Officer was on Duty When He Made Threat

MONTEREY COUNTY—Monterey County District Attorney Dean D. Flippo has announced that the first police officer in the King City Police Corruption Scandal has entered a plea of ‘no contest’.

Sergeant Mark Baker was one of six officers involved in a corruption scandal that rocked the little own of King City, though his case is not related to the others. Baker will be formally sentenced on March 18, 2015, but when he is sentenced he will receive five years probation with the condition that he not posses any firearms.

On August 19, 2013, then Sergeant Baker’s personal truck had been stolen. It was recovered three days later after being stripped. Baker, while on duty, located the thief at a King City Hotel and confronted him. “Baker threatened him by telling the suspect that he was going to ‘make him disappear and not to jail’.” A representative from the District Attorney’s Office paraphrased.

Baker was in uniform and armed when he made this threat so the suspect believed him. He then confessed to possessing the items stolen from the truck. But the confession was obtained illegally because Baker did not Mirandize him.

Baker gave the suspect a deadline of two hours to return the stuff, even down to the $40.00 in gas that was used. After the suspect returned the stolen items Baker did not arrest him, nor did he file a police report.

The Monterey County District Attorney’s Office Investigators John Ferreria and Roy Diaz and the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case.

Read More:

Monterey County Now: King City Police Sgt. Mark Baker pleads no contest to misdemeanor charge in plea deal

KSBW: King City police Sgt. Baker pleads no contest to false imprisonment

Ventura County – Stealing a man’s (or woman’s) horse or the saddle attached to it used to be the kind of crime that would get a guy swinging from a tree and doing a dance like no other. The severity of the crime may have been somewhat mitigated in our time, but the ire it raises among the public and the law enforcement community seems not to have waned.

When reports as early as February of this year began coming in to the Ventura County Sheriff indicating that burglaries had occurred at eastern Ventura County ranches resulting in the loss of more than a dozen high-end competitive hunter-jumper saddles valued at more than $53,000. At that point, with what Ventura County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Det. Ken Truit characterized as “no solid leads”, detectives initiated an investigation that led to the discovery of two of the stolen saddles which had been been mailed by an individual going by the name of “Matthew Gregory”.

Unable to locate Mr. “Gregory”, detectives performed some high-tech gumshoe work, and found fraudulent bank records for the individual attempting to ship the two stolen saddles, complete with photographs of him. Sheriffs promptly released the two photographs of this individual “in the initial attempt to identify and locate him,” Truit reported, and shortly thereafter they began receiving calls from members of the public identifying “Matthew Gregory” as, in fact, Gregory Dale Andersen, a 49-year old resident of Malibu.

It didn’t take long for law enforcement to locate and arrest Andersen, who, according to Truit, is suspected of burglarizing multiple ranches throughout Ventura County and selling over $180,000 in stolen equestrian supplies over the past several years. He had apparently been successful marketing stolen saddles and tack over eBay, where he had multiple account names and numbers. On November 21st Andersen was booked into Ventura County Jail on charges of burglary, identity theft, and possession of stolen property, with his bail set at $500,000.

Photo: Courtesy Ventura County Sheriff

Read more:

Rate My Horse PRO: Accused saddle thief arrested

VCSTAR: Malibu man arrested in county horse saddle thefts

Santa Barbara County – What may have been an indication that someone was going on an early and seriously illegal Holiday shopping spree, in the last week of November, Santa Barbara County Sheriffs discovered a bag full of mail entrusted to the care and delivery of the United States Postal Service in a Buellton motel room.

According to Santa Barbara county Sheriff’s Department Public Information Officer Kelly Hoover, deputies had been summoned to the motel “to investigate the disappearance of two flat screen televisions, two media charging stations, two alarm clocks, a microwave and two baskets” from the premises.  With all of that missing, there was something left behind: a large sack of mail apparently stolen from numerous private residence addresses in the Lompoc and Buellton area.

Ashley Barnett

It didn’t take deputies long to learn that the room from which the electronics had been removed had been occupied by Sireena Dominguez and Ashley Barnett, a pair of 25-year old Santa Maria residents who had previously had such an exciting week that they now were wanted as suspects in a rash of other crimes in the northern part of Santa Barbara County.

With a viable description of the Ford pickup truck the women were driving, deputies tracked the women to a ranch outside of Cuyama, where they were contacted and summarily arrested.

