LAKE ISABELLA — A 25-year-old man was arrested on Friday afternoon following an explosion in rural northeast Kern County.

Isaiah Daniel Stead is being held without bail in the Kern County Central Receiving Facility for failing to appear on three felony charges and for possession of an explosive device, possession of narcotics and possession of a stolen vehicle.

According to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, Stead’s arrest began at around 2 p.m. on April 18, when deputies responded to reports of an explosion and served a search warrant in the 4700 block of Larsen Road in the small town of South Lake near Lake Isabella.

During the search of the property, deputies said they discovered a large quantity of marijuana and a sawed off .22 caliber rifle.

The Special Enforcement Group, its Air Support team and the Kern County Bomb Squad also responded,  Kern County Sheriff’s Lt. Lance Grimes said, after deputies on scene found out there was a report of a possible explosion.

“Since he had that prior case, the bomb squad was called out,” Grimes said. “However, after a thorough search of his residence, nothing was found.”

Stead’s previous charges include a total of five misdemeanor charges, including two for possession of drug paraphernalia and driving without a license, as well as three misdemeanor charges in two other cases, which include being under the influence of a controlled substance, as well as driving without a license or insurance in connection with a 2012 case.

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Bakersfield Californian: Explosion yields arrest

KERO: Man arrested for having explosives

Novato police officers quickly identified and tracked down the man who stole a woman’s cell phone by force on Friday morning, as detailed in a press release issued later that afternoon by Sergeant Nick Frey of the Novato Police Department.

The victim, a 23-year-old resident of Novato, had been visiting the Novato Fair shopping center at 900 Diablo Avenue in Novato. She walked out of an unnamed retail store at the center in the midmorning while holding her cell phone. A man she did not know walked up to her, grabbed the phone right out of her hands, and ran from the scene on foot.

The NPD received the call at 10:29 a.m. Officer Wacholz and Officer Sedeno dispatched to the shopping center and interviewed the victim. The investigating officers identified Bernard Davis, 23, of Novato as the suspect. Frey said that NPD was unable to share how officers identified Davis until the District Attorney reviews the case.

Officers located Davis in short order, and found evidence on him that connected back to the theft. The officers arrested Davis and booked him into Marin County Jail on charges of robbery and possession of stolen property.

Frey explained that Davis has run into some trouble with the NPD before: “I can tell you that we as an agency are familiar with Davis, but not in the aspect of implementing robberies” of this type, he said. Records show that just this year, Davis had been arrested five times, all on charges of possession drug paraphernalia and/or being under the influence of a controlled substance.

Frey advised those who own valuable cell phones to “be cognizant of your surroundings, and place tracking devices on your cell phone,” in order to avoid such thefts.

SYLMAR – A man entered the Olive View-UCLA Medical Center early Sunday morning and stabbed one of its nurses.  The calm in the northern Los Angeles neighborhood was interrupted around 2 a.m. when Ramiro Carnalla, 26, somehow bypassed a weapons screening checkpoint, entered the hospital and allegedly committed the crime.

It appears as if deputies were already chasing him and, after hearing a woman’s scream, found Carnalla near a nurse who had been stabbed several times.  He was arrested immediately. The weapon, a knife, was recovered at the scene.

Although she was listed in critical condition, a spokeswoman for the hospital said  the victim appeared to be improving.

Later that morning at the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, a man allegedly grabbed a nurse from behind and stabbed her in the ear with a pencil.  Thomas Robert Fredette, 38, was arrested in connection with that assault.  The victim in the second assault was treated and released.

Read More:

LA Daily News: Two nurses wounded in hospital stabbings

NBC4: Nurse in Critical Condition after being stabbed

PALM DESERT – The Riverside Sheriff’s Department continues to search for a suspect who robbed 1^st Bank and fled the scene with an undisclosed amount of cash.

