Officer Was On Patrol In Area Where Shooting Occurred

SALINAS—The Salinas Police Department have made an arrest in a early morning shooting that sent a 65-year-old women to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries to her hip and arm. Within six hours of the incident, officers arrested 22-year-old Salinas resident Alejandro Meneses for his part in the shooting.

On Saturday, Salinas Police responded to a report of a shooting near the area of Sieber and Orchard Streets. While responding, police learned that there was indeed a victim of the shooting.

Once on scene, police located a 65-year-old female victim suffering from two gun shot wounds to the hip and arm, but both injuries were considered non-life threatening. The victim stated that she was standing in her apartment when she heard the gunshots.

She was not the intended victim; witnesses stated that it appeared that a blue van drove by, and the passenger opened fire on a group of men who were standing outside the apartment complex, and near the victim’s apartment.

A few hours later, an observant police officer was on patrol in the area where the shooting occurred when she noticed a van that fit the description of the one that was involved in the shooting. While she was examining it, the owner contacted her and told her that his son had been driving it earlier that morning. The officer found a handgun similar to the one used in the shooting inside the van.

Another officer was able to make contact with 22-year-old Alejandro Meneses of Salinas, the son of the van’s owner, and developed enough evidence to link him to the shooting. Meneses was arrested and charged with attempted murder, and with associating with a criminal street gang with weapons charges. He was transported and booked into the Monterey County Jail.

A Fresno resident has been arrested after a fatal traffic accident in Madera. George Gonzales, 34, was charged with one count of vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence in the death of an unidentifed Madera resident. The incident occurred on the morning of Friday, February 20, and the arrest was reported at 8:57 that morning.

Gonzales is not believed to have been in any way intoxicated or under the influence of any substances. He was found to be sound in mind, and the trash was called a tragic accident. Madera Police did warn drivers of heavy fog that morning, which may have contributed to the accident.

According to the Madera County Department of Corrections, who held him and made the arrest, Gonzales is a traffic maintenance worker. Bail was set at $5,000 for the offense, which is categorized as a misdemeanor. No word has been released on whether the victim’s family will pursue charges of wrongful death.

One Suspect Gave False Information To Officers

The car running a red light at this corner resulted in a traffic stop.

SANTA CRUZ—Members of a Gang Task Force arrested three individuals after a traffic stop for running a red light proved to be extra fruitful, as the three young men were carrying two loaded guns in the vehicle.

Agents with the Santa Cruz Anti-Crime Team Gang Task Force were patrolling in the area of Soquel Avenue and Fredrick Street when they noticed a vehicle fail to stop at a stoplight. The Driver, Elmer Leiva, initially gave officers false information, but he was found to be driving on a suspended license.

Elmer Leiva tried to provide false information to avoid identification. (Image Facebook)

The agents had the vehicle towed to preform an inventory-controlled search of the vehicle. During that search they found two loaded handguns. One, a .25 caliber semi-automatic was found between the front seats. The other gun was a .38 caliber revolver, stowed in the rear cargo area of the Nissan SUV that they were driving.

Officer arrested 23-year-old Elmer Leiva for giving them false information and carrying a loaded gun in a vehicle. Both passengers, 35-year-old Ishmael Rivera and 24-year-old Jose Avelar, were arrested and charged with possession of a loaded gun in a vehicle.

Agents conducted a records check on both handguns and they could not find any record involving the .25 caliber handgun. The .38 caliber revolver was found to be stolen out of Salinas.

One of the guns found in the car was a .25 caliber handgun.

Agents recommended to the District Attorney that each of the suspects be charged additionally with possession of the stolen handgun. Agents are still investigating possible gang involvement as they noticed that one suspect had several tattoos indicative of a gang.

Victims Were Assaulted By A Group of Men

Images of the two suspected cars

HOLLISTER—The Hollister Police Department are searching for a group of men that assaulted two individuals because of their gang affiliations. The police are looking for two black colored vehicles that the group drove in the incident.

On Monday, January 26 at 4:30 pm, the Hollister Police Department responded to the area of the 800 block of Clearview Drive on a report of a large fight. When police arrived they found two victims who had been assaulted by a large group of assailants. The two victims told police that they had just arrived home when a large group of men arrived in two black cars and confronted them. The group made remarks regarding their gang affiliation then assaulted them. One of the victims required hospitalization as a result of injuries sustained during the altercation. A surveillance camera captured footage of the two black vehicles leaving the scene.

