Disgraced anti-porn crusader Shelley Lubben has fallen to the bottom, and she's working her way down

Failed fundraiser is latest defeat for the deceitful, newly-homeless 'Rebel Prophet'

Springville, Calif. -- At approximately 5:00 a.m. on Friday, March 16, 2018, an explosion and fireball ripped through the ranch home of Shelley Lubben, leaving its residential structures leveled and engulfed in flames.

Lubben, 49, who has resided at the so-called "Lubben Ranch" at 45117 Balch Park Road near Highway 190 since 2015, was home at the time, but escaped without serious injury.

The blast came from the side of the 6-bedroom structure that had blacked-out windows. Two residents, a man and infant son, were airlifted to a local hospital for treatment of severe burn injuries. The man's pregnant wife was listed as in "fair condition".

The Tulare County Sheriff's Office stated that due to "the suspicious nature of the fire", detectives from the Marijuana Investigation Team were dispatched to the scene. Two butane canisters were discovered, and authorities now say the cause of the fire, still officially under investigation by the Tulare Area Gang and Narcotics Enforcement Team (TAGNET), is a drug lab explosion.

Up in flames

Caring

On Facebook, Lubben and one of her followers came up with the idea of a creating a means for supporters to send Lubben cash.

No fundraiser was considered to help the charred infant, for whom Shelley said she was "praying".

About four days ago, over the weekend of March 24-25, the fundraiser went live.

As it turns out, after losing her shofar and her liquor collection in a drug lab explosion, not very many people wanted to help the scandal-plagued Lubben after all. 

Several days in, the campaign remained stalled at a mere $330.

Compare this to the fundraiser, launched on the very same web platform, for the family of beloved adult performer and cameraman Barry Wood:

Then on Wednesday, March 28, the embarrassing failed fundraiser was removed suddenly.

It appears that Shelley had it right when she texted her ex-husband Garrett (after cheating on him with ranch worker Joe Valley and losing her family):

Rebel Pauper

The latest twist of fate in the tumultuous life of Shelley Lubben has left many contemplating how she could have fallen so far.

One YouTube commenter suggested the following explanation:

It would appear that more and more people now see through Shelley Lubben, and that the last remnants of her tattered reputation also went up in smoke on Balch Park Road.

After Drug Lab Fire Destroys Her Home, Shelley Lubben Tries to Dismiss Criminal Housemates as Next-Door Neighbors

Disgraced anti-porn crusader and self-described "professional liar" Shelley Lubben thinks the Tulare County Sheriffs are stupid. As someone who has discussed this case with them, I can assure her they are not.

Shelley Lubben resided at the "Lubben Ranch" on Balch Park Road in Springville, Calif since the spring of 2015. It was her only residence.

I say "was" because on March 16, 2018 the residence on the property exploded and burned to the ground following what authorities have determined to have been a drug lab fire.

The Tulare County Sheriffs issued the following news release:

On 03/16/18 at approximately 0700 hours, Detectives from the Marijuana Investigation Team responded to a residential structure fire located on the 45000 block of Balch Park Road, Springville due to the suspicious nature of the fire.  

During the investigation, is was determined the fire was caused by an illegal “Honey Oil” lab.  The residence was completely destroyed by the fire.  A 36-year-old male and a 1-year-old male infant suffered severe burns and were airlifted for medical treatment.  Tulare County Fire Prevention Staff assisted with the investigation and evidence was collected at the scene.

The residence on the property -- singular, as in ONE residence -- was comprised of two structures that were completely connected.

These were not adjoining homes, they were unified as one residence.

Tenancy

Here is an overhead view of the house before the blaze:

All that remains standing now is the detached garage

This is a front view of the residence:

The identical view, after the fire:

When Shelley Lubben placed the property on the market, this was how her realtor's listing described it:

A single-family house

Note: The "single-family" property contains "two separate but connected homes" and will "make a family very, very happy."  Not neighbors; a family. 

And the property is only one address. One property, one residence, one address.

Finally, the in-home washer and dryer were located on the side of the house that housed the drug lab, meaning Shelley Lubben had to have access to that side of the house.

