hunting in discovery bay

DELTA SUN TIMES • MARCH 2014 15
HUNTING IN DISCOVERY BAY
by Amanda Dove
Discovery Bay residents
experienced a bit of celebrity
fever when Duane Chapman
(AKA: Dog the Bounty Hunter)
and his television crew secured a
short term rental in Discovery Bay.
Duane, along with his wife Beth,
are in the area shooting season
two of their CMT television show
“Dog & Beth: On the Hunt.”
No, they aren’t hunting
criminals in Discovery Bay, but it’s
a nice place to rest your feet after
a long day.
Duane, Beth, and their son
Leland are assisting local bail
bondsmen, the Padilla’s (a father
and son team), in “their hunt
for low-lying criminals in the
Stockton to Sacramento area
that have skipped bail and need
to be returned for justice”, says
Chapman.
“Bounty hunting is the oldest
profession besides prostitution,”
explains Chapman. “This is a
user-funded service, that doesn’t
drain the taxpayer. The cost for the
government to hunt down these
criminals would cost taxpayers as
much as $50,000-$200,000. We
find people that are charged with
a crime. Often, these people have
drug and alcohol problems and are
a drain to the community.”
The Padilla’s are grateful for
the assistance of their colleagues.
“We’re like a neighborhood
watch.” Topo Padilla is a second
generation bail bondsman and is an
industry expert: “It typically takes
about four months to locate and
pick-up someone, and the field of
prospects is changing constantly.”
The Padilla’s respond with the
“Dog and Beth” team when they
receive called in tips and good
leads. The Chapman’s provide
their years of expertise in bounty
hunting, knowledge of the latest
industry technologies, and “provide
a vehicle to go and train, to watch
these guys in action,” says Padilla.
“The show let’s people watch
what we are doing, and we are
educating people who watch the
program,” explains Beth Chapman.
“Police department deputies
watch the show and often tell us
they watched the show and want
to know more about what we do.”
The Chapman’s son, Leland,
a favorite with young female
viewers, is military-trained. He
provides expertise in elite forces
and military technology such as
thermal-imaging, a way to view
the location and number of people
inside a home when approaching
with an arrest warrant. “These
tools help when we’re rushing a
house, in controlling the situation,
Dog the Bounty Hunter star, Duane Chapman, along with his wife and son, Beth and Leland
Chapman, have taken up short-term residence in Discovery Bay as they shoot season two of their
CMT series, Dog & Beth: On the Hunt.
and letting them know we’re in
charge when we extract them from
the house,” says Leland.
“Unfortunately, more than twothirds of the people we pursue
are methamphetamine addicts,
a drug that terrorizes families
and communities,” shared Beth.
“We pray with people we have
picked up. We believe in second
chances.”
Duane Chapman enjoys the
work he does: “Hemingway said
‘There is no greater joy than
hunting a man.’ We pick these
people up and so many times they
come back years later and say
to us “Do you remember me?”
These people valued the words
we shared with them and are
reformed.”
The Chapman’s are Discovery
Bay residents for just a short time,
but are enjoying the small-town
America friendliness, even if it’s a
little disconcerting when they are
used to an eight-foot fence around
their home in Hawaii. “People
here have dropped off cookies and
muffins, pictures of their kids, and
even ring the doorbell to ask if
Dog is home!” shared Beth.
KIDS WISH NETWORK GRANTS WISH FOR CALIFORNIA CHILD BEFORE 13TH SURGERY
her mom, dad, brother and sister
before another two months of
hard recovery thanks to Kids Wish
Network. The children’s charity
sent inspirational Layla and the
entire family on an all-expense paid
wish to Disney World.
“We love spending time
together as a family,” says Layla’s
mother, Jeanette Figuerido. “This
wish was a special treat, especially
with Layla’s upcoming surgery.”
The Figueridos of Discovery
Bay, CA, are a typical American
family, except for one unfortunate
difference: 3-year-old Layla
suffers from Spina Bifida. The lifethreatening condition is a daily
struggle for the family of five, but
recently the Figueridos were able
to put aside their worries and
enjoy an amazing wish granted by
Kids Wish Network.
birth. Her mother was told it
was unlikely that Layla would
survive delivery, but proving to
be a tenacious fighter, Layla has
continued to thrive against her
disability. Her illness, and resulting
hydrocephalus, forced doctors
to place a shunt in her brain
immediately after birth, and she
has since undergone 12 surgeries
in her short three years.
The youngest of three children,
Layla was diagnosed with Spina
Bifida and hydrocephalus before
Facing her 13th surgery at the
end of February, Layla was able
to spend quality family time with
Layla and her family enjoyed
their stay at the fabulous Reunion
Resort, visiting the Disney parks
and eating at unique Orlando
restaurants. The spunky little girl
spent time in the Magic Kingdom
riding Under the Sea: Journey
of the Little Mermaid, chatting
with Mary Poppins at Epcot, and
meeting Mickey and Minnie Mouse
at the Animal Kingdom.
“It’s very hard to pick Layla’s
favorite part,” relays Figuerido.
“She had fun everywhere we went.
But that’s Layla; she’s got quite the
little personality.”
Kids Wish Network would
like to thank all the generous
sponsors that help grant Layla’s
wish: Reunion Resort, Compassion
Partners, WonderWorks, Pirates
Dinner Adventure, Dollar Rent A
Car, Maggiano’s Little Italy and
Bubbalous Bodacious Barbeque.
Kids Wish Network is
a Florida-based charitable
organization dedicated to
infusing hope, creating happy
memories, and improving the
quality of life for children having
experience life-altering situations.
Come experience the Kids Wish
Network difference at www.
kidswishnetwork.org.
Every child deserves a chance
at happiness; a wish is a way of
bringing them that joy. If you
would like to sponsor a child’s
wish or if you know a child who is
suffering from a life-threatening
illness and may be in need of Kids
Wish Network’s wish-granting
services, please call (727) 937-3600
or toll-free (888) 918-9004.