One of the vehicles appears to be a dark colored Honda Civic with special rims. The other appears to be an older model Lexus with dark tinted windows. The Hollister Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in the finding the whereabouts of the two cars and the identity of the suspects. Anyone having information on this case is asked to call the Hollister Police Department at 1-831-636-4330. People wishing to remain anonymous can call the WeTip line at 1-800-87-CRIME. Information provided to the Hollister Police Department in regards to this case may qualify for a reward.

Whiskey Creek Saloon at 5th and East.

While this case remains open, Hollister Police arrested a 27-year-old insurance agent last Tuesday night outside the Whiskey Creek Saloon in downtown Hollister. Francisco Carillo Frutos was charged with resisting or obstructing an officer, and battery on a peace officer with injury. No other arrests were recorded that night at the popular biker bar. Frutos’ attack on the officers could not have been too serious, as he was released early the next morning on $6,000 bail.

An attorney based out of El Dorado Hills could be held in contempt of court by a Woodland judge for failing to appear as scheduled in Yolo Superior Court on March 2. Judge David Reed waited two hours for defense attorney Robert Blasier to show up to discuss charges against his client Nicholas Robert Bowen at the pre-trial hearing.

Bowen, 63, a resident of Grizzly Flat was already sentenced to twelve and a half years in prison last month in federal court for possession of child pornography, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The child pornography charges were filed after Bowen was arrested by Davis police back on July 10, 2013. Additional charges related to the indecent exposure are now being pursued against Bowen.

Wenyi Xu and Nicholas Bowen booking photos

Bowen had driven Wenyi Xu, 31, of Folsom to Davis Community Park in north Davis, where extensive playground equipment and institutions catering to children are found. Xi wore a long coat which she opened to expose herself to 10- and 12-year old boys riding their bikes along a greenbelt path leading from the Davis Art Center. Bowen was wearing hi-tech glasses which had a spy camera built into them with which he captured the boys’ reactions. An alert park maintenance worker called the police.

Xu has already been tried and sentenced to three years, eight months in state prison. She must remain a registered sex offender for the rest of her life. According to the Woodland Daily Democrat, police searched Bowen’s phone and his computer. The investigators discovered more than 600 child porn images and videos.

The federal judge sentencing Bowen said the convict’s conduct was “egregious.” Bowen was an “active individual” in corrupting minors and may well have “ruined” many childhoods. At the pre-trial hearing on March 1, Deputy District Attorney Martha Holzapfel stated she was moving forward with the additional charges filed against Bowen in Yolo Superior Court.

The March 1 hearing had to be postponed because Blasier never appeared to fulfill his duty as an officer of the court. The hearing has now been scheduled for am on March 26. Blaiser became internationally famous in the 1990’s when he was one of a team of attorneys representing O.J. Simpson in his murder trial.

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CrimeVoice: Woman Sentenced to State Prison for Indecent Exposure in Davis; A rare case of indecent exposure; woman charged

The task force raided this house along East Lake Ave.

The Santa Cruz County Anti-Crime Team Gang Task Force announced the arrest of a methamphetamine dealer who was based in a house just a block from one of the town’s middle schools, and a short distance from the high school.

On Friday, February 27, agents from the task force, along with Department of Homeland Security Inspectors, served a search warrant at a small home on the 500 block of East Lake Avenue. The home is just down the street from Edward A. Hall Middle School. Another two blocks away is the campus of Watsonville High School.

Edward A. Hall Middle School is just a short walk away.

According to Sergeant Mark Yanez, the team located over sixteen grams of crystal methamphetamine, a digital scale, packing material, and over $2,800.00 in cash, suspected to be proceeds from drug sales. The confiscated meth is estimated to be worth one to two thousands dollars.

34-year-old Sergio Quezada Chavez, the resident of the house, was arrested on the scene for possession of meth for sales.

Ventura County – When considering where to perpetrate an act of arson upon county vehicles, one might reasonably assume that the parking lot adjacent to a county jail facility would not be the best choice.

Jeffrey Landis, a 36-year old resident of Santa Monica, however, appears not to be the sort of pyromaniac who gives much credence to such considerations as evidenced by the events transpiring in the pre-dawn hours of February 21st in the parking lot of the Ventura County Government Center.