After transferring title of the property to a convicted drug offender named Sirjoe Carmona last year (under odd circumstances -- no bank or title company was involved, just a promissory note to Shelley Lubben from Carmona), Shelley remained at the property as a "tenant".

Lubben has no job, no investments, no pension, and receives no alimony. How exactly did she pay rent?

It stands tom reason that she had to be providing something of value -- services if not money -- in exchange for a place to live.

According to the mother of her boyfriend Joe Valley, there has been an active marijuana grow operation on the property for some time. And wouldn't you know it, running an illegal grow operation is precisely what Carmona was charged with previously.

Spin

In the wake of the drug lab fire, and following my sharing of Shelley Lubben's connection to it, Lubben has launched a campaign of disinformation in order to try to distance herself from it.

She now claims, with a straight face, that she had no idea what was going on under her own roof.

Even more, she says that the people who caused the fire were her "neighbors" who lived "next door".

This one is my personal favorite:

Ignoring the likelihood that God hates her: this is as close to a lightning bolt laying waste to one's house as one can get.

Okay, so let's recap:

People who lived under Shelley Lubben's roof, were running a hash oil lab that used marijuana grown on the same property, and had blacked out their windows. . .  How is any reasonable person supposed to believe that Shelley Lubben (who smokes marijuana heavily and had a medical marijuana card when it was still required in California) had NO IDEA what was going on in THE RESIDENCE SHE SHARED with drug 'chefs' on a property currently deeded to a man who has run an illegal marijuana grow operation?

Does anyone actually believe that the people she lived with never talked her?

If you shared a house with someone, would you call them your next-door neighbors? Of course you wouldn't.

Money

Now homeless and penniless, and with a family she has driven away through years of misdeeds, Shelley Lubben has her own online fundraising campaign launched by one of her (semi-literate) followers.

Here is a woman who claims to have helped many thousands of people; who says she is beloved for all her wonderful deeds.  So, how's the fundraiser going?

All this time and only 27 shares, yielding a mere $330.  My electric, water and gas bills totaled more than that this month.

Compare that to this fundraiser, launched on the very same crowdfunding site, related to a man who passed away the night of March 24 (only two days ago at press time). 

Barry Wood worked in the porn business as a performer and cameraman for decades and was actually loved by the people who met him.

It would appear that more and more people now see through Shelley Lubben, and that the last remnants of her tattered reputation also went up in smoke on Balch Park Road.

Shelley Lubben's Ranch Home Burns to the Ground; Drug Lab Explosion Suspected Cause

Springville, Calif. -- At approximately 5:00 a.m. on Friday, March 16, 2018, an explosion and fireball ripped through the ranch home of disgraced anti-porn crusader Shelley Lubben, leaving its residential structures leveled and engulfed in flames.

Lubben, 49, who has resided at the so-called "Lubben Ranch" since 2015, was home at the time, but escaped without serious injury.

The blast came from the house with blacked-out windows connected to Lubben's. Two residents, a man and infant son, were airlifted from 45117 Balch Park Road near Highway 190 to a local hospital for treatment of severe burn injuries. The man's pregnant wife was listed as in "fair condition".

The Tulare County Sheriff's Office states that due to "the suspicious nature of the fire", detectives from the Marijuana Investigation Team were dispatched to the scene. Two butane canisters were discovered, and the suspected cause of the fire, still officially under investigation by the Tulare Area Gang and Narcotics Enforcement Team (TAGNET), is a drug lab explosion.

This detached garage is the only structure left standing

Last June, Lubben transferred the property to Sirjoe Carmona, a convicted drug offender from Visalia and Ivanhoe, Calif., but Lubben remained on the parcel as a tenant.  Rumors in Springville have been rampant for some time that marijuana was being cultivated illegally at the ranch.

The property was also placed back on the market recently.

Here are the incredible BEFORE and AFTER PHOTOS of Lubben's home

Only smoldering rubble remains of Shelley Lubben's home and belongings

Lubben's residence was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived, and they had to take a defensive position to keep the flames from spreading into the heavily wooded area.

