The San Jose Police Department is asking for the public’s help identifying the suspect(s) responsible for shooting at two CHP officers that occurred on Thursday, March 5, at approximately 11:36 P.M. According to the San Jose Police, their officers responded to northbound Highway 101 near Story Road to assist CHP officers with the shooting investigation.

According to Officer Albert Morales “San Jose officers were informed that a two-officer CHP vehicle was on a car stop at this location when shots were fired in their direction.” It was determined that one of the bullet rounds struck the roof of the CHP vehicle. During the incident, the CHP officers were not injured. Morales said, “The unidentified suspect(s) were not located and remain at large.”

Persons with information regarding this case are urged to contact Detective Cruz of the San Jose Police Department’s Assaults Unit at (408) 277-4161. Persons wishing to remain anonymous may call the Crime Stoppers Tip Line, (408) 947-STOP (7867).

Juan Luna was shot in this area on Oak Street. Another shooting occurred here during a vigil for him.

The San Jose Police Department is also requesting the public’s help in identifying possible gang suspects related to a shooting on Saturday, March 7 at 2:00 A.M. According to Lieutenant Heather Randol, “The San Jose Police Department 911 Communications Center received a call of a male shot in the area of Almaden Avenue and Oak Avenue in San Jose.” SJPD patrolling officers responded and located an adult male victim who had been shot at least once. Randol said, “The victim was transported to a local area hospital where he was pronounced deceased a short time later. The victim was identified as Juan Luna, 20 years old from San Jose.”

The San Jose Police Department Homicide Unit is currently conducting follow up investigation to determine the motive and circumstances surrounding this murder. There is no suspect information to release at this time. The preliminary investigation revealed indications the shooting was gang related.

Another shooting occurred at a vigil being held for Luna on Monday. One man was injured in that incident, which was followed, 90 minutes later, by the sighting of a Ford Fusion that matched the description of a car seen at the shooting. San Jose police began trailing the car, and as it entered north-bound Interstate 680, they saw a gun thrown near the Washington Blvd. exit. CHP officers took over the pursuit, and after hitting speeds of 100 miles per hour, the car’s left rear tire blew out, and the car stopped on the freeway’s center divider. The five occupants of the car were arrested, and possible connections to the death of Juan Luna are being investigated.

Persons with information regarding the above case are urged to contact Detective McDonald or Detective Santiago of the San Jose Police Department’s Homicide Unit at (408)277-5283. Persons wishing to remain anonymous may either call the Crime Stoppers Tip Line, (408) 947-STOP (7867).

Jacob Lapenis, Jasmine Rosales, Thalia Ruiz, Michael Anaya, and Arturo Garcia-Laredo

UPDATE:  Earlier today, Friday March 13, police identified the five suspects arrested in the pursuit, and who were also charged as suspects in the death of Juan Luna. Though they are all juveniles, police identified them since they will be tried as adults by Santa Clara County prosecutors. They were named as Jacob Lapenias, 17, Jasmine Rosales, 17, Thalia Ruiz, 16, Michale Anaya, 15, and Arturo Garcia-Laredo, 14. As it is believed that the shootings were gang related, enhancements have been added to the charges they all face.

Read More:

San Jose Mercury News: Five teens charged with murder in deadly drive-by shooting

CrimeVoice Staff contributed to this story

One suspect is still wanted by police

Early on Thursday morning, at 6 am, two people were out, most likely for breakfast at the International House of Pancakes on Orangeburg at Evergreen, just across the 99 Freeway from Modesto Junior College.

In the parking lot, according to Heather Graves of the Modesto Police, the man’s car was suddenly surrounded by a truck and an SUV, preventing the car from moving. A man with extensive tattoos covering his arms exited the SUV and approached the driver of the car, pointing a gun at him.

The assailant demanded that he turn over the car, so the victim and his passenger, no doubt fearing for their lives, exited the car quickly. The armed man then got in the car, and all three vehicles quickly left the scene, heading south on North Carpenter Road, which passes over the freeway and past the college.