Landis’ fire in progress

According to Ventura County Sheriff’s Department Public Information Officer Cpt. Don Aguilar, it was approximately 4:15 a.m. on the date when officers of the California Highway Patrol, on their way out of the immensely monolithic county jail officially euphemized as the “Pre-Trial Detention Facility” spotted flames in the adjacent parking lot and immediately alerted nearby Sheriff’s Deputies.

As Deputies rushed to the scene, they spotted Landis in close proximity to five flaming cars, and when they attempted contact with him, he resisted any suggestions that he was responsible for the conflagration, whereupon “less than lethal force and a Sheriff’s K-9 was used” to take him into custody. As Ventura County Fire units arrived to extinguish the flames, a backpack belonging to Landis was observed nearby, referenced by Landis as containing an explosive device.

That remark brought out the Sheriff’s Bomb Squad who “rendered the backpack safe,” according to Aguilar. While VCFD personnel doused the ashes and prepared to clean up the mess he’d created by torching the cars—three of which belonged to the county—Landis was transported to Ventura County Jail within walking distance, and was booked on charges of arson and resisting arrest with his bail set at $20,000.

Photo: courtesy Ventura County Jail Booking, www.OnScene.TV
Landis
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Ventura County – Proving once again the powerfully addictive nature of certain medications, a medical professional working out of his Ventura office who was apparently himself addicted to oxycodone, has been arrested under suspicion of falsifying prescriptions to feed his habit.

According to Ventura County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Sgt. Victor Fazio, Randolph Nordyke, MD, a 60-year old resident of San Diego who had recently retired from his Ventura podiatry practice, was actively engaged in “doctor shopping” and on “mutiple occasions wrote prescriptions in one of his former Ventura County patient’s name for large amounts of oxycodone.” Nordyke reportedly traveled to both Ventura and San Diego pharmacies to pick up medications, posing as the individual named on the prescription forms. He is also suspected of calling upon multiple Ventura County physicians with the intent of obtaining additional oxycodone prescriptions.

On February 20th, Nordyke was found at his residence and served with a search warrant by the Health Quality Investigation Unit of the California Division of Investigation and the Ventura County Interagency Pharmaceutical Crimes Unit, pursuant to which evidence was found leading to his arrest on “multiple health and safety code and penal code violations.”

Nordyke was transported to Ventura County Jail where he was booked on charges of identity theft, unlawfully prescribing controlled substances, forging prescriptions, and burglary, with his bail set at $50,000. According to Fazio, the investigation into Nordyke’s activities is continuing and is focused upon identifying any additional identity theft victims.

Photo: Courtesy Ventura County Jail Booking

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COVELO – The Covelo Mobile Home Park is a quiet place in the north part of the small town of Covelo, which is located in the inland valley of Mendocino County, between the Coastal Ranges and Mendocino National Forest. The town of around 1400 people is in the rural farmland, and is the home of the Round Valley Tribe of native Americans. The mobile home park holds about 33 units, and is located on Howard Street off Covelo Road, Route 162.

Jose Guadalupe Escareno, Mendocino County booking photo.

On Saturday, February 21, brothers David and Eduardo Sifuentes were at the park when a car drove through at an unsafe speed. When the men called the driver and his passenger out on it, the occupants of the car stopped and confronted them. According to the Mendocino Sheriff’s Office, a fight broke out until the passenger, identified as Jose Guadalupe Escareno, 27, pulled out a gun from his waistband.

The Sheriff’s Office did not specify, but it is very likely that the combatants knew each other, and may have had some history. Covelo is a small town, and Escareno lives less than a quarter mile away, on Dingman Street, just past Covelo Road.

After Escareno pulled out the weapon, he struck one of the brothers in the back with it, causing it to fire. The bullet went into a wall of one of the homes, but fortunately no one was struck. The blow also apparently caused the gun to jam, because when Escareno then pointed it at the two men, he reportedly pulled the trigger and the gun failed to shoot. He shouted that he was going to kill them, but when the gun failed, he and the car’s driver, who was not identified, left the scene.

A call came into the Sheriff’s office at 1:40 pm, and responding deputies spoke to David and Eduardo Sifuentes. Meanwhile, a Department of Fish and Wildlife warden, aware of the shooting, had stopped the vehicle on Highway 162. Deputies responded to that location, and seized two loaded handguns from the vehicle, one of which matched the description of the weapon used at the fight. A spent shell casing also matched the caliber of the handgun.

Jose Escareno was arrested on charges of attempted murder, and booked into Mendocino County Jail on $125,000 bail.