At 11:51 AM on Saturday, April 19, 2014 at 11:51 AM, 1^st-Bank, located at 73000 Highway 111 in Palm Desert reported that they had been the victim of a robbery.  Officers from the Palm Desert Police and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department responded to the call, but the suspect had already fled.

Witnesses described a lone male suspect who approached a teller and passed a note demanding money. Complying with the demands, the bank teller gave the suspect an undisclosed amount of money, at which time the robber fled the scene. The suspect escaped in an unknown vehicle. No firearms or other weapons were used and no one was injured during the robbery.

After arriving at 1^st Bank, Police officers conducted a follow up search of the area. However, they were unable to locate the suspect. At this time, Sheriff’s Investigators are reviewing bank surveillance equipment, conducting eyewitness accounts, and following up on any leads they discover. The Sheriff’s Department would like the public’s assistance in solving this crime.

Witnesses described the bank robber as a white male, between 25 and 30 years of age, approximately 5’8” tall and weighing approximately 190 pounds.  The suspect left the scene of the robbery wearing a black shirt, a black baseball cap and dark sunglasses.

The Sheriff’s Department requests that if anyone has information regarding this bank robbery, they contact Investigator Jennifer Higgins at the Palm Desert Sheriff’s station by calling 760-836-1600. Tips can also be received anonymously via the Valley Crime-Stoppers program at 760-341-STOP, and they may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000.

Novato police officers on a welfare check on Friday afternoon ended up arresting an East Bay woman for multiple offenses, as detailed in a press release issued later that same afternoon by Sergeant Nick Frey of the Novato Police Department.

Officers reported to the area of 5400 Nave Drive, the location of Marin Church of the Nazarene, to conduct a welfare check on a woman near a white Honda at 1:57 p.m. Police may conduct welfare checks to ensure a citizen’s safety even in the absence of an immediate crime, but officers soon learned that the woman they had been called in to help had recently raised the suspicions of the Richmond Police Department.

Kasacha McNevin, 36, of Richmond, the woman with the white Honda, had a felony warrant for a stolen vehicle from the Richmond PD. The car she had apparently driven into Novato was stolen out of Richmond, according to Frey, but it remains unclear whether the warrant was related to the theft of the Honda. Arrest records show that McNevin was arrested by the Richmond Police on March 8 on embezzlement charges.

Officers searched the Honda and turned up “several different types of cell phones,” according to Frey, as well as drug paraphernalia that Frey described as a “long, cylindrical glass tube with a burnt bulbous end with white residue inside.” The cell phones are presumed to be stolen, and Frey explained that “they were taken under observation for additional investigation,” to locate the original owners.

Officers arrested McNevin and booked her at Marin County Jail on charges of possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of stolen property, possession of drug paraphernalia, and a felony warrant.

UPPER LAKE, LAKE COUNTY – Two men living along the northern shore of Clear Lake seem to have had quite a thriving business going on until the long arm of the law got wind of their activities.

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Inside the Large Hoop greenhouse at the Upper Lake property.

Last Tuesday, April 15, Lake County Sheriff’s narcotics detectives were serving a search warrant at a home along rural Highway 20 in Upper Lake. According to Steve Brooks of the Sheriff’s Department, they arrived at the home at 2:20 in the afternoon, where they found resident Connor William Rieves, 22, and 28-year-old Ob Klyd Lowrie of nearby Nice. Both were detained as detectives served the warrant and searched the property.

The inspection of the property revealed two greenhouses, including a “large hoop” style greenhouse, which looks something like a quonset hut. Each greenhouse contained over 50 marijuana plants. Lowrie shared with the detectives that the plants belonged to him and Rieves. He said that last year, the same crops yielded  about 70 pounds of processed marijuana, and that they sold the crop to a cannabis club in the San Francisco Bay area for $2,000.00 a pound. The detective further inquired into the success of the business, and asked how much money they had made last year. Lowrie didn’t have a straight answer on that one.

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The property on Highway 20 – the Hoop greenhouse can be seen on the left.

