Milwaukie News

Top photo: Hector Osuna-Bonilla demonstrates the touch (above and in the video) he said got him into trouble at Milwaukie High School, and landed him Friday in Clackamas County court.

MILWAUKIE, Ore. – Milwaukie High School teacher Hector Osuna-Bonilla was released on bail Friday, hours after appearing in court on charges he sexually abused three female students during the past year.

"Why? Why do I receive [so much] discrimination?" Osuna-Bonilla said, in broken English, on his way out of jail. "I live in this country too many years! I am very angry!"

Hector Osuna-Bonilla is a Latino immigrant, here legally, who says he's innocent of all seven charges of misdemeanor sex abuse and attempted sex abuse. He's angry that one allegation dates back to last year - and claims his accusers are plotting against him. (Watch the video above to see this in Osuna-Bonilla's own words.)

The 58-year-old math and physics teacher has been on paid leave since the allegations first surfaced in December.

MILWAUKIE, Ore. - A Milwaukie High School teacher was arrested Friday on several sex abuse charges.

Police say Hector Manuel Osuna-Bonilla was the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation that began in December of 2009 when the North Clackamas School District notified police that it had received reports from students alleging possible sex abuse involving a teacher.

Osuna-Bonilla has been on leave ever since, pending the outcome of the investigation and is now in the Clackamas County Jail on seven counts of misdemeanor sex abuse charges.

The investigation centers on incidents on campus involving three female students at the school. The reported incidents occurred over a one-year period. The nature of the allegations was not released.

According to Joe Krumm with the North Clackamas School District, Osuna-Bonilla started at the high school in August of 2008 and taught all grades. He said a background check was done when Osuna-Bonilla was hired and there was nothing found. Osuna-Bonilla was hired from Portland Community College and prior to that he worked for Portland Public Schools.

MILWAUKIE, Ore. - Firefighters describe a daring rescue: a car resting in a tree, over a steep embankment.

OSP says the driver, 50 year old John Michael Talpa was driving on McLoughlin Blvd when he passed another car. Police say when Talpa switched lanes to go back in front of that car, he clipped it, and lost control.

When Tyson Lowther from Clackamas County Fire showed up, he said they realized they needed to stabilize the car. It was precariously sitting in a tree; moving forward could have further injured the driver, moving backward could have hurt rescue personnel.

Lowther describes a daring scene in which they improvised, on an un-stable slope. They used gear to wrap the car and tree together, so it wouldn't move. Then they cut the door ever so slightly, and removed Talpa.

Talpa went to OHSU where he was treated for non-life threatening injuries. The driver of the other car was treated and released.

Milwaukie City Council approved a reduced utility bill surcharge at Tuesday's city council meeting, meaning that Milwaukie ratepayers will now have to pay more on their water and sewer bill.

City Council voted 3-2 to pass a $1 surcharge per 100 cubic feet (CCU) of water usage on ratepayer utility bill, which is half of the $2 amount originally proposed at the January 19th City Council meeting.

Councilor Deborah Barnes suggested that the surcharge to be set at $1 per CCU.

The motion was made to adopt the $1 utility bill surcharge was read and then voted on by City Council.

Councilors Susan Stone and Joe Loomis opposed the surcharge.

Loomis said he would not vote on the surcharge because he felt the ratepayers should not also have to pay for consultant fees during the dispute.

The Jan. 19th vote was postponed because the City Council had not received input or recommendations from the Budget Committee and the Citizens Utility Advisory Board (CUAB).

Both the Budget Committee and the CUAB recommended the surcharge.

City of Milwaukie bills businesses and residents every two months for water and sewer.