Investigation Led Them to University Dormitory

WATSONVILLE—Detectives from the Watsonville Police Department have made arrests in a week long investigation of a brutal assault and robbery of a Watsonville market that led them from California State University-Monterey Bay, to the City of Castroville, and down to Southern California. The incident happened on Sunday, September 7. They have now arrested 19-year-old Crecencio Ramirez and two 17-year-old juveniles.

This small neighborhood market was the target of a brutal armed robbery.

On Tuesday, September 16, Watsonville Police Detectives followed a lead in their investigation that brought them to the dormitories at California State Monterey Bay. That is where they believed that one of the juvenile suspects in the assault of a store clerk was staying with his girlfriend. He was taken into custody shortly after leaving the campus at noon. The adult in this case, 19-year-old Crecencio Ramirez, was tracked to his place of employment in Castroville where he was arrested.

Crecencio Ramirez Facebook image showing his Coachella connection. One of the other suspects was captured there.

Watsonville Police were able to track the third suspect down in Southern California. They believed that he fled the area after the robbery. Watsonville Police arrested him in Coachella with assistance from local law enforcement.

“We believe that one of the 17-year-olds was the one that beat the store clerk.”, Watsonville Police Investigation Sergeant Eric Montalbo said, “We also believe that he fled shortly after the robbery and media reports.”

Ramirez posted this photo of himself Sept. 9, two days after the robbery. (Facebook)

They have been accused of attacking a store clerk in a robbery of the ‘La Tiendita Market’ on Rodriguez Street in Watsonville, leaving him with a fractured skull.

The Juveniles were both booked into the Santa Cruz County Juvenile Hall. Ramirez was booked into the Santa Cruz County Jail.  He and the two teens have been charged with robbery in the first degree, assault with a deadly weapon not a firearm, attempted murder, and conspiracy to commit a crime.

Ramirez’s bail has been set at $750,000.00.

Read More:

CrimeVoice: Suspects still sought in brutal robbery

BAKERSFIELD — A 21-year-old Bakersfield gang member was arrested on Monday after he illegal discharged a firearm into a home nearly killing one resident inside

Salvador Salcedo was booked into the Kern County Jail for attempted murder, possession of stolen property and additional firearm and gang charges.

According to the Bakersfield Police Department, the incident began when officers were dispatched to an apartment complex in the 3000 block of South Chester Avenue at around 11:30 p.m. on Sept. 20, regarding a report of shots being fired into an apartment.

“When officers arrives they located a single bullet strike into the front door of an apartment that was occupied by the resident,” Joe Grubbs, BPD public information officer said. “A witness described the suspect as a Hispanic male, 5-foot-1, 150 pounds and dressed in all black clothing.”

Grubbs said the witness also told officers that the suspect’s first name was possibly Sal and that he possibly lived in the area where the shooting occurred.

With the information from the witness officers began conducting an investigation into possible suspects who may live in the area.

Using a computer search, police investigators quickly determined that a possible suspect identified as Sal Salcedo lived in the area of the shooting.

Salcedo was also an identified gang member on probation.

Officers responded to Salcedo’s residence where they located a stolen firearm that they said Salcedo admitted to using during the shooting on Chester Avenue.

An investigation is ongoing.

Read more:

Bakersfield Now: Gang member arrested in shooting

Neighbors Band Together To Help Police

SALINAS—Patrol Officers from the Salinas Police Department arrested four burglary suspects after neighbors botched their attempt to burglarize two homes in the neighborhood. Arrested were 19-year-old Jose Melgoza, 19-year-old Erik Llamas, 19-year-old Francisco Narez and a 14-year-old juvenile, all of Salinas.

Last Friday, at 1:07 p.m., Salinas Police received a call from a concerned neighbor reporting that there was a suspicious vehicle parked in the cul-de-sac at Oyster Bay Circle. The caller mentioned that the car did not belong in the neighborhood and was occupied by four males.

While in route to the call, police received information that some of them had gone into a house and were apparently burglarizing it. When police arrived they spotted the vehicle, occupied by only one male, later identified as Melgoza. He was detained while officers looked for the others.

