Sacto 9-1-1

From Sandy Louey:

Elk Grove police arrested two men Thursday night after a pursuit on Highway 99.

Officers attempted to stop Alex Surita, 21, at 8:21 p.m. on Elk Grove Boulevard for a vehicle code violation. He initially yielded, but sped off as officers approached his vehicle, according to a police report.

Surita then drove onto northbound Highway 99 to evade officers. The passenger in the vehicle, Thomas Patino, 23, was seen throwing marijuana out the vehicle during the pursuit, the report said.

Surita pulled over at Highway 99 and Bond Road. Marijuana was found in the vehicle, the report said.

Both men were arrested on suspicion of transporting marijuana, possession of more than one ounce of marijuana and conspiracy.

Surita also was arrested on suspicion of possession of concentrated cannabis, attempting to evading a pursuing peace officer and a warrant.

Patino was also arrested for violating probation.

Both men, who are ineligible for bail, remained in Sacramento County Main Jail today. Their court appearance is Monday.

A disabled 82-year-old Sacramento man reported missing since Wednesday morning has been found, according to Sacramento Police Department officials.

Amado Gonzales, who had not been heard of since he left Veteran's Hospital in Rancho Cordova, was found and is doing fine, authorities reported in a news release.

Sacramento County Sheriff's Department homicide detectives today released composite sketches of the two suspects they believe are responsible for the Wednesday killing of 18-year-old Marcus Houston Mayes.

Mayes was shot and killed at 8:24 p.m. after he was approached by two pedestrians while walking on Viking Drive in Rancho Cordova. After a brief verbal exchange, one of the subjects produced a handgun and fired multiple shots, striking Mayes at least one time, authorities say.

A department news release states that after interviewing witnesses, detectives released the sketches. Detectives say the suspects left the area in what is described as a blue four-door European sedan. They believe the motive for the shooting was gang-related.

The first suspect, top left, is described as 6-foot to 6-foot-1, age 18 to 25 and weighing 170 to 180 pounds. He has black hair, brown eyes, a mustache and goatee, and was wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt.

The second suspect is described 5-foot-9 to 5-foot-10, age 18 to 25 and weighing 200 to 210 pounds with a stocky build. He has black hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with information regarding this case, or the identity of these two suspects, is asked to call Sheriff's detectives at (916) 874-5115, or Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.00.

From David Richie:

El Dorado County officials identified Friday the three deputies involved in a fatal shooting Saturday in El Dorado Hills. The deputies are Steve Schofield, Aaron Cuddeback and Sean Gillespie.

No information is being provided about their years of service, said Sgt. Bryan Golmitz, sheriff's office spokesman.

"Typically the names are all that we give out," Golmitz said.

All three deputies arrived outside the home at 3386 Tartan Trail after Matthew James Zaiser, 26, called 911 about 8:35 p.m. He reportedly told dispatchers that he was going to run over some children who were making noise.

"You have three patrol cars and three deputies," Golmitz said.

Zaiser was standing at the top of the driveway, holding what appeared to be a scoped rifle partially covered with a towel. All three deputies fired their service weapons when Zaiser did not comply with their orders to drop the weapon. Instead he raised it and pointed the gun at them, officials said.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators later determined that the rifle was a pellet gun.

The incident is being investigated by a multiple agency task force - standard procedure when a deputy is involved in a shooting.

Here is Deb Kollars' May 26 story about the shooting.

From the San Francisco Chronicle:

Alameda County sheriff's investigators said Thursday that they have solved a 17-year-old mystery - the identity of a woman whose badly beaten and burned body was found in a car on a remote road in the East Bay hills.

Now they're asking for help in solving another mystery - the identity of her killer.

Here's the rest of the Chronicle story.

From Niesha Lofing:

A 31-year-old man is facing homicide charges in connection to the shooting death of a North Natomas woman.

Roosevelt Latarus Billups, left, was arrested Thursday for allegedly killing Brittney D. Austin at her home in the Homecoming complex on Kokomo Drive.

Sacramento police Capt. Daniel Hahn said the two had a relationship, but couldn't specify as to whether they were boyfriend and girlfriend.

A maintenance worker found Austin collapsed and unresponsive May 14 outside her apartment in the Homecoming complex on Kokomo Drive.

The worker called 911 and an emergency crew performed CPR but was unable to revive her, authorities said.

Austin had been shot in the upper body.

The complex's management and neighbors aided in the investigation, as did video footage from a neighbor's security camera, Hahn said.

"We can't disclose how it actually helped," he said, adding that the footage didn't capture the crime in progress.

Hahn said police are thankful for the complex management's and neighbors' cooperation during the investigation.

"It was a good partnership," he said.

Billups was already in jail for allegedly driving drunk when the homicide count was added Thursday.

He is being held without bail in Sacramento County Jail and is scheduled to be arraigned Monday afternoon, according to online jail information.

Here is Chelsea Phua's May 15 story about the fatal shooting.

Sacramento city, fire and police officials joined South Natomas residents Thursday evening in discussing the aftermath of Monday's Fort Natomas arson, the second such incident in nearly two years at the popular playground.

Sacramento Fire Department Battalion Chief Niko King said the structure, which was built by 2,500 volunteers in six days in November 2006, was fire resistant but not fireproof. He said a wheelbarrow was found out of place at the fire scene, but wouldn't provide more details because the investigation is continuing.

Sacramento Police Sgt. Andrew Pettit said the playground's location tucked in the southeastern corner of Jefferson Park near the Bannon Creek Parkway makes it difficult for officers to monitor activities there at night, though they do monitor the park area when time permits.

District 1 City Councilman Ray Tretheway, who organized the gathering, announced that a core committee has been formed and will discuss rebuilding options. Residents expressed their concern about illegal activities in the park and playground areas. They suggested adding surveillance cameras, special lighting to a future playground, even moving the structure to a different park area.

Jim Combs, the city's director of parks and recreation, said his department will work with the core committee to plan a new playground. He said the department will employ CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) techniques to help curb park crime.