Rieves said that his brother worked at a marijuana store, and that he had just sold a pound of processed pot to them for $900.00. He first shared that last year, he had made $10,000 and was given a vehicle for his part in the business. Perhaps pressed for the validity of that statement, given the amount of marijuana they had supposedly produced, he upped his story to $20,000 and a place to live, presumably the very place they were searching.

The issue of how much they are making is an important one. California marijuana laws state that medical use is allowed, and possession by a person or caregiver who is authorized is not a criminal offense. Marijuana can be provided to them by “collectives” or clubs, but they must be strictly non-profit operations. But it still remains illegal to sell marijuana for a profit in California, whether prescribed medically or not.

The detectives seized the 103 plants from the two greenhouses, and 38.3 pounds of processed marijuana in the home’s living room. They also requested and obtained a warrant to search Lowrie’s place of residence in Nice, on Lakeview Drive. After arresting the two, they headed down the road to Nice, about 2 miles away and closer to the lake. Though not as spread out as the Upper Lake property, there are a couple of garden sheds, one of which contained 52 marijuana plants, and the other 23. Those were “eradicated” and a search of the house continued. There was a gun safe they were able to open, which contained $30,697.00 in cash. In one of the bedrooms they located a .38 caliber handgun and two bags of hashish – concentrated cannabis. There was a toolbox containing a scale and pacing materials, and four rifles in the other bedroom.

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The home and sheds raided in Nice on Lakeview.

Lowrie’s brother Klynt was in the area when the detectives served the warrant at the Lakeview drive location, and created a video of the incident, which he posted in his Facebook page. It shows 3 undercover detectives outside the house when he confronts them about doing an illegal search. In the recorded exchange, they did at some point state that they had a warrant, and asked if he had been drinking. Another friend commented on the Facebook posting that the detectives were there at the house when he came home, and Klynt commented that the search lasted until 10 pm.

The weapons were all confiscated and the cash was seized pending asset forfeiture proceedings if it is proven to be profts from illegal narcotics sales. Rieves and Lowrie were booked in the Hill Road Correctional Facility, charged with possession of marijuana/hashish for sale, cultivation of marijuana/hashish, and conspiracy to commit a crime (since they were working together.) Lowrie faces the additional charge of committing a felony while armed. Both men posted bail, and are scheduled to appear in court on May 28.

Three suspects are reportedly in custody after they shot at a bystander who reprimanded them for littering, according to an official report from the Roseville Police Department.

Francisco Alexis Noriega, 20; Esperanza Romero, 20; and Dionicio Serrano, 19, all of Sacramento were reportedly arrested on suspicion of assault with a firearm and other related charges. Officers reportedly found a stolen gun concealed inside the suspect vehicle. Roseville Police is currently withholding booking photos at this time due to the ongoing investigation.

According to Roseville PD, on Wednesday, April 16 at 7:45 pm, officers responded to a report of shots fired from a car toward another car in the area of Pleasant Grove Boulevard and Fairway Drive. Officers reportedly found the suspect vehicle in Roseville Square and were able to detain the three occupants — later identified as Noriega, Romero and Serrano — without incident.

Upon an investigation, officers learned the suspects had stopped at a gas station near Pleasant Grove Boulevard and Fairway Drive, and one of them threw trash on the ground. A bystander reportedly picked up the trash and exchanged words with the litterer, who then reportedly threatened the bystander.

The suspects drove away and the victim reportedly decided to follow them and call the police to report the threat. As the victim was following them, the suspect vehicle reportedly made a u-turn and one of the occupants inside the car fired a handgun towards the victim’s vehicle. Luckily reportedly no one was struck or injured.

Read More:

Roseville Press Tribune: Gang charges attached to Roseville drive-by shooting near popular businesses

Celebrity Examiner: Trio arrested for shooting in Roseville

The caretaker of an elderly Davis man for many years was convicted on April 17 by a Yolo County jury of murdering him.

