By Emilie St. John
Contributing Writer
INGLEWOOD – City officials welcomed back Police Chief Mark Fronterotta at the Sept. 12 City Council meeting.
Fronterotta had been away from City Hall on medical leave since last January.
“I want to welcome back our Police Chief Mark Fronterotta and am glad to have him back although I haven’t seen him but I’ve been in touch with him,” District 1 Councilwoman Gloria Gray said. “I also want to thank interim Chief Cardell Hurt who served diligently in his absence.”
Mayor James Butts sent out a late-night email Jan. 12 alerting staff that Fronterotta had been hospitalized.
“Chief of Police Mark Fronterotta has been hospitalized for a serious condition of unknown origin or causation,” wrote Butts. “He is in ICU and can’t receive calls or visitors at this time.”
Butts told staff Fronterotta was alert and speaking and allowed to eat and after undergoing a battery of tests positive results were expected.
Fronterotta has served as chief of police since January 2013. He has been with the Inglewood Police Department since 1981.
He was last seen in public during Gray’s community swearing-in ceremony April 29. At that event, he was dressed in full uniform and appeared in photos with what appeared to be his service weapon in his holster despite not being medically cleared to return to work.
Calls to the police department inquiring about that were not returned.
The other members of the council also thanked Hurt for stepping up to serve in the absence of Fronterotta.
“Chief Cardell Hurt did an outstanding job in the absence of the chief,” Councilman Alex Padilla said. “I’m glad [Fronterotta is] back to work.”
Councilman Eloy Morales was also happy to see the chief back on the job.
“I want to congratulate the chief for making it back. … Experience matters and we’re lucky to have him after so many years and [Cardell] Hurt did a great job,” Morales said.
Fronterotta suffered an “intracranial hemorrhage of unknown origin,” according to Butts’ January email.
Emilie St. John is a freelance journalist covering the areas of Carson, Compton, Inglewood and Willowbrook. Send tips to her at emiliesaintjohn@gmail.com.