Dodie Newman, a key organizer in building the playground in 1991 and 2006, said Monday's arson "stabbed me in the heart." After mulling whether to begin planning for another park, she came to the conclusion that "the children need a place to play."

Tretheway said raising funds in tough economic times will be difficult, but the outpouring of support since Monday's fire has been encouraging.. "There have been people coming into our offices bringing in $5,000 checks," he said.

A Web site has been set up for persons who are willing to assist in the possible Fort Natomas rebuilding effort.

Anyone with information about the playground fire is asked to call the Sacramento Fire Department's arson tip line at (916) 808-8732.

Here is a video by Christopher McSwain showing the first playground and the 2006 rebuilding effort:

From Todd Milbourn:

Sacramento-area authorities are investigating the separate disappearances of two men in recent weeks.

Sheriff's officials are probing what they say is the suspicious disappearance of a Sacramento man who failed to show up for work three weeks ago. David Brian Bishop, left, 47, hasn't been heard from since. A missing person's report was filed on May 14. Bishop is 6-foot between 200 to 240 pounds. He has a tattoo of roses on his right forearm and a tattoo of a ship on his left forearm. The Sacramento County Sheriff's Department urges anyone with information to call Detective Elaine Stoops at (916) 874-6881.

Meanwhile, police are looking for a disabled 82-year-old Sacramento man missing since Wednesday morning. Amado Gonzales has not been heard of since he left Veteran's Hospital in Rancho Cordova, 10535 Hospital Way, at about 9:45 a.m. He was wearing a black baseball hat, pink shirt with blue stripes, black jacket and black shoes. He may be using a walker. Police urge anyone with information to call (916) 264-5471.

From the San Jose Mercury News:

A group of high-tech thieves who police believe stole bank card information from consumers at gas stations in South San Jose and Los Altos have also targeted Arco stations statewide, police said.

Los Altos detective Wes Beveridge, who has been involved with the case since thieves made off with about $100,000 from more than 80 customers at a Los Altos Arco station in March, said the group has also hit Arco stations in Southern and central California.

Every time a customer swipes a card, the skimming device transmits the information instantly to a computer nearby, or at other times, thieves come back and retrieve the tiny device.

Thieves then used cloned bank cards - any card with a magnetic strip, including already used gift cards, will work - and go on a withdrawal spree.

Here's the full story.

From Chelsea Phua:

A crowd of mourners clashed with Rancho Cordova police and Sacramento County sheriff's deputies Thursday near where an 18-year-old man had been fatally shot the previous night.

A vigil for Marcus Houston Mayes, who was shot on Viking Drive about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday after a brief exchange with two men, grew throughout the day Thursday to about 150 people, according to Rancho Cordova Police Chief Reuben Meeks.

He said purchases from a nearby liquor store fueled tensions between mourners and officers, and the situation took a turn for the worse just before 9 p.m.

Mourners had built a fire on the sidewalk where Mayes was shot, according to Sacramento County sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Tim Curran, and it spread into the street, posing a hazard and impeding traffic.

Police officers and deputies asked the mourners to extinguish the blaze, at which time some in the crowd started throwing rocks and bottles at the officers.

Meeks said officers with riot-control equipment were called to disperse the crowd.

The story continues:

Sacramento Crime Alert officials report that authorities seek Robert John Vuittonet, left. He was arrested May 18 on domestic violence charges, posted $100,000 bail and was released. Vuittonet was already out on a $70,000 bail for other charges. Vuittonet failed to appear in court as ordered. The judge issued four no-bail arrest warrants against Vuittonet for domestic violence, failure to appear in court as ordered, burglary, battery with injury, receiving stolen property, possession for sale of a controlled substance and carrying a concealed firearm.

Vuittonet, 25, is 5-foot-10, weighs 220 pounds and has black hair and brown eyes. He was last known to reside in the 8100 block of Venn Court in south Sacramento.

From the Associated Press:

Houston city officials are apparently willing to dig deep to defend the police department's ban on beards.

The Houston City Council on Wednesday unanimously authorized spending up to $150,000 to defend the city in a lawsuit challenging the no-facial hair policy.

"The lawsuit is pending and we have to defend ourselves," Councilman Ron Green said. "But we're basically saying we want new police officers, but we don't want police officers with beards."

Four police officers filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in November claiming the policy is discriminatory. The officers say the prohibition on beards and goatees is unfair for men who suffer a skin condition that reacts negatively to shaving. The condition can cause severe irritation, rashes and ingrown hair.

The police department instituted the policy in 1993 so uniformed officers would look conservative and professional, according to a city memo.

Officers said the policy unfairly effects their earning potential, both within the department and at secondary jobs.

"If I work an extra job in a dangerous area, I look like a security guard," Sgt. Shelby Stewart.

From Art Campos:

At least 19 vehicles were vandalized in Rocklin early today as the culprits slashed tires and spray-painted the autos, police reported.

The incidents took place along Rocklin Road between midnight and about 1:30 a.m. when two men wearing dark clothing were seen running away from an apartment complex, where most of the vehicles were vandalized, said Lt. Lon Milka.

The first incident was reported just after midnight from a Denny's restaurant parking lot at 4460 Rocklin Road, he said. Someone had slashed the tires on a truck, he said.

At 1:30 a.m., a resident from Rocklin Manor Apartments at 5240 Rocklin Road called to say his motorcycle had been knocked down and spray-painted, Milka said.

When officers investigated, they noticed numerous other vehicles in the parking lot with slashed tires and spray paint on them, the lieutenant said.

Many of the vehicles had offensive words painted on them, he said. The vandals appeared to have used a can or several cans of orange paint, he said.

"We don't know of any motive for this," Milka said, adding that each act of vandalism that costs more than $400 to repair will be considered a felony.

A witness saw two people, including one with a baseball cap, running from the area just before the vandalism was discovered, Milka said.

Anyone with information about the vandalism is urged to call Rocklin detectives at (916) 625-5443.