Both women were transported to Santa Barbara County Jail where Dominguez was booked on multiple charges including forgery, with her bail set at $25,000.  Barnett was booked on charges of criminal conspiracy connected to running a mail theft operation, with her bail set at $100,000.

Photos: Courtesy Santa Barbara County Jail Booking

Read more:

Independent: Suspected mail thieves apprehended

Santa Ynez Valley News: Dominguez, Barnett

OAKHURST – Police arrested a man and woman they believe were responsible for stealing tools from a Sears Hometown Store in Oakhurst, a town east of Merced and north of Fresno.

Keith Lundy Stump, 22, of Oakhurst, and Cherise Agueros, 21, of Ahwahnee, the town just north of Oakhurst, were arrested on Monday. The pair was in a Honda that had been reported stolen in Fresno when a California Highway Patrol officer spotted them in Ahwahnee on Road 600 near Highway 49.

Stump and Agueros ditched the Honda, but authorities later found them at a home on Dillon Drive. It was then that officers discovered another vehicle – a 1992 GMC flatbed truck – that had been reported stolen Monday morning in Oakhurst.

Deputies with the Madera County Sheriff’s Office found tools that had been stolen from the Sears store inside the truck. They believe Stump stole more than $500 worth of tools from the store. He was arrested on charges of receiving stolen property. Agueros was arrested on charges of vehicle theft and receiving stolen property.

Cherise Agueros, in an image from Facebook from September.

Records show that Keith Stump has had several trips to the courthouse lately. In June he was arrested twice, for possession of a controlled substance and concentrated cannabis, and an outstanding warrant. In May he was charged with a probation violation, and in April for possession of drug paraphernalia, warrants, and probation violations. Several arrests go back to at least 2010, including DUI charges, driving with a suspended licence, and possession of drugs or paraphernalia.

In August of 2011, Stump was arrested on charges of battery on a spouse or co-habitant (domestic violence), threats of violence, unlawful intercourse with a minor, and DUI. No further details of that incident were available.

Read More:

Sierra Star: Sears burglary suspect arrested

Fresno Bee: Two arrested, two stolen vehicles recovered

CrimeVoice staff contributed to this report

Ventura – One would expect that anyone recently released from prison under the Post Release Offender Program created by Assembly Bill 109 and given strong approval by the state’s electorate in 2011 would be so delighted with newfound and unanticipated freedom to walk the public streets that some care would be given to one’s personal comportment.

Puerto Vallarta in downtown Ventura

That expectation was certainly not met on November 28th on the streets of downtown Ventura when Anthony Baty, a 28-year old resident of the city, allegedly ripped off a local retailer by blatantly stealing a number of items and taking off without proffering any form of payment for the goods. According to the media report issued by the Ventura Police Department Watch Commander, Pedro Contreras, working behind the counter at “Puerto Vallarta Ropa”, chased Baty down the street when he ran out of the store and down the sidewalk.

When, however, Baty turned to confront Contreras and indicated that he had a weapon in his waistband that he was ready to use to assure his escape, Contreras “discontinued following the suspect and contacted the police.”

When Ventura Police Department officers responded, they acted upon the description of Baty given them by Contreras and soon thereafter located him hiding in a nearby church. Baty was taken into custody at that time and arrested. With his felony history of drug violations certainly not working in his favor, Baty was transported to Ventura County Jail where he was booked for robbery.

Read more:

CBSLA: Ventura man accused of robbing business

Scripps: Robbery reported at Ventura store

In the wee pre-dawn hours of December 8th, an observant Ventura Police Department patrol officer was cruising past Montalvo Elementary School just south of downtown Ventura when he spotted what the VPD Watch Commander described in a report to the media as “a suspicious vehicle” entering the school parking lot and coming to a halt.

Clearly alerted by the fact that school would not be in session for another 5 hours, the officer approached the vehicle and made contact with the female driver and her male passenger.

Once he determined that the driver did not possess a valid license to operate the vehicle, the officer—with probable cause at that point—conducted a cursory search of the vehicle which led him to suspect that there may be a firearm hidden somewhere inside the car. With the help of additional VPD officers on the scene, a thorough search of the car was made which didn’t reveal any weapons, but which failed to convince them of the absence of such in the possession of their suspects.