Prosecutors argued that the failure of James Mattos to properly care for Cecil Wachholtz, a 67-year-old mentally impaired man, constituted second degree murder, and the jury agreed after less than one day of deliberations. The jurors also found James Matthew Mattos guilty as charged of elder abuse and theft.

The case began on October 13, 2012, when paramedics responded to a 911 call from Mattos. They found Wacholtz dehydrated, malnourished and bedridden in Mattos’ trailer located on Hedy Way in the Royal Oak Trailer Park in South Davis. The first responders described living conditions in the trailer as “filthy,” according to a Davis Enterprise report. It was revealed during the trial that Wacholtz had not received health care in decades, despite the fact that a trust fund had been set up to provide him with regular checkups and any needed treatment.

Wacholtz was rushed to Sutter Davis Hospital weighing only 70 pounds and covered with bedsores. He died on October 27, 2012.

Mattos “let that man rot, lie in his bed and starve to death while he took his $2,500 a month and gave him nothing in return,” prosecutors said. Mattos has a strike on his record for a prior child-molestation conviction. Thus he now faces up to 35 years to life in state prison. He will be sentenced May 16 before Judge Stephen Mock in Yolo Superior Court. Mattos is currently being held without bail at the Yolo County Jail.

Read More:

Davis Enterprise: Former caretaker convicted of murder, elder abuse

Daily Democrat: Davis man faces 37 years after murder conviction

VISALIA – Police arrested a 34-year-old man who allegedly molested a Visalia child and had child pornography in his possession.

Ryan Koelewyn came to the attention of the Visalia Police Department during an investigation into a child molestation report at a Visalia residence on April 7. The victim of the alleged molestation was between 14 and 15 years old and had been in a prior relationship with Koelewyn, police said.

Officers discovered that Koelewyn also had child pornography. The investigation then led them to serve a search warrant in Hanford on Friday. Detectives searched Koelewyn’s car, house and work place, and then arrested him around 11:30 a.m.

Koelewyn was booked at the Tulare County Main Jail with bail set at $150,000. He is facing charges of performing lewd and lascivious acts with a child younger than 15 and possession of child pornography.

Koelewyn was a former Tulare County employee, but is currently employed in Hanford.

Read More:

ABC30: Hanford man accused of molesting minor

Visalia Times Delta: Former county employee arrested on suspicion of molestation

BUTTONWILLOW —An employee and a former employee are behind bars today, after staging a robbery of a southwest Kern County fast food restaurant last Thursday morning.

Christian Orozco, 30, and 31-year-old Ernesto Huerta were booked into the Kern County Jail’s Central Receiving Facility for conspiracy, burglary and grand theft.

According to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to the report of a robbery at the Carl’s Jr. restaurant on Highway 46 in Buttonwillow on the morning of April 17.

Deputies said Huerta, the restaurant manager, said he was in the process of opening the business when he was confronted by a man wearing a ski mask, who held a knife to his throat, and ordered him to open the store’s safe.

Huerta said he complied, allowing the suspect to flee the scene with approximately $1,500 in cash.

After reviewing the restaurant’s security footage, detectives discovered that the suspect, later identified as Orozco, a former employee of the restaurant, entered the store through an unlocked door.

“A further investigation also led to information that indicated that Orozco had rented a room at a nearby motel, where he was dropped by Huerta,” said sheriff’s spokesperson Ray Pruitt. “And where he was later located and taken into custody.”

Deputies said they also located the ski mask worn in the robbery and recovered a portion of the money, as well as other evidence  that implicated  that Huerta and Orozco has been working together in planning and carrying out the robbery.

Read more:

KERO: Carl’s Jr. manager, former employee accused of staging robbery

On Wednesday, February 19, a patrolling Milpitas police officer, following up on a routine patrol check, noticed a light coming from a construction near 601 Murphy Ranch Rd. The construction site owned by William Lyon Homes was closed for the night. The site managers had reported having materials taken on two other separate occasions. When the officer pulled up to the site and shined his light on a driver and his passenger, who were attempting to leave the site when the officer arrived. The officer drove in front of the suspects blocking them from exiting the gate.