Police officials in Marin County are planning a heavy presence Sunday for the Hells Angels' annual ride, the Marin Independent Journal reports. The event is scheduled to begin about a half-mile from where a Hells Angels' associate was fatally shot last weekend.

The shooting victim, William Crompton Maclean, is the brother-in-law of Sonoma County Hells Angels chapter president Raymond Foakes.

Here's the Marin IJ story.

102 April reports listed for Lincoln on CrimeMapper

The Bee's Regional editions publish Public Safety Watch stories each Thursday. Here's a roundup of those stories and Police/Fire Logs, as compiled by Bee reporters:

Sacramento/North Sacramento/south Sacramento:
North Sacramento man arrested in disturbance
Police Fire Log

Arden/Carmichael:
Two men arrested in Arden Manor home burglary
Police/Fire Log

Elk Grove/Laguna:
Water safety tips may help prevent drownings
Police/Fire Log

Citrus Heights/Orangevale/Fair Oaks:
Police/Fire Log

Rancho Cordova/Gold River:
Police/Fire Log

Folsom:
Police/Fire Log

South Placer:
Tinkerbell leads a father to daughter's stolen car
Police/Fire Log

El Dorado County:
Placerville man died in jump from Sly Park rocks, investigators say
Police/Fire Log

From Dan Nguyen:

Today's Wall Street Journal features an article (subscription may be required after today to view it) on ShotSpotter Inc., the company behind a microphone network system that allows police to respond to gunshots within seconds.

Through a network of toaster-sized microphones fastened to rooftops and telephone poles, police are able to detect the crack of gunshots and pinpoint the sound's origin to within 80 feet. The system then displays the location of the shots on a computer map, alerting police within 15 seconds.

The technology is used in nearly 30 cities, including Oakland, which spent
$388,000 to deploy the system in 2006. According to the WSJ, Oakland's
system detected 3,000 gunshots in its first year. The downside is that
though the system provides valuable information (the article doesn't talk
about if there's an issue with false positives), it's only as effective as
the resources allocated to it.

But some larger cities have faced more limitations. Some Oakland lawmakers say that ShotSpotter has resulted in fewer than a dozen arrests since it was installed. The problem, they say, is that police don't dedicate enough resources to follow up on the shooting calls. "This technology works and there's proof that it works, but you have to dedicate resources to make it work," says Larry Reid, a member of the Oakland City Council.

Sacramento police officers Mike Cooper, front, and Mark Zoulas walk through a homeless encampment along the Sacramento River. Sacramento Housing Alliance officials will honor the officers tonight. Photo by Anne Chadwick Williams/Bee file 2007

From Niesha Lofing:

Two Sacramento police officers will be honored tonight by a local nonprofit organization for their work with homeless people.

The Sacramento Housing Alliance will recognize Officers Mike Cooper and Mark Zoulas during the organization's annual awards dinner.

Cooper and Zoulas, who are assigned to Sacramento's downtown corridor and serve as the primary liaison between the police department and the homeless population, are well-respected by both their peers and the city's homeless.

"If you talk to anybody, from cops to the actual homeless, they'll tell you that these officers really exemplify the great work that police officers can do when they really commit to working with the community," police Sgt. Matt Young said.

Cooper and Zoulas constantly go out of their way to help the city's homeless, from giving them rides to finding them a place to sleep, he said.

"It's a real testament to how effective community policing can be when you officers like these giving 110 percent every day," Young said. "Our department is very proud to have them represent us and that they are receiving this award."

The awards dinner is scheduled at 5:30 p.m. at The Grand, 1215 J St., Sacramento.

The Sacramento Housing Alliance dedicates itself to working to promote "decent affordable and accessible housing and opportunities for lower income households and homeless people," according to the organization's Web site.

Click here to read M.S. Enkoji's November 2007 feature story about Cooper and Zoulas.

A Plumas Lake man has been indicted after allegedly trying to defraud brokerage firms out of money using false identities, including known cartoon and comic book characters.

Michael Largent, 22, was arraigned Wednesday on an indictment charging him with computer, wire and mail fraud.

Largent, allegedly defrauded E*TRADE, Charles Schwab & Co. Inc., and other businesses by opening or attempting to open more than 58,000 brokerage accounts without authorization between November 2007 and May 2008, according to a news release by the office of U.S. Attorney McGregor Scott.

Largent allegedly intended to use the accounts to steal the micro-deposits, which are funds used to verify account information, the release states.

Largent allegedly used false names, addresses, drivers licenses and social security numbers to open the accounts. He even allegedly used names of known cartoon and comic book characters, the release states.

More from Niesha Lofing:

From Niesha Lofing:

Well I'll be doggone - the first member of the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department's Canine Explosive Detection Team at the Sacramento International Airport retired Wednesday.

Runway, left, who along with his partner Dep. Larry Berwick, began her service at the airport Sept. 10, 2001, said Karen Doron, spokeswoman for the Sacramento County Airport System.

Runway's name was chosen from entries in an employee campaign held at the airport.

A retirement ceremony for Runway was held at Wednesday at the airport. She also performed her last explosive detection training exercise at that time.

Runway is planning to spend her retirement years as Berwick's family dog, Doron said.

There are six dogs assigned to the sheriff's Canine Explosive Detection Team at the airport, she said.

Explosive Canine Detection Teams are tasked with daily inspections of the airport's cargo and baggage areas, terminals, parking garages, passenger airlines and facilities, as well as are involved in passenger screenings and checking unattended vehicles.

They also are used for VIP and dignitary protection, supporting U.S. Customs efforts and during checkpoint screenings.

K-9 teams undergo daily training and annual certification process through the Transportation Security Administration's Canine Program.

Dog gone - but not forgotten.

From Chelsea Phua:

An 18-year-old Sacramento man was shot and killed Wednesday night in Rancho Cordova, authorities said. The shooting occurred shortly before 8:30 p.m. in the 3400 block of Viking Drive, off Bradshaw Road, according to Sacramento County sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Tim Curran.

Rancho Cordova police officers and sheriff's deputies arrived to find the victim lying on the sidewalk with at least one gunshot wound to his upper body, Curran said.

