Shelley Lubben Accused Current Boy-Toy Of Rape, Assault With Deadly Weapon

New details revealed in court documents

What effect will this case have on the curious DV charges she brought against her then-husband, Garrett?

Springville, Calif -- A lot of readers have been enquiring about Joe Valley, the luckless (and otherwise homeless) captive boyfriend of former anti-porn scamster and self-promoter par excellence, Shelley Lubben.

Frankly, I feel very sorry for this kid, and here's why:

Since breaking the news about the then-married Lubben's affair with Valley, which began in the summer of 2015, we've learned more about their tumultuous relationship.

First published pic of the star-crossed couple

As noted previously, on Christmas Eve 2015 (incidentally, also Valley's 26th birthday), the bleach-blonde Mrs. Robinson wanna-be dialed 911 about an attack at the Springville ranch property her husband had purchased.

The Tulare County sheriffs took Joe Valley into custody, and he was booked on early Christmas morning.

Valley, who had been living in his Jeep until Mrs. Lubben beckoned to join her atop the mountain, was unable to pay his bond, and remained in jail until trial. 

Presented here for the first time is the felony criminal complaint against Joseph Valley, which was filed by the District Attorney on December 29:

Now, rape and assault with a deadly weapon are no laughing matter. Yet, according to a spokesman for the Tulare County Superior Court, Valley was able to "plead to one count, while the others were dismissed." Surely DNA evidence would point to Valley. Did Lubben change her story?

His charge of domestic battery lowered to misdemeanor-level, Valley was sentenced to 90 days in jail, with credit for time served, given probation, and released on March 22, 2016.

By then, Lubben's husband, Garrett, had already refused her numerous pleas for a second chance, and filed for divorce... setting the stage for a Lubben-Valley reunion.

What does all this mean for the curious DV charges she brought against her then-husband, Garrett, then retracted under penalty of perjury, before attempting to retract her retraction?

More on this ongoing story, as Shelley Lubben's December 5, 2016 appearance on the witness stand looms.

Shelley Lubben, Boyfriend Kicked Off School Property, Then CAUGHT ON TAPE

Shelley Lubben and Joseph "Homeless Joe" Valley Caught On Tape After Lubben, Reeking of Alcohol, Was Asked To Leave School Property

Bakersfield, Calif. -- On Friday, December 16, 2016, Shelley Lubben, 48, and boyfriend Joseph Michael Valley, 26, drove her Jeep to Bakersfield on a mission.

Lubben had recently been the recipient of a Cease and Desist letter from her ex-husband, Garrett, which directed her to stop using the names, likenesses and address of her ex and their two daughters, who reside with him and of whom he has physical custody.

An excerpt from the Lubben family's Cease and Desist letter to Shelley Lubben

Shelley, who will be forced to testify in court in February to substantiate the bizarre and dubious charges she has leveled against her ex, apparently saw the need to appear like a dedicated parent to the minor daughter she abandoned last year. Some might also say that she had an interest in trying to shore up character witness testimony in the case, as her daughter recently told her she never wanted to see her again and demanded that Shelley stay away from her.

Lubben turned up unannounced at her daughter's high school at around 2:00 pm, and spoke to a female academic counselor. The counselor had never met Mrs. Lubben, even though all three of her daughters had attended the school. Shelley Lubben only shows up when the occasion is about her.

Garrett, on the other hand, was a frequent visitor to the school over the years, for events and parent-teacher conferences.

Lubben reportedly smelled of alcohol and, after inquiring about her daughter's participation in clubs and sports, she asked a series of bizarre and suspicious questions, including how long her daughter's hair was, and which colleges she was considering attending. She told the counselor that she needed to connect with her daughter because her husband would be going to jail soon, and she wondered if she could see her daughter.

Alarmed by Lubben's erratic demeanor, the counselor reminded her that she had been given a portal to view her daughter's recent grades, but beyond that she'd have to look elsewhere.

Having not gotten exactly what she wanted, Shelley became hysterical and was promptly shown the door.  At around 2:30, she got back into the Jeep with Joe Valley, when a school security guard approached them to ask what they were doing there. Shelley told the guard she hoped to see her daughter as she walked to or from class. The guard's response was to immediately tell them to leave the property.

At 2:37, the school phoned Garrett Lubben, informed him of what had taken place, and assured him that Shelley would no longer be permitted on school premises and had been banned from attending her daughter's graduation.

Once Shelley and Joe hit the road, Shelley knowingly or unknowingly phoned the school. However, the call went poorly. To say the very least...

Instead of being connected to the someone at the high school, Lubben ended up unwittingly leaving a 6 minute voicemail recording that captured her private conversation with Valley.