The victims then reported the carjacking, and Modesto Police began an immediate search of the area for the stolen car. It wasn’t long before an officer spotted the car, followed by the truck, as it passed the Central Catholic High School, and reached California Avenue in rural west Modesto. The officers pulled over the two vehicles, and with backup called for, found 38-year-old Nathaniel Souza driving the stolen car. He was immediately detained, while the occupants of the truck, two 39-year-old women, were also taken into custody. A gun was also found in the truck. Angela Dizney and Kymbirlee Mogelberg, along with Souza, were arrested for carjacking and conspiracy. Dizney was also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The SUV that participated in the box-in maneuver was not seen when the other two were captured, and the driver, believed to be a man, is still wanted. Anyone with information that may help in the case is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at (209) 521-4636. Callers to Crime Stoppers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward. Tipsters may also text information to Crime Stoppers at 274637. Just type “TIP704” along with your message.

An Antioch man wanted in connection with a homicide from last August was arrested Thursday afternoon after fleeing from authorities and initiating a brief standoff, Antioch police said. The suspect, 22-year-old Carlos Ventura, has been charged in the death of 30-year-old Deon Anderson of San Francisco, according to police.

Ventura was arrested after running from a vehicle that was stopped by police in the 1000 block of Claudia Court, and going inside the apartment of an acquaintance, prompting police to urge Ventura to surrender. Ventura gave himself up shortly after without incident, according to police. U.S. Marshals assisted Antioch police with the arrest, police said.

Police believe Ventura is responsible for the killing of Anderson on August 24 last year in the 200 block of Lawton Street in Antioch. In addition to the murder charge, Ventura is also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, police said.

The driver of the car, 19-year-old Viktoria Martin of Antioch, was arrested on suspicion of being an accessory and obstructing police officers. She is Ventura’s girlfriend, according to police.

Last week, two Antioch schools were put on lockdown after U.S. Marshals chased a man they believed was Ventura, but turned out to be a 17-year-old boy who was later arrested for an unrelated warrant.

Ventura – Perhaps it’s the advent of the current trends in “ride sharing” and the ubiquity of Uber and Lyft services for those in need of prompt, economical transportation that prompted Anthony Partida, a 43-year old resident of Ventura, to begin hailing drivers moving through one of Ventura’s busiest downtown intersections at the height of rush hour on March 9th.

On the other hand, Partida may have been simply been laboring under the delusional misapprehension that all private and public vehicles were at his disposal as evidenced by the fact that he approached a Ventura Police Department black-and-white patrol unit stopped at the traffic light and made a sincere attempt to enter the police car from the passenger side.

The man behind the patrol car’s wheel, Officer R. Nunez, reacted to Partida’s attempt to open the passenger door by verbally suggesting that Partida desist in that effort and remove himself from the roadway. According to the unnamed Ventura Police Department spokesman, Partida was undeterred and “reached inside the patrol car and tried to open it from the inside,” whereupon Nunez shouted at Partida who continued to refuse his lawful order by attempting entry into the vehicle.

At that point, “Nunez jumped out of his car and confronted Partida who then rushed Officer Nunez” and attempted to tackle him. As the two men tussled, Partida head-butted the uniformed officer, making forceful and aggressively violent contact with Nunez’s chin. Moments later, Nunez had Partida on the ground and restrained in handcuffs.

Once subdued and in custody, Partida explained his behavior by telling Nunez and other officers at the scene that he “needed a ride and had places to go.” The truth of the matter was that Partida only had one place to go: Ventura County Jail, where he was booked on charges of battery on a peace officer and violently resisting arrest.

Photo: Courtesy Ventura County Jail Booking

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VCSTAR: Ventura man struggles with officer while….

KCLU: Man arrested after bizarre attack

BAKERSFIELD — Four teenagers were arrested late last week after being suspected of committing at least nine residential burglaries during the past one and one half months in southwest Bakersfield.

Carolina Faith Flores,18, 19-year-old Misael Flores and two unidentified 17-year-olds were all booked for various charges including burglary, participation in a criminal street gang, resisting arrest, conspiracy and possession of stolen property.

According to the Bakersfield Police Department, the arrests occurred after officers responded to a burglary in progress at around 10 a.m. on March 12, at a home in the 10500 block of Dorchester Street in Bakersfield.

When they arrived, officers said that they were told by a neighbor that four men carrying bags entered and then left the residence, before leaving the area in a late model maroon Chevrolet.