“Two officers positioned themselves near the house where the burglary was being committed.” Salinas Police Commander Henry Gomez said,  “However, the remaining suspects saw the officers from an upstairs bedroom of a different house.”

Three of the suspected burglars fled past this Safeway to the golf course behind.

They fled out the back door and ran toward the creek near Safeway. An alert golfer called the police a short time later and stated that three males came out of the bushes and sat down on the bench next to the fourth hole at the Twin Creeks Golf Course.

As police arrived, the suspects fled but an officer gave chase for a considerable distance, and was able to catch Llamas and take him into custody at an apartment complex on Alamo Way.

Police also arrested Narez and the 14-year-old suspect, whom they found hiding in the nearby bushes. All four were booked into the Monterey County Jail or Juvenile Hall on burglary and conspiracy charges, and resisting arrest.

Erik Llamas had been arrested in April on charges of receiving or concealing stolen property and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, possibly the same one arrested in this case.

SACRAMENTO—Sacramento Superior Court Judge Raoul M. Thorbourne has sentenced Delina Lynn Williams to 26 years to life in prison for the stabbing death of a woman in her Foothill Farms apartment three years ago.

Williams, 45, who was arrested in November 2011, has a history of domestic violence and drug abuse. She stabbed Jessica Brock, 27, more than 50 times on October 24, 2011 in the victim’s Emerald Oaks apartment in the 5100 block of Andrea Boulevard. Detectives believe Williams was an acquaintance of the Brock’s and attacked her during an argument.

Brock’s mother was with her boyfriend when they found Brock’s body after they had grown concerned that they had not heard from her for over five days.

The murder happened at the victim’s home in the Emerald Oaks apartments.

Prosecutors said Williams, who has a criminal record that shows six felony convictions dating back to 1993, took the victim’s car and tried to use Brock’s credit card to buy gas.

Williams also wrote poetry. One of her poems, entitled Rhyme of a Meth Head was found on www.poetry.com.

My bi-polar world
Is different than yours
Ask anyone, they’ll say
I always made the best scores
Lost, living alone and bad
Cruising in my car was all I had
Now I’m awkward and blind
Wondering if these people are my kind
They say “JUST FOR TODAY” and clap
I’m listening, wondering if it’s a trap
So I’ll try to just “LET GO AND LET GOD”
Believing in myself, I’ll just trod
Lightly upon these new trails
Instead of burning my nose with meth rails

In two posts Williams made on her Facebook page, she may have left a clue to her state of mind in the weeks prior to the stabbing. On September 13 she wrote “I wonder why it is that I can assemble my brain to a project and then WHAM….CHAOS erupts and I end up ready to call the asap (ass slapped..ass punched) committee to validate my findings…..hmmmmmmmmmmm…Now there is one less FAKE BROAD out there selling my shit that she stole!!!! REHAB? REHAB? hmmmmmmmmmmm HOPE EVERYONE IS HAVING A FABULOUS EVENING…PRAY FOR ME TO GET THE HELL OUTTA DODGE AND INTO REHAB….”

She followed that with a post on October 6, 2011, the final post showing on that account, but which shows a more hopeful outlook. “Well here i sit wondering why it is I have been on the pity pot and WHAM!!! LIKE LIGHTENING I HAVE IT….I AM THE ONLY HOLDER TO MY KEY OF LIFE…GOD WILL PLACE PEOPLE TO HELP YET I MUST KEEP POSITIVE AND NOT ALLOW the devil TO PREVAIL!!!” Within three weeks, Jessica Brock was dead, and by November 5, Williams was arrested for murder.

It was Sunday night in Santa Rosa, about 11 pm, September 21. A 40-year-old man was at the corner of Santa Rosa Avenue and Colgan, just outside of the America’s Best Value Inn. He told police later that he was just waiting to cross the street, when a young man with a knife ran up and attacked, saying he was going to kill him. The attacker shouted gang-related threats as well. The man fought back, and managed to escape major injuries as he battled the attacker.