Shelley Lubben has reportedly lost everything but her jeep, iPhone, and the pajamas she was wearing at the time of the blaze.

In the aftermath of the fire, multiple sources report, Shelley Lubben has confirmed that a drug lab was the cause of the disastrous blaze. 

However she also claimed that despite the owner's history of running an illegal grow operation, and the building's blacked-out windows, she had no idea whatsoever that a dangerous drug lab was operating yards from her bedroom until it exploded early Friday morning.

It remains to be seen whether the injured honey oil lab operators will implicate Lubben.

Video by Cristina Davies, ABC30

The Fresno Bee reports that Joe Rosa, a spokesman for the Tulare County Fire Department, said both fire and Tulare County Sheriff's investigators are on scene.

According to sheriff's spokeswoman Ashley Ritchie, butane canisters were found in the home, so authorities were investigating it as a place where a honey-oil lab might have been set up. Ritchie said detectives were working to get a search warrant so they could go inside the residence. 

Honey oil is manufactured with the used of butane, and powerful explosions can result when fumes from the gas come in contact with a flame source, such as a hot water heater. 

Authorities describe the injured persons at the home when the fire broke out as a 36-year-old male, listed in critical condition; his pregnant 25-year-old wife, in fair condition; and their 15-month-old baby boy, also in critical condition.

The three were airlifted to Community Regional Medical Center (CRMC) in Fresno for treatment. The parents may face child endangerment charges, reports CBS47 News/YouCentralValley.com:

"The butane containers definitely indicate a honey oil lab," said Tulare Sheriff's Ashley Ritchie.

Anyone with more information regarding this investigation or a possible location of the suspect is urged to contact the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office at 1-800-808-0488 or anonymously at tcso@tipnow.com or by text or voicemail at 559-725-4194.

Honey oil

A butane hash "chef" packs a pipe with marijuana trimmings that will be used to make butane hash. (Genaro Molina / L.A. Times) 

Butane honey oil, or BHO, is a potent form of hashish (or hash), with a very high THC level.  

Since January 1, 2018, it is legal in California for adults age 21 and older to use, and possess up to eight (8) grams of, hashish, a.k.a. concentrated cannabis. However, possessing more than eight grams of concentrated cannabis is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to six (6) months in county jail. 

Selling hashish is only legal in California if one possesses a state license to do so. Without such a license, possessing hashish with the intent to sell it is a crime, as is unlawfully selling it or transporting it for sale. 

The unlawful production of more than eight (8) grams of hashish is likewise a crime in California, and the penalty is up to six months in county jail under Health & Safety Code 11358 - cultivation of marijuana.

If one uses a toxic chemical -- such as butane -- to produce the cannabis resin, one may also be found guilty of chemical extraction of a controlled substance and face a fine of up to $50,000 and three, five or seven years in state prison.

>Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article205528709.html#storylink=cpy

The flames

The house fire represents just the latest dramatic event in the scandal-plagued life of Shelley Lubben.

Born Shelley Lynn Moore in Pasadena, Calif. in 1968, Lubben struggled with alcoholism and substance abuse since her teens, and often found herself in trouble with the law.  In 1986, at age 18, she was asked to leave home by her long-suffering parents, and found work as a stripper, prostitute and small-time con artist in the Los Angeles area.  Lubben has proudly referred to herself as a "hustler" and "professional liar" who could talk her way out of anything.

In 1988, she gave birth to a daughter she says was conceived via a prostitution act.

An admitted attention seeker, Lubben failed in her attempt to launch an acting career, then dabbled in pornography from 1993 - 94.

When porn stardom eluded her, and her drug and alcohol use spiraled out of control, she married Garrett Lubben.

In 2004, Lubben re-emerged as a Christian anti-porn/anti-sex work crusader, complete with a set of horror stories about her short time in the adult business that no one -- even the people she knew at the time -- had ever heard before. Similarly, her tales about her early life were eventually contradicted by evidence provided by family.

In 2008, she and Garrett founded Pink Cross Foundation, "a faith-based public charity dedicated to reaching out to adult industry workers offering emotional, financial and transitional support."