A short time later, officers spotted a vehicle matching that description and attempted to stop it, but it sped away, while three of the four occupants jumped out and began running in different directions.

Following a slow pursuit, the driver of the vehicle, later identified as Carolina Flores, pulled over and was immediately taken into custody, along with Misael Flores and one of the 17-year-olds who fled on foot.

Upon searching the vehicle, officers said they located firearms, jewelry, electronics and liquor that had been taken from the victims’ residence.

The next day, the fourth subject was identified and taken into custody.

Read more:

KBAK: 4th burglary suspect arrested

KERO: BPD arrests all burglary suspects

Ventura – The City of Ventura is home to one of Southern California’s more picturesque beachfront promenades, providing a well-maintained mile-long pedestrian and bicycle venue fronting a spectacular view of the Pacific just yards away. It’s the kind of place where surfers, tourists, joggers, senior citizen-strollers, and dog walkers mingle in an atmosphere of tranquility and appreciation for nature.

But when that tranquility is disturbed by something completely out of place, alert citizens are quick to notify Ventura City Lifeguards and California State Parks officers, just as they did in the early evening of March 9th when the Ventura Police Communications Center received a 911 Emergency call reporting a man on the promenade carrying what appeared to be an incendiary device. According to VPD’s Watch Commander’s report to the media, as police units were enroute to respond, ‘the reporting party hailed a California State Parks Officer” at a nearby lifeguard tower, urging him to address the situation.

The Parks Officer soon made contact with Steven Thomas Conklin, a 22-year old resident of Florida, and found him carrying “a large glass bottle with a towel sticking out of the top and resembling a Molotov Cocktail.” When taken into custody, Conklin mentioned that he “was going to blow something up,” probably not the sort of comment his defense attorney would have had him make.

When Ventura City Fire Department personnel arrived on the scene, they dismantled what appeared to be a viable destructive device filled with lighter fluid. Conklin was then transported to Ventura County Jail for booking on charges of possession of a destructive device.

Photo: Courtesy www.dogsniffer.com

Read more:

EdHat: Possession of destructive device

KCLU: Man arrested with explosive device

VISALIA – Thanks to a tip from a student, a custodian at a charter high school was arrested for allegedly possessing illegal drugs for sale.

Police arrested 22-year-old Christopher Dean McGowen on Friday after receiving information from Visalia Unified School District that he may have been selling marijuana to students.

McGowen has been a janitor at the Visalia Charter Independent Study campus since April 2014. A student noticed something suspicious on social media and reported the janitor. Police served a search warrant at McGowen’s home in the 1600 block of South West Street in Visalia.

Police found concentrated marijuana in the form of honey oil inside the garage, as well as Ecstasy, psychedelic mushrooms, LSD, digital scales, packaging materials, and counterfeit money.

McGowen was booked into the Tulare County jail for possession of illegal drugs for sale, manufacturing concentrated cannabis and possession of counterfeit currency.

Police do not know if McGowen sold drugs to students.

Read More:

ABC30: Visalia school janitor may have been selling pot to students

Fresno Bee: Visalia charter school janitor arrested

Two Vacaville residents were arrested early on the morning of March 8 after a routine traffic stop, during which police discovered mail stolen from nearby mailboxes in their car.

After stopping the car at about 1 am, police discovered the driver, Brandy Bauman, 24, of Vacaville did not have a driver’s license in her possession. As officers went about identifying Bauman and Casey Elder, 28, also a Vacaville resident, they noticed a large amount of unopened mail on the floor of the car. Upon closer inspection, they noted the mail was addressed to several addresses in a cluster nearby.

Officers called several of the addresses and were informed that Bauman and Elder should not be in possession of their mail. Also during the search of the vehicle, the officers discovered methamphetamine smoking pipes.
Apparently, the suspects were roaming around Vacaville stealing mail out of mailboxes. Officers found mail belonging to approximately 20 victims.

Bauman and Elder were arrested and booked into Solano County Jail on charges including: 530.5PC- Identity Theft; 496(a) PC- Possession of Stolen Property-Mail; 12022.1PC- Committing a crime while out on Bail; 11364.1 H&S- Possession of a Methamphetamine Smoking Pipe.

