Riverside County Board of Supervisors Chairman Manuel Perez confirmed Wednesday that his chief of staff — the mayor of Coachella — Steven Andrew Hernandez is on “indefinite” leave from his county post due to the criminal charges he’s now facing.
“The allegations against Steven Hernandez are serious,” Perez said in a statement Wednesday. “He has been placed on indefinite administrative leave from the county. Although we are still waiting on more details, it’s our understanding that the charges are unrelated to his role in our office.”
Hernandez was arrested Tuesday by investigators from the District Attorney’s Office and booked into the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside. The detention followed his reported indictment by the county Grand Jury. Jail records indicated the mayor is charged with five counts each of perjury and conflict of interest in government business.
The D.A.’s office has declined to comment publicly on the matter, and though a case is on file with Riverside County Superior Court, it remains inaccessible, possibly awaiting a judge’s approval to unseal the indictment.
Hernandez posted a $112,500 bond and was released from custody Tuesday afternoon.
“The city is aware of allegations made regarding Coachella Mayor Steven A. Hernandez, and the city’s administration is fully cooperating with authorities,” according to a municipal statement issued Tuesday. “There is no additional information available to share at this time.”
Published reports suggested the charges stem from Hernandez’s actions connected to homeless programs overseen by the Coachella Valley Association of Governments. The alleged discrepancies have not been specified.
Hernandez was first elected mayor in 2014 and has been Perez’s right hand man for nearly as much time.