With sufficient manpower now, even though it was approximately 3:00 a.m. and dark, officers searched the parking lot area around the vehicle and discovered a loaded handgun on the ground nearby, along with “discarded illegal narcotics.” Further investigation revealed that the passenger in the car, Daniel Rockett, a 25-year old Oxnard resident, had indeed tossed the gun and the drugs out of the car immediately upon spotting the patrol unit approaching the parking lot. That effort to distance himself from the illegal items failed miserably, and Rockett was arrested on the scene and ultimately transported to Ventura County Jail and booked on charges of possession of a loaded firearm, carrying a loaded firearm in a vehicle, possession of a loaded firearm in a school zone, and possession of a controlled substance.

His female chauffeur was more fortunate, and was only cited for operating a vehicle without a license.

Read more:

EdHat: Possession of a Loaded Firearm

KCLU: Loaded gun found on school campus

SACRAMENTO—A fourth person has been arrested in connection with the murder of a 77-year-old  Sacramento man last month.

The Sacramento Police Department says Peaches Alexis Moreno, 18, was arrested Monday, December 8 and is in jail for her alleged involvement in the death of Leo Curry Jr.

It’s unknown how exactly she was involved with the murder, but she has also been charged with robbery and conspiracy.

Michael Moreno, 37, and Sandy George, 35, were also arrested in the murder and robbery case. (Sacramento County)

Sandy George, 35, Michael Moreno, 37, and Kevin Moreno, 19, are also believed to have conspired to commit robbery and theft against Curry after he befriended the family in need and invited them into his home. They have been arrested and booked for homicide.

“The victim befriended these folks and they just immediately started taking advantage of him,” said Sacramento Police Dept. spokesman Officer Doug Morse.

Over the span of a few weeks, they stole Curry’s money and property before ultimately murdering him. The elderly man’s body was found in his home on the 4000 block of Shining Star Drive in south Sacramento on Monday, November 17 after family members hadn’t heard from him.

Due to the victim’s obvious signs of physical trauma, homicide detectives were called to the scene.

Neighbors also reported that Curry’s car was missing from his driveway where it was normally parked, which escalated their concern.

Curry’s body was found at his home in this south Sacramento neighborhood.

Soon after the investigation began, detectives discovered the victim’s vehicle in an online ad that was sold after his death; which ultimately led to three suspects being booked for homicide.

“It was a huge red flag to us that all the sudden it’s up for sale,” said Morse.

It turned out to be a key clue. Detectives found the missing car for sale online. Police say the suspects stole it and, after murdering Curry, sold it.

The investigation remains active and ongoing.

Attorneys delivered opening statements on December 8 in Solano County Superior Court as the jury trial of a Suisun City resident accused of shooting a Fairfield man to death in his driveway got underway. Zavier A. Pigues, 23, has pleaded not guilty of killing Brian Beaufort, 30, at approximately 3 a.m. Oct. 28, 2012, in front of Beaufort’s Oceanic Court home.

The killing followed a night of drinking and clubbing at Pepperbelly’s in downtown Fairfield, the attorneys stated. Beaufort, his girlfriend, Pigues and several other people returned to Beaufort’s home around 2 am to enjoy food and more drinks.

Zavier A Pigues in his 2012 booking photo.

Prosecuting Deputy District Attorney Julie Underwood stated that the evidence recovered by police investigators would show that what happened next would end up in a senseless crime during which Beaufort was slain in cold blood in his own driveway. Amid several boisterous partiers in Beaufort’s kitchen, Pigues “broke a chair and instead of picking it up, kicked it aside,” Underwood said. “At that point something goes very wrong,” Underwood told jurors. Beaufort and Pigues became embroiled in a violent argument that took the two men out into the garage. “It ends with the killing of Brian Beaufort over this chair, over this nonsense,” Underwood concluded.

Pigues’ court appointed defense counsel, Deputy Public Defender Robert Boyle, agreed that the broken chair led to the two men fighting, which became loud enough it woke up neighbors in four different nearby houses, some of whom became witnesses. Pigues got kicked off Beaufort’s property and drove off, tires screeching in the quiet cul-de-sac.

He soon returned. Boyle stated Pigues came back only to retrieve his glasses, knocked off his face during the fight over the broken chair. Pigues did not want to start another fight or seek revenge, Boyle said. After Pigues returned witnesses heard gunfire. Beaufort lay mortally wounded in his driveway. Pigues went on the lam, selling his car a few days later.