The victim, identified today as Marcus Houston Mayes, was later pronounced dead at the scene. Sheriff's officials said Mayes was walking on Viking Drive when he was approached by two men. After a brief verbal exchange, one of the men took out a pistol and fired several shots, officials said.

Witnesses provided investigators varying descriptions of the two men. Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to call Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

From David Richie:

With the help of a Sacramento County Sheriff's Department helicopter, officers chased three vehicle theft suspects through a Citrus Heights neighborhood west of Interstate 80 Wednesday afternoon..

The action was initiated about 2:45 p.m. by officers working with SACCATS - the Sacramento County Auto Theft Suppression Task Force. They spotted a stolen 1994 Honda with three men inside going south on Mar Vista Way near Antelope Road. They followed the car a few blocks. When the men inside realized that the police were behind them, they all bailed out of the car near the corner of Blackthorne Way and Tupelo Drive.

"The suspects were jumping fences and running through back yards," said Citrus Heights police Sgt. Janet Schaefer. "We found one hiding in a garage."

They arrested Brandon Christophe Butler, 20, who was identified as the driver. He was booked into Sacramento County Jail on multiple felony charges including suspicion of vehicle theft, and suspicion of possession of controlled substances. Jail records indicate that he has warrants out of Folsom for reckless driving, hit and run and violating a promise to appear in court. State corrections officials want him for parole violation.

Officers also arrested a 17-year-old boy, Schaefer said.

146 entries for Folsom for the month of April 08.

Crimemapper

From the Associated Press:

A Marine wanted in connection with the killing of a colleague from Camp Pendleton was arrested Wednesday in Texas, authorities said.

Lt. Erin Giudice, an Orange County sheriff's spokeswoman, said Pfc. Alvin Reed Lovely was booked into a Dallas County sheriff's jail at 7:25 a.m. PDT. She had no other details.

Lovely, 20, had been a fugitive since last week.

Orange County authorities arrested Lovely's comrade, Lance Cpl. Christian William Carney, also of Camp Pendleton, on a murder charge Friday.

Carney and Lovely were both named at that time as suspects in the death of a third Marine, Pfc. Stephen Serrano of El Dorado.

Marine officials said Serrano was a field radio operator serving with the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division. He joined the Corps on March 11, 2007.

Here's Chelsea Phua's story about Carney's arrest.

Sacramento County District 1 Supervisor Roger Dickinson announced Wednesday that he is contributing $2,500 to the reward fund for the arrest and conviction of the people responsible for the early Monday morning Fort Natomas playground fire.

Sacramento Fire Department arson investigators have determined that the playground fire was arson, said a department news release issued Wednesday.

The playground was a total loss following a suspicious blaze that began about 1 a.m. Monday. Arsonists destroyed the same South Natomas playground in June 2006.

After that blaze, hundreds of volunteers rebuilt Fort Natomas in a seven-day construction campaign.

On Monday, Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo and City Councilman Ray Tretheway offered a $5,000 reward.

A community meeting is scheduled at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the park picnic shelter, near Cloudview Drive and Roma Court, to find out what people want to do.

A Web site has been set up for persons who are willing to assist in the possible Fort Natomas rebuilding effort.

Anyone with information about the playground fire is asked to call the Sacramento Fire Department's arson tip line at (916) 808-8732.

Here's Bill Lindelof's story about the latest fire. Following is Pamela Martineau's story about the rebuilding of the playground in November 2006:

From Art Campos:

A collaborative effort between law enforcement agencies and Roseville citizens led to the arrest Sunday of a car theft suspect,

Police were contacted at 8:55 p.m. by a woman who came out of the Roseville Galleria and saw her car being driven away on southbound Galleria Boulevard, said department spokeswoman Dee Dee Gunther.

Officers spotted the car on Harding Boulevard near Lead Hill Boulevard and began following, she said. But the suspect stopped the vehicle on Mahan Court, jumped out and ran away, she said.

Police searched the area and also called the California Highway Patrol, which dispatched a helicopter team to circle the area and broadcast a report about the suspect to residents, Gunther said.

At 9:24 p.m., a Sharp Circle resident heard the announcement and called police to report that a suspicious man had come from the creek area and was on the street, Gunther said. Police arrived and took the suspect, Fernando Verdusco, 20, of Citrus Heights, into custody, she said.

Verdusco was booked into the Placer County jail on suspicion of auto theft, burglary, possession of stolen property, obstructing an officer and possession of burglar's tools. He also had two Placer County arrest warrants for drug offenses and a Sacramento County warrant for failure to appear in court on traffic charges.

From Sandy Louey:

A free workshop on how businesses can combat financial crime is scheduled from 9 to 11 a.m. Thursday at the Elk Grove City Council Chambers, 8400 Laguna Palms Way.

Representatives from the U.S. Secret Service and the Elk Grove Police Department will provide tips on how to detect counterfeit bills and how to prevent their businesses from becoming victims of financial crimes.

To reserve a seat, contact Denise Costello at (916) 478-8117 or e-mail her at dcostello@elkgrovepd.org.

From Niesha Lofing:

A Sacramento man who fled to Romania with his 3-year-old son after allegedly sexually assaulting his wife has been arrested in Romania.

David Olteanu, 28, has been taken into custody by Romanian authorities on a provisional arrest warrant, Sacramento County Sheriff's Sgt. Tim Curran said.

The Sheriff's Department was notified of the arrest by the FBI on Monday.

Here's Lofing's May 22 story about the search for Olteanu. For updates on today's story, click here.

From the Los Angeles Times:

A San Gabriel Valley man was indicted Tuesday for allegedly using social networking sites such as MySpace.com and MyYearbook.com to convince teenage girls to have sex with him and pose for pornographic pictures, according to the U.S. attorney's office.

A federal grand jury indicted Gregory Scott Serrano, 33, of Monrovia on charges of production of child pornography, using the Internet to entice minors to produce child pornography and to meet for sex, receipt of child pornography, possession of child pornography and attempted destruction of evidence. The indictment lists 10 victims.

