By: Diane Benjamin
I don’t know if it’s Bloomington who has a criminal problem with their firefighters or if other departments are just better at hiding malfeasance. Number 6 was charged with domestic violence last December. The charges aren’t for beating up his wife, they are for beating up his girlfriend the wife evidently knew about.
See 1-5 here: https://blnnews.com/2019/11/04/bloomington-fireman-5-gets-off/
Just like #5, this firefighter hasn’t been suspended or fired from the Bloomington force.
From the County database: https://publicaccess.mcleancountyil.gov/PubAC_SearchCriminal.aspx
Buenrostro is listed on the Bloomington Compensation report for last year. His total compensation was $132,598:
https://www.cityblm.org/home/showpublisheddocument/26843/637647918074200000
Details:
Any surprise alcohol was involved? Buenrostro and his girlfriend (name redacted in the reports) were drinking at Maguire’s Bar. The fight began there and then got much worse when the two went to her apartment. They had been “dating” for a year and a half. They weren’t hiding the relationship. One more note, he has kids with his wife.
This paragraph from one of the police reports shows what happened, I received it redacted:
The victim did not want to get Buenrostro in trouble, but Neville House eventually convinced her she needed to go to the hospital. That is when the police were called. More excerpts:
The excerpt below shows how domestic violence victims think. They don’t want their abuser prosecuted because it would destroy their relationship. In this case the victim wasn’t needed for prosecution since her injuries were documented at the hospital.
The Illinois State Police also got involved, this paragraph is from their report:
The reports state this isn’t the first time Buenrostro committed domestic violence, relatives of the victim were worried about her and contacted ISP..
Keep in mind: The City of Bloomington has taken no action against Buenrostro.
If you know a domestic violence victim who is in denial, print the two reports below and show both to them. If the abuser continues to drink when they know they have a problem, it will never get better.
I left a lot of details out, you can read them yourself.
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Institutional , structured cronyism decides who gets any city of Bloomington job. The cronyism , oddly spawns from City Staff, NOT elected officials. The tail wags the dog in Our Town on almost every level.
Someday , our ELECTED officials will wake up to the fact that it is THEY that have the power and will have the spine to bring these over-paid and benefited bureaucrats to heel.
These positions have always been the dominion of friends and relatives of the long established local government clique. Walking into a police or fire station one immediately can feel the testosterone level. Most know they have nothing to fear about questionable behavior in or outside the work environment. The wagon circling has gone on for years. I knew of personnel that couldn’t pass the required exams and barely graduated high school that got police and fire jobs and even promoted. Some even got caught cheating on promotional exams. Nothing happened. BN government is as corrupt as Chicago or NYC. Those involved are familiar names that have been in BN forever. Oligarchs run the place with impunity.
WOW – this 300lb Bloomington Fireman was putting a serious beating on his girlfriend!
A logical person may agree, that is is “possible” that this violent man may also be violent with his wife and/or children. As a female reading this information, my heart breaks for these women and children who are involved with this Bloomington Fireman.
Just read both reports. I am simultaneously angry and sick-to-my-stomach. How is it possible that this pig is not in jail where he belongs? She definitely is displaying the classic tendencies of a domestic violence victim. I really feel sorry for the children who are also victims in this situation. So extremely disturbing on so many levels, not the least of which is that the Bloomington Fire Department did not fire his @$$. Also, early in the first report it stated he is a firefighter and a teacher? Where does he teach and what does he teach?
Those people need help and lots of it. It is clear from reading the report that the fireman’s relationship with his girlfriend and his wife are dumpster fires. The girlfriend and fireman are mutually violent. Probably the case with his wife too. They need to leave him immediately. The fireman needs to be locked up for a good long time.
I know #6, and I’m not surprised by this, at all. Firefighters aren’t suspended or fired because their union protects them. It’s pathetic.
How can we hold this guy be held accountable? 2 women and children are at risk of injury and death. Is that what it will take? I sure hope not! He needs to be fired and run out of town on a rail. How do the others feel who have to work with him? Morale must be awful. Any and all ideas welcome.
#6 is a narcissist, hiding under the the title of firefighter / hero., planning to promote to captain with our tax dollars. He is also teaching youth at BHS in the EMT Area Career Center. Multiple victims. I pray for change and that charges result in a sentence.