Ultimately the older man was able to pin the assailant to the ground, forcing him to drop the knife as well. Not finished, the young man resorted to spitting on his intended victim, who got up and ran away. He told police he did not know the man who assaulted him, according to a Santa Rosa PD press release.

Meanwhile, the fight on the street was loud enough to gain the attention of one of the tenants at the nearby motel. The man heard the threat to kill, and gang related statements. He shouted at them from his window to “Settle Down!”, which elicited a response of profanity, gang calls, and “I’ll shoot you!”, apparently from the attacker. The man called police to report the disturbance, and gave descriptions of the men involved.

Police quickly arrived on scene, and located the victim, who gave them his statement. Another officer proceeded down Colgan Avenue towards the apartment buildings. He found a young man matching the description of the attacker, and attempted to detain him for questioning. The young man, who was later identified as Jesus Farias-Hopper, 18, did not cooperate with the officer, pulling away from him. At that time, two women got out of a truck nearby and approached them.

The officer warned to pair to stay back, but one said “He’s my boyfriend!” and continued to approach. The officer called for emergency backup, while continuing to struggle with Farias-Hopper, who began to spit on him as well. The women retreated to the truck and began to leave, but the arriving officers prevented that. They were not arrested, however, but Farias-Hopper was finally handcuffed. The earlier victim was able to make an identification of Farias as his attacker, and was released to get treatment for his wounds at a local hospital. They expect a full recovery.

Jesus Farias-Hopper was arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon with a gang enhancement, assault on an officer, and resisting arrest. He was booked into Sonoma County jail.

On September 22, U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wagner announced that a federal jury had found former real estate salesman and convicted bank robber Hubert Rotteveel, 52, a resident of Dixon, guilty of one count of mail fraud in connection with his role in a mortgage fraud scam.

Rotteveel, according to court testimony, sold 13 Dixon properties that were purchased by only two buyers. Rotteveel valued the properties’ selling prices higher than the properties were actually worth. He also worked with certain loan officers to generate false information about the two buyers as far as their income and liabilities. This false information was enough to convince lenders to loan money to purchase the 13 properties.

After making down payments on the properties, Rotteveel would get that money (plus more, usually) back when sales closed from the lenders he had defrauded. An escrow officer participated in most of these transactions; after sales closed, this person distributed money to a bank account that had been established for Windmill Properties, a company owned by Rotteveel. The escrow officer neglected to reveal these transactions to the lenders that had made the real estate deals possible.

According to the indictment, Rotteveel netted over $300,000 through these sales in a mere seven months. The lenders lost more than $3 million after the 13 properties underwent foreclosure.

“Rotteveel’s personal greed replaced the integrity maintained by licensed real estate agents,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge John Gliatta of the Sacramento FBI which investigated the case with the assistance of the IRS. The convicted swindler will be sentenced in U. S. District Court, Eastern District of California on December, 15. He faces maximum statutory penalties of thirty years in prison and a $1 million fine, subject to sentencing guidelines and other factors.

Whatever gain Rotteveel made in his fraudulent transactions apparently were still not enough to get him out of his personal financial troubles. He was arrested on July 1, 2010 for bank robbery. He was accused of two different robberies – at Woodland’s River City Bank, and an hour later, First Northern Bank in West Sacramento. In the second incident, a dye pack exploded on him in front of officers responding to the call. He also used a bike as his getaway vehicle as well, which helped detectives link him to both robberies.

In a 2010 CrimeVoice story by reporter Lauren Keene, Rotteveel blamed the recession and the real estate crash for putting him in a desperate situation, unable to pay his bills and support his family. “I never thought that if you work hard and do the right things, it can all be pulled out from under you,” Rotteveel said in a tearful interview at the Yolo County Jail. “When you’re caught in certain situations, you can lose your compass,” he said. “You’re walking in a gray area and you don’t know right from wrong.”

Rotteveel was already serving his 4 year, 8 month sentence for the bank robberies when he was initially indicted for the mortgage fraud case.