Bauman has been in the news a lot lately. On December 26, she and Victoria Lacey were arrested for possession of meth in a car Bauman was accused of stealing. Prior to that, records show she was arrested on September 5 for possession of a controlled substance, followed by a November 28 arrest for possession of burglar’s tools and unauthorized use of personal identifying information. That was followed on December 16 for possession of stolen property, with charges of retaining personal ID with intent to defraud added on December 20.

Bauman’s history goes back even further. In December 2009, at age 18, records show she was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and paraphernalia, petty theft, and failure to appear in court for an earlier charge. Then in February of 2010 she was charged with forgery, issuing a fictitious check, destroying evidence, and possession of a controlled substance and paraphernalia for sale.  That was followed by another arrest in 2010 and two in 2011 on drug charges, failure to appear in court, parole violations, and in September 2011 being a felon in possession of a firearm.

More recently, on January 9, she was arrested for possession of stolen property and personal ID with intent to defraud, and on January 15 for possession of stolen property and committing a felony while released on bail.

Her partner in the most recent case, Casey Elder, has his own history as well. On August 9 of last year, he was charged with being under the influence of a controlled substance and driving, and driving with a license suspended for drunk driving. About a month later, on September 5, he was charged again with driving on that suspended license, and possession of a controlled substance. Then on December 10 he was arrested for possessing drug paraphernalia and a concealed dirk or dagger. On February 4 he was arrested once again, just for possession of a controlled substance and paraphernalia.

Older records show Casey was arrested for possession of a controlled substance in 2006 and 2007. He had a DUI in 2008, along with a probation violation. Then in August of 2008 he was arrested for vehicle theft, conspiracy, and resisting arrest. That was followed in October by a probation violation of being under the influence of a controlled substance.

CrimeVoice staff contributed to this report

Santa Barbara – The Santa Barbara Superior Courthouse, a favored tourist destination whose open-air corridors are frequented by mega-busloads of camera-toting European and Asian travelers intrigued by its iconic Mission Style architecture, is generally a tranquil place with sound levels akin to those of a public library. Attorneys and their clients whisper as they plan their strategy just outside of courtrooms, while inside those bastions of justice, court officers and gallery observers maintain the venue’s dignified ambience with a sound level that challenge the hearing abilities of the common brown bat, myotis lucifugus.

Such was not the case, however, on March 13th, when Brannon Lawrence Pitcher appeared before Superior Court Presiding Judge Brian hill and was sentenced to a term of 38 years to life in state prison. Pitcher, who came to his sentencing with a 12-year history of criminal convictions, was found guilty just a month ago on multiple counts of human trafficking of a minor female with special allegations of use of force, fear, fraud, and deceit to accomplish those ends, as well as possession of methamphetamine and, according to Santa Barbara Assistant District Attorney Von Nguyen, “73 counts of disobeying a court order”.

Pitcher had been convicted on evidence developed pursuant to an FBI investigation which led detectives from the Santa Barbara Police Department to a downtown hotel room where he was acting as a pimp for a 16-year old girl, having traveled with her from New York to Florida, Virginia, and Washington D.C. prior to arriving in California.

Following Pitcher’s sentencing by Hill, the female victim’s attorney attempted to read a statement to the court but was interrupted by Pitcher’s violent, expletive-filled rant that clearly articulated his renunciation of Hill’s judgment. In spite of a stern warning from the bench, Pitcher refused to stifle himself, whereupon Hill ordered his bailiffs to forcibly remove Pitcher from the courtroom.

As Pitcher was trundled away and down the public corridors, any passing tourists presumably saw more on their architectural tour than they may have anticipated.

Photo: Courtesy www.facebook.com

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EdHat: Guilty verdicts in human trafficking case

Santa Maria Times: Man found guilty in trial

SAN FRANCISCO – According to information released by the police department, on Wednesday, March 11^th at 8:30 a.m., plainclothes officers from the Bayview station were working a narcotics abatement operation near 3^rd Street and LaSalle, and saw some suspicious activities.

They witnessed a passing motorist slow down and then park in the street. The driver exited the vehicle to approach a woman seen loitering on the corner. The driver handed the woman money. At that point, officers noticed the woman pull her hands into the sleeves of her jacket, where they seemed to be reaching around her torso area. When her hands next appeared, they were in possession of an item, which was given to the driver.

