Rigo Landeros, Fillmore's fire chief, assistant city manager and acting public works director, committed suicide this month while on duty in his city car, officials confirmed this week.
Landeros, 51, shot himself in the head in his fire chief's car on a rural section of Goodenough Road on Jan. 7, Ventura County sheriff's, coroner's and Fillmore officials said in response to inquiries from The Star.
A suicide note was found in the car, officials said.
The Sheriff's and County Counsel's offices declined to provide The Star with a copy of the note, saying it is exempt from disclosure under the state Public Records Act given its "highly private and sensitive nature."
The Star reported Landeros' death on Jan. 8, but did not know at the time that the suicide had occurred while he was on duty in his fire chief's car.
The death occurred two days after a Fillmore City Council goal-setting session on Jan. 5 during which Councilman Rick Neal asked Landeros about possible improprieties related to funds used by the Fillmore Firefighters Foundation. Landeros created the nonprofit foundation in 2011 to help raise funds for the largely volunteer fire department.
City Attorney Tiffany Israel looked into Neal's concerns but determined there were no improprieties, City Manager Dave Rowlands said this week.