INGLEWOOD, CA—If the Guinness Book of World Records empire tracked Driving Under the Influence (DUI) records, this might have been one for the books.

Taisha Laangel Busby, 37, was arrested by Inglewood police officers on Saturday, February 14—Valentine’s Day. She was picked up at approximately 2:06 a.m. at the intersection of West Manchester and Inglewood Avenues. Police charged her with four new violations and two outstanding warrants, four of which were DUI-related. The new ones were DUI alcohol/drugs (23152(A)VC), DUI: driving under the influence of alcohol while on probation for a prior DUI (23154(A)VC), DUI alcohol/0.08 percent (23152(B)VC) and driving with a suspended license owing to a prior DUI (14601.2AVC).  The two warrants were from a DUI alcohol/0.08 percent (23152(B)VC) from Hawthorne PD and a failure to appear after promising to do so (40508(A)VC) from Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).

Total bail was set at $57,796. The single largest amount was courtesy of Hawthorne for $45,000, and the smallest amount was a paltry $70 for the probation violation.

When she woke up the day after Valentine’s Day in jail, was she thinking how she would break up with the bottle?

SANTA ROSA – According to a community bulletin posted Thursday by the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office, members of the Sheriff’s Special Weapons And Tactics (S.W.A.T.) team were activated to serve a search warrant on a property in the 3500 block of Stony Point Road.

The action was taken as a result of a report made in person on Wednesday, February 18 by a 22-year-old woman at the Petaluma Police Department. The woman told officers there that she had been kidnapped at gunpoint and was held against her will at a property in Santa Rosa. The woman reported that she was beaten and sexually abused. Officers noted that she had injuries consistent with her statement.

Another entrance to the same complex.

The victim explained that she was able to escape only after noticing that her captors had left a door open to the residence. Investigators determined that the kidnapping occurred in the Roseland area of Santa Rosa approximately three weeks ago. Detectives from the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Unit were called in to conduct the investigation.

This morning the detectives were able to identify the location where the victim had been held. The S.W.A.T. team was activated to serve the search warrant because the suspects were reported to be armed. Several persons have been detained in this case and detectives were still on the scene into the early evening. This is an active and on-going investigation at this time.

This story will be updated once the suspects are identified.

Ventura – The corner and Main St. and Chestnut Avenue in downtown Ventura is a busy place, for this is the landmark location of a “Hamburger Habit” restaurant, and something of a flagship site for one of the most successful fast food enterprises with its founding roots in Santa Barbara County. With the popularity of the “Habit Burger” spreading into the city of Ventura, the downtown location just steps away from the world famous Surfer’s Point is routinely packed with hungry patrons who stand outside on the sidewalk while waiting for their burgers and fries.

Perhaps it was that stomach-growling wait for a great hamburger—and maybe even their signature onion rings—that was just too much for 32-year old Refujio Ruvalcaba on the afternoon of February 15th when the Fillmore resident engaged in a heated verbal dispute with David Ryan, a 46-year old Oxnard citizen. Whatever his motivation, according to the Ventura Police Department’s Watch Commander’s report to the media, Ruvalcaba’s dialogue with Ryan escalated to the point that he was “using derogatory language and disturbing customers sitting outside of the Habit restaurant.”

Apparently words were not enough for Ruvalcaba, who summarily flipped a folding knife from his pocket and “brandished the knife in a threatening manner” toward Ryan. Rather than test Ruvalcaba’s sincerity or knife-fighting skills, Ryan wisely entered the restaurant and promptly called 911 Emergency to inform them that there was a problem on the premises having nothing to do with the crispiness of the fries.

While Ryan was making his call for law enforcement assistance, Ruvalcaba departed the premises, but was soon thereafter detained by responding officers just a block away. Upon verification of his identity as the suspect, Ruvalcaba was arrested and transported to Ventura County Jail where he was booked on charged of brandishing a weapon.

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EdHat: Brandishing arrest

ROSAMOND —A 39-year old North Edwards man is facing additional charges of indecent exposure after two separate incidents of exposing himself to female joggers in the Rosamond area.

According to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were first called out on February 10, to the area of 30th Street West and Orange Street to investigate a report of a male suspect exposing himself to her.