The officer recognized the driver and called out, “Paul, Police Department.” He then said, “Get on the ground now”. 30-year-old Paul Lacerda, recognizing the officer said, “Yeah”, and the laid face down on the ground. Then unexpectedly the passenger began to exit the vehicle. The MPD officer pointing his firearm yelled to the passenger, “Show me your hands”.

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Enrique Steven Hernandez and Paul Lacerda (Facebook)

While the passenger, Enrique Steven Hernandez, was being detained, Lacerda began to run from the officer. Hernandez was taken into custody, but Lacerda was able to escape, despite extra officers being sent to the area to help look for him. The manager came and met with police after finding that the two suspects had been loading 2 x 4’s into a blue Ford Windstar minivan. The manager explained that the gate should have been locked. He did not know Hernandez or Lacerda. He wanted charges brought against them for trespassing and taking construction material. The van used by the suspects was also towed from the site.

Hernandez did not want to talk about Lacerda, and said that he was the one who was stealing the wood. He said he was taking the wood to help repair a friend’s floorboards. When asked about how he knew about the wood, he said that he had seen the site from the VTA and from being in the area. Hernandez admitted that he had asked Lacerda to him put the 2 x 4’s in the van in order to steal the wood.

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The worksite was supposed to be locked up. A worker on the housing construction site.

Lacerda was located several days later and arrested for the incident, and booked on a parole violation. Lacerda faces more than four other charges for driving on a suspended drivers license and being under the under the influence of drugs or alcohol under VC 14601 (a). Both Hernandez and Lacerda face charges under PC 667.5(b)/1170(h) for the petty theft. Charges filed against Hernandez were filed under PC 666 (a) misdemeanor petty theft, PC 496 (a) concealing stolen property, and H&S 11550 being under the influence of a stimulant (Meth). Lacerda also faces charges of resisting arrest under PC 148 (a) (1).

Having all of his cases consolidated, Lacerda is expected to appear on 4-30-2014 at 1:30 pm in Dept. 51 for the traffic violations. The next court hearing for Hernandez and Lacerda has been scheduled for April 28, 2014 at 8:30 am in Dept. 38.

Photos: Amy Nilson; Facebook

TAFT — Sherriff’s deputies have been busy this week in the small rural southwestern Kern County town of Taft.

According to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, deputies have arrested three probationers for various drug related charges, seizing nearly five ounces of methamphetamine as well as a large amount of cash in the process.

The first in the chain of events occurred at around 9 a.m. on April 19, when deputies patrolling in the Ford City area of Taft were flagged down by a witness who said they heard yelling and the sounds of fighting coming from a house in the 700 block of Taylor Street.

Upon arrival deputies made contact with 34-year-old David Tyler, who after trying to flee the residence through a window, was caught and searched as a condition of his probation.

During their search of the residence, deputies said they located approximately 1.6 grams of suspected methamphetamine and a hypodermic syringe used for injecting illicit narcotics.

Tyler was subsequently booked into the Kern County Jail’s Central Receiving Facility for possession of a controlled substance, resisting/delaying a peace officer and possession of illicit narcotics paraphernalia.

In a separate incident, deputies seized over three ounces of suspected methamphetamine and over $14,000 in cash during a probation search at a residence in the 100 block of Lexington Avenue in the City of Taft on April 22.

Arrested at the scene were 41-year-old Antonio Olivas and 29-year-old Roxana Gil, both of Taft, for possession of a controlled substance for sale, possession of a controlled substance, and maintaining a residence for the purpose of illicit drug sales.

Read more:

KERO: 3.15 ounces of meth, $14k seized

Bakersfield Now: Sheriff’s office announces Taft meth arrests

San Jose Police responded to a scene early Tuesday morning on a report of an unconscious male who was found around 8:04 am on April 22 with his hands bound behind his back.