SANTA ROSA – According to a Community Bulletin posted by the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office, Deputies were dispatched to an armed robbery at the Joyeria Torres Soccer Sport business at 777 Sebastopol Road in Santa Rosa at approximately 1:45 pm on Monday, March 2.

The store was also the scene of a robbery on February 23. The reporting party said that the suspect was the same perpetrator who had robbed the business just 10 days earlier. The victim gave deputies a suspect description and said that he was armed with a handgun. He also said that the suspect had dropped a set of car keys on the floor of the store as he fled.

The suspect was last seen fleeing south on West Avenue. Deputies arriving on the scene located a suspect matching the description a short time later walking on Sunset Avenue, just over a block from the scene, and near Roseland Elementary School. Deputies also located and matched a vehicle to the keys belonging to the suspect. The victim and the store’s security surveillance system positively identified the man, who was also wearing a piece of jewelry that he had taken in the previous robbery of the store.

Police found this Airsoft pistol with the orange tip painted black.

Deputies searched the culprit’s escape route from the robbery and located items taken during the robbery, along with an air soft semi automatic replica pistol, with the orange tip painted black.

The suspect was identified as 20-year-old Cristian Heredia of Rohnert Park. He was arrested for robbery, possession of stolen property and for a violation of probation. Heredia was transported to the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office where a follow up investigation was to be continued by department detectives. Heredia had been arrested about a year ago, on April 21, for street terrorism and possession of illegal metal knuckles.

A man accused of attempting to shoot and kill three Fairfield police officers in 2011 took the witness stand at his trial on February 27.

Stated Jordan C. Hughes, “It’s not in my heart to hurt people.” He was referring to the incident during which he had emptied his revolver at three police officers who scrambled to escape the gunshots after they had discovered Hughes in the bathroom of a North Texas Street apartment. Hughes’s girlfriend had called 911 to ask police to check their apartment. She feared, she said, Hughes might be lying in wait for her to return; the couple had fought earlier in the day.

“I had no idea there were police officers in my house that day. Period,” Hughes testified. He also explained why he had locked himself in his bathroom with a loaded gun the night of June 26, 2011.

“I was smoking weed and thinking about killing myself,” he testified. While doing so, he stated he could hear yelling outside the bathroom door, but could not make out the words being yelled.

Police earlier had testified that they shouted out warnings and identified themselves repeatedly upon entering the apartment. Only then did they break down the bathroom door. “I thought I would frighten off whoever was in my apartment,” Hughes said. So he opened fire when the bathroom door burst open.

Earlier in the trial, three police officers described what it was like being shot at. One officer stated a shot barely missed his head.

Hughes did not explain why, after he was done shooting, he was able to clearly understand police as they talked him into surrendering and coming out of the bathroom. He also said that for several minutes after he had emptied his weapon he did not realized he himself had been shot in the chest by a .40 caliber bullet, as police had returned fire.

The trial is set, after final arguments, to be turned over to the jury this week.

Read More: Daily Republic

Santa Barbara – The streets of “the mission city”, which enjoy an international reputation as a peaceful, brick-paved, tourist-filled destination for vacationing families, honeymooners, and discretionarily-spending shoppers, are occasionally anything but…as events apparently transpiring at dawn on February 27th make clear.

It was on that morning that Santa Barbara Police Department Emergency Dispatch received a report of a “medical emergency”, according to SBPD Public Information Officer Sgt. Riley Harwood. A passerby just blocks from City Hall observed a violent incident between two men, and notified a nearby retail clerk who promptly made a 911 Emergency call to police.

Upon arrival to the Quarantina Street location, police officers, firefighters, and paramedics discovered the body of Ian Justin O’Brien Nichols, a 40-year old transient in a building alcove just steps from the public sidewalk. The cause of Nichols’ demise was not immediately determined, although it was apparently not the result of self-inflicted violence.

Ian Justin O’Brien Nichols

The investigation into the circumstances leading to Nichols’ death soon led police to identify Enson Junior Lopez, 32, himself a homeless transient, as the principal suspect. Within hours, detectives learned that the two men “had quarreled multiple times during the daylight hours prior to the incident,” and that Lopez tracked Nichols down the following night and summarily stabbed him to death.

Just six hours later, police contacted Lopez on the street just two blocks from the killing scene, whereupon he was taken into custody and booked into Santa Barbara County Jail on charges of murder, with his bail set at $1,000,000.