Read More:

CrimeVoice (2012): Suspected bank robber gives jailhouse interview

Davis Enterprise: Disgraced real estate agent indicted on mortgage fraud charges

He promised he would come back, but he didn’t, and now he’s in more trouble.

Brett Edward Harlan, a 56-year-old Ukiah man, was in jail after his arrest September 4th on a long list of charges, including vehicle theft and assault on a peace officer. He petitioned for a temporary 4 hour release so he could visit a sick relative. The court granted his release, on the terms that he would be back to the jail by 4 pm last Tuesday, September 16. But he did not show up as promised.

Brett Harlan shows his other tattoos in a Facebook image.

On Thursday, September 4, Ukiah Police were called on a report that Harlan was in violation of a court protection order, likely as a result of a 2013 arrest for domestic violence (inflicting corporal injury on a spouse of co-habitant.) When officers arrived, they found him parked in front of the El Rio Court home in a black Hyundai, which turned out to be a stolen rental car. He began to drive away when they arrived, and did not stop when contacted.

He fled the scene with police pursuing, and then made a U-turn back to the house. After he stopped, he reversed the car into one of the patrol cars, and nearly hit an officer. It took police using a Taser against him twice before he was subdued and could be taken into custody, according to a story published in the Ukiah Daily Journal. Officers also found methamphetamine in the car. He was arrested for vehicle theft, evading a peace officer, assault on a peace officer, possession of a controlled substance, violation of a court order and violation of probation.

This incident followed an arrest just a month prior, on Saturday, August 9, when he was charged with felony burglary and misdemeanor vandalism. Details of the incident were not available.

Harlan was located in this area after a week.

Despite his history, the court granted his leave, but when he did not report back, his status was changed to that of an escaped inmate, according to a sheriff’s press release. Deputies contacted members of his family, and learned he had told them that he was not going back to jail or surrendering himself. Deputies continued their search, and suspected he was hiding in Willits or Redwood Valley. They released alerts for the 6 foot, 220 pound man with a shaved head and a tattoo of the name Shirley across his chest. He also has a tattoo on his neck below his right ear, on the back of his head, and has a prosthetic right leg, according to their description. They said he should be considered dangerous.

Almost a week later, on Monday at 7:53 in the evening, Harlan was found by an officer with the Ukiah Police at the 300 block of East Gobbi Street. He was promptly returned to the Mendocino County Jail, and faces on more charge of escaping from custody. Bail was set at $175,000, and any further request to visit sick relatives will no doubt be denied.

The San Luis Obispo Sheriff’s Office arrested two Monterey County correction officers for manslaughter last week.

According to a press release from the sheriff’s office, detectives obtained arrest warrants for two Salinas Valley State Prison correction officers in connection with their alleged part in the death of 54-year-old Alvaro Jaramillo Medrano of San Miguel. The correction officer who were arrested were identified as Sergio Aranda, 35, of Salinas and Travis Woolf, 36, of San Miguel.

As reported in an earlier article, Medrano died after a fight outside the Elk Horn Bar in San Miguel in which the two correction officers were involved. The exact details of the fight are unknown, or if anyone else was involved.

Woolf was captured without incident at the prison. However, Aranda’s attorney notified the sheriff’s office that Aranda was posting bail for the arrest warrant. Aranda and Woolf were charged with voluntary manslaughter

Read More:

The Tribune: Two prison guards arrested in death of San Miguel Man

Californian: SVSP officers arrested in bar brawl manslaughter

Monterey Herald: Two Salinas Valley prison guards arrested for man slaughter

FRESNO – A suspect accused of trying to rob a bank in Fresno last week was arrested over the weekend.

Fresno police believe that 54-year-old Jacob Jessup is responsible for the attempted robbery of the Bank of America located on the 4400 block of East Tulare Avenue in southeast Fresno. The attempted robbery happened Thursday morning. The suspect walked up to a bank teller and told him that he needed $300. The suspect then slide a note to the bank teller, who was behind a bulletproof glass window, threatening him not to alert anyone to the robbery or he would open fire, police said.