He has been held without bail in Solano County Jail since his capture on October 29, 2012 in Pinole.

Records show that just two days before the incident, on October 26, 2012, Pigues had been arrested for DUI, driving with a suspended license, failure to appear in court, and probation violations. There were at least six prior arrests since 2010 in charges of DUI and/or driving with a suspended license, leading to his probationary status.

Read More:

CrimeVoice: Fairfield police investigate shooting as homicide

A Vacaville police officer routinely patrolling the 1000 block of Orange Drive near I-80 observed a man sitting alone in a car with no license plates in the Quality Inn hotel parking lot.

Evan Anderson and Tony Lorenzana, partners in crime in February. (Booking photo and Facebook image)

The officer contacted this man, and as they spoke detected a rather strong smell of marijuana emanating from the vehicle, a Vacaville P.D. press release stated. Due to the smell, the officer conducted a probable cause search of the vehicle and discovered a five gallon bucket of processed marijuana ready for sale. The press release further stated that a subsequent search of the entire vehicle uncovered evidence of intent to sell the marijuana.

Evan Anderson, 25, currently a transient of Vacaville, was then arrested and lodged at the Solano County Jail on charges of possessing marijuana for sale.

Anderson and Lorenzana were arrested at this business in Vacaville.

Records show that on February 23 this year, Anderson and an accomplice, Tony Ryan Lorenzana, 28, were arrested on charges of conspiracy and attempted burglary, grand theft, and possession of burglar’s tools. They were picked up by Vacaville Police at 9:54 in the evening at Cooks Collision, a business on Union Way in Vacaville. Lornezana was reportedly unemployed and living in Winters at the time, and Anderson resided in rural northern Vacaville, according to the arrest reports.

SANTA ROSA – The four teenagers driving in a black Honda accord may have not drawn any attention to themselves if they had been acting normal. But it was nearly midnight on Saturday, December 6, when a resident of the east Santa Rosa neighborhood near the corner of Sea Wolf and Charmian Drives saw them parked on the street, and they looked and acted very suspiciously.

The resident of the neighborhood, which is near Douglas Whited Elementary School, had not seen the car around before. In addition to that, the four people inside were seen ducking down in the car as if hiding, perhaps from passers-by or the infrequent car driving through. The resident called police to allay their concerns that something was up with this group.

The gun and metal knuckles found in the car.

When the officers arrived, according to the Santa Rosa Police, the four once again tried to duck and hide, perhaps hoping this was just another car passing by. But of course the officers knew what they were looking for, and approached the car with bright flashlights. The four youngsters, all teenagers, acted nervous, and when brought out of the car, gave conflicting and confusing explanations for their presence in the area.

The officers asked if they could search the car, and the driver, perhaps regretting it later, gave them his permission. They turned up two weapons – a loaded .38 Special revolver, and a set of metal knuckles. The officers suspected the gun was stolen as they could not confirm legal ownership.

The driver of the car was identified as 19-year-old Christian Abrica, a resident of central/east Santa Rosa, about 6 miles from the scene near the Coddington Mall. He admitted to possessing and having purchased the gun. He was arrested for having a loaded firearm in a vehicle, possessing an unregistered firearm, and metal knuckles.

Of his three companions, two other 19-year-olds were not found to be in any violation, and their parents were contacted to take them home. The other was a 17-year-old who was identified (but not named due to being a minor) as one who was recently arrested for bringing a Taser to a local high school campus. He was detained as part of the investigation.

The police said they encourage anyone seeing suspicious activity to never hesitate to call them to report it.

SANTA ROSA – The California Highway Patrol (Santa Rosa Area) issued a public notification Monday about recent arrests of drunk drivers in Sonoma and Marin counties. In each of the cases, impaired drivers were taken off the street before they could subject the public to more harm and damage. All of the instances occurred along or near the Highway 101 corridor last weekend.

On Saturday at about 1:30am, CHP received a report of a possible DUI driver heading southbound on Highway 101 near Rohnert Park. A two-officer CHP unit in the vicinity of the SR 116 on ramp was notified. They awaited the reported vehicle in Cotati and observed it as it passed their location. The officers overtook the vehicle while observing it weaving at 80 mph. At one point the suspect driver almost struck the side guardrail.