Photo: Courtesy Santa Barbara County Jail Booking

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Ventura County – Just after morning rush hour on March 3rd, a Ventura County Sheriff’s Fillmore Station patrol unit spotted a car parked on a downtown street that matched the description of a vehicle reported stolen out of Palmdale.  According to Ventura County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Capt. Dave Wareham, a routine records check confirmed the deputy’s suspicions.

Moments later the deputy spotted Jesus Mora, a 25-year old Fillmore resident, as he approached the car, climbed behind the wheel, and promptly drove off into busy morning traffic. At that point “the deputy attempted to initiate a traffic stop”, but Mora—seeing flashing red lights in his rear view mirror—summarily accelerated and drove away at high speed in an attempt to flee from the patrol unit. With the deputy in pursuit, Mora drove through school zones at a high rate of speed, passing vehicles at intersections, and swerving to avoid oncoming traffic.

Those maneuvers soon had the stolen car spinning out of control in a 360-degree turn that brought the stolen vehicle into contact with a parked car, which was pushed more than 50 feet from its original position. At that point, the stolen car made high-speed contact with a telephone pole, causing it to spin “in the opposite direction into a block wall and knocking it over” before it finally came to a halt in a residential driveway. That final impact, observed by the patrol deputy, ejected Mora from his vehicle, whereupon he regained his feet and fled over a series of residential backyard fences.

Additional Sheriff’s units responded to the scene, quickly established a secure perimeter, and the hunt for Mora began with the help of a Sheriff’s Air Unit and a K-9 team. The search ultimately located Mora hiding in a locked garage, where he was contacted and taken into custody without further incident. Suffering from minor injuries as a result of his escapade, Mora was treated at an area hospital and then transported to Ventura County Jail where he was booked on charges of vehicle theft, felony evading, hit and run, and burglary. He is currently held in custody with no bail set.

Photo: Courtesy Ventura County Jail Booking

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Ventura County – Some people just don’t know when to stop pushing their luck. Ricardo Hernandez, a 34-year old Thousand Oaks resident, appears to be one of those folks, as evidenced by the circumstances leading to his February 18th arrest.

It was early in the morning on that date—as just recently reported to the media by Ventura County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Sgt. Jose Rivera—when VCSD deputies served an eviction notice upon Hernandez requiring him to immediately vacate the premises wherein he had been residing. Without further ado, Hernandez complied and drove off, leaving the deputies to do what cops do best: look around.

Following Hernandez’s departure, the deputies noticed evidence of illegal drugs inside the now vacated residence. At that point, VCSD Narcotics Detectives were summoned to the scene to conduct an investigation pursuant to a search warrant. As Rivera reported, additional evidence of illegal activity was discovered, including “numerous grams of methamphetamine packaged for sale, a loaded shotgun, two assault rifles, two loaded handguns, a ballistic vest, various military knives, and evidence that Hernandez was actively involved” in trafficking drugs.

But Hernandez—whom they had just evicted—was no longer around. Detectives then quietly withdrew from the premises and established surveillance of the residence, anticipating that Hernandez would return to collect his illicit property. No more than an hour later, the deputies’ patience was rewarded with the return of Hernandez, now in the company of Alejandro Hernandez, 34, and Alberto Castro, 27. Minutes later, the three exited the home and drove away, all under the watchful eyes of law enforcement.

Deputies followed the Hernandez vehicle for a short distance and then conducted a traffic stop, pursuant to which it was determined Castro and Alberto Hernandez were high on methamphetamines and were promptly arrested. A search of the vehicle revealed more than 19 grams of methamphetamine, giving probable cause for the arrest of Ricardo Hernandez on suspicion of disobeying a court order, possession for sale of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance with a firearm, and possession of ammunition designed to penetrate metal armor. He was transported to Ventura County Jail with his bail set at $50,000.

For his part, Castro was booked on possession of sales of a controlled substance, transportation of a controlled substance, conspiracy, and providing false information, with his bail set at $70,000. Alejandro Hernandez was booked on similar charges with his bail set at $50,000.

Perhaps the next time he’s evicted by the police, Ricardo Hernandez will know enough to simply walk away and not look back. But probably not…

Photos: Courtesy Ventura County Jail Booking

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YOLO COUNTY—The infant who was found dead last week in a swampy area near the Sacramento River in a remote area of Yolo County had tested positive for methamphetamine when he was born in February.

