Tustin City Council Member Pleads Guilty to Battery, Sentenced to 1-Year Probation

Over the vacation season, newly-elected Tustin City Councilmember Lee Fink pled blameworthy to artillery aft an incidental wherever helium was filmed connected camera shoving and shouting astatine an aged man.

Fink was sentenced to 1 twelvemonth of probation connected Dec. 23, according to case documents from the Orange County Superior Court.

D.A. officials didn’t enactment retired immoderate property merchandise oregon connection connected the case. 

The incidental occurred connected May 18, 2024, during the Old Town Tustin Home and Garden Tour. 

Fink stated his behaviour was “unfitting for anyone” — particularly since helium was moving for bureau astatine the time.

“I was wrong,” Fink wrote successful a connection sent to Voice of OC. “I bash not mean to excuse my actions successful immoderate way, but I saw idiosyncratic scolding my woman and 1-year-old daughter, who were some upset, and I overreacted. I can’t support what happened; I tin lone effort to bash better.”

Although the incidental occurred successful May, the video didn’t travel to airy until October — conscionable up of the November elections. 

Fink was narrowly elected to the Tustin City Council successful November’s wide election. He won the District 1 assembly spot with 53% “yes” votes — lone 324 votes much than his opponent.

“I apologize to that idiosyncratic and the homeowners involved,” Fink said. “I privation to besides apologize to my supporters, who I’ve fto down. And I privation to apologize to the radical of Tustin whose enactment I seek.”

Although the Orange County District Attorney’s bureau often issues property releases erstwhile elected officials perpetrate a transgression — similar the erstwhile Stanton City Councilmember who’s successful blistery h2o this week for lying connected information paperwork — nary advisory was issued successful this case.

OCDA spokesperson Kimberly Edds said that’s due to the fact that Fink wasn’t an elected authoritative astatine the clip of the crime.

“​​The crushed I began this run is to marque Tustin a amended place,” Fink said. “I failed to bash truthful connected that day, but I volition bash amended each time from present on.”

Angelina Hicks is simply a Voice of OC Tracy Wood Reporting Fellow. Contact her astatine ahicks@voiceofoc.org oregon connected Twitter @angelinahicks13.

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