08/26/2022
Candi Deleon who manages across the street at Elan Village North was supposed to testify at the conservatorship hearing, but Judge Kelety wouldnʻt allow any of Michaelʻs witnesses to do so. Candi just emailed Michael this:)
My name is Candi De Leon, a long time friend and a nearby neighbor to Mona on Vine Street. I met Mona at a City Hall managers training for section 8 housing that the city offers around the year 2006-7. At that time we were not close geographically since I lived at a different location. In 2011 I moved to Vine street to manage a complex near her complex for which we were excited to be much closer and could visit more often. We will reach out to each other for things going on with the prospects or residents, as she had as residents some of the residents for which I am a manager. We had a lot of fun doing our jobs, except she was the owner of the complex and I was just an employee, however Mona never made the distinction. Mona was a friend to me. I could call her for anything and she could call me to talk about anything. We made time to go out after work, we went out to dinner, for drinks and even dancing, Mona confided in me personal things, some about the business and some about the job. One thing she always asked me to do is join her at the fashion show the women's club had and they were while I was at work but I made the effort to still go and join her, Mona was always very welcoming, and she did not want me to miss any of the fashion shows. One of the outings she told me her entire story of how she became the owner of the complex, her story was quite amazing, how she moved here from Hawaii and her first job here in California being a model for bathing suits. She had no grudges when her husband went for a younger woman, she said she fought to get the complex to raise her kids. what struck me is that she felt she only had her son for support, she was so proud how Michael her son came just in time to not lose her complex, as she had forgotten to make some mortgage payments and almost lose the property, when Michael came in and put it all in order, she was so proud of him for that, but before that she will always talk about only him being in the seminary to be a priest, Mona had a big faith built up thru her divorce, so she was relieve her son was into divinity and her hope was he will continue his studies. I will hook up with Mona at the end of the working day and she was so happy her son will take her to church, that was a big outing for her. I started to join her towards 2018 more and we actually went to propose in the city hall for a park for the kids in her complex and in the neighborhood, there Michael was always with her, and I was shocked how much nicer Mona will dress while with her son.I also observed how much Michael will respect her mother opinions, pleased her needs for food or drink, and will look after her. Mona told me one time that she had some alzheimers and that was why she repeated herself, she was aware, but she will still visit me from her home to my job while I was working. one time she introduced me to her son, and that is how we started to got three of us together, Mona was just happy to be with her son, so proud he will be so interested in the things that matter to her, she loved kids and wanted to do more than her business. Michael seemed to do his mother wishes as she opposed to the development next to her, she wanted that place for a park, we even had meetings with others interested in same idea and took it to the city hall. Michael was also concerned that the development was going to block Mona's area from getting good sunshine which she enjoyed all the years. It has become appalling to me that suddenly things changed, and she ended up in a strange place that I am sure is not what she ever wanted. her idea was to end her days in her own place. Mona had never mentioned any relationship with her other daughter, but told me one of her daughters was into drugs, and felt that her daughter' friend wasn influencing her, and even said she had concerns about that friend. Mona never mentioned she had any visits from her other daughter. Her whole life was centered around her son and being proud of him, specially because he had helped her not lose the property. I am aware Mona was taken from her place drastically and I am sure it has impacted her tremendously and undeservedly, please help her come back to her home to have happiness in her last days. What has happened to her is very cruel, no consideration for her feelings for the ones she cares about, just plain cruel. Even in other countries the elderly are well taken care of, especially for what she did for a living, I think she will want to be around people she had been living there for a very long time. she loved her dog so much, and would walk the dog to visit me, suddenly all that stopped. I had a similar situation happen to my dad, he was taken away from his home and someone in the family had plans to find him a person who will pose as the concubine just so someone could collect his pension after he died. What has happened to Mona of being removed from her home is very appalling, it has to be from someone who is heartless and there should be no mercy in punishing that person for treating an elderly as she has been treated without even having a good relationship with her. Mona was attached to her son emotionally, was attached to her dog, and was attached to her community, is there someone who can help put Mona in her home as she would have wanted to?
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Thanks,
Candi De Leon