The mother of baby Justice Rees, Samantha Green, 23 was arrested on Saturday, February 28 at 12:15 a.m. and charged with one open count of murder in the death of her 20-day-old son Justice Reese. She was found disheveled and disoriented on Tuesday, February 24  near the Sacramento River in the town of Knights Landing, about 30 miles east of Sacramento.

It was revealed that Baby Justice Rees was born with meth in his system.

The news about meth in the infant’s system came as the child’s paternal grandmother, Patricia Rees, awaited Green’s arraignment, which was today, in Yolo Superior Court. Green was formally charged with involuntary manslaughter, a misdemeanor, and felony child endangerment, with enhancements for inflicting great bodily injury on a child under five during the commission of a felony.

“It is true that baby Justice was born with meth in his system,” Mrs. Rees wrote. “Samantha and Justice immediately became a CPS case. CPS met with Frank [Rees, the baby’s father] and Samantha and my husband and I. We put together a safety plan since they live with us.”

Following that meeting, she said the new parents both tested clean and were adjusting to being new parents.

“During Samantha’s pregnancy she had hormonal mood swings as we all do, but I never suspected she was using meth,” said Rees. “They loved Justice and I know in my heart that she would never intentionally harm him.”

A preliminary autopsy on the baby suggests that he died from drowning or hypothermia.

Frank Rees remained in Yolo County custody and is scheduled to appear at a hearing today on warrants unrelated to the baby’s death. The warrants are for offenses that include driving while on a license revoked for DUI, and failure to appear in Yolo County Court, as well as driving under the influence and child endangerment in Lake County. He also has four other children.

Yolo Superior Court Records also show that Frank has past struggles with addiction. He was committed to the California Rehabilitation Center for drug addiction following his sentencing in October 2010 for theft charges.

According court documents, he completed the center’s Civil Addict Program—designed for the treatment and control of criminally committed narcotic addicts—and was discharged in July 2013.

It was late Wednesday night, February 25, when a man was with his girlfriend at his home on Crestview Drive, a winding road in the woods overlooking the southern tip of Ukiah, near the airport. The couple began to fight, and the argument turned physical. According to the Mendocino Sheriff’s office, at 12:30 am, deputies were sent to the home on a call of domestic violence.

Deputies were called twice to a home on Crestview, which overlooks the Ukiah Valley.

When they arrived the man said that he had been in an argument with his girlfriend, identified as Elizabeth Mae McAllister. He showed them a silver-dollar-sized lump on his forehead, and said she had hit him with a baseball bat. He said he didn’t need medical help, but that she was somewhere in the house.

The deputies searched the house, and McAllister was found hiding in a bedroom, buried under some loose clothing. She was also found to be in possession of a controlled substance, and under the influence. She was arrested on those charges, along with assault with a deadly weapon, and felony domestic battery on a spouse or co-habitant. She was also in violation of probation.

But this story goes back much further. Elizabeth Mae McAllister was born Elizabeth Mae Lawson, in Ukiah in 1982, and she still uses that name at times. A search of archived arrest records show that she was charged with burglary on September 28, 2005. Three years later, on July 26, 2008, she was charged with battery, driving under the influence, and violating her parole. The circumstances of those incidents, and the final court resolutions were not available.

Elizabeth Lawson, AKA McAllister – images from Facebook.

In the intervening years, she was married, becoming Elizabeth Mae McAllister, and had a child. Then in May of 2013 she was arrested again, this time charged with being under the influence of a controlled substance. And in October that year, according to a Ukiah Police press release, she and a man named Wesley Thomas Zynda were caught loading Walmart shopping carts with merchandise at the store. While she paid for a few items, he pushed two full carts out without paying. They were both arrested for theft of $500.00 worth of goods, and criminal conspiracy.

In 2014, her troubles with the law escalated even further. On January 28, she was arrested at 2:50 pm for driving under the influence, child endangerment, and being under the influence of a controlled substance. On July 12 she was again pulled over, and charged with being under the influence. Then on July 25, she was arrested for making “terrorist threats”, or threats of violence, along with petty theft with a prior. Her probation was revoked at that time. She was charged with the same offenses, possibly due to an outstanding warrant, and once again being under the influence of a controlled substance, on December 16. She was living in nearby Willits at the time.