However PCF never yielded a roster of success stories; instead, the vast majority of the women who associated with Lubben later described her as a manipulator and abuser who was addled by wine and prescription pills, and who misused funds donated to help the women in her care.

Lubben surrounded herself with bizarre individuals with claims that were provably false, and anti-porn evangelists such as Donny Pauling, who was later unmasked as a serial child molester.

Shelley Lubben and Donny Pauling

Lubben also practiced her own strange and fanatical version of Christianity. She would later assert that Pink Cross Foundation was the true church.

She claimed to be the reincarnation of the Prophet Elijah, and allowed herself to be filmed praying with an 8-foot staff.

A lightning rod for criticism

On April 26, 2011, the married anti-porn activist attended a Porn Star Karaoke event in Burbank, Cailf., and was photographed smiling while having her surgically-enhanced breast signed by hirsute porn star Ron Jeremy outside the bar's toilet.

Lubben's outrageous behavior, obsessive self-promotion as an anti-porn advocate, trips to rehab centers and psych wards, and half-hearted attempts at therapy took a toll on her marriage and family.

In 2015, Garrett and Shelley placed their Bakersfield, Calif. McMansion up for sale and Shelley moved out to the country -- to Springville -- while Garrett remained in Bakersfield so that the couple's youngest daughter wouldn't have to change schools. 

Garrett's hope was that the new surroundings would help Shelley cut back on her immense daily alcohol and prescription drug consumption. However, when he came to visit, he found the residence littered with empty wine bottles, and additional pill containers. 

On Oct. 13, 2015, Garrett filed for a legal separation in Bakersfield. 

The following month, Shelley admitted to a months-long extra-marital affair with ranch employee Joe Valley.

On Christmas Eve 2015, she had Valley arrested on charges of rape and domestic battery, but later withdrew the rape allegation.

Just after the new year, with her face still swollen, Lubben announced the shuttering of Pink Cross Foundation.

On March 14, 2016 Garrett amended his petition to Dissolution of Marriage (divorce). 

Approximately one week after Garrett blocked calls and texts (which had vacillated between the two running themes of "let's work it out and be together" and "I'm gonna get you and make you pay!"), a disgruntled Shelley approached the Tulare Sheriffs on May 5, 2016, with an accusation that Garrett had attempted to bribe her.  Her "evidence" of felony bribery was a couple of iPhone video clips directed and filmed by Shelley on Halloween 2015 as part of the couple's separation/divorce negotiations.

However, in February 2017, following hysterical testimony from Shelley, Judge Michael B. Sheltzer ruled that the video clips did NOT show an attempt to bribe Mrs. Lubben and all charges were dismissed.

In July 2016, Garrett Lubben filed for a restraining order in Bakersfield, Calif. to protect himself and his children from Shelley.

All domestic violence charges against Garrett Lubben were dropped last month.

Lubben also filed multiple domestic violence charges against Joe Valley, who has spent every birthday in jail since becoming involved with Shelley Lubben.

Following each release, Valley moved back in to the Lubben Ranch. 

But in November of last year, he was arrested on the property after allegedly striking and killing a cyclist on the way home to the ranch, while intoxicated. 

Valley is currently being held on $145,000 bail as he awaits trial for Gross Vehicular Manslaughter while Intoxicated, and fleeing the scene of the hit-and-run collision.

He is expected to plead guilty in Tulare County Superior Court on March 20. Valley faces 11 years in state prison.

New 'Lubben Ranch' Owner Was Arrested for Running Illegal Marijuana Grow Operation

Springville, Calif. -- The web of intrigue surrounding disgraced anti-porn crusader and minister Shelley Lubben continues to grow, with suspicions that her Springville, California 'Lubben Ranch' may have become a site for marijuana cultivation.

Shelley Lubben's Balch Park Road residence

In May 2015, Shelley's then-husband, Garrett, purchased the 598,000 sq. ft. property on Balch Park Road.  Shelley soon began an affair with a worker at the ranch, Joe Valley, while her husband was away. Garrett later filed for divorce and the property was deeded to Shelley in July 2016. 

With creditors snapping at her heels, she immediately began looking for a buyer.

