Miss Barstow named Miss California winner after accounting error

By Aaron Aupperlee, city editor She got her start competing in pageants in Barstow, and now a former Miss Teen Barstow and Miss Barstow will vie for the title of Miss USA. Raquel Beezley, 21, was awarded the title of Miss California after organizers of the Nov. 25 Miss California pageant discovered an apparent accounting error that led to a shake up in the order. Christina Silva, 24, the declared the winner of the annual state beauty pageant, relinquished the title to Beezley, the second runner-up, after feeling pressure to step down. “They never could explain their accounting error, but told me that if I didn’t give up my crown to Miss Barstow, my personal integrity could be questioned, and my career could potentially suffer,” she said. The error, first reported by the celebrity TV show “Extra,” is the latest problem to beset Donald Trump’s Miss Universe Organization that controls the Miss Teen USA and Miss USA pageants. The pageant’s state director, Keith Lewis, said several judges questioned the results of the competition at the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles. Lewis said the error was discovered the next day after the ballots were opened and recounted. “It was a simple human error,” Lewis said Monday. Silva has since hired an attorney and is weighing her legal options, according to her manager Tony Brewster. Kris Watson, the director of the annual Miss Barstow and other area pageants, said Beezley will be officially crowned later this week and will compete for Miss USA in April. She has worked with Beezley for many years. She said Beezley’s experience in Barstow pageants, national and international pageants gave her the experience she need to succeed on the Miss California, and hopefully the Miss USA, stage. “She’s done quite well for herself, but she hasn’t won every pageant she’s entered,” Watson said. “She’s had a lot of experience. Win or lose, you always learn something.” Watson said Beezley trained hard for the Miss California pageant, running up to four miles a day and spending countless hours in the gym. The contestants were scored by five celebrity judges who independently ranked them. The forms are then given to an accountant who assigns a point value based on the rankings, and the results are confirmed by an auditor. The mix-up occurred when the points were reversed, with the lowest point given to the winner and the highest to the fourth runner-up, Lewis said. Silva, Miss Los Angeles, was crowned the winner on stage followed by Miss Woodland Hills Brandi Williams, Beezley, Miss Greater San Diego Carrie Prejean and Miss Palos Verdes Nicole Chiu. As a result of the recount, Beezley became the reigning Miss California, followed by Prejean, Silva, Williams and Chiu, organizers said. Roger Neal, who represents the Miss California USA pageant, said Beezley is the rightful winner. The pageant allowed Silva to keep her crown, sash and necklace and returned her $1,500 entry fee after the error was discovered, Neal said. Duplicates were being made for Beezley. Beezley was crowned Miss Barstow in 2004, becoming the first woman to be crowned Miss Barstow and Miss Teen Barstow. She also competed in pageants in Mexico and China. Beezley could not be reached for comment.