The officers then took action, and both parties were detained. The driver of the vehicle was found with a rock of crack cocaine, cited, and released.

The suspect, 26-year-old Diane Lipkins of San Francisco, was taken into custody and found to be in possession of a bag containing multiple rocks of crack cocaine, which had been concealed in her clothes.  She was booked on narcotics sales charges. Records show that Lipkins was also arrested for possession of cocaine on February 18^th, 2014, and for drug sales in April, 2011.

SACRAMENTO—Police have arrested a 20-year-old Sacramento man for felony charges of kidnapping and assault with attempt to commit rape.

On Sunday, March 15, a female in her mid-teens was walking on North Loop Boulevard near Walerga Road in Antelope when she was approached by a man she did not know, who then dragged her into a nearby brush. The man was attempting to sexually assault her when a passerby witnessed the attack and stopped to help the victim. Her attacker fled into a nearby residential area where he was soon apprehended by Sheriff’s patrol deputies.

Eric Torres of Antelope was arrested and booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail. He is currently being held on a $1 million dollar bail and will face his first court appearance on Tuesday, March 17.

Detectives do not yet know the motive of the attack and are asking anyone with any information related to this incident or who have had prior contact with Eric Torres, to please contact the Sheriff’s Department’s Sexual Abuse Bureau at (916) 874-5070 or Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP.  Tip information may also be left anonymously at www.sacsheriff.com by entering the keyword ‘SSD’, or by calling (916) 874-TIPS (8477).

A domestic dispute call led to gunfire between Deputies and a suspect in Cameron Park early Monday morning. According to The Eldorado County Sheriff’s Office, Deputies responded to an argument on March 16^th, at about 2:30 am in the 3000 block of Oakwood Road in Cameron Park.

When deputies arrived, they interviewed a female outside of the residence. While speaking with the woman, Deputies observed a male inside the home holding a rifle. The man began firing shots at the Deputies. Fearing for their safety and the safety of the woman, a Deputy returned fire. Nearby residents in the hillside homes were evacuated as a precaution by Sheriff’s Deputies.

The home before it was burned to the ground.

Shortly after, the suspect’s residence became engulfed in flames. At that time, Deputies were able to detain the man, who was identified as Michael Hoffer, age 44 of Cameron Park. Records show that Hoffer has had a prior arrest in November 2014 including resisting/obstructing a peace officer, trespassing, and intoxication in public.

Fire personnel responded to the home and were able to contain the fire after Hoffer was detained. No one was injured in the gunfire or the flames, and all personnel and vehicles are accounted for.

Hoffer was arrested and booked on multiple charges including 245(D)(1) PC, assault on a peace office with a firearm, 273.5 PC, felony domestic battery and 664/187 (A) (1) PC, attempted murder.

A trio of unemployed youths were arrested in Madera on charges ranging from conspiracy and petty theft, to attempted murder last Sunday, March 8.

According to official reports by the Madera County Sheriff’s Department, Alan Ochoa, Cesar Cruz, and Jonathan Victorino, all 18-years-old, were caught late Sunday night stealing a pair of lawnmowers from a Madera resident. Upon being spotted by the owner, Ochoa, brandishing a revolver, opened fire on the victim of the theft. No one was harmed in the shooting, but several bullets hit a house and car nearby.

This revolver was collected as evidence of the shooting.

“They found the suspects in a local drive through a few minutes later” ABC 30 News reported.

Following the arrest, the lawnmowers were found in the alleged thieves’ vehicle. The equipment was then returned to the owner. It is unclear at this time if Osario, Ochoa, and Victorino were involved in gang activity, or if this was simply a fast way for them to make easy money.

All three men were booked into the Madera County Department of Corrections. Of the three, only Victorino qualified for bail, which was set at $21,000.

Police Were Checking On Seaside Squatters

The assault rifle Ewing was caught with.

SEASIDE—On Wednesday,February 11, the Seaside Police Department found a stolen assault rifle in a residence that several squatters where using for shelter. After a brief investigation, police determined that the stolen rifle was possessed by 34-year-old Jared Ewing of Seaside. Ewing also had ammunition for the rifle. Two problems existed for Ewing with the possession of the stolen rifle – 1.) it was stolen – 2.) he is a felon and prohibited from possessing any type of firearms.