The officers were able to get the vehicle stopped at Petaluma Blvd. North. The driver was identified as Dylan Russell, 27 of Forest Knolls, just north west of San Rafael. A records check showed the Russell’s drivers license was suspended for a DUI conviction in September. Russell stopped cooperating with officers after they had noticed further signs of intoxication during their investigation. He was booked on DUI charges as well as a violation of probation and driving while on suspension.

Russell has been arrested several times this year. On November 21 he was charged in Marin County for possessing and selling concentrated cannabis (hashish) and a stolen vehicle, along with a probation violation. He also had additional DUI arrests in November and July, according to available records.

Funston and Dutton in Santa Rosa

At approximately 12:45 am Sunday, officers responded to a hit and run collision in the vicinity of Dutton and Funston in Santa Rosa. While officers were responding to the scene, a Sonoma County Sheriff’s deputy arrived and detained a man who was walking away from the area. Officers found a Honda Civic with rear-end damage, and about two blocks away they found a Chevrolet pick-up with consistent related damage. Officers also noted a trail of fluids that led from the truck back to the scene of the collision.

The detained man was identified as Severiano Alcantara, 25, of Santa Rosa. Alcantara was found to be on supervised release, and was in possession of the keys to the truck. His license has been suspended since 2007 for a prior DUI conviction. Alcantra displayed signs of intoxication but only would submit to one field sobriety test and refused all others. He was booked on charges of DUI, driving while suspended, hit and run, and a violation of his supervised release.

When Alcantara was arrested in 2007, records show he was also charged with possession of a switch blade knife and failure to appear in court. In March of 2008, he was arrested for burglary and conspiracy, along with driving on a suspended licence and causing injury. He was arrested in September this year for public intoxication.

Highway 101 at Railroad Avenue.

And at approximately 8 am Sunday, an officer stopped 30-year-old Wilbert Canche-Colli of Novato on southbound 101 at Railroad Avenue. He had been driving his Chevrolet van at 80 mph while aggressively tailgating and weaving through traffic. There were a total of 7 people in the van, 5 of whom were not wearing seatbelts. There were 4 children in the vehicle; 3 girls aged 1, 7 and 12, and a boy of 5. Two of the children were Cache-Colli’s and others belonged to the other passengers.

Canchi-Colli appeared intoxicated and failed field sobriety tests. He was booked on charges of DUI, child endangerment and driving without a license. A family friend responded and took responsibility for driving the vehicle.

A 21-year-old elementary school aid was recently arrested for possession of child pornography, according to an official press release issued by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department.

Marcus Antonio Rubio, 21, was reportedly booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail the evening of Tuesday, December 9, on one felony count of possession of child pornography. He is being held on $50,000 bail.

According to Sac Sheriff, last month detectives from the Sheriff’s Hi-Tech Crimes division were contacted by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children after they had reportedly received a tip from an internet provider reporting images of child pornography from the internet. A search of the internet provider addresses reportedly revealed it belonged to Rubio.

Fox40 News reported that Rubio worked as a recreational aid at Coyle Elementary School and their after school program, which is just over a block from Rubio’s residence. They reported that the school’s principal sent a voicemail to parents stating that there was no indication that any of the school’s students were victims of Rubio or in his illicit images.

Sacramento Sheriff’s detectives are asking anyone who might have information regarding this case to contact them at (916) 874-5191 or Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP.

Read More:

Fox40: School Employee Arrested on Child Porn Charges

San Jose Police authorities announced the arrest of a wanted murder suspect on Tuesday, December 2. According to Sgt. Heather Randol with the San Jose Police Department, “the U.S. Marshals Service arrested 26-year-old Jaime Lockett from Stockton, California after serving a search warrant for the arrest of Lockett.” The warrant was served on behalf of the San Jose Police Department, charging Lockett with murder. “Lockett was transported back to San Jose and booked into the Santa Clara County Jail,” Randol said. (The initial arrest report spelled his first name as Jamie.)

Lockett was arrested in this area of north Stockton.

Records show Lockett was picked up at 12:21 at or near the Park West Place shopping center at 8 Mile Road and Trinity Parkway in north Stockton, just off the Interstate 5 Freeway. At that time, he claimed a San Jose residence.

The San Jose Police Department reported that “on October 30, 2014 at approximately 11:35 P.M., San Jose Police “911” Communications Center received information about shots fired and a person down in the area of Santa Clara Street and 2nd Street in Downtown San Jose.”

