higareda as Lupe Valente Rodriguez as Principal Camillo Chris Ellis as Coach Jenks Eloy Casados as Dale Padilla Natalia Cordova-Buckley as Seora Valles Production [ edit] All seven Diaz children went to college and all seven returned to McFarland where they live today. I understand he did a lot of good before this criminal activity. And believe it or not, before he was a coach, hes a scientist. Diaz pleaded guilty last spring as part of a plea agreement that became public in May. But Bakersfield Police Chief Greg Williamson said the federal and internal inquiries after 18 months cleared them all. However, he had been a teacher in the McFarland School District since 1964, following his graduation from Pepperdine University. They are amazing guys who still have that humble hardworking attitude! No. They couldve chosen any other team, because we have nine state titles. The real Coach Jim White took both the boys and girls cross country teams to the California central coast beach at Cayucos during the 1985 season (not the 1987 season). She argued that her husband has learned from his mistakes and should not face any prison time at all. "It was damaging. Colin Kaepernick's new three-part true crime docuseries, which premieres on Hulu Friday, Feb. 3, tells the story of alleged corruption and cover-up that happened at a police department in a . About $15,000 stuck out of Magallanes shorts. Their stories were told in a beautiful way and they are excited Disney picked their tale to tell. And underneath and this was given out to the high school and a high school girl came up with this logo Tradition, Unity, and Excellence. Low 44F. Damacio Diaz is one of the subjects of new Hulu documentary Killing County. And so, we have kids that are in high school and some that are in elementary school. They were sooo funny to chat with. it's not all true but he's okay with that. Mara said that when he partnered up with Diaz in spring 2012, Diaz walked out of a bedroom and handed him a few hundred dollars, while he stuck a large amount of money into his own pockets, according to court papers. picking in the fields. Its a poor community. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! Five years in jail for a law enforcement officer thats still a serious sentence. BAKERSFIELD, Calif., (KBAK/KBFX) Damacio Diaz, a former Detective for the Bakersfield Police Department, has been released from federal custody. DAVID DIAZ : He was out in my field still in the evening helping me do my work. He did a lot of things for us that our dad couldnt, becauseit financially just wasnt available. A full house of over three hundred gave a rousing standing ovation to Jim and his wife, Cheryl. Fun fact: Rafael Martinez, who plays David Diaz in the movie, is one of my closest friends even to this day! The assistant U.S. attorney used the word paradox to describe Diaz, one of seven siblings raised in the northern Kern County farming community of McFarland in a religious family, and one that seemed the epitome of the American dream. They became the drug traffickers themselves, he said. In May 2020, Diaz was released from a halfway house in Sacramento, where he was staying after serving his time. View Public Details & Court Records. Delaney acknowledged that Diaz provided information that was helpful in bringing charges against his former police partner, Patrick Mara, whose own sentencing is scheduled Oct. 17. interview. To you culture, um, is all about community and it takes a village to raise a child. Disgraced cop's 5-year sentence a fraction of prosection's recommendation, Corrupt cops compel Kern DA to inform defense attorneys about 'tainted' cases. Is that how the last race happened? Thats what they wanted to do and Im just excited to be included in the movie. The former narcotics officer is now known, however, for going to prison in 2016 for charges tied to drugs, bribery and tax fraud. Four years ago on a sweltering afternoon, Bakersfield Police Det. The former NFL player is an executive producer on Hulu's "Killing County.". JIM WHITE : Let me add a little bit of that. DANNY DIAZ : Im trying to be nice here. on their time as cross country runners Mara was released from a halfway house a month before Diaz, in April 2020, after serving just under four years in federal prison. He would beat us up all the time. The love they genuinely have for him was heartfelt and true. Thats because it comprises not only archival footage but also first-hand accounts of individuals closest to the matter to truly uncover this Californian citys merciless, violence-driven justice system. And so, we have a great dad. Although, the brothers did say that the town hasnt really changed much, Coach White has noticed one big change. Central Valley. Damacio Diaz - CA Cross Country results and photos on Athletic.net His performance at the 1987 state meet did help McFarland lock up the title. Its hard to understand how he could do both.. Ray referred to Felicia Rosario as his "wife," though they were never married. We were raised in the field, it was our life. challenged town in California's farm-rich Oh, its more than an indiscretion, he said. JIM WHITE : From my aspect, I guess it was in various stages, because this was about a 15-year process for my wife and I. Copyright 2023 KFSN-TV. It taught you discipline. Plus, David still runs competitively and coaches. -KGET 17, Yes. What is going on here is really outrageous, said criminal defense attorney Mark Geragos. So Im always looking out for their kids. Jim White, David Diaz, Damacio Diaz and Danny Diaz for McFarland, USA. 1999 - 2000 FRESNO Disgraced former Bakersfield Police Department detective Damacio Diaz was sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court to five years in federal prison a far more lenient sentence than prosecutors had urged for offenses including drug trafficking, taking bribes and lying on his tax return. "He told me to take my wife out on a date or buy my kids something," Diaz would later. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. I am excited to share with you another great interview from my McFarland, USA press trip. The Department of Justice said Diaz and Mara would deliberately fail to submit seized drugs as evidence and instead would give them to Carter, who would sell them for profit. Still, Williamson said, the corrupt detectives had eroded trust with the community. Diaz, a former Bakersfield police detective, is interviewed on camera in Killing County. My parents definitely pushed us to go that route and not thewide road most people go to is other than college. DAMACIO DIAZ : Us training together, maam? So the only way I could get some of them into some of the fields that I had to do the work with them. It was such a great experience. Learn how your comment data is processed. See Who's Searching for You. Coach Jim White and his wife, Cheryl, with team member Thomas Valles at the 1987 California Southern Area cross country meet at Hart Park in Bakersfield. The hearing included impassioned appeals by Diazs brother, wife and daughter, with the two latter witnesses in tears through much of their statements. By Laura Donaldson On 2/3/23 at 8:00 AM EST Diaz turned his back on those opportunities and broke the trust his community placed in him, violating the very laws he was sworn to enforce. Known as @lacrimes on Twitter, during almost 30 years at The Times he also has been part of the breaking news staff that won Pulitzers in 1998, 2004 and 2016. champions. And thatsthe one we have now. Along with fellow BPD Detective Patrick Mara, 40, the two were sentenced to five years in federal prison. SPONSORED LINKS Mr. White was there as a person that we can rely on. McFarland, USA: Directed by Niki Caro. This included members of the Bakersfield High Drillers. [LAUGHS], JIM WHITE : Let, let me answer that, cause when Mrs. Diaz saw this film the first time, she came out and she said I love the film, but they didnt make me strict enough.. The movie pushes up his arrival and coaching position at McFarland to 1987, the first year his cross country team attended and won the state championship (1987 was also the very first year that California had a state championship).