Fast-forward a month; with police keeping an eye on the convicted felon, they stopped him in a vehicle driven by a wanted subject – 31-year-old Brandon Calantoc. Police arrested both of them.

Brandon Calantoc and Micaela Wimbush, images from Facebook.

During the search of the vehicle police found 30-year-old Micaela Wimbush in the back camper shell of the truck, and in possession of heroin. In the process of being arrested, Wimbush told police that her 1-year-old child was with two other people at the Fireplace Motel in Monterey.

Officers from PRVNT team along with agents from the Monterey County Probation Department were called to perform a welfare check on the child because the two adults that she was left with were also known drug users.

Cameron Ferguson and Julia Ryan booking photos

Police found the two subjects in possession of the child inside the motel room. But that was not all they had, they were also in possession of heroin. Both 22-year-old Julia Ryan and 25-year-old Cameron Ferguson were arrested but later released on citations.

Child Protective Services took the child into custody, her mother now faces an additional charge of child endangerment along with possession of heroin. Ewing faces the charge of possession of the stolen assault rife, and Calantoc faces a charge of a misdemeanor warrant. The two found at the motel face charges of possession of heroin.

Julia Ryan with Cameron Ferguson – image Facebook.

Jared Ewing has been arrested several times in the past few months, according to available records. On September 24 he was charged with possession of a controlled substance and paraphernalia, and possession for sale. He was arrested two days later for driving with a suspended license, which he was also arrested for on July 8, with another drug sales charge. Brandon Calantoc was arrested just before Christmas last year on charges of kidnapping, robbery and conspiracy. He was residing in Sand City at that time, but no further details of that incident were made available. Prior to that, on March 12 while officially residing in Portland Oregon, he was arrested in Monterey County for burglary, possession of stolen property, use of a fraudulent credit card, and conspiracy.

Micaela Wimbush was arrested twice last year on charges of battery, in January and May. Her two babysitters also have a history with law enforcement. Like Calantoc, Cameron Ferguson was arrested just before Christmas on charges of robbery, attempted kidnapping, threats of violence, dissuading a witness or victim, and conspiracy. It is not known if he conspired with Calantoc, but it seems like more than a coincidence that they were arrested at the same time twice. Julia Ryan was arrested around the same time on outstanding warrants, and in September for false impersonation while in Santa Barbara.

CrimeVoice staff contributed to this story

Ventura County – When it comes to an appreciation of rare, aged distilled liquors, supermarket patrons Dushaun Nichols and Charles Burks, both residents of Van Nuys, apparently know a good thing when they see it…and then they just steal it.

Clearly appreciating the distinction between Mike’s Hard Lemonade ($1.50) and Seraphine Chai Tea ($150) or Calvados ($500) Vodka, just after the lunch hour on March 10th , the 43-year old Nicholas allegedly strolled into a Vons supermarket in the City of Moorpark—from which he had on prior occasions stolen nearly $1000 in alcohol beverages—and ran from the premises carrying several bottles of high-end liquor.

Dushaun Nichols

According to Ventura County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Sgt. John Wright, store employees who witnessed the grab-and-go operation observed Nichols climb “into a white SUV that was occupied by another male, later identified as Charles Burks,” whereupon Nicholas got behind the wheel and drove away with understandable urgency.

Thousand Oaks Sheriff’s units, responding to the 911 Emergency call placed by Vons’ employees, soon spotted the suspect white SUV driving away from the area, and immediately attempted a traffic stop. But Nichols failed to show any respect for red lights and sirens, taking deputies on a high-speed pursuit through the streets of Camarillo which “ended when Nichols drove into a dead end.” Perhaps inspired by the plethora of TV “real cop” shows, Nichols and Burks alighted from the SUV and attempted to outrun the deputies. Burks didn’t make it very far and “was taken into custody almost immediately after exiting the vehicle,” while Nichols was located hiding under a piece of plywood in a residential backyard pursuant to a search effort that involved the Sheriff’s Aviation Unit, a K-9 unit, and a Rescue Bloodhound.

With more than $1000 worth of stolen booze discovered in their SUV, Burks and Nichols were transported to Ventura County Jail and charged with three counts of burglary, resisting arrest, and felony evading.