The conversation, an audio file of which is in my possession, constitutes, in essence, Shelley's post mortem of her experience inside the school.

Shelley sounds anxious and complains that she was treated unfairly after she got emotional, "I didn't do anything wrong!" and strums her own banjo to the tune of "I'm such a fair and forgiving person."

The two talk over each other quite a bit, and as Joe tries to calm Shelley and make sense of what just happened, at approximately 90 seconds in, he non-chalantly asks "Are you on speed?" Lubben registers neither surprise nor outrage at the question.

Lubben has long claimed to be a reformed drug addict and alcoholic -- or rather, that God almighty miraculously "cured" her of all her physical and psychological maladies -- yet in reality she has been in and out of rehabilitation facilities and psych wards for years. In his court filing for a protection order against Shelley earlier this year, her ex-husband confirmed that she remains a "heavy drinker" who abuses prescription drugs.

According to reports, Joe Valley has also been a drug user, and has a lengthy arrest record.

Lubben complains of having been "accused right there" at the school, and demurs again that she "didn't do anything wrong; the whole time I was talking like I'm talking now."

It is clear from the recording that Lubben is afraid of what her daughters would say in front of a jury. "I don't want Garrett...to use them against me!" she exclaims.

Of her youngest daughter, Lubben complains, "I never ever did one thing wrong to her, the little bitch."

One of the strangest and most ironic moments on the recording is where Lubben implies that she is owed sympathy because she is "a victim of domestic violence." Lubben wears the phrase with the same comfort as her other weaponized line about being "a victim" and "survivor of the porn industry". The irony, however, is the only person who's ever been convicted of beating her is the man sitting next to her. She also accused Valley of rape on the same occasion -- which was nearly one year prior to this road trip.

Suddenly the tone of Lubben's voice changes. "You know what we're doing? We're coming back here...."

Other material in the conversation (which I shall withhold for the time being), combined with Lubben's behavior at the school, caused sufficient alarm amongst the administration -- and particularly with the academic counselor who incurred Lubben's wrath -- that the school called Lubben back to inform her that they were going to the police. The event was given a police incident number, and a detective has been assigned. This is particularly bad news for Valley, who is on probation following his release from jail for beating Shelley.

More on this amazing turn of events coming soon...

Shelley Lubben's Boyfriend Arrested for Vehicular Manslaughter and DUI Near Their Home

Springville, Calif. -- Joseph Valley, the live-in boyfriend of disgraced anti-porn crusader Shelley Lubben, 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.

He is charged with gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and hit-and-run driving, resulting in death or serious bodily injury to another person.

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 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.

On Facebook, the witness claimed the car's "windshield had big spider web crack and [its] hood had big dent all on [the] drivers side."

Authorities initially asked for the public's help in locating the vehicle and its driver. The car had been described by the witness as a silver PT Cruiser which had suffered "front-end damage and was possibly missing the front bumper." However, CHP were able to catch up with and arrest Valley on suspicion of DUI and hit-and-run two hours after responding to the collision.

Valley, who has a prior criminal record, was booked later that night, and held on $100,000 bail. District Attorney Tim Ward later filed criminal charges against Valley, upping his bail to $145,000. He 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."

District Attorney Tim Ward later filed criminal charges against Valley.  He was arraigned Nov. 9, and his bail was increased to $145,000. Valley is being held at the Adult Pre-Trial Facility in Visalia.

The filing of charges was 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." According to police, an unnamed 51-year old Visalia man was riding a Trek bicycle southbound on Black Park Rd., north of Yokohl Valley Rd.,when he was struck by a passing car. It was reported that Valley was driving northbound on Balch Park Rd. toward the Lubben Ranch. Valley approached a curve in the road and for unexplained reasons the PT Cruiser crossed the sold double-yellow lines and entered into southbound lanes before colliding with the bicyclist. 

Valley failed to stop and render aid, leaving the victim with fatal injuries. He then kept on going up the road.

The Balch Park area is a draw for local cyclists. 

The Porterville Recorder reported Nov. 9 that "CHP believes alcohol may have been a factor in this collision."

More details on the criminal case against Joe Valley will be forthcoming.

Valley will return to court for a preliminary hearing setting 8:30 a.m. Friday in Department 17 of the Tulare County Superior Court, South County Justice Center in Porterville. 

Below is the relevant section of the California Penal Code:

Vehicular Manslaughter 

Penal Code § 191.5. (a) Gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated is the 
unlawful killing of a human being without malice aforethought, in the driving of a vehicle, where the driving was in violation of Section 23140, 23152, or 23153 of the Vehicle Code, and the killing was either the proximate result of the commission of an unlawful act, not amounting to a felony, and with gross negligence, or the proximate result of the commission of a lawful act that might produce death, in an unlawful manner, and with gross negligence. 