Several witnesses in the area only saw police activity and red tape near the crime scene. The area where the body was found is located directly behind a distribution hub at 1999 Monterey Road in San Jose near several medical marijuana and hydroponics small businesses in the area. Several people walking near the area were not even aware that the incident had occurred.

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These men walking in the area were unaware of the homicide that happened the night before.

This incident, however, does not surprise authorities as the area is well known for prostitution and illegal activities involving male and female prostitutes. Often those arrested in the area are found to be from cities such as Hayward and Oakland. Quite a few cases involve a pimp targeting “Johns” for money.

This marks San Jose’s 12th homicide of the year. According to Officer Albert Morales with the SJPD, “when Officers arrived they located an adult male victim with visible injuries, unconscious and not breathing.” According to a witness at the scene, the victim was found bound with what appeared to be plastic zip ties around his wrists with his hands behind his back. He was found laying on the ground in his underwear and a t-shirt next to the tractor-trailer he was employed to drive.

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The incident occurred in this business center.

The tractor-trailer is registered to Big D and Son Trucking out of Antioch. The truck was operated by 48-year-old Dat Nguyen, of Antioch, and Nguyen was identified by relatives at the scene several hours after the initial finding. The San Jose Police Department’s Homicide Unit responded to take over the investigation. Officer Morales said. “The unidentified suspect(s) have not been located and remain at large”.

Persons with information regarding the above case are urged to contact Detective Sgt. Avalos or Detective McDonald of the San Jose Police Department’s Homicide Unit at (408)277-5283.

Photos by Amy Nilson

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KTVU: Big-rig driver found with hands bound in South Bay

Proposition 42 (the California Compliance of Local Agencies with Public Act), which will be appearing on the upcoming June 3 ballot in California, will require all local agencies to comply with the California Public Records Act (CPRA) as well as the Ralph M. Brown Act (Brown Act) and with any following changes to those laws. The initiative would also eliminate the state’s responsibility for paying local governments for costs related to implementing these laws.

The California Public Records Act was passed by the California State Legislature and signed by the governor in 1968, requiring inspection and/or disclosure of government records to the public upon request (unless exempt by law). Its purpose being, as declared by the legislature, that “access to information concerning the conduct of the people’s business is a fundamental and necessary right of every person in this state.”

The Brown Act, passed 15 years earlier in 1953, guaranteed the public’s right to attend and participate in the meetings of local legislative bodies, in response to growing concerns over informal, undisclosed meetings held by local elected officials. It was contended that various local government bodies were avoiding public scrutiny by holding secret “workshops” and “study sessions.”

In 2013, as part of the budget negotiations, the California Legislature approved a plan to make certain CPRA provisions optional for local agencies — a plan which was projected to save “tens of millions of dollars” in state reimbursements to local agencies that comply with the Act. The changes were added to the 2013 budget as “trailer bills” AB 76 and SB 71, stating that local agencies would no longer be required to adhere to certain stipulations (but should try to):

• Respond to a public record request within 10 days
• Provide electronic records in its native format
• Provide a reason when denying a request

Unsurprisingly, advocates for open government (as well as several California newspapers) spoke out strongly against the measure. General counsel Jim Ewert of the California Newspaper Publishers Association called this revision “the worst assault on the public’s right to know I have seen in my 18 years of doing this.” Some newspapers, including the Oakland Tribune, Fresno Bee, and Visalia Times-Delta have also published editorials against the changes. Fortunately, these plans were reversed after strong public and media outcry.

In September of last year, the legislature approved a constitutional amendment proposal which would incorporate the Public Records Act into the California State Constitution. The amendment clarifies and reinforces that local governments must comply with requests for publicly available documents and cover the costs of said requests in full. The proposed amendment will go to voters for approval in June of this year.

In summary, Proposition 42 establishes that public records are open to inspection at any and all times during office hours of state or local agencies that retain those records, and that the people have the right to inspect any public record. It also requires agencies to establish written guidelines for public access to documents and provide these guidelines at their offices.