Photos: Courtesy Ventura County Jail Booking

Read more:

EdHat: Two arrested for Moorpark burglary

Citizens Journal: High speed chase wrong way

A Sacramento man at a swim meet taking place at Solano Community College was arrested after he allegedly sneaked into the pool’s girl’s locker room and took pictures of young girls. The suspect is listed as a staff member at the school.

One of the girl swimmers had come out of the locker room about 1:30 pm on March 6 and told her mother there was a man in the locker room taking pictures with a cell phone of her teammates as they dressed.

The girl’s mother then spotted Sacramento resident Jason Ray Paner, 33, whom she attempted to confront—causing him to flee. However, several other parents joined the chase and cornered Paner in the gym lobby, holding him until Solano County Sheriff’s deputies arrived and arrested him. Seizing Paner’s phone, investigators found several pictures of girls who appeared to be swim meet participants. They also obtained a search warrant to search his home devices.

Paner was lodged in Solano County Jail on charges of suspicion of possession of child pornography and burglary. The burglary charge stems from the investigators’ suspicion that Paner improperly entered the girls’ locker room with the intent of taking the pornographic photographs.

Jason Paner profile photo from Solano.edu

According to the Solano College Sports website, Paner is on the sports medicine staff. His biography reads “Jason Paner has been a student athletic trainer for the past five years, and is presently in his last year at Sacramento State.  Jason has worked with Softball, Volleyball and football while at Solano College.  Jason has also gained experience working for Cosumnes River College, and worked the Olympic Trials and Junior Olympics.” His career at Solano College has no doubt come to an abrupt end.

VISALIA – Police arrested a high school teacher who allegedly molested an underage student last year in his home.

Matthew Varpness, 36, is accused of molesting the high school girl in April 2014. Visalia police said that Varpness also sent sexually explicit text messages and photos to the victim and to another underage high school girl. Police believe Varpness sent the girls messages throughout most of last year.

Varpness was arrested on the campus of Exeter High School on Friday on suspicion of child molestation and annoying a minor.

Varpness is an English and computer programming teacher at the high school, where he has worked for the last five years. Since August, he has also been teaching drama and computer programming at Wilson Middle School, according to Exeter Unified School District.

Police do not know if there are additional victims. The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is asked to call the Visalia Police Department at (559) 734-8117.

Read More:

Fresno Bee: Teacher arrested at Exeter High

ABC30: Exeter teacher faces molestation charges

SAN BERNARDINO – One suspect was released in one fatal shooting, and another was arrested in Las Vegas for another fatal shooting, both connected to an eruption of gunfire on March 5 that took place at a night club and a nearby gas station.

Three men died in the shootings and seven others suffered injuries in a shooting incident that is still being investigated. Te’ron Reed suffered fatal injuries at the Stingers Bar and Nightclub and Vincent Malone, 30, was arrested on March 5. One day later, however, Malone was released after his arraignment did not include any mention of the shooting.

Prosecutors, according to officials, did not have enough evidence to charge Malone. According to court records, he was claiming self defense in his shooting. At his arraignment he was charged with vehicle code violations dating from earlier warrants. As for the killing of Reed, a spokesman said police are continuing to investigate.

There is evidence, according to police, offering proof that Malone’s shooting of Reed may have been self defense. Meanwhile, Richard Allen Wynne, 30, of Victorville, was taken into custody by Las Vegas police when witnesses claimed he was responsible in another shooting death, that of 28-year-old Inglewood resident Petetrial Scott that took place at a nearby gas station shortly after the Stingers attack.

Wynne, according to police, also tried to kill Richard Ford, 28, of Victorville, at the gas station, which is a short distance from the Stingers night club. Ford was not wounded. Wynne was identified and traced to Las Vegas by a fugitive task force that assisted San Bernardino Police in the shooting investigation.

A third death, that of Jerry Jamale Jackson, 37, resulted from gunshot wounds suffered in the same incident. A unidentified woman remained in critical condition after the shootings, but police have not updated her condition.

Te’ron Reed and Jackson were both standing in the parking lot at ARCO, say police, and were both shot by Wynne. Police have said the gunshots were the result of two rival gangs at war. Some 30 to 40 shots were fired, according to police.