Deputies arrived to find the female victim who was able to describe the genital exposing-suspect as a man in his 40s wearing a tan hoodie and shorts.
While searching the area deputies were able to locate another female victim who also gave details as to the suspects’ whereabouts.

Both women identified Richard Coleman of North Edwards who was booked into the Kern County Jail for indecent exposure. Coleman was seen repeating the offense on February 18, wearing the same tan hoodie in the same area. Victims reported him as he fled in a silver car before deputies could arrive.

Details provided by the victims enabled deputies to identify Coleman and they will be submitting the case to the District Attorney’s Office for review and request additional charges.

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KERO: Man arrested in Rosamond, suspected of flashing

Santa Barbara – With a population rapidly approaching 35,000,000 souls in the State of California, and with nearly one car for every one of those fine folks registered and on the state’s roads, driving carefully and defensively has never been more critical to one’s personal well-being, health, and financial stability.

That sad verity, while apparent to anyone with a common level of conscious awareness stuck in daily commuter traffic, seems to elude some drivers who fail to appreciate the dangers inherent in piloting several tons of glass, rubber, and steel at speeds far beyond the DMV’s prescription of “reasonable and prudent”.

One such apparently mindless driver is 26-year old Alberto Rosales, a Santa Maria resident who, in broad daylight on February 16th, “lost control of his 1998 Chevy Blazer”, according to Santa Maria Police Department spokesman Sgt. J. Valle. who further described Rosales as attempting to drive his SUV at a high rate of speed through a right-hand turn in downtown Santa Maria when he drove into head-on traffic lanes. Rosales’ Blazer impacted the passenger side of an oncoming sedan driven by a 25-year old female.

Immediately following the crash, as the vehicles came to rest, Rosales fled the scene on foot, heading in a northward direction as observed by citizen-witnesses to the incident. Rather than allow Rosales to evade responsibility for the accident, those witnesses pursued Rosales and ultimately accosted and subdued him.

Responding officers of the Santa Maria Police Department, pursuant to the witnesses’ identification of Rosales, arrested him on the scene. As the driver of the other vehicle was transported to Marian Regional Medical Center for treatment of non-life threatening injuries, Rosales was transported to Santa Barbara County Jail where he was booked for felony DUI and hit and run.

Photo: Courtesy Santa Barbara County Jail Booking

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KCOY: SM man involved in car collision runs

EdHat: SM Man involved in hit and run

Santa Maria Times: Man arrested in hit and run

PITTSBURG, CA – A married couple not only saw somebody steal their car Wednesday morning, they also watched in vain as the suspect collided with two other vehicles while trying to evade police, the California Highway Patrol said.

The suspect, 31-year-old Frank Mercado, of Antioch, led police on a chase that began in Pacheco and ended in Pittsburg when he crashed into a heavy-duty utility truck on Railroad Avenue, according to police. Mercado was uninjured in the accident, and was charged with grand theft auto, fleeing the scene of a traffic collision and evading law enforcement.

The incident began around 8:26 a.m. Wednesday morning near Pacheco Drive and Arthur Lane when the husband and wife saw a man drive away in their car, according to police. The couple followed the vehicle in another car while in contact with CHP dispatchers.

The couple pursued the car as it headed east on Highway 4. The suspect struck another car on the freeway, but didn’t stop, police said. The driver of the other car was uninjured.

Mercado then exited at Railroad Avenue, where the pursuit continued until the car slammed into the utility vehicle at the intersection of Railroad and Bliss Avenues.

Mercado, who remains in custody at the County Jail in Martinez in lieu of $90,000 bail, was arrested in February last year in Antioch on suspicion of grand theft auto and again in June for possession of a controlled substance.

Santa Barbara County – The City of Santa Maria, now the largest metropolitan area within Santa Barbara County, appears to have become a traffic cop’s dream—or nightmare, depending upon the perspective taken. In terms of “staying busy”, it’s certainly an ideal venue for traffic enforcement activity of a high volume. In terms of coping with violent, erratic, and criminally reckless drivers, the wide open streets of the city seem to attract disaster.