Jose Alfredo Martinez – Facebook

At some point during this time, using the name Elizabeth Lawson – likely because of a breakup with her husband and the loss of custody of her child, she met a new boyfriend, Jose Alfredo Martinez, a 36-year-old man who lives at the Crestview Drive home in Ukiah where the latest incident was reported. According to posts on his Facebook page, he bailed her out of jail on January 3 of this year, and she moved in with him (or had already moved in.)

Martinez had been in some trouble with the law before, with an arrest in July of 2014 for cultivating marijuana and possessing it for sale while he resided at another west Ukiah property in the woods overlooking the airport, on Doolan Canyon Road.

Again, from posts on Martinez’ Facebook page, it appears that trouble began for them soon after she moved in. On Friday, February 13, he described a conflict that led to screaming, “Liz” turning his daughter against him, damages to the home, and her getting the neighbors to call the Sheriff’s office. The result was the arrest of Martinez on felony domestic violence charges of inflicting corporal injury on a spouse or co-habitant. His bail was set at $25,000, and he was released the same day.

But then, apparently, she moved back in with him, something Martinez later said he regretted for obvious reasons. That arrangement led to the Wednesday night fight, baseball bat hit, and early Thursday morning call and arrest of Elizabeth Mae McAllister on her own charges of assault, domestic battery, and possession and use of a controlled substance. Her bail was set at $220,000 for the collective offenses and probation violations, and she remains in custody at the Mendocino County jail. She has her next court appearance scheduled for April 30 at 8:30 am.

CVS Brand vodka is a popular favorite among the homeless

SAN JOSE – 43-year-old Cesar Daniel Lopez was arrested for theft of personal property under PC 484-488, in which he stole merchandise valued at only $13.02 from a CVS Pharmacy. Lopez is also being charged for PC 242-243(a), misdemeanor battery for using force during the theft against a CVS employee.

The San Jose Police Department reported that on Wednesday, February 18, Lopez was found at CVS pharmacy at 525 West Capitol Expressway in San Jose. It was reported that the suspect had had taken three bottles of Gran Legacy Vodka. CVS loss prevention employees spotted Lopez trying to conceal the bottles in his shorts pockets, and then attempt to walk outside without paying.

The loss prevention employee then followed Lopez from the store and identified himself. He told Lopez, “Come inside with me please and give me my items back.” That is when Lopez said, “No, foo.” Lopez then resisted being detained by kneeing the employee in the groin. However, despite the assault, the loss prevention officer was able to control Lopez by taking him to the ground, and then detaining him until police arrived. However at that moment, likely due to the large amount of alcohol that Lopez had consumed prior to the incident, he lost consciousness for around 45 seconds.

When he came to, Lopez was read his Miranda rights and was taken into custody while still under the influence of alcohol. San Jose officers booked Lopez into the Santa Clara County Main Jail for strong armed robbery after attempting to flee from store employees.

Lopez has pleaded guilty to the charges and is expected to serve 30-days for the theft and will self surrender on March 21, 2015.

Ventura County – In recent weeks, residents of the city of Camarillo were victimized by random thefts of mail and United Parcel Service deliveries. The crimes first surfaced with the report of mail stolen from a residential mailbox on February 12th and 13th. A week later, on February 20th, a UPS delivery of a package containing a mail-order automotive part was stolen from the front porch of a Camarillo home.

At that point, law enforcement began investigating these incidents and discovered that the distinctive auto part reportedly stolen had appeared as advertised for sale on a Ventura County Craigslist posting. According to Ventura County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Sgt. Pete O’Sullivan, “Detectives were able to identify the seller of the part as Ethan Gross,” an individual known to law enforcement in the area as currently on probation for various “narcotics, burglary, and other theft-related offenses.”

With that information in hand, detectives enforced the terms of Gross’s probation via an unannounced search of his residence on February 27th. Found during that search was the stolen car part, motivating detectives’ interest in making personal contact with Gross. Later that same day, Gross was found sequestered in a Camarillo motel, whereupon the room he had booked was searched as well, leading to the discovery of unnamed controlled substances, drug paraphernalia, and articles of stolen mail.

Gross was taken into custody without incident and transported to Ventura County Jail, where he was booked on charges of possession of stolen property, identity theft, possession of narcotics, being under the influence of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia, with his bail set at $80,000.

Photo: courtesy www.facebook.com

Read more:

Citizens Journal: Camarillo police nab mail thief

EdHat: Mail thief suspect arrested

Ventura – A 29-year-old man stands accused of using Facebook to lure a 14-year-old girl to his East Ventura home before allegedly sexually assaulting her.