When officers arrived they located an adult male victim suffering from at least one gunshot wound. The victim, later identified as 24-year-old Tyrone Fryman from Hayward California, was transported to a local area hospital where he later died.

The victim Tyrone Fryman was found in this area of downtown San Jose.

Homicide Unit Investigators responded to the scene to conduct interviews and investigation into the reason for the shooting. Randol said, “The motive and circumstances surrounding shooting are unknown at this time. It was determined the shooting occurred after an altercation, and does not appear to be random.” The department believes there may be others involved in the altercation that cost Fryman his life. They have not been identified and remain at large.

Records show that Jamie Lockett had been arrested on November 7 in Alameda County for driving without a license and under the influence. At that time he reported a Stockton home address.

The San Jose Police Department is asking if anyone who has any information regarding the above case is urged to contact Detective Sgt. Ray Avalos or Detective Brian McDonald of the San Jose Police Department’s Homicide Unit at (408)277-5283.

Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen today announced the appointments of two accomplished prosecutors to his executive management team: the head of the domestic violence team and a veteran homicide prosecutor. This comes just in time for the DA’s office to free up obligations to help prosecute embezzlement and non-violent crimes.

According to the DA’s Office, The former executive director of the Peninsula Symphony Association this week was found guilty of tax fraud. Superior Court Judge Allison Danner’s verdict comes two months after Stephen Jay Carlton pleaded no contest to embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Los Altos orchestra of volunteer musicians.

Stephen Jay Carlton in a Peninsula Symphony publicity photo.

Carlton, 46, of Novato, remains in custody pending his sentencing. He faces up to 16 years in prison when he is sentenced next year.

The $272,000 embezzlement was uncovered in September of last year when a bank alerted a board member that the non-profit’s funds were showing an unusually low balance. Symphony officials brought the issue to local police. Carlton resigned soon afterward.

An investigation by the Los Altos Police Department and the state Franchise Tax Board showed that Carlton had written numerous checks to himself from Symphony funds. He had used some of the money to pay off personal debts, including back taxes.

On his state income tax returns for 2010 through 2012, Carlton underreported wages from the PSA and failed to report the embezzled funds as income. He was found guilty of a misdemeanor and two felony counts for filing false tax returns.

Cindy Hendrickson and Brian Welch will officially become Assistant District Attorneys in January. Hendrickson, 49, currently heads the Family Violence unit. Welch, 51, leads the District Attorney’s North County Office in Palo Alto. Both have won awards for their successful prosecutions.

“I feel honored and lucky to work closely with these wise, hard-working, and deeply devoted public servants,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said. “They represent the excellence of the entire office and the community that we proudly serve.”

The two new Assistants are replacing Marc Buller, who is retiring next month after a distinguished 30-year career, and David Howe, a well-respected prosecutor who retired earlier this year.

CABAZON – A young Riverside Sheriff’s Department bloodhound earned her stripes this week, tracking and locating a prowler in Cabazon.

On Tuesday December 9 just after midnight, dispatch at the Riverside Sheriff’s Department received a call reporting a prowler in Cabazon. Deputies from the nearby station responded, arriving at the 60000 block of Range View Drive which is an unincorporated area of North Palm Springs.

The caller reported that she was startled by a man who had entered her backyard and was peering at her through her windows. The victim confronted the peeping Tom who then fled the scene. When deputies were unable to locate the suspect, they deployed a K-9 unit, a novice bloodhood “Windy”.

Deputy Ochoa directed the 9-month-old Windy who was immediately able to scent off the suspect’s footprints in the back yard. The young dog then followed the scent, tracking the suspect about a mile through desert and residential terrain.

Windy came to a halt at the end of the scent trail which had led her to the 15000 block of Oreana Way. Deputies were then able to identify the suspected prowler as Kent Browner, 24 years old of North Palm Springs. The suspect was loitering at a community pool. Browner was then taken into custody without incident. He was booked into Smith Correctional Facility.

Windy joined the department in May at just 9-weeks-old. Named, Windy, in a nod to the prevailing winds in Cabazon, her home station, she is off to an auspicious start. Deputy Ochoa and Windy work together every day and received their first tracking certification in October. The two have a tight bond and a strong working relationship which is critical to their success. In a sheriff’s announcement in May Captain Geoff Raya explained that, “Unlike their patrol canine counterparts, tracking Bloodhounds are not easily interchangeable and remain with the same canine handler throughout their working career.”