When the bank teller asked what the money was for, the suspect started cursing and threatening to shoot the man before leaving the bank, authorities said. A citizen’s tip and a detective from Fresno police’s Homeless Task Force helped identify Jessup as the suspect. After his arrest on Saturday, he confessed to the crime, police said. Jessup was booked into Fresno county Jail with bail set at $25,000.

Read More:

Fresno Bee: Suspect in Fresno bank robbery attempt caught

A man was stabbed while sitting at a drive-thru of a fast-food restaurant Friday night. According to the Paso Robles Police Department, officers were sent to the 100 block of Niblick Rd. regarding a stabbing that had just occurred. The call was about 10:18 p.m.

When officers arrived on the scene, the suspects and victim appeared to have fled the area. However, a 31-year-old man returned to the scene and told officers he was the victim of the stabbing. The victim, a Paso Robles resident, sustained a knife wound to his forearm that required sutures.

Tyler Dwayne McKinney

According to the victim, he was sitting in his car at the drive-thru of the fast-food restaurant when the two suspects allegedly confronted him. The victim said the suspects allegedly started striking him while he was in his car and at some point stabbed him in the forearm. According to PRPD, the victim was treated and released for his injuries at Twin Cities Community Hospital.

The Paso Robles Police Department’s Special Enforcement Team took over the case and soon identified the two suspects based on witness and victim statements. Police contacted the two suspects at a residence in the 400 block of Helen St. Investigators determined the suspects were responsible for the assault and were taken into custody. The knife used in the stabbing was also recovered by police. The investigation determined this incident gang related.

Police arrested Daniel Flores, 19, of Paso Robles for felony assault with a deadly weapon, felony criminal conspiracy, and felony criminal participation in a street gang, which is an enhancement considered at sentencing.
Also arrested was Tyler Dwayne McKinney,18, for felony assault with a deadly weapon, felony criminal conspiracy and felony criminal conspiracy and felony criminal participation in a street gang.

Read More:

The Tribune: Teens arrested in stabbing at fast-food dive-through

Paso Robles Daily News: Victim stabbed by gang members

FRESNO – The United States Marshal Service in Fresno apprehended a woman who failed to show up for a bail hearing and could not be found for several weeks.

Gaylene Lynette Bolanos, 56, of Fresno, and seven other defendants were indicted in September 2013 by a federal grand jury for claiming more than $32 million fraudulent tax funds. Bolanos filed documents with the court claiming that she does not accept the authority of the government of the federal courts.

After being arraigned in October 2013, Bolanos was released from custody on a $5,000 bond and ordered to report on a regular basis to the Pretrial Services Office. In August 2014, she did not report to the office and was ordered to appear for a bail review hearing at the end of the month.

When Bolanos did not appear at the court hearing and did not respond to Pretrial Services’ attempts to contact her, the court issued a warrant for her arrest. After searching for her for several weeks, the Marshals Service finally located and arrested Bolanos on Tuesday in Fresno.

Bolanos faces 10 years in prison on a conspiracy charge and five years on each false claims charge against her.

Read More:

Fresno Bee: Fresno woman wanted in tax fraud case arrested

BAKERSFIELD — A tagger suspected of being the primary suspect in over 100 cases of graffiti in the City of Bakersfield is behind bars after being arrested on Tuesday.

Misael Flores,19, of Bakersfield was booked into the Kern County Jail for possession of methamphetamine for sale and malicious mischief.

According to Bakersfield Police Department Public Information Officer Sergeant Joe Grubbs, the incident began when officers assigned to the department’s graffiti habitual offender suppression team responded to the 3900 block of Serrano Avenue to contact Flores at around noon on Sept. 23.

While on their way, officers said they observed Flores in the area, and when he spotted them, discarded a plastic container which contained several individually wrapped packages of methamphetamine.

Flores admitted to officers possessing the methamphetamine for sales and causing over $7,400 worth of graffiti damage in the City of Bakersfield over the past several months. He had been arrested earlier this year on vandalism charges and public intoxication.

If found guilty, Flores arrest will clear 132 graffiti cases on file with the BPD.