The FBI suspects that Serrano communicated with additional teenagers who have yet to be identified. Serrano used various screen names, including Greg Scott, Purein10citi, citigreg1116, serranogreg and latinoload1116. Anyone with information about Serrano's activities is asked to call the FBI at (310) 477-6565.

Serrano is in state custody after being charged with various child molestation offenses. He is scheduled to be arraigned in the state case June 6 in Pasadena Superior Court

The Sacramento Citizens' Crime Alert Reward Program has released its updated list of the area's wanted suspects.

Sacramento Police Department homicide detectives seek Mario Santino Garcia, left, on a felony no-bail arrest warrant for murder. At 11:18 p.m. Aug. 26, 2007, Sacramento Police Department officers responded to the 2800 block of 67th Avenue regarding a subject who had been shot. Inside the residence, officers found the victim deceased with gunshots wounds to his head and body. Garcia, 23, also known as "Tino," is 5-foot-8, weighs 140 pounds and has brown eyes and black hair. According to authorities, he has a history of weapons violations and gang contacts, and his whereabouts are unknown.

Citrus Heights Police Department homicide detectives seek Edgar Martinez on a felony no-bail arrest warrant for murder. According to authorities, at 5:30 a.m. Sept. 8, 2007, Martinez, a Sureno gang member, shot and killed the victim at a house party in Citrus Heights. Martinez, 20, also known as "Puppet," is 5-foot-2, weighs 140 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes. Martinez last resided in the 7400 block of Auburn Oaks Court in Citrus Heights.

For more details about these and other wanted suspects, view the Crime Alert Web site. If you have information about any wanted person or crime, call 1-800-AA-CRIME or (916) 443-HELP.

From Stan Oklobdzija:

The Sacramento County Sheriff's Department conducted an undercover prostitution sting Thursday along Watt Avenue, according to sheriff spokesman Sgt. Tim Curran.

Eleven women were arrested on charges of prostitution and one man was arrested on charges related to pimping, Curran said. The operation was conducted by problem oriented police, or POP, officers from the department's Northwest Division.

"There has been an issue with prostitution in that area for many years and as the weather heats up, the problem becomes even greater," Curran said. "The POP guys wanted to hit it early ... to try to put a dent in the problem."

But the world's oldest profession is also apparently the world's most resilient. Sheriff's deputies had hit that same stretch of Watt Avenue just a week earlier, catching 12 suspected johns and seven alleged prostitutes in a similar operation.

From Jennifer K. Morita:

A man arrested for allegedly driving under the influence Saturday night appears to have taken out his anger on a patrol car during his ride to jail.

The handcuffed suspect managed to kick out a back window and did other damage to a California Highway Patrol vehicle while he was being driven to Placer County jail on Saturday night.

Officers had stopped the driver on Interstate 80 at Eureka Road about 11:55 p.m. and placed him under arrest, CHP Officer Kelly Baraga said.

The man was placed in the backseat with a seatbelt. The officers were near Penryn en route to the the jail when the suspect started to kick the patrol car's back window, breaking the weather stripping and shattering the right rear window, Baraga said.

The officers had to pull over and restrain the suspect again before continuing to the jail.

From Niesha Lofing:

Sacramento County sheriff's officials are asking for help in locating an at-risk Sacramento man who has been missing for two days.

Robert Smith, who lives at a care home facility in the 4000 block of 47th Street, has been missing since 2 p.m. Monday. He was last seen by a caregiver, Sgt. Tim Curran stated in a news release.

Smith, 25, is described as 5-foot-8, 180 pounds, with short blond hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a green T-shirt and black jeans.

Smith has the mental capacity of a 12-year-old and takes prescription medication daily, Curran said.

Anyone with information of his whereabouts is asked to call the sheriff's department at (916) 874-5115.

From Art Campos:

Rocklin police have arrested a man for allegedly shooting and killing one of his dogs.

Argene Corbett Millard, 76, was taken into custody about 9 a.m. Sunday following a citizen's call that several shots had been fired in the 5700 block of Casa Grande Avenue, said Police Lt. Lon Milka.

When officers arrived, they discovered a 6-month-old German shepherd dead in Millard's back yard, Milka said. The dog had been shot in the head, he said.

Milka said Millard was booked into the Placer County jail on suspicion of animal cruelty and negligent discharge of a firearm. He was later released after posting bail, the lieutenant said.

Eleven other dogs were taken from his residence and placed in protective custody at the Placer County Animal Shelter, he said. The dogs included another German shepherd and Chihuahuas, Milka said.

From Ryan Lillis:

A Sacramento woman was scammed out of several hundred dollars by a couple who gave her a phony medical exam and convinced her to buy medication, police said.

The 58-year-old victim was standing near a bus stop on Fruitridge Road near Stockton Boulevard at 3:11 p.m. Monday when the couple approached her, according to police reports. The couple asked the woman if she wanted to take a health test and the victim agreed, police said.

The alleged scam artists took the victim to their car, where they had the woman take some kind of medical test, police said. According to the police report, "the suspects advised the victim that she was extremely ill and may die if she did not take their medicine."

They then told the victim they had a cure, but that it would cost her $100,000, police said.

The woman told the couple she had some money, but not $100,000. She said she could go home and get the money, so the suspects took her to her midtown Sacramento house, police said.

The victim gave the scammers an undisclosed amount of cash in $100 bills, police said. She was given a water bottle and a pill in return and was told by the couple that they would return for the rest of the money.

When the couple did not return for the remainder of the money, the victim "realized she had been swindled and called the police," according to a police report.

Sacramento police Sgt. Matt Young said anyone who may have fallen victim to a similar scam should call the department's non-emergency telephone line at (916) 264-5471.

From Ryan Lillis:

Two men held up the Trader Joe's in east Sacramento on Saturday, charging into the store with guns in their hands and emptying two cash registers, according to Sacramento police.

The robbers approached two store employees on a rear loading dock of the Folsom Boulevard store at about 9:26 p.m. and told the workers to go inside, according to police reports. The armed men were wearing all dark clothing; one was holding a revolver and the other had a shotgun, police said.