Windy has shown a great deal of success tracking, but this was her first suspect find. To celebrate her success Deputy Ochoa treated her to a cheeseburger from the nearby In-N-Out. Undoubtedly, Windy can look forward to many more cheeseburgers in her future.

Read More:

KESQ: Bloodhound tracks down prowler

Ventura County – Ventura County Sheriff’s Narcotics Division deputies, working in close concert with members of the Santa Paula Police Department, and officers of the Oxnard Police Department lead a team described by VCSD spokesman Sgt. J. Hendren as “working cooperatively in the investigation of narcotics offenses occurring in the western portion of Ventura County” with a record of arrests pointing to the successful endeavors of the law enforcement collective known as The West County Street Team.

Further evidence of the productive results of their efforts to interdict illicit manufacture and distribution of controlled substances within their jurisdiction came in the early afternoon of December 5th. Acting on information received by multiple confidential informants that Jeremiah Snaidman, a 41-year old Camarillo resident, was engaged in the active process of “manufacturing concentrated cannabis and selling concentrated cannabis from his residence,” The West County Street Team obtained and served a search warrant upon Snaidman and his domicile.

When Snaidman was departing his residence just after noon, deputies summarily detained him and then proceeded to conduct a warrant search of the home. The search did not disappoint, as deputies located “two firearms, concentrated cannabis manufacturing device, approximately 3.5 ounces of concentrated cannabis and approximately 4.5 pounds of marijuana.” According to Hendren, detectives noted that Snaidman had made significant structural modifications to the house in furtherance of his illegal processing operation; shortly after the search, the residence was inspected by local authority Building and Safety staff and it was condemned as uninhabitable.

Failing to receive The Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval, Snaidman was transported to Ventura County Jail where he was booked on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm, manufacturing a controlled substance, possession of marijuana for sale, and possession of concentrated cannabis.

Read more:

VCSTAR: Camarillo man accused of making concentrated cannibas

Citizens Journal: Sheriffs arrest man for selling marijuana

With the Christmas season shifting into full gear, it is important that you keep your personal items locked up, and never leave valuables inside your car or unattended for thieves to steal.

You never know when thieves will strike…

30-year-old John Mark Dillinger appeared in Dept 23 in the San Jose Hall of Justice for a misdemeanor PC 496(a) purchase a cell phone knowing that it had been stolen. Dillinger is no stranger to having stolen goods. Dillinger also has a prior felony for possession of stolen property (Case File C1085739).

In August of 2014, Dillinger was found sleeping on the sidewalk near San Carlos Street and Market Street in San Jose. A Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Deputy exited their vehicle to do a welfare check to see if he was okay. After several tries the deputy said he was able to waken Dillinger. The Deputy was able to determine that Dillinger was on searchable probation, which allowed the Deputy check his backpack for identification and for any contraband he might find. Inside the pack was a black iPhone with a pink and purple case. Checking the text messages and voice message it was determined that the owner had been trying to have his cell phone returned.

Dillinger was found at Market and San Carlos in downtown San Jose.

The deputy tried to contact the phone’s owner, but instead was able to locate that person’s probation officer. He had reported to the probation officer that his phone and bag had been stolen near the intersection of Coleman Ave and Santa Teresa Road in San Jose where he had been staying.

Dillinger’s probation officer was also contacted, and they concluded that he would be placed on a probation hold for the possession of a stolen phone. The Deputy then took Dillinger into custody and booked him into the Santa Clara Main Jail for possession of stolen property.

Dillinger appeared before the Honorable Shelyna V. Brown on Dec 5, 2014 for sentencing. Dillinger was sentenced to serve 76 days in the Santa Clara County Main Jail for the act. Dillinger has already served 38 days and is expected to finish 38 more days straight time before being released on searchable probation.

Rudolph Peter Maya isn’t big on rules and regulations. According to a press release from the San Leandro Police Department, the 38-year-old was riding his Harley Davidson west on Marina Boulevard around 12:45 a.m. Tuesday when he approached the intersection at Merced Street. Maya had a red light, but instead of coming to a complete stop, he skidded before going full-throttle right through the intersection, nearly colliding with a vehicle turning from east-bound Marina onto north-bound Merced. Unfortunately, for Maya, a San Leandro police officer was in his patrol car next to the turning car and witnessed the whole thing.