Discover Card filed suit against Shelley Lubben in Porterville in 2017

She eventually found Sirjoe Carmona, 27, of Visalia and Ivanhoe, California. In June of 2017, he purchased the Springville property from Shelley Lubben for $100,000 down and a $200,000 promissory note.

Lubben and Joe Valley stayed on as tenants, and Valley was arrested Nov. 7 after police say he ran down a cyclist on the way home while under the influence of alcohol. He is currently in a Visalia jailhouse awaiting trial.

Lubben's new landlord, Sirjoe Carmona has an interesting background, which includes a farm labor contracting business, and a 2014 arrest in Visalia for possession of a large quantity of marijuana for sales, and cultivation of marijuana. 70 lbs. of processed marijuana was confiscated along with 233 plants.

The marijuana grow operation was located at his residence, 1314 N. Divisadero in Visalia.

Suspicion

Recently, Tulare County has sought to inspect his property, going so far as to file for an abatement warrant.

Presumably the authorities expect to find something there.

Springville and nearby Porterville residents say they had suspected that the Lubben Ranch property on Balch Park Road was being used to grow marijuana long before Lubben sold it.

Interestingly, Shelley's ex-husband, Garrett, confirms that she acquired a medical marijuana card, after years of publicly decrying the smoking of cannabis.

TAG, you're it

Illegal marijuana grow sites have plagued the Springville area for some time. 

In July 2017, Detectives with the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office TAGNET (Tulare Area Gang and Narcotics Enforcement Team) Unit conducted overflights in the Springville mountain area for illegal clandestine marijuana grow sites.

During the overflight, Detectives located large clandestine marijuana grow sites in the Wishon and Cabbage Head area above Springville.

On August 15, Detectives with the TAGNET Unit conducted an operation to eradicate the illegal marijuana grow site with the assistance of the U.S. Forest Service and CAMP Task Force.

While eradicating the illegal grow sites, Detectives located numerous chemicals, a large amount of trash and the disruption of the natural waterways in the area. Detectives also located a camp site, however; they were unable to locate any information on the identity of the suspect(s) responsible for the illegal marijuana grow.

During the operation, 27,177 marijuana plants were eradicated and destroyed.

Will Tulare County soon find another grow operation in Springville?

The investigation into illegal marijuana grow sites is ongoing and anyone with information is encouraged to call the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office at (559) 733-6218 or they can remain anonymous by calling TIPNOW at (559) 725-4194 or send an email to tcso@tipnow.com.

GoFundMe Campaign for Family of Cyclist Police Say Was Killed By Shelley Lubben's Boyfriend

Visalia, CA -- A GoFundMe campaign has been established to help the family of Octavio Munguia, 51, the cyclist who authorities say was run down by drunk driver Joe Valley on November 7, 2017.

The fatal hit-and-run collision occurred down the road from where Valley, 27, resides with his girlfriend, disgraced anti-porn crusader Shelley Lubben, 49.

Munguia is survived by his beloved wife, Maria Elena, his daughter Jessica, his son Alexander, his brother Juan Pablo, and three grandchildren.

Maria and Octavio Munguia

According to the , Maria Munguia was tracking her husband's ride through a smartphone application when she noticed something was wrong. Immediately, she reached out to her two children. 

“When my cousins showed up on scene, the first responders were already there," said Laura Cuadros, Munguia's niece.  

Ten days later, Octavio Munguia's friends and loved ones are still in shock after receiving news of his sudden death.  

Munguia's son, Alex Munguia, said two years ago his father began exercising. His favorite way to stay fit was cycling. 

"He really loved it," Alex Munguia said. "It became a passion for him." 

Ben Blankenship, a member of Southern Sierra Cyclist Club, said that in the past two months, Munguia had accomplished great feats in his cycling career.  

In October, Octavio cycled 345 miles, which included the San Luis Obispo Lighthouse Century, riding 100 miles between Morro Bay, Atascadero, and San Simeon — he climbed more than 7,300 in elevation.

It was his biggest cycling endeavor and accomplishment.