The employees ran into the store and yelled at other store workers to get out. The robbers followed and ran directly to the store's cash registers, taking cash and checks from two tills, police said.

No one saw how the robbers got away, but police said they assume they fled out the rear of the store. No arrests have been made.

None of the store employees were hurt.

From Ryan Lillis:

In what police have labeled a hate crime, a 34-year-old man attacked two transgender homeless men Saturday afternoon, but was arrested after one of the victims stabbed him in the leg, according to Sacramento police.

William Lee Johnson, left, attacked the men at about 2:01 p.m. near the Longview Drive on-ramp to I-80 near Del Paso Park, according to police records. Johnson is a "validated skinhead," according to a police report.

Johnson called the victims a name and began beating one of them on the ground, police said. The victim pulled out a knife and stabbed Johnson in the leg, inflicting a non-life threatening injury, according to police.

Johnson was booked into Sacramento County Jail on suspicion of robbery, battery against a peace officer and interfering with one's civil rights - commonly referred to as a hate crime, according to jail records.

This story should interest motorists who regularly travel on Highway 99 in the San Joaquin Valley:

A multimillion-dollar test program along one of the foggiest stretches of Highway 99 will give motorists a taste of how state officials hope to prevent accidents like a pileup last year that involved 86 vehicles, The Fresno Bee reports.

By Nov. 1, the California Department of Transportation and the California Highway Patrol plan to have electronic signs posted at least every half mile along Highway 99 from the south end of Fresno to Kingsburg.

The 12-mile stretch also will have weather and traffic stations.

Here's the full story.

From David Richie:

El Dorado County officials have identified the man shot by sheriff's deputies Saturday night as Matthew James Zaiser, 26, of El Dorado Hills.

Deputies confronted Zaiser after he made a 911 call about 8:36 p.m. and told dispatchers that he was going to run over the heads of some children who were making noise, officials said.

When deputies got to the home at 3386 Tartan Trail, they found Zaiser at the top of the driveway, holding what looked like a scoped rifle with a towel draped over it so only the butt and the barrel were exposed.

Zaiser was shot as he raised the weapon and pointed it at the deputies, officials said. A preliminary investigation revealed that he may have been hit three times. Zaiser was pronounced dead at the scene.

The preliminary investigation also revealed that Zaiser's weapon was a pellet rifle.

Here's Deb Kollars' initial story about the incident.

From the Associated Press:

Friends of a slain Reno woman are organizing an all-female flag football tournament this summer to promote awareness of personal safety and work for legislation to combat violent crime.

Brianna Denison, left, was 19 years old when she was kidnapped from a friend's rental home near the University of Nevada, Reno, in January. Her body was found a month later in a vacant lot in southeast Reno.

No arrests have been made. Her friends and organizers of the "Bri Ball" tournament say
they will hold the event every year until Denison's killer is caught. If there is an arrest, the money raised will go toward a scholarship awarded by Denison's family.

Here's the Reno Gazette-Journal story.

From Niesha Lofing:

Drunken driving arrests over the Memorial Day weekend rose 8.3 percent from last year, according to preliminary information gathered by the California Highway Patrol.

The DUI crackdown across 10 counties in the Sacramento region netted 274 arrests. In 2007, there were 253 DUI arrests during the same three-day period, according to a CHP news release.

Officers from 50 area law enforcement agencies conducted sobriety checkpoints, special saturation patrols and routine patrols in the region from midnight Friday until midnight Sunday.

There were no DUI deaths reported during the holiday weekend, the release states.

Tourist alert: Extra officers from the California Highway Patrol are assisting the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department in patrolling the Universal CityWalk, the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

The effort is to keep a lid on gang-related crimes at the popular tourist spot. The extra patrols will be in place on weekends through June, officials said.

"Universal CityWalk and that area up there has got a gang presence but not a gang problem," said sheriff's Lt. Blaine Talmo, who oversees detectives at the West Hollywood station. "Everybody, including dummies, goes up there to see movies and things like that ... So we make it a point to ramp up our enforcement to set the tone and the tenor for the summertime."

Here's the Daily News story.

From Niesha Lofing:

A Sacramento man was sentenced Friday to more than 17 years in prison for manufacturing child pornography.

Klifford Sean Rose, 43, was arrested in September 2006 after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and Sacramento police officers served a search warrant at his home and found a video camera containing a videotape of Rose and a victim, according to a news release by the office of U.S. Attorney McGregor Scott.

Rose admitted to videotaping himself engaging in sexually explicit conduct with an 8-year-old victim. Rose had a custodial relationship with the child, the release states.

Before pleading guilty in federal court in February, Rose pled guilty in Sacramento County Superior Court to sexually abusing the same victim by force. He was sentenced to 20 years in state prison. As part of his plea agreement, Rose will serve his federal sentence concurrently with the 20-year state sentence in state prison, the release states.

The investigation was undertaken as part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative established to increase federal prosecutions of violent sexual predators of children and to reduce the number of Internet crimes against children, including child pornography trafficking, the release states.

Click here for more information about the initiative.

As workers put up temporary fencing around the destroyed Fort Natomas in Jefferson Park Monday afternoon, residents, many of whom helped built the popular playground in 1991-- then again in 2006 -- gathered.

Their collective mood ranged from disbelief to anger, from helplessness to determination to rebuild the landmark South Natomas structure. The decorative tile wall -- erected in 1991-- adorns the front of the playground. It features names of parents and their children, many of whom are now 17 and older and helped rebuild the playground in November 2006 ago after it was destroyed by the first fire that June. They visited the charred site today, as did many smaller children who were denied a place to play.

In a comment to Bill Lindelof's story about the early Monday fire, reader bxluddite wrote, "Like my daughter said over and over, when we stopped by today, 'The park is sad.'

City Councilman Ray Tretheway was also shaken by the early morning fire. "I can't believe they've taken the playground again ... It's the best playground in the city," he told many residents.