(b) Vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated is the unlawful killing of a human being without malice aforethought, in the driving of a vehicle, where the driving was in violation of Section 23140, 23152, or 23153 of the Vehicle Code, and the killing was either the proximate result of the commission of an unlawful act, not amounting to a felony, but without gross negligence, or the proximate result of the commission of a lawful act that might produce death, in an unlawful manner, but without gross negligence. 

(c) (1) Except as provided in subdivision (d), gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated in violation of subdivision (a) is punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for 4, 6, or 10 years. 
(2) Vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated in violation of subdivision (b) is punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for not more than one year or by imprisonment in the state prison for 16 months or 2 or 4 years. 

(d) A person convicted of violating subdivision (a) who has one or more prior convictions of this section or of paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Section 192, subdivision (a) or (b) of Section 192.5 of this code, or of violating Section 23152 punishable under Sections 23540, 23542, 23546, 23548, 23550, or 23552 of, or convicted of Section 23153 of, the Vehicle Code, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for a term of 15 years to life. Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 2930) of Chapter 7 of Title 1 of Part 3 shall apply to reduce the term imposed pursuant to this subdivision. 

(e) This section shall not be construed as prohibiting or precluding a charge of murder under Section 188 upon facts exhibiting wantonness and a conscious disregard for life to support a finding of implied malice, or upon facts showing malice consistent with the holding of the California Supreme Court in People v. Watson, 30 Cal. 3d 290. 

(f) This section shall not be construed as making any homicide in the driving of a vehicle or the operation of a vessel punishable which is not a proximate result of the commission of an unlawful act, not amounting to felony, or of the commission of a lawful act which might produce death, in an unlawful manner. 

(g) For the penalties in subdivision (d) to apply, the existence of any fact required under subdivision (d) shall be alleged in the information or indictment and either admitted by the defendant in open court or found to be true by the trier of fact.

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.

Tulare County Braces for New Year's Eve with Shelley Lubben: Establishes DUI Checkpoints, Patrols

Tulare County, Calif -- Now through Jan. 1, 2018, local law enforcement agencies are partnering with the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in a special year-end “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” enforcement mobilization to get impaired drivers off the street and to spread the word about this dangerous crime.

As part of the holiday enforcement campaign period, police, sheriff and the CHP will be setting up DUI checkpoints and conducting DUI saturation patrols all across the largely rural county.

Look out, Tulare -- Springville's Shelley Lubben may take to the road this New Year's weekend!

Tragedy

In recent years, California has seen a disturbing increase in alcohol and 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.  It has since come to light that Lubben, a Springville resident, was providing Valley with the prescription drug  Alprazolam, which is marketed under the name Xanax.

Xanax is a potent, short-acting benzodiazepine anxiolytic—a tranquilizer.

Shelley Lubben and Joe Valley on the road

“This holiday season, drivers will notice increased enforcement watching closely for anyone who is driving impaired,” said Sgt. Mark Feller of the Visalia PD Traffic Unit. “It is vital that we keep our roads and our travelers safe, not just at the holidays, but every day. With extra travelers on the roads, and people attending holiday parties, we will likely see an uptick in drunk driving. We‘ll be arresting anyone we catch breaking this life-saving law.”

Driving under the influence of alcohol can have deadly, devastating consequences. Nationally in 2016, 37,461 people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes, and 28 percent (10,497) died in crashes where a driver had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) over the limit of .08. California reported 1,059 DUI deaths at .08 or above. In 2014, 15 people were killed and another 230 were injured in DUI related collisions in Tulare County, according to the California Highway Patrol’s annual report. In 2015, 318 people were killed or injured in an alcohol involved collision in Tulare County. Of those 5% involved drivers under the age of 21. 

Visalia had 73 alcohol involved crashes, the most in the county, while Porterville had 30, Tulare had 15, Lindsay had 12, Dinuba had 4, and Farmersville had 2, according to the California Office of Traffic Safety. Exeter and Woodlake had zero.

In recent years, California has seen an increase in drug-impaired driving crashes. Local law enforcement in Tulare County support 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 use can also be impairing, especially in combination with alcohol or other drugs, and can result in a DUI. “Two simple words can keep your holiday festivities safe – plan ahead,” said OTS Director Rhonda Craft. “Before you head out to any celebration, plan how you are getting home safely. If you are drinking, that means knowing what sober driver or service will be using.

Lubben inspired?

The program seems as if it were written with Shelley Lubben in mind, as she is a drinker, a marijuana smoker and a pill-popper.  That's what's known as a Tulare Trifecta.

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. Funding for this DUI operation is provided to Your 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.”

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

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.

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.