The Stingers Night Club is located at 194 West Club Center Drive, less than a mile from the ARCO station, which was shut down during the shooting investigation well into the next day.

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LATIMES: One man arrested, another freed, in shootings

CrimeVoice: Three Dead in San Bernardino Mass Shooting

In an historic area of San Diego known to be a relaxing place to stroll museums, or drink and dine at fine restaurants, one Washington couple’s dream vacation quickly turned to a nightmare.

At around 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 14, a Washington man in his 50’s left his wife in their rental car to go into the ARCO station on the 3800 block of Old Town Avenue. When the man was inside, the suspect, who witnesses described as appearing to be a transient male, rushed the car and jumped into the front seat. The suspect then forced the woman out at knifepoint and sped away with the car and all of the couple’s belongings.

Officers were quick to respond, but the suspect had already left the area. Police put out an alert for the missing Nissan Versa and asked the public to help. Help came: in a town that relies heavily on tourism, the story spread fast and dozens of witness reports began to file in. Unfortunately, none of the reports led police to the suspect, and it appeared they had hit a dead end in the investigation.

It was not until 36 hours after the incident that police finally spotted the vehicle driving down the 2300 block of Otay Lakes Road. When they attempted to pull the suspect over, he refused and a pursuit ensued. As the chase escalated, police had no choice but deploy spike strips. The spikes disabled the suspect’s vehicle and he was taken into custody less than ten miles from the Mexican border.

More information on the suspect in custody was not available at press time.

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Police Have Linked Him To Numerous Tags

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville Police Department have made the most important arrest since they have started to take a aggressive stance on the graffiti problem that has plagued their city since September. The arrest of 18-year-old Gilbert Joseph Barrios (aka Kat) from Freedom, the town just north of the Watsonville Airport, has come as a result of an intensive investigation.

Although the City of Watsonville has been dealing with the problem of vandals defacing public property for years, they have seen a rise in the number of taggings since September. It was the increase in taggings that got the attention of one of Watsonville’s finest, in particular the tag “KAT” which, according Corporal Rudy Lopez of the Watsonville Police Department, made him decide to do something about the town’s graffiti.

Corporal Lopez now heads the department’s Graffiti Abatement Team, and it is now his job to investigate vandalism in the City. “I saw his tag all around town, so I personally chose him to start an investigation” Corporal Lopez said.

Watsonville tagging out of hand (image oninstagram.com)

As Lopez began his investigation, a number of times he would get close to linking a suspect to the vandalism, but did not have the hard evidence. His Investigation took him to the City of Capitola and the County of Monterey as well. It seems that Barrios wanted his tag known to everyone, as the investigation produced taggings in the cities of Pajaro and Capitola.

It was not until February of this year that Corporal Lopez received a big piece of evidence. On Thursday, February 26, the California Highway Patrol out of Santa Cruz pulled an under-aged driver over for driving while intoxicated, and a subsequent search of his vehicle produced tagging evidence.

They did not arrest Barrios for vandalism at that point because they still needed to work on the investigation. But he was charged with possession of concentrated cannabis, driving with drugs in his system, and expired license tags. It was not until Thursday, March 12, that the Watsonville Police Department identified and arrested Barrios as the infamous “Kat” tagger.

“He did not resist arrest and was somewhat cooperative, but was not forthcoming with information about the tags, nor his involvement in vandalism on the street of Watsonville“ Watsonville Police Sergeant Saul Gonzalez said.

Barrios was arrested for felony vandalism with estimated damage to be in the thousands of dollars. He is accused of damaging 80 businesses and public buildings. He is in the Santa Cruz County Jail on charges of vandalism of over 5000.00 dollars, conspiracy to commit a crime, and vandalism with a possible drill. His bail has been enhanced to 25,000.00 dollars

“There was “NO” artistic value to his taggings – about 99 percent of them were total junk.” Watsonville Public Works representative Rex stated, “It seemed like he was tagging on a nightly basis.”

“The paint is certainly a big issue but it’s the engraving of glass and the stickers that is also a problem; not just the downtown area but anyplace there is public visibility” Watsonville City Council Member and Former Mayor Lowell Hurst added. “Business owners are very frustrated because it damages their property and they have to pay to fix it.”