Many school and community playgrounds have been targeted recently. Here's a Bee story about two fires set May 10, one at John Bidwell Elementary School in the Meadowview area and another at Hazel Strauch Elementary School, also in the South Natomas area. Fort Natomas is next to Jefferson Elementary School.

A meeting is planned at 6:30 p.m. Thursday to discuss what the community will do next.

Mayor Heather Fargo and Tretheway have offered a $5,000 reward for the arrest and conviction of the people responsible for destroying the playground, the Sacramento Fire Department announced this afternoon.

Anyone with information about the playground fire is asked to call the Sacramento Fire Department's arson tip line at (916) 808-8732.

Arrested were, top, from left: Adolfo Baza-Lorenzo, Ciro Ortega-Martinez, Idalia Nieves and Jesus Corrales-Calvill; bottom, from left: Jesus Guzman-Anaya, Jose Ortiz-Barrera, Manuel Hernandez-Nava and Maria Martinez-Reyes

From Niesha Lofing:

Authorities arrested eight people this week in connection to making methamphetamines at a house in the Meadowview area and also placed six children found at the home in protective custody.

During a surveillance operation Tuesday, detectives with the California Multi-Jurisdictional Methamphetamine Taskforce saw the suspects carrying items used to manufacture methamphetamines from a vehicle to the rear-yard of a home in the 2600 block of 65th Avenue, Sacramento County Sheriff's Sgt. Tim Curran stated in a news release.

Detectives also saw children entering and leaving the home, Curran said.

Fearing for the health and safety of the children, detectives entered the home and detained the residents, Curran said.

Detectives found a shed containing all of the items necessary to produce several pounds of methamphetamine, as well as two firearms and a half-ounce of methamphetamine, he said.

Six children, all under the age of 10, were placed in protective custody.

Jesus Guzman-Anaya, 35, Ciro Ortega-Martinez, 26, Idalia Nieves, 26, Maria Martinez-Reyes, 26, Jesus Corrales-Calvill, 25, Jose Ortiz-Barrera, 25, Adolfo Baza-Lorenzo, 45, and Manuel Hernandez-Nava, 29, were arrested on suspicion of manufacturing a controlled substance, possession of precursors of methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine for sale and child endangerment.

They are all being held without bail in Sacramento County Main Jail.

The California Multi-Jurisdictional Methamphetamine Taskforce is composed of representatives from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department, Sacramento County Probation Department, Citrus Heights Police Department and the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office.

From Niesha Lofing:

Nevada County Sheriff's deputies arrested a Grass Valley man for failing to register as a sex offender a week after he moved into the county.

Jack Steven Sobonya, 58, left, was convicted in 1992 for kidnapping and molesting a child in Ventura County. He served 16 years in prison and was released with no parole supervision conditions, states a sheriff's department news release.

His rap sheet includes 33 arrests, with 16 felony convictions, the release states.

Sobonya moved into Nevada County on May 13 and was arrested for failing to register Wednesday.

Sobonya was released from jail after posting $10,000 bond, the release states.

A warning for harried airline travelers this weekend -- don't take out your frustrations on flight attendants, as one international passenger is accused of doing. Here's the cautionary tale, as reported by the Los Angeles Times:

An unruly airline passenger who had to be duct-taped to his seat during a trip from Hong Kong to Los Angeles was indicted Thursday on federal charges of assault and interfering with flight crew members.

The FBI said James Allen Cameron, 49, of Anaheim is accused of hitting at least one cabin attendant and interfering with other crew members during an United Airlines flight that landed at Los Angeles International Airport on April 23.

Authorities alleged he was so belligerent and verbally abusive that crew members strapped him to his seat for a portion of the flight.

If convicted, Cameron could face maximum penalties of six months in prison on the assault charge and up to 20 years in prison for interfering with the flight crew. Cameron, who is free on a $50,000 bond, is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court next week.

Scrap-metal thieves have hit a new low -- pulling pipes out of men's rooms in fast-food restaurants.

Here's the Associated Press story from Norristown, Pa.

The Memorial Day holiday weekend begins tonight for many travelers and motorists. That's why at 6 p.m. the California Highway Patrol begins its "Maximum Enforcement Period," which is in effect until midnight Monday.

According to CHP officials, all available officers will be out patrolling the roadways during those 78 hours.

Here are some Memorial Day statistics enforcement plans, as provided by the CHP via a news release:

Memorial Day weekend 2007 saw 37 people die in vehicle crashes in California; at least half of those killed in CHP jurisdiction were not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.

Last year, statewide, CHP officers arrested 1,614 drivers for DUI during the Memorial Day weekend.

The Memorial Day Maximum Enforcement Period is also an Operation CARE (Combined Accident Reduction Effort) holiday. Operation CARE is a joint program of the nation's highway patrols that places special safety emphasis on interstate highways during holiday periods. CARE highways in California include Interstates 80, 40, 15 (San Bernardino to the Nevada border) and 5 (Bakersfield north to the Oregon line).

From Denny Walsh:

FBI agents and local law enforcement are hunting a serial robber who has struck three banks and a credit union in the Sacramento area over the past three weeks.

Nicknamed the "Straw Hat Bandit" by agents, the suspect wore a large straw hat and used notes to demand money in each incident, according to an FBI news release. He has claimed to have a gun, but no weapons have been seen.

He is described in the release as a while male, age 35 to 50, with salt-and-pepper hair. He is 5-foot-10, weighs approximately 180 pounds and wears black wraparound sunglasses on a lanyard, according to the release.

The bandit hit Citibank in the 400 block of Howe Avenue on Wednesday afternoon. He is also wanted in connection with an April 30 heist of Tri Counties Bank, 4650 Natomas Blvd.; a May 12 robbery of Sterlent Credit Union, 2648 Watt Ave., and a May 16 caper (above photo) at Wells Fargo Bank, 8870 Madison Ave.

Anyone with information about one of more of these robberies is asked to contact the FBI in Sacramento at (916) 481-9110, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department at (916) 874-5115, or Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP. Callers may remain anonymous and could be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

A Sonoma County judge has ordered the owners of a Santa Rosa motel that became a hub for prostitution to pay more than $500,000 to the city, and local officials plan to seek more, the Associated Press reports.

