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Moreno Valley School Board Member Accused Of Attempted Murder

MORENO VALLEY (CBS) — A Moreno Valley school board member faces charges of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon.

Mike Luis Rios, 41, pleaded not guilty to the charges in connection to the Feb. 13 shooting in front of his home in the 27500 block of Palm Shadow Drive.

According to Sgt. Walter Mendez, Rios told investigators that he had an argument with two men at a nightclub that later followed him home, leading to another altercation.

"During the confrontation, Mr. Rios alleged one of the male subjects, brandished a weapon, and fired at him," Sgt. Mendez said. "The suspects fled the area in a compact vehicle."

In a follow-up investigation, officers questioned the alleged assailants, whose story contradicted Rios'. Following a second interview with Rios, investigators found enough evidence to arrest him, according to Mendez.

Rios was charged with two counts of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon, one count of witness intimidation and other weapons allegations.

Rios has recently been under scrutiny for a series of public gaffes.

Before his election to the Moreno Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees in November of 2010, Rios had gained attention when he claimed he was amember of the city council. Immediately after the abduction and murder of 17-year-old Norma Angelica Lopez, Rios claimed to represent the city in statements to the media.

The Moreno Valley man has more recently been in the spotlight after going public about an ongoing dispute with federal officials regarding his wife's immigrations status.

Last September, 39-year-old Dora Landaverde-Torres was arrested by Customs Enforcement agents during a series a sweeps nationwide to snatch undocumented immigrants with criminal records. Landaverde-Torres was arrested because of a drug felony conviction in the late 1990s, according to ICE.

Landaverde-Torres is in federal custody while her lawyers challenge the government's deportation order.

Rios is being held at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside with a bail of $1 million. If convicted of the charges, Rios faces more than 25 years in prison.

(©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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