"Octavio was riding more and more, and picking up new cycling friends with every ride," Blankenship said. "In total, Octavio had ridden over 3,500 miles and climbed more than 77,000 in elevation this year."

The monies collected by the GoFundMe fundraiser will go directly to Octavio Munguia’s wife and children to help them transition to life without him. Please help them make every effort to not lose the home they shared with their beloved husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and friend.

Donations may be made here: gf.me/u/d5apxu

In Wake of Shelley Lubben Boyfriend's Hit-and-Run, Porterville Announces DUI Checkpoint

DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint Planned this Weekend

Porterville, CA – The Porterville Police Department Traffic Unit will be conducting a DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint on November 17, 2017, at an undisclosed location within the city limits between the hours of 8:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. 

In recent years, California has seen a disturbing increase in drug-impaired driving crashes. On Nov. 7,  Joe Valley, the live-in boyfriend of disgraced anti-porn crusader Shelley Lubben, was arrested after he allegedly struck and killed a 51-year old cyclist on Balch Park Road after leaving a Porterville bar.

The Porterville Police Department supports the new effort from the Office of Traffic Safety that aims to educate all drivers that “DUI Doesn’t Just Mean Booze.” If you take prescription drugs, particularly those with a driving or operating machinery warning on the label, you might be impaired enough to get a DUI. 

Marijuana can also be impairing, especially in combination with alcohol or other drugs, and can result in a DUI.

The deterrent effect of High Visibility Enforcement using both DUI checkpoints and DUI Saturation Patrols has proven to lower the number of persons killed and injured in alcohol or drug impaired crashes. Research shows that crashes involving an impaired driver can be reduced by up to 20 percent when well-publicized proactive DUI operations are conducted routinely. 

DUI Checkpoints like this one are placed in locations based on collision statistics and frequency of DUI arrests, affording the greatest opportunity for achieving drunk and drugged driving deterrence.

In California, alcohol involved collisions led to 1,155 deaths and nearly 24,000 serious injuries in 2014 because someone failed to designate a sober driver. Over the course of the past three years Porterville PD officers have investigated 101 DUI collisions which have claimed 0 lives and resulted in another 50 injuries.

Officers will be looking for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment, with officers checking drivers for proper licensing, delaying motorists only momentarily. When possible, specially trained officers will be available to evaluate those suspected of drug-impaired driving, which now accounts for a growing number of impaired driving crashes. 

Shelley Lubben and Joe Valley on the road.

The consequences of driving under the influence can be grave. Drivers caught driving impaired can expect the impact of a DUI arrest to include jail time, fines, fees, DUI classes, license suspensions and other expenses that can exceed $10,000 not to mention the embarrassment when friends and family find out.

There is also the human cost: The cyclist struck by Joe Valley's PT Cruiser died from his injuries. The criminal complaint filed Nov. 9 by the Tulare County district attorney charges Valley with felony hit-and-run driving resulting in death or serious bodily injury to another person, as well as the 'serious felony' gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.

According to innumerable sources, as well as her ex husband's on-the-record affidavit, area resident Shelley Lubben is a heavy daily drinker with a marijuana card who takes an obscene amount of prescription pills, and other pharmaceuticals she acquired in Mexico.

Drug related crashes

Studies of California drivers have shown that 30 percent of drivers in fatal crashes had one or more drugs in their systems. A study of active drivers showed more tested positive for drugs that may impair driving (14 percent) than did for alcohol (7.3 percent). Of the drugs, marijuana was most prevalent, at 7.4 percent, slightly more than alcohol. Everyone should be mindful that if you’re taking medication – whether prescription or over-the-counter – drinking even small amounts of alcohol can greatly intensify the impairment affects. 

Drivers are encouraged to download the Designated Driver VIP, or “DDVIP,” free mobile app for Android or iPhone. The DDVIP app helps find nearby bars and restaurants that feature free incentives for the designated sober driver, from free non-alcoholic drinks to free appetizers and more. The feature-packed app even has social media tie-ins and even a tab for the non-DD to call Uber, Lyft or Curb.

Funding for this checkpoint is provided to Porterville Police Department by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, reminding everyone to ‘Report Drunk Driver – Call 9-1-1.