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Assembly Speaker Ralph M Brown introduced his namesake bill in 1953

The California Ralph M. Brown Act (or simply, Brown Act) requires local legislative bodies to provide notice of the time and place for holding regular meetings and requires that all meetings be open and public. Citizens are permitted to attend any meeting of the local legislative body, unless a closed session is specifically authorized.

This all essentially boils down to the point that public access to records and meetings of local government agencies should not depend on whether the state will cover their costs. It also serves as yet another step toward future government transparency and accountability; an issue that has concerned an ever-growing number of citizens in recent years.

More information on Proposition 42 — what it entails, arguments in favor of as well as against, fiscal impact, and so on — can be found here. 

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Contra Costa Times: Oakland Tribune endorsement: California voters should approve Prop. 42 in June

The Desert Sun: Our Voice: Vote yes on Proposition 42

UPDATE: MILPITAS, Calif – The Milpitas Police Department has reported the arrest of two individuals responsible for its first homicide of 2014.

According to records, “On January 14, 2014, at 10:33 P.M., Milpitas Police Department officers responded to the Executive Inn, located at 95 Dempsey Road, regarding a possible shooting”. When officers arrived they found the victim 19 year-old Jesus Ulises Granados of San Jose was shot in the face in the parking lot located at the Executive Inn.

Several suspects had been seen outside of the Hotel arguing in the parking lot, in what was being described as a loud party, when the victim got into a verbal argument with guests and was subsequently shot in the head. After a three month long investigation into the matter, on Thursday, April 24, the MPD announced the arrest of two suspects, 26-year-old Loyce Edward Weaver, and 24-year-old Robert Edward Ebertowski.

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A party at the Executive Inn may have spurred on the fight, resulting in the stabbing.

The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office has filed  two charges against Weaver for PC 187, felony murder and for PC 245, assault with a deadly weapon. According to Sergeant Gene Smith with the MPD, “Charges have been filed against Ebertowski for being an accessory”. Sgt. Smith said, “As detectives began their search to apprehend the suspects, they quickly learned Weaver was already in custody in the Santa Clara County Jail for an unrelated criminal matter”. Records show that he had been arrested on March 9 on drug charges, vehicle theft, hit and run, and evading police. It was also discovered that Ebertowski was in custody as well, in the Merced County Jail. He had been arrested on March 11 for a long list of charges including various drug offenses, stolen property, taking a vehicle, and DUI.

Anyone with any information regarding this investigation is encouraged to call the Milpitas Police Department at (408) 586-2400. Information can be given anonymously by calling the Crime Tip Hotline at (408) 586-2500 or via the Milpitas Police Department website at: http://www.ci.milpitas.ca.gov/government/police/crime_tip.asp.

Read More:

San Jose Mercury News: Milpitas: Two arrested in shooting death of man outside motel party

PERRIS – Suspects responsible for a home invasion were identified and arrested and charged on Wednesday.

Three individuals wearing masked forced their way into a home on Medical Center Dr. in the city of Perris on April 10, 2014. The victims were sleeping inside when suspects entered the home. Two of the suspects were reported to be armed, one carrying a sawed-off shotgun and the other a handgun.

The suspects then forced the occupants of the house into the living room at gun point, where the assailants demanded money and property. At this time four of the victims fled and were able to escape out the front door. According to Sergeant Doug Payne the suspects chased after the victims, who reported hearing three gunshots as they fled.

The victims who escaped were able to call law enforcement. However, the suspects fled on foot and were not found. No property or money was stolen during the crime and none of the victims were injured by the gun fire.

Riverside Sheriff’s Department deputies from the Perris station, along with investigators, were able to ascertain that the robbery was gang related but were uncertain of the suspects’ identities.  In the continuing investigation in collaboration with the Perris Station Gang Task Force, the identities of the suspects were discovered and on Wednesday all three suspects were arrested.

