Kelley Coelho announces bid for Turlock mayor after suing city in federal court
Turlock City Council candidate Kelley Coelho is dropping out of the District One race for a shot at the mayor’s seat.
Coelho, an Army veteran and private investigator, first alluded to a run for mayor at the Feb. 24 City Council meeting after criticizing the Police Department’s investigation of alleged assault on her daughter.
At the March 10 council meeting, she announced her intent to initiate a recall effort against Mayor Amy Bublak, who is up for reelection this year.
A month later, she officially announced her decision to enter the race.
“By popular demand, I am announcing my jump into the Mayoral Race in the 2026 election and pulling out of the District One race,” Coelho posted on Facebook on April 14. “I’m so humbled by our community to put your trust in me and encourage me to take the leap of faith.”
Charges dropped, new complaint filed
Coelho is being sued for defamation by a substitute teacher whom she publicly accused of sexually assaulting her daughter.
During a teaching assignment at Turlock Junior High School in October, Vance Yarbrough tried to have Coelho’s daughter removed from class for being disruptive. When the student tried to leave the classroom before campus security arrived, Yarbrough stood in the doorway and told her she needed to stay.
The student alleged that Yarbrough grabbed her chest and waist and would not let her leave, according to court documents. A police investigation determined no crime had been committed.
Still, Coelho posted on multiple social media accounts, accusing Yarbrough of sexual assault and alleging the school district covered it up in coordination with law enforcement.
In response, Yarbrough filed a defamation lawsuit against Coelho in December, saying her accusations damaged his future employment prospects and exposed him to potential physical harm.
The Stanislaus County District Attorney’s office ended up not pursuing charges against him.
“After review of the evidence, including the surveillance video, TPD was notified that the case was not filed because no crime could be proven beyond a reasonable doubt,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Wendell Emerson said in a statement to The Bee.
At the April 14 City Council meeting, Coelho told council members that she received a letter from the District Attorney’s Office saying that her daughter was in fact a victim of a crime.
Emerson, however, told the Turlock Journal that the letter is a pro forma letter that informs any potential victims of their rights. The state Constitution requires that victims be informed of their rights under Marsy’s Law.
On March 16, Coelho filed a complaint with the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California against the city of Turlock, the Turlock Police Department, Police Chief Jason Hedden, Officer Juan Arroyo, Turlock Unified School District Superintendent David Lattig, TJHS Principal Agustin Arreola and Yarborough.
The complaint claims that Yarborough physically assaulted her daughter and that school administrators and law enforcement failed to adequately investigate the incident and protect students.
It also alleges retaliation and harassment after Coelho spoke publicly about the incident and conflict of interest, since the judge presiding over her request for a restraining order against Yarborough was previously Facebook friends with the Turlock police officer, Arroyo, who investigated the incident at TJHS.
“It’s actually been a few years in the making that I have been gathering enough evidence to come after the city of Turlock,” Coelho said during public comment at a March 10 City Council meeting after announcing the filing of her complaint.
Restraining orders dropped, new ones filed
So far, both restraining orders Coelho has sought — against the substitute teacher and a Facebook group administrator — have been denied.
Following a hearing Feb. 20 during which the judge questioned Coelho’s daughter about her interactions with Yarbrough, the court denied the request for a restraining order against him.
Coelho filed another civil harassment restraining order on behalf of herself and her two daughters against Ron Bridegroom, the administrator of the “Save Turlock” Facebook group, alleging defamation, online harassment, stalking and cyberstalking dating back to October.
The group has about 3,200 members and is primarily managed by Bridegroom, who shares city updates and his political opinions. Bridegroom has posted about Coelho a couple of times, mainly criticizing her claims and her run for City Council.
Coelho has accused Bridegroom of being paid by politicians to operate his platform and control the narrative, which he has denied.
That case was also dismissed with prejudice.
Most recently, a former TUSD board member filed for a restraining order against Coelho.
Paola Maldonado-Padilla filed the order on April 17 on behalf of herself and her family for Coelho’s “stalking behavior.”
Coelho had called out Maldonado-Padilla at the March 10 City Council meeting for allegedly being connected with other individuals using taxpayer dollars to control what’s being put on certain news platforms.
A civil harassment hearing for that case will be held May 6.