Joe Valley Faces Prosecution For 'Serious Felony': Criminal Complaint

Shelley Lubben's boyfriend will likely be unable to plea bargain

Springville, Calif. -- Joseph Valley, the live-in boyfriend of disgraced anti-porn crusader and minister Shelley Lubben, faces two felony charges in Tulare County Superior Court.

Valley was arrested Tuesday Nov. 7 after he allegedly struck and killed a 51-year old cyclist less than 2 miles from the Lubben ranch property. 

Witnesses say Joe Valley was already intoxicated when he arrived at a local bar, and was cut off from ordering more alcohol before he allegedly ran down the cyclist driving Shelley Lubben's car and fled the scene.

Joseph Valley. Courtesy: Tulare County Sheriff's Office

The hit-and-run collision occurred at Balch Park Road and Battle Mountain Road in Springville at around 4:40 p.m. Tuesday.

According to the California Highway Patrol, 27-year-old Valley hit the cyclist while driving a silver 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser with a convertible top. A witness at the scene saw Valley take off "up Balch Park Road to his house" after the collision. The cyclist died at the scene.

A United Parcel Service driver had discovered Mr. Muguia in the road. After witnesses reported seeing a PT Cruiser with a broken windshield and significant front end damage, the UPS driver directed law enforcement to a nearby house where a PT Cruiser was normally parked: the Lubben Ranch.

Highway Patrol officers discovered Valley on the ranch property, and he explained that the damage too the vehicle was the result of hitting an animal.

The CHP officers arrested Valley and took him to jail. But because Lubben had already left, they were initially unable to interview her.

Valley, who has a prior criminal record, was booked later that night, and held on $100,000 bail.

A blood draw revealed Valley’s blood alcohol content at .26 percent, the District Attorney’s Office said. That was more than three times the legal limit of .08 percent.

District Attorney Tim Ward later filed criminal charges against Valley, upping his bail to $145,000. Joe Valley is being held at the Adult Pre-Trial Facility in Visalia.

The charges were followed by Ward's announcement of a $153,620 California Office of Traffic Safety grant. The grant will be used to help prosecute cases of drunken and impaired drivers.

"No one should be injured or lose their lives due to the reckless and risky behavior of a drunk driver," said Ward. "We look forward to continuing our focus on prosecuting this dangerous and avoidable crime."

A 'serious felony'

The criminal complaint filed Nov. 9 by the Tulare County district attorney charges Valley with felony hit-and-run driving resulting in death or serious bodily injury to another person, as well as the 'serious felony' gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.

The California Penal Code stipulates:

1192.7. (b) Plea bargaining in any case in which the indictment or information charges any serious felony, ... or any offense of driving while under the influence of alcohol, drugs, narcotics, or any other intoxicating substance, or any combination thereof, is prohibited....

1192.8. (a) For purposes of subdivision (c) of Section 1192.7, "serious felony" also means any violation of Section 191.5, paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Section 192, subdivision (a), (b), or (c) of Section 192.5 of this code, or Section 2800.3, subdivision (b) of Section 23104, or Section 23153 of the Vehicle Code, when any of these offenses involve the personal infliction of great bodily injury on any person other than an accomplice. . . . 

In addition, the complaint against Valley states that "the People hereby put the defendant on notice that the aggravated sentence may be sought in this case." 

California's “three strikes” law significantly increases the prison sentences of persons convicted of a felony who have been previously convicted of two or more violent crimes or serious felonies. The law also limits the ability of these offenders to receive a punishment other than a life sentence.

Valley does indeed have a prior criminal record.

Lubben and Valley met when her husband hired him to work at the Springville property in the spring of 2015. Shelley began an affair with Valley, and her husband later filed for divorce.

On Christmas eve 2015, Lubben phoned 911 and reported that Valley had sexually assaulted and battered her. She later recanted the sexual assault claim, but Valley served 90 days for domestic battery in Porterville.

The complaint

Joe Valley appeared in court Nov. 17 for a preliminary hearing setting. His next court date will be December 7, one month after the car he drove struck and killed the cyclist on Balch Park Road.