Rudolph Peter Maya booking photo

The officer pulled Maya over in the 2300 block of West Avenue 133rd, a quiet residential neighborhood. That’s when things got interesting. As the officer exited his vehicle and approached Maya, he caught sight of the handle of a large knife protruding from Maya’s waistband. The knife later proved to have a 10-inch fixed blade.

The officer called for backup and ordered Maya to get off his motorcycle and lay on the ground until another officer arrived. As Maya did so, the leather jacket he was wearing hiked up above his waist, revealing the barrel of a 12-gauge pistol-gripped shotgun strapped to his back. The short 18-inch barrel had been concealed by the jacket.

After a brief pursuit, Maya was pulled over in this neighborhood.

“We see many people carry concealed handguns on their person, but I’ve never heard of someone carrying a shotgun slung over their back,” said Lt. Robert McManus of the San Leandro Police Department.  “We are fortunate that the officer used appropriate tactical skills while dealing with Maya, as this could have ended much differently.”

Maya was arrested without incident on suspicion of carrying a concealed knife and a concealed firearm. He is being held at the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin on $140,000 bail and is scheduled to be arraigned today at 2:00 p.m. in the Alameda Superior Court in Hayward. Though currently identified as a transient from San Leandro, in March Maya was residing in Stockton when he was arrested for corporal injury on a spouse or co-habitant (domestic violence) and false imprisonment by violence by the Stockton Police. No further details of that incident were available.

HAWTHORNE, CA—It’s a dirty world and someone is certainly doing it, and when that someone is also drunk, nearly mowing down pedestrians and executing hit-and-runs in the middle of the day, then justice must be served.

William Burnick Beretta, 28, was stopped by Hawthorne police officers on Sunday, December 7 at approximately 1:45 p.m. along the 5100 block of Rosecrans Avenue in Hawthorne.

As we all know, December 7, 1941 was a “Day of Infamy” that ended in the horrible devastation of the U.S. Navy as well as much of the Army-Air Force’s aircraft in the Pacific and prompted the U.S. to enter WWII.

The unemployed Lawndale man’s drunken assault was nowhere near as horrific nor memorable as the events of 73 years ago but for at least a couple of people it was a bad day.

He was charged with a DUI resultant of drugs and/or alcohol (23152(A)VC), a hit-and-run resulting in property damage (20002(A)VC), littering (23111VC), making an unsafe turn in front of oncoming traffic (21801(A)VC) and failing to yield to a pedestrian (21950(A)VC).

Total bail was set at $35,105.

If Beretta makes bail, perhaps next year he can reenact the bombing of the Maine by driving drunk into a naval warship in Long Beach.

A court ruling that reaffirmed a previous ruling handed down by Yolo Superior Court Judge Paul Richardson back in September means a long-languishing case will finally be tried.

Justin Morejohn from a Team Donate Life cycle club photo.

Justin Prentice Morejohn, 33, is accused, according to a Davis Enterprise report, of “committing lewd and lascivious acts” against two other members of Grace Valley Christian Church, located at 27173 County Road 98 on the western outskirts of Davis. Morejohn was arrested in January, 2012 while he was employed by the California Highway Patrol’s Capitol Protection Unit after allegations about his decade-previous molestations surfaced in 2011.

The case has been delayed several times since, as attorneys dickered over getting Facebook and Google to release records concerning two alleged molestation victims in the case. On December 9, Morejohn’s lawyer, M. Bradley Wishek, was back in court. He accused the Internet giants of defying Judge Richardson’s three month old order.

Facebook and Google had said they couldn’t comply due to privacy laws. Jim Snell, attorney for Facebook and Google in this case, filed a motion requesting Richardson to reconsider his September order to the Internet giants.

Prosecuting attorney Deputy DA Martha Holzapfel stated in court on Tuesday that both victims in the case gave their consent to disclose the disputed Internet records. One has yet to agree to release search items entered into his computer.

Morejohn is currently free on bail. He pleaded not guilty to 10 counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14. Judge Richardson scheduled a hearing in his court on December 19 to confirm the internet giants disclosed the records. A trial date will also be set then.

Read More: The Davis Enterprise – Davis molest case inches toward trial