The Mendocino Sheriff’s Office has announced in two recent press releases the arrest of a man and a woman in separate incidences of domestic violence in the town of Ukiah.

On Monday, deputies were sent to a home on Fairview Court in south Ukiah, near the municipal airport, at 12:45 in the afternoon. The couple there were not married, but have a child together. The woman, who is 30-years-old, reported that they had been having an argument and that the man, 36-year-old Dustin Lee Hipes, prevented her from leaving the house. She said he restrained and assaulted her, and as a result she had minor injuries on her hands and face.

Hipes was arrested and charged with false imprisonment and inflicting corporal injury to a spouse or co-habitant. Hipes has been arrested a few times in the past years, mostly on drug possession and influence charges. In 2010, records show he was also arrested for assault when charged with selling marijuana and being under the influence. He was booked into Mendocino Jail, with bail set at $25,000.

Erica Marie Rodriguez

Early last Saturday morning, at 3:19 am, Deputies were sent to the Discovery Inn on North State Street, in north Ukiah, on reports of a domestic fight. Deputies found the couple there, a 19-year-old man who was living with 20-year-old Erica Rodriguez.

Deputies took their statements and learned that the two were in a verbal argument that turned physical. Rodriguez was said to have punched the young man, and wrestled with him. The 5 foot 4 inch, 105 pound young woman reportedly bit her boyfriend during the brawl, leaving a visible injury.

Erica Marie Rodriguez was arrested for felony inflicting corporal injury on a spouse or co-habitant. Her bail was set at $25,000.

NOVATO – According to a community alert issued by the Novato Police department, a female employee of a Subway restaurant was robbed at knifepoint yesterday at 104 Vintage Way in the Vintage Oaks Shopping Center.

Shortly after 4pm an unknown man entered the restaurant and held a knife to the employee and demanded that she open the cash register. The suspect then took an undetermined amount of cash and fled on foot.

The suspect was not located in the proximity despite an immediate police response. The employee was not injured during the crime.

The suspect was described as an adult black male and approximately 40 to 45 years old. He is about six feet tall and weighs about 200 pounds. He was last seen wearing a gray knit cap or head sock, a gray sleeveless shirt, black shorts and black athletic shoes. The suspect had unknown tattoos on both arms.

Officer Hinkle and Detective Pourfarhani are conducting the investigation. Citizens can contact the department with any helpful information at 415-897-4361 or email any related suspicious activities to policesgtsgroup@cityofnovato.org.

The San Jose Police Department reported that on Tuesday,September 23 at 8:56 P.M., the SJPD 911 Communications Center received a call reporting that a man had been shot. Police responded to the 100 block of Rancho Drive at a gated home, where officers located two male victims who had been shot multiple times. The wife and mother of the victims was at the home at the time of the shooting and reported to officers that an armed man entered their home and demanded money. According to Sergeant Heather Randol, “Officers responded and located two adult male victims who had both been shot at least once”. The woman reportedly suffered from non-life threatening injuries.

The area is well known for marijuana sales at a local San Jose Cannabis Club, but also heroin sales to upper middle class residents in San Jose by homeless people living in their cars and vans near the site where the homicide occurred. The location of the shooting is also the home of Lang’s Mobile Home Service. The property, which is located between businesses on Monterey Drive and apartment buildings on Rancho, has a large work area behind the main house. It appears that a party had been going on the night of the shooting, based on the empty cans and bottles there the next morning.

The SJPD identified the victims as 29-year-old Bryan Lang and his father, 61-year-old Keith Lang. During the initial investigation, San Jose Animal Control were called to remove several dogs, including one large pit bull found loose in the home, before police could enter. Both victims were found deceased at the scene.

The home and business are normally behind closed gates.

Randol said, “The motive and circumstances surrounding the victims’ death are under investigation”. It is believed however, that the suspect was there to rob the family of their money and whatever else he could get his hands on. The men got into a confrontation with the robber, and that is when he shot them. When police arrived at the scene, the suspect had already fled in an unknown vehicle.