Derrick Marcellus Hill, 19, Robert Martise Taylor, 23, and Kevin Nathaniel Wilcox, 28, were arrested for various crimes to included robbery, kidnapping, false imprisonment and conspiracy. They were booked into the Southwest Detention Center and bail was set as follows: Derrick Hill, $1,000,000; Robert Taylor $500,000; Kevin Wilcox, no bail.

Anyone with additional information regarding this investigation is encouraged to contact Investigator Omar Rodriguez, at the Perris Police Department by calling (951) 210-1000, or PerrisStation@RiversideSheriff.org

Read More:

Menifee 24/7: Arrests made in connection with Perris home invasion robbery

FRESNO – Police arrested a suspect they believe is behind the apparent random attack on three people earlier this week at an east-central Fresno apartment complex. Officers placed 24-year-old Jacob Velasquez of Fresno in custody in connection to the stabbings of three people, two of whom were critically injured.

Officers responded to call at the Sandalwood Apartments on the corner of Willow and Ashlan avenues around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday. They found three stab victims near the complex’s swimming pool, authorities said. Witnesses were able to lead the officers to a nearby apartment complex, where they discovered and arrested Velasquez, who had a knife on him.

Authorities said that Velasquez had jumped the fence to get into the pool area of the Sandalwood Apartments. He then allegedly walked over to one of the female victims, started talking to her, and then stabbed her. Velasquez then jumped into the pool, stabbed the other female victim, then got out and got into a fight with a male, authorities said.

Police say the attacks appear to have been random.

Velasquez was booked into the Fresno County Jail on three counts of attempted murder and one count of resisting arrest.

Read More:

FresnoBee: 3 wounded in Fresno stabbing

ABC30: Triple Fresno stabbing appears to be random

BAKERSFIELD — Seven individuals were arrested and three firearms were seized following a probation compliance sweep on Friday in the City of Wasco.

Arrested were: Joaquin Melgoza, 29,  for an outstanding felony warrant and gun possession charges,  30- year-old April Melgoza for child endangerment and delaying an investigation,  Lionel Gonzalez for a narcotics related offense,  25-year-old Joseph Gonzalez for a narcotics related offense and a parole violation, 47-year-old Edward Munoz  for a narcotics related offense, 23-year-old Amanda Hopkins was a on an outstanding misdemeanor warrant and 43-year-old Tammy Lohrer  for three outstanding misdemeanor warrants.

The Melgoza’s, Munoz, Gonzalez and Gonzalez booked into the Kern County Sherriff’s Central Receiving Facility, while Hopkins and Lohrer were cited and released.

According to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, the sweep , which was conducted on April 24, was carried out by deputies from the Wasco substation and gang unit, along with Kern County Probation and State Parole and included 14 residences.

Read more:

KERO: Wasco parole sweep leads to 7 arrests

HEMET – The name “Camelot” is often used to portray “a place or state of utter perfection.”  However, such was not the case for an 87-year-old woman who resides at The Camelot retirement home in Hemet.

Police allege that two juveniles, after committing several acts of vandalism nearby, broke into the gated community around 2 a.m. on April 17.  They then entered the home and came upon the sleeping victim and beat her to the point where she needed intensive care at the hospital for over a week.

A 15-year-old suspect was arrested the same day of the attack.  14-year-old Raymond Michael Miranda fled to Temecula and was arrested days later at a hotel there.  Because Miranda was cited as a danger to the public, his name and photo were made public despite the fact that he is a juvenile.

A police spokesman related that Miranda has had “some contact with with the juvenile justice system.”

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SACRAMENTO - A 19-year-old Sacramento man was arrested yesterday following a deadly shooting in Natomas. Sean Claud Kelly is being held without bail at the Sacramento County jail, where he faces murder charges. Police have not disclosed a motive in the shooting.

The victim, 39-year-old Romainia Terry Tyson, was shot multiple times on Pebblewood Drive late Wednesday night. He was treated at a local hospital but died from his injuries.

Sacramento Police ask anyone with information to call the dispatch center at (916) 264-5471. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

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