Overview
- Isabella “Beya” Alcaraz agreed to step down seven days after her appointment, with the mayor saying newly learned information about her past business conduct would be a distraction.
- The new owner of Alcaraz’s former pet shop shared videos and accounts of unsanitary conditions, including hundreds of dead mice and a freezer with deceased animals.
- Mission Local published texts in which Alcaraz described paying workers under the table and writing off personal meals as business expenses, and ABC7 said it obtained and verified those messages and related financial documents.
- Lurie told reporters he takes full responsibility for the failed appointment, said his office will tighten vetting, and began a search for a replacement as uncertainty lingers over seating someone before a December zoning vote.
- The seat will be on the ballot in a June 2026 special election, and prospective candidates including Natalie Gee, David Lee and Albert Chow have indicated plans to run.