The SJPD is asking if anyone with information regarding the shooting incident is urged to contact Detective Sgt. Davies or Detective Smith of the San Jose Police Department’s Homicide Unit at (408)277-5283. Persons wishing to remain anonymous may either call the Crime Stoppers Tip Line, (408) 947-STOP (7867), or click the “Submit a Tip” link below.

Photos: Amy Nilson; Google Maps

LAKE ISABELLA — A 59-year-old Lake Isabella woman was arrested in Bakersfield on Thursday for breaking into homes.

Eva Rogers was booked into the Kern County Central Receiving Facility on charges of burglary, possession of stolen property and grand theft of a firearm. She is being held on $40,000 bail.

According to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, deputies following up on a recent report of a residential burglary in Lake Isabella, served a search warrant at Rogers home located in the 2200 block of Commercial Avenue at around 5 p.m. on Sept. 23, looking for stolen property.

During their search, deputies said that they located and recovered a stolen 9mm pistol from within Rogers’ home. Later that day, with the help of metro patrol deputies, Rogers was located in nearby Bakersfield with a a large sum of stolen currency in her possession. She was subsequently arrested.

Read More:

KERO: Arrest made after search warrant served

You know how to it goes. You’re visiting a friend, shooting the breeze, enjoying a few laughs. Before long, you have a disagreement over something. The discussion becomes heated. Next thing you know, your friend pulls out a knife and slits your throat.

Wait a minute! That last part doesn’t usually happen. Yet it did happen to a 41-year-old San Leandro resident the morning of Wednesday, September 17, according to the San Leandro Police Department. The victim is fine, by the way. The injuries were nasty but non-life-threatening.

The alleged perpetrator was 31-year-old Elroy Pedro Gomez Jr., also a San Leandro resident. The crime took place at Gomez’s parents’ home in the 900 block of Kramer Street. Police don’t say what the argument was about, but it escalated rapidly, according to the victim, and ended with Gomez brandishing a knife and slashing the victim’s throat twice, leaving a couple of 2” – 3” long lacerations, just missing the carotid artery. The victim was taken to Eden Medical Center’s Regional Trauma Center in Castro Valley, where he was treated and released, according to an SLPD news release.

Kramer Street San Leandro. Police surrounded Gomez’ home in this neighborhood last Wednesday until he surrendered.

How the police became aware of the assault is itself a story. Around 10:00 a.m., witnesses reported seeing a man bleeding from his neck walking near Lewelling Boulevard and Washington Avenue, a few blocks from Gomez’ residence. The victim told the deputy sheriff dispatched to the area that he had just been stabbed by his friend.

Detectives discovered that Gomez was a wanted “parolee at large.” That fact and the severity of the injuries to the victim helped them obtain an arrest warrant for Gomez for attempted murder. Undercover detectives set up all-day surveillance on the Kramer Street residence. Around 5:30 p.m., they spotted Gomez inside the home. SLPD officers and Alameda County Sheriff deputies surrounded the house as police made telephone contact with Gomez. Gomez exited the residence and surrendered to police without incident. He was arrested, booked and sent to the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin.

A search of the Gomez residence turned up evidence of blood inside and outside the home.

On Friday, September 19, the Alameda County District Attorney charged Gomez with one count of attempted murder involving great bodily injury. According to court records, he is scheduled to enter a plea on October 2.

“This was a very violent assault that clearly could have ended tragically,” said Lt. Robert McManus of the San Leandro Police Department. “Through great detective work and tactics, we were able to quickly locate and safely arrest Mr. Gomez, taking a violent criminal away from our community.”

Records show that Gomez has been arrested many times over the past 8 years. His offences have ranged from disorderly conduct/alcohol, DUI and driving with a suspended licence, to vehicle theft, robbery, and burglary. In 2010 he was charged with domestic violence – inflicting corporal injury on a spouse or co-habitant, and in 2011 for disobeying a domestic relations court order. In addition to the attempted murder charges, he was also booked for possession of a controlled substance when arrested last week.

