Ex-city manager, 7 other Bell city officials to face LA judge in $5.5 million corruption case

8 Bell officials to face judge in corruption case

LOS ANGELES — The mayor, the ex-city manager and six current and former officials of the blue-collar suburb of Bell are expected to head from jail to court a day after residents of the modest city near Los Angeles celebrated their arrest.

The eight were scheduled to be arraigned in court Wednesday on charges of misappropriating more than $5.5 million in public funds.

Former City Manager Robert Rizzo, Mayor Oscar Hernandez and the others were rounded up during Tuesday morning raids on their homes. Residents across the city honked their car horns, burst into cheers and staged impromptu celebrations.

District Attorney Steve Cooley told a news conference soon after the arrests that the officials used tax dollars collected from hardworking citizens as their own piggy bank.

Associated Press Writer Thomas Watkins contributed to this report.