Evidence of the latter perspective once again became clear just after midnight on February 15th when, according to Santa Maria Police Department spokesman Sgt. D. Schneider, Officer R. Flores made an attempt to conduct a routine traffic enforcement stop pursuant to his observation of a broken tail light on a vehicle he suspected of being operated by a driver under the influence of alcohol.

When Flores—driving a marked black-and-white patrol car with red lights ablaze–pulled the car being driven by Alvaro Venegas, 25, to the curb, Venegas immediately gunned his accelerator and sped off into the night. With the SMPD black-and-white following behind, it wasn’t long before the suspect vehicle went out of control and crashed into a trio of parked vehicles.

As the police black-and-white arrived at the crash scene, Venegas was observed sprinting away on foot, leaving behind “an adult female and a small child inside his vehicle,” Schneider reported. In addition to those two, there were five people inside one of the parked vehicles impacted by Venegas’ car, including a toddler and two infant children.

All seven passengers in the two cars were transported to Marian Medical Center for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.

At the time of this reporting, Alvara Venegas remains at large and is sought by authorities on charges of DUI hit and run and felony child endangerment.

Photo: Courtesy Santa Barbara County Jail Booking

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Santa Maria Times: Police seek driver for hit and run

An Antioch man was tracked down by a police dog and arrested Monday night after allegedly fleeing a traffic stop and crashing his vehicle into a home before attempting to flee on foot, police said.

The incident began around 9:20 p.m. when an officer tried to pull over Dino Thomas, 43, near the 2100 block of Hillcrest Avenue for a vehicle code violation, according to police.

Thomas failed to stop and led police on a brief chase before smashing through a small brick wall and crashing into a home on Yosemite Drive, police said. Police did not say how fast Thomas drove during the pursuit.

According to police, Thomas then ran from the scene but was quickly apprehended when an officer giving chase released his dog after Thomas threatened to throw a large rock, about the size of a baseball, at the officer.

Thomas was charged with possession of methamphetamine, felony evasion, and driving under the influence, according to police. He was also treated at the scene by paramedics for a dog bite on his arm.

The damage to the home was contained to the front yard. Beside the small brick wall that was destroyed, a broken water valve prompted a visit from public works to shut it off.

SACRAMENTO—The Sacramento Sheriff’s Department and Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District Arson Investigation Unit have arrested Willie Bee Turner in connection with the torture and burning death of a dog caged in a carrier on the sidewalk last month.

In the early morning hours of Thursday, January 22, Metro Fire responded to a fire in front of Oak Plains Masonic Lodge on the 3000 block of Becerra Way in Sacramento. What was initially thought to be garbage on fire was soon discovered to be a small plastic dog carrier that contained the charred remains of a small dog.

Metro Fire contacted the Sheriff’s Department and began a joint investigation to find the person responsible for this horrendous act. An arson tip line was soon set up and the public, along with private animal groups, began making donations to the Sacramento SPCA, offering a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible.

Sacramento County Animal Control conducted a necropsy and determined the deceased dog was approximately nine months old and was a small, tan-colored, mixed-breed female. It had burned alive trapped inside the dog carrier.

Tips from the public and investigation produced evidence that led to an arrest warrant for Turner, 20, of Oakland. He was arrested at his home in Oakland, and is now in custody, being held at the Sacramento County Main Jail on a felony animal cruelty charge with bail set for $35,000. He also had an outstanding warrant from Alameda County for petty theft.

TAFT — A 38-year old Taft man is behind bars after he allegedly attempted to rape his former girlfriend earlier this month. Jerrod Romagno was booked into the Taft City Jail for kidnapping, false imprisonment, assault to commit rape, threaten with intent to terrorize and spousal battery.

According to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, Romagno’s arrest resulted from a chain of events that began on February 4, when Romagno contacted his former girlfriend and asked her to meet him at a house located in south Taft.

Once at the residence, Romagno refused to allow the woman to leave, before forcing her to go to another residence, where he allegedly tried to rape her the next day. However, the victim was able to escape from the location and call for help.

That’s when deputies received a call at around 9 a.m. on February 5, of a male chasing a female on in the 900 block of Pico Street in south Taft. When deputies arrived they said they spotted Romagno and took him into custody.

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KBAK: Man accused of kidnapping, attempted rape

ROHNERT PARK – A young man from Montana was caught with stolen property while passed out at an Arby’s Roast Beef restaurant.

The incident began late on Valentine’s Day last week when Michael Lee McClure, a 20-year-old man from Kalispell, Montana, broke into a woman’s home in Santa Rosa, near the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. He must have been very quiet as he went about his business of gathering up her computers, i-Pads, cameras, jewelry, credit cards, and even an entertainment system. According to the Sonoma County Sheriff’s department, the elderly woman woke Sunday morning to discover she had been burglarized overnight. She called the Sheriff’s department to report the theft.

The responding deputies took the woman’s report, and soon found that most of the stolen property was still at her house, but hidden outside. Sheriff’s detectives decided to set up an overnight stakeout to see if they could catch the burglar coming back to get his loot. Perhaps he was wise to them, or more likely just forgot. When morning came and he had not returned, detectives tried a different tactic. On Monday morning, February 16, they used the tracking capabilities of one of the stolen and still missing i-Pads, which led them to Rohnert Park, about six miles south.

They found McClure at the Arby’s on Redwood Drive. He had been inside and passed out for about two hours. He was wearing a scarf that had been taken from the victim’s home, along with one of her watches. He had a backpack stolen from the home, and it had the missing i-Pad and some other property that had been taken. He also had some methamphetamine, which he had apparently used. They arrested him for possession and being under the influence of meth, along with burglary, trespassing, and possession of stolen property.

As a “Hot Prowl” burglar – or one who enters an occupied home, and due to the fact that he lives out of state, he was considered a flight risk, and bail was set at $300,000.00. His arrest report listed him as a “Manager”, though what he was hired to manage was not evident in the report. Kalispell, Montana is the county seat of Flathead County in north west Montana.

BAKERSFIELD — A 33-year-old Bakersfield man was arrested on Thursday of last week, after he allegedly stole several pieces of cleaning equipment and stashed them inside his home.

Raul Castro was booked into the Kern County Jail on for possession of stolen property. He has since been released on bail.

According to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, Castro’s arrest was the result of an investigation by detectives from the Sheriffs Rural Crime Investigation Unit after they received information from deputies regarding stolen pressure washers.

On February 19, detectives said they responded to Castro’s home in the 200 block of Holtby Street in Bakersfield in regards to the stolen equipment.

During their investigation, detectives also said they learned that Castro was in possession of three stolen pressure washers worth approximately $17,000. Castro was immediately taken into custody.

Read More:

KERO: Man stole pressure washers worth $17K

RANCHO CUCAMONGA – An Ontario police officer was arrested last week for having sex with a 17-year-old girl.

Tyler Duane Stone, 30, of Rancho Cucamonga, has since resigned his position with the Ontario Police Department, according to officials. On November 8, 2014, investigators became aware that Stone was having an inappropriate relationship with a female under 18-years-old. One month later, Ontario police requested San Bernardino County Sheriff’s investigators to take over the case.

Detective John Everman and Sgt. Dana Foster, part of the Sheriff’s Department Crimes Against Children Detail, began piecing together information, determining that Stone had met with the teenager while he was on duty, later developing a sexual relationship with her.

The sexual acts, they said, took place in Ontario and at Stone’s residence in the neighboring city of Rancho Cucamonga. Stone resigned from Ontario PD on December 22.

Last week, the county District Attorney’s office issued a warrant for Stone’s arrest. The warrant specified two counts of oral copulation of a minor, one count of unlawful sex with a minor and one count of annoying or molesting a child. Investigators said that Stone turned himself in on February 19.

He was booked at the West Valley Detention Center, his bail set at $150,000. Officials said that Stone posted bail and released at 3:25 a.m. the next day. Before resigning, Stone worked for Ontario police for less than four years.

Read More:

KTLA: Ex-Ontario Policeman arrested after ‘Illegal’ sex

LATIMES: Former Ontario cop accused of sex with 17 year old

REDLANDS – Police departments in Redlands and San Bernardino are reporting scams that target senior citizens, along with other unsuspecting citizens.

Carl Baker, spokesman for Redlands police, said area departments “continues to receive regular reports of fraudulent activities, especially targeting elderly residents.” The scams can range anywhere from offering large monetary returns for little investments, claiming to be government agencies collecting fines or penalties, or cynically appealing to various people in a desire to assist friends or relatives in need. Baker said the FBI reports senior citizens are “especially vulnerable to fraud for various reasons.”

Most likely, he says, they’re “likely to have a nest egg to own their home, or have excellent credit” – making them attractive to con artists. People who grew up in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, says Baker, “were generally raised to be polite and trusting. Con artists exploit those traits, knowing that it’s difficult or impossible for these individuals to say ‘no,’ are just hang up the telephone.”

San Bernardino police are also reporting that people are receiving telephone calls regarding arrest or traffic warrants that can be resolved while they’re still on the line. “Many scammers,” said Baker, “ask that money be sent through services such as Western Union and MoneyGram, or provided through prepaid cards, such as Green Dot. It is very difficult,” he said, “if not impossible to trace or retrieve such funds.”

Older citizens, says Baker, “are less likely to report a fraud because they don’t know who to report it to, are ashamed at having been scammed, or don’t know they have been scammed.” Some try to hide it in fear that relatives might believe they no longer have the mental capacity to take care of their own financial affairs, he said.

Baker also said that elderly victims “often make poor witnesses. “Con artists know the effects of age on memory, and they are counting on elderly victims not being able to supply enough detailed information to investigators.” Swindles, or scams, may take weeks to become aware of, making it less likely for investigators to get appropriate details. Baker says arrest warrant scams are somewhat common, along with other scams such as “friends who are in need.”

On Sunday night, February 22, Placer County Sheriff’s detectives made an arrest in Friday’s fatal stabbing of 21-year-old Andrew Petrenko of Carmichael, according to an official press release.

Witness interviews and leads led detectives to the suspect’s apartment. Zachary Nicholas Gonzalez, 22 of Sacramento was taken into custody without incident in the parking lot of the apartment complex where he resides. Gonzalez was taken to the Placer County Jail where he was booked on a murder charge. He is being held without bail. He is scheduled to be arraigned in the Auburn jail courtroom on Tuesday, February 24 at 1 p.m.

According to the Placer County Sheriff’s Office, the incident occurred at approximately 11:30 p.m. in a West Roseville neighborhood. The investigation indicates the victim was walking with friends to a party on Lanie Court when he exchanged words with the suspect, who was driving by. The suspect allegedly exited his car and stabbed the victim. Although the investigation is ongoing, it does not appear the victim and suspect knew each other.

Records show that Gonzalez was previously arrested in October for public intoxication. He was picked up by Sacramento Police Friday, October 3 at 1:47 in the morning at the AM/PM Mini Market at the Arco station on J Street and 29th in east Sacramento. The victim Andrew Petrenko also has a history with law enforcement. Records show he was arrested in June of last year in Placer County for threats and weapons charges, and in July in Sutter County for residential burglary, possessing stolen property, and conspiracy. Further details of those incidents were not available.

Petrenko’s family and friends have established a GoFundMe.com page to raise money for funeral costs.

SACRAMENTO—A man who was shot and killed while sitting inside a vehicle outside a South Sacramento shopping center on February 22, 2015 has been identified by Sacramento County Coroner’s Office as James Jackson, 20.

The shooting took place just after 1:45 p.m. on Sunday at Meadowview Road and Amherst Street. Jackson and another man were inside the vehicle when they were shot, police said.

When officers arrived, they found one of the men critically hurt. He was rushed to the hospital where he later died. The other man remains hospitalized at a nearby medical facility and is expected to survive.

The shooter or shooters fired from another car as they drove down Meadowview Road near 22nd Street, police said. Officers aren’t sure of a motive for the homicide. Both victims are in their 20s.

Investigators were working to find people who were believed to be in the shooter’s car at the time of the deadly incident. No physical descriptions were released. Anyone with information is asked to call 916-264-5471.

BAKERSFIELD – A 14-year-old was arrested on Monday after accidentally shooting a 13-year-old in the face.

Angel Rodriguez, was as booked into the Kern County Juvenile Hall for negligent discharge of a firearm, participation in a criminal street gang and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a minor.

According to the Bakersfield Police Department, at around 4 p.m. on February 8, officers responded to a report of shooting in a home in the 700 block “R” Street St.

Police said that when they got there, they discovered a 13-year-old boy had been struck in the chin by a bullet that was allegedly fired into a bucket by Rodriquez, who fled the scene before officers arrived.

The victim was transported to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Later that day, police received a call from Rodriguez’s family, who said they found the boy walking the streets and brought him home where officers took him into custody.

The firearm has not been recovered.

Read more:

KBAK: Boy, 14, sought by police after another teen shot

…but so is invading such a home

SANTA ROSA – Manuel Garcia, 25, and Rolando Ramirez-Ruiz, 23, may have thought they had a good thing going. The men rented houses in a semi-rural road in north east Santa Rosa, on Acacia Lane near Highway 12 and Ducker Creek. The adjoining houses are in walking distance to both Madrone Elementary School and Douglas Whited Elementary, convenient since Garcia brought his family, including two children to live there. But according to the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, their landlord and neighbors had no idea they had been using both houses to illegally grow marijuana.

According to the Santa Rosa police, the houses were used for cultivating marijuana, manufacturing hashish, and selling those and other drugs. They also kept firearms there. Of course when you become known, at least to drug users, as a source for quantities of illegal and controlled substances, you also become a target.

Late Sunday night, three men, Miguel Junior Flores, 36 of Cloverdale, Pablo Reyes-Martinez, 22 of Santa Rosa, and Fidencio Reyes Bocanegra, 24, came to the home in a gray SUV and fully armed.

As the men tired to force their way into the home, Garcia and his family woke up. Garcia called the police to report the home invasion at 49 minutes after midnight. He then fired at the invaders who were breaking down the door. The Press Democrat reported that he shot at them from a front bedroom window, and that the intrudes fired back. Martinez and Bocanegra were both hit, and retreated to the SUV, where Flores drove them away. Garcia and the rest of the household were not hit in the exchange.

While police responded to investigate the crime scene, an alert was broadcast for the suspects in the gray SUV. Sonoma County Sheriff’s deputies spotted a matching vehicle within the hour, at 1:40 am, turning into the Kaiser Permanente parking lot in Santa Rosa, about five miles from the scene. They deputies initiated a “high risk” stop of the vehicle, but the occupants did not comply with their orders, perhaps because they were desperate to get to the emergency room.

But the deputies fired non-lethal 40mm chemical agent projectiles into the vehicle through the back window, releasing tear gas inside. Flores and Bocanegra came out and surrendered. As they were detained, deputies saw that Bocanegra was suffering from a gunshot wound, and that the third suspect, Martinez, was unconscious inside the vehicle. Emergency medical personnel were summoned. Bocanegra was taken to the hospital where he underwent surgery for his life-threatening wound, while Martinez was pronounced dead at the scene. It was believed that he succumbed to the wounds suffered in the gun battle, but an autopsy is also pending.

Miguel Junior Flores, who escaped without gunshot wounds, was arrested and booked on charges of murder, shooting at an inhabited dwelling, conspiracy, attempted first degree robbery, and committing a felony with a firearm. Fidencio Reyes Bocanegra will face the same charges when released from the hospital.

Meanwhile, Manuel Garcia and Rolando Ramirez-Ruiz were arrested at the original crime scene and booked at the Sonoma County Jail for possession and cultivation of marijuana for sale, manufacturing of hashish, possession of narcotics for sale, and firearms charges related to drug sales. Garcia was also charged with felony child endangerment  for exposing his kids to drugs and drug sales activities.

The investigation continues, and anyone who has information to contribute may contact the Violent Crimes Investigation Team of the Santa Rosa Police at 707-543-3590.

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The Santa Rosa Press Democrat: One dead, one wounded in Santa Rosa home invasion

SANTA ROSA – Paul S. Johnson, a 37-year-old man from Santa Rosa, has had a considerable history of violent crimes, according to the Santa Rosa police. He was also wanted on an outstanding warrant and was on parole, when he drew considerable attention on Sunday afternoon by shouting from a rooftop to anyone who would listen.

He began the episode himself, when he called 911 at 3:39 in the afternoon to report that some people were after him, and trying to kill him. The operator reported that he had been rambling on the phone, sounding confused and upset. His location was the 200 block of Broadmoor Street, a residential neighborhood in west central Santa Rosa. As police were on their way, within minutes another person called in to report that Johnson was on the roof of his garage, shouting that someone was trying to kill him, and that he was being framed for something. As it turned out, Johnson was living at that home with the caller, having moved from his previous residence on Morgan Street after a recent New Year’s Day arrest for being under the influence of a controlled substance, and violating parole.

Broadmoor Street – while Johnson held a standoff on a roof, residents kept inside and out of the way.

Officers arrived and tried to engage in a dialog with Johnson as he stood on the roof. However, they reported that he continued to ramble nonsensically about the people who were after him. He accused the officers of being impostors, and part of an elaborate scheme to kill him for something he was not guilty of. He also told the officers, and anyone who would listen, that he was going to harm himself, or even commit suicide, and produced a “makeshift weapon” that he used to cut himself.

Joining the officers were members of the department’s Hostage Negotiation Team, who tried to convince Johnson to give himself up peacefully, but he refused. As the evening began to grow dark, the officers tried to come up with a solution to the standoff that would not put themselves or Johnson at unnecessary risk. Neighbors, meanwhile, voluntarily stayed away from the scene, and no evacuation was needed. By 10 pm, the team had formulated a plan, and a group of them, including a police dog team, managed to sneak up and take him by surprise, taking him into custody at 10:23 pm, nearly seven hours after the ordeal began.

Johnson had several minor wounds from his activities with his weapon, but suffered no serious damage. He was nonetheless treated at a local hospital before being booked at the Sonoma County jail, initially on charges of the outstanding warrant for parole violations. Additional charges may later be filed, including resisting or obstructing officers, and a likely mental health evaluation given.

In addition to this incident, specialists may be looking at his Facebook postings, in which he, in the past, has expressed his anger at one particular person for several personal conflicts, along with posts about other violent conflicts and encounters. He has also reached out to his friends for support during previous jail and prison sentences.

The Riverside Sheriff’s Department reported on Monday that three individuals were arrested following searches and compliance checks on seventy-eight locations.

On February 17, 2015, a joint operation between the Central P.A.C. Team (Post-release Accountability & Compliance Team), the Lake Elsinore Police Department and Wildomar Police Department conducted compliance checks and warrant services  on individuals on probation, mandatory supervision, and post-release community supervision (PRCS) within both the city of Lake Elsinore and the city of Wildomar.

According to a press release, about sixty law enforcement personnel were involved. The officers were from the Central P.A.C. Team, West P.A.C. Team, East P.A.C. Team, Murrieta PD Special Enforcement Team, Lake Elsinore Special Enforcement Team, Wildomar Police Department, California Highway Patrol, Mid County Investigations, and three Riverside County Gang Task Force Regions (Region 3- Hemet/San Jacinto, Region 4- Murrieta/Temecula, and Region 6- Lake Elsinore/Perris).

Thirteen individuals were arrested during the sweep and three of these individuals were residing in Wildomar. Sergeant Kenneth Chaffin stated, “The operation resulted in the recovery of two stolen vehicles, drugs, drug paraphernalia, weapons, and stolen property. One of the locations resulted in possibly a “chop shop.” California Highway Patrol- Investigative Services Unit (Auto theft unit) responded and took over the investigation.”

Ada Smith, 52 years old of Wildomar was arrested for  1203.2(a) PC- Violation of Probation 11377(a) H&S- Possession of Methamphetamine. Axel Paulsen, 47 years old of Wildomar was arrested for 3455(a) PC- Violation of T&C of PRCS 496(d) PC- Possession of a Stolen Vehicle 10751 VC- Alter Vehicle VIN 496 PC Possession of Stolen City Property. Robert Darden, 50 years old of Wildomar was arrested for 3455(a) PC- Violation of T&C of PRCS 11377(a) H&S- Possession of Methamphetamine.

In addition to those arrested, another 24 individuals were reported as not living at the addresses on record with the probation department. There will be warrants issued for these individuals’ arrests. The Central PAC Team will be responsible for locating and arresting these subjects who have failed to comply with their terms of PRCS and Mandatory Supervision (AB109).

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