FRESNO – A man and woman have been arrested for the fatal stabbing of a Fresno woman last week following a dispute involving their animals.

The stabbing occurred in the 1300 block of North Eight Street last Thursday. Police said that 56-year-old Mary Lara and 27-year-old Laquandra Ligons got into an argument over their pets in Lara’s driveway. Ligons and her two children were walking her dog and Lara though the dog posed a threat to her cats, police said.

Thurman Ligons

Ligons allegedly stabbed Lara multiple times before her husband, 31-year-old Thurman Ligons, showed up at the scene and drove her away. Neighbors called 911 and Lara was rushed to Community Regional Medical Center, where she died.

Laquandra Ligons was arrested on Sunday at her home in the 3800 block of East Olive Avenue, just a few blocks from where the incident took place. She will be facing murder charges. Her husband was arrested at a home in the 1500 block of South Sierra Vista Avenue and is facing accessory to murder charges.

NOTE – The ABC piece refers to the suspect as Laquandra Kinchen.

Read More:

Fresno Bee: Fresno couple arrested in fatal stabbing

ABC30: Fresno woman accused of killing another woman over cats and dog

SANTA ANA – He entered the store normally enough.  He started slow.  On Thursday September 18 a Hispanic male, dressed a yellow and black plaid shirt and black shorts, entered the Food 4 Less and procured a motorized scooter, on which he proceeded to ride around the store a bit.

After apparently seeing what he needed to see, the man alighted from his electronic transport and accosted the store manager, grabbing him from behind and putting him in a headlock.

Camera catches a clear view of robber

The erstwhile couple then “danced” to the front office, where the robber had the bookkeeper fill his backpack with cash. But it didn’t end there.

The dark complected suspect, approximately 30 – 35 years old and weighing approximately 250 – 280 pounds, took the manager by the arm and walked him out of the store, stealing his car keys and then, by matter of course, his car.  Said car is a 2001 silver Toyota Echo with the license plate 4NFE493.  At press time the vehicle is still missing, and the robber has not been apprehended.

Orange County Crime Stoppers welcomes anyone with information as to the identity of the robber to call 1-855-TIP-OCCS.

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KTLA: Seeking public’s help, SA police release video

CBSLA: Scooter-riding suspect puts manager in headlock

MORENO VALLEY –  Two different illegal marijuana operations were exposed this week after authorities were called to extinguish residential fires.

Early in the morning on Sunday, personnel from the California Department of Forestry & Fire arrived at the 26300 Block of Cape Mendocino Moreno Valley in response to a call that there was an explosion. Firefighters arrived at a single-family residence that was fully engulfed in flames.  Authorities evacuated two other residences in response to the explosion and fearing for their safety.

The fire was extinguished and was deemed to be caused by the manufacturing of concentrated cannabis also known as “honey oil” or “wax.”  Officers from the Moreno Valley Police Department were called to the scene to resume the investigations and residents were allowed to return their homes once the area was deemed safe.

Investigators found marijuana, wax, and chemicals associated with the manufacturing of honey oil at the residence.  Authorities feel that the explosion was caused by manufacturing of the honey oil, causing extensive damage that left the home uninhabitable.

Jesse Leibowitz, 32, of Moreno Valley was arrested and booked into Robert Presley Detention Center for manufacturing Honey Oil.  He has a medical marijuana card, but was not in compliance with the medical marijuana laws.

On Tuesday afternoon, California Department of Forestry was again called to a suspicious fire on the 15800 Block of Oliver St., in Moreno Valley to extinguish a residential fire. This time fire fighters found  a fully operational indoor marijuana grow house. The residence sustained moderate damage as a result of the fire and was red-tagged.

Officers from the Moreno Valley Police Department obtained a search warrant for the residence and confiscated approximately 1151 marijuana plants. An electrical by-pass at the power meter was discovered and was determined to be the cause of the fire. There were no injuries as a result of the fire, but police are still looking for suspects in the crime.

Read More;

Press Enterprise: Suspected drug lab explodes, prompting arrest

Beverly Hills Courier: Pot Growing operation triggers fire and bust