As detectives for the VPD investigated the initial report, they were able to identify Daniel Gil, a Ventura resident, as the primary suspect. The juvenile female victim reported the assault to the VPD back in May of 2014, alleging that an older man provided her with alcohol and then sexually assaulted her once she was intoxicated.

A search warrant was subsequently served at Daniel Gil’s residence back in November of 2014. According to the VPD, the search uncovered additional evidence implicating Gil in the sexual assault. Detectives say that Gil initiated contact with the young girl on Facebook and used the social media platform to “lure” the 14-year-old into a face-to-face meeting with him. Gil then allegedly enticed the young girl into spending time with him by offering her alcohol and drugs. The 9-month-long police investigation culminated in the arrest of Daniel Gil at the Ventura Police Department on Thursday, February 26th.

Gil was booked at the Ventura County Jail for lewd conduct with a minor, luring a minor, sodomy of a minor and rape, with the victim incapable of giving consent due to intoxication. He is expected to appear on Friday, March 13th at the Ventura County Superior Court. The VPD investigation regarding this suspect and the alleged crimes will continue, as detectives believe there may be additional victims based on the information they have acquired during the ongoing investigation.

Read More:

CBSLA: Man, 29, arrested in sexual assault

KCLU: Ventura County man accused of using FB to lure

SANTA CLARA COUNTY – 28-year-old Mykhailo Malenkov (or Michael Malenkov) is expected to appear on yet another round of charges stemming from an arrest that occurred back on January 08, 2013. Malenkov was arrested with three others – 67-year-old Bennie Leonard Brown, who was acting as the resident physician, 25-year-old Gayane Baran, is charged with aiding and abetting the unlawful practice of medicine, and 29-year-old Olexandr Filippov for charges under BP 2052(a) for operating a medical marijuana clinic without having, at the time of so, a valid, un-revoked, or un-suspended certificate to lawfully practice medicine. Also 64-year-old Keith Corneliuson was named in a search warrant identifying him as operating as a THC Medical Clinic or THC Doctor, under the title Legal Aid Locally Licensed Carrier or LLC.

A warrant for $400,000 for each suspect was issued out of the Santa Clara County Superior Court. Each suspect was issued a $400,000 cash bond , and they are currently out of custody awaiting trial on the charges after entering not guilty pleas.

The Los Angeles clinic was located at the end of this short road.

A Jan 26, 2015 Court appearance in Dept 30 sparked a new debate on new charges that allege the Malenkov and Brown continued to illegally operate marijuana clinics in Los Angeles, Oakland, San Jose and Fairfield, California. New charges have been brought against Malenkov for restarting his illegal business, this time trying to hide his windfall of clients and cash from the U.S. government by sending payments to Ukraine, in order to avoid having the government freeze his assets. But the District Attorney wasn’t having it. Malenkov is again being charged with BP 2052(a), in Sacramento and San Jose. With new suspects added to the list, Malenkov and Brown are expected to face additional charges in Los Angeles and Oakland.

Several people came to support Brown, who is also facing new charges for continuing to operate an illegal marijuana clinic in San Jose. “I believe they are unfairly charged” one marijuana card carrying member said. “I believe they were only trying to help patients, and the allegation that they are a part of the mafia as reported by the CBS news station is untrue.”

The San Jose clinic was in this 1st Street storefront.

Charges detail how the suspects opened clinics at 2500 Perdido Lane in Los Angeles, 128 Cannes Court in Fairfield, 4343 Terrabella Place in Oakland, and 36 South First Street in San Jose. Several were operating out of residential homes. Prosecutors believe the group acted illegally to collect cash from ailing patients without having a legitimate certificate to practice medicine in the State of California, according to the State Medical Board.

The case was brought to the District Attorney’s attention after the Medical Board of the State of California’s investigator Ralph Hughes determined that Malenkov was illegally practicing medicine, in the form of supporting the four medical marijuana clinics, and by hiring several employees to operate as THC Doctors at those clinics.

During his interview with CBS, Hughes stated, “It’s organized crime.” Hughes said, “There’s evidence a group of ‘non-doctors’ running it instead, and that’s a felony.”

The next court date in the, San Jose Hall of Justice, has been scheduled on March 16, 2015 in Department 30 at 9:00 AM.

Read and view more: CBS San Francisco