In a scathing 16-page ruling last week, Judge Mark Tansil said the owners of the Llano Motel ran "fleabag" motel that was a "hooker haven."

Here's the Santa Rosa Press Democrat story.

From Sandy Louey:

Elk Grove police arrested two men Wednesday afternoon for robbing a teenager at gunpoint.

Two boys, ages 16 and 17, were walking through an apartment complex in the 7200 block of Laguna Boulevard around 4 p.m. when two men approached them.

Montreal Curry asked to use the 16-year-old boy's cell phone and he willingly handed it over. Curry then allegedly ran away with the phone, according to a police report.

Christopher Nunn then asked to use the 17-year-old boy's cell phone. When the boy pulled out his phone, Nunn reportedly produced a handgun. He and Curry allegedly then went through the boy's pockets. They took the boy's phone and wallet and ran away, the report said.

The 17-year-old reported the robbery to a sheriff's deputy working for the Elk Grove Unified School District. Both Nunn and Curry were detained.

Curry, 18, and Nunn, 19, were arrested on suspicion of robbery, receiving stolen property, conspiracy, participation in a criminal street gang and violating probation. Curry also was arrested on suspicion of petty theft.

The two, who are being held in Sacramento County jail, are scheduled to be in court Friday afternoon.

Interesting story published today in the Citrus Heights regional edition about that city's public education phase of its new red-light enforcement program. Cameras have been switched on at Greenback Lane and San Juan Avenue, and at Greenback Lane and Fountain Square Drive. Tickets won't begin being issued until June, but the results so far have been startling, according to police officials.

"What we are seeing is unbelievable," said Sgt. Eric Mattke, Citrus Heights police traffic unit supervisor. "The lights are red for 14 seconds and people are going through at full speed."

Here's David Richie's story.

Sacramento Police Department Public Works officers and Sacramento City Code Enforcement officers are seeking information leading to the identity of subject responsible for the "PHERM" tags occurring in the midtown area

According to authorities, the tagger's graffiti has been also been appearing in the Natomas and North Sacramento areas the past few months. Damage estimates are in the tens of thousand dollars.

Anyone who has information about the taggings or taggers is asked to call 1-800-AA-CRIME or (916) 443-HELP.

The Bee's Regional editions publish Public Safety Watch stories each Thursday. Here's a roundup of those stories and Police/Fire Logs, as compiled by Bee reporters:

Sacramento/North Sacramento/south Sacramento:
Sticky mailbox scam hits Sacramento area
Police/Fire Log

Arden/Carmichael:
Would-be robber leaves Town & Country Village bank empty-handed
Police/Fire Log

Citrus Heights/Orangevale/Fair Oaks:
Placer sheriff's copter leads Citrus Heights police to assault suspect
Police/Fire Log

Elk Grove/Laguna:
Carjackers sought
Police/Fire Log

Rancho Cordova/Gold River:
Police/Fire Log

Folsom:
Police/Fire Log

South Placer County:
May brings out motorcycles -- and a spike in accidents, CHP says
Police/Fire Log

El Dorado County:
Gold prospecting equipment stolen
Police/Fire Log

From Stan Oklobdzija:

Tommy Bishop, 44, a transient from Rancho Cordova, was arrested at North B and North 12th streets just north of downtown Sacramento on charges of assault with a deadly weapon and sale of a controlled substance, according to arrest records maintained by the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department.

His stated profession, according to Sacramento Police, "newspaperman."

From Niesha Lofing:

Thirty-one people will be honored for their service to the Sacramento Police Department and the community during a ceremony tonight at the Sheraton Grand.

Police department personnel are receiving awards for exhibiting bravery above and beyond their duties, displaying courage, saving a life in a grave situation or performing effective, efficient and valuable service to the department, Sgt. Matt Young stated in a news release.

The following people will be honored during the department's 2008 Commendation Awards Dinner and Ceremony:

From David Richie:

Morning commute traffic was jammed today as Folsom police dealt with a damaged traffic signal and debris scattered by an early morning hit-and-run near East Bidwell Street and Oak Avenue Parkway.

Folsom police also are continuing its investigation of a fiery rollover crash Sunday afternoon that left two people injured and cut power to sections of the Empire Ranch neighborhood.

A vehicle struck an above-ground utility box in the 3000 block of East Natoma Street about 5 p.m. Sunday. The vehicle rollover and the box caught fire. Residents in the area reported being without power for about 45 minutes.

At some point a resident stopped to help the crash victim and was evidently hit by another vehicle. A police summary notes that the driver of the initial crash and the good Samaritan both suffered "minor injuries" and they were transported to a local hospital.

Officers are still working on their reports and there is no update on the condition of the two accident victims, officials said.

Thieves' quest for catalytic converters continues.

John Hunrath, a resident of the Vintage Park neighborhood in southeastern Sacramento County, has joined the list of victims. Here's his tale, via e-mail:

"I own a 90 Toyota pickup extra cab. I find bolts and clamp parts laying on the driveway under my truck. Yep - they stole mine too ... This happened around 11:30 p.m. on a Monday night.

What do we do? If I replace it, what's to stop them again? Do I sell my truck? Why do 'I' need to alter my life because of the thugs helping themselves, and there doesn't seem to be any way to stop them?

It starting to seem to me, that everyone is a thief. Does everyone steal? I am a 20 yr military veteran. Maybe the freedom we've been fighting for has become too free."

This story raises red flags about responding to online ads:

The New York Daily News reports that a videographer placed an ad on Craigslist to drum up business, but ended up getting mugged.

Tom Morgan, 22, was robbed at gunpoint of his wallet and $4,000 worth of equipment after showing up to what he thought would be a $200 job shooting a two-hour bachelorette party in Brooklyn.

After calling the cops, Morgan posted a warning on Craigslist and received several responses encouraging him to always meet with people before doing business, a strategy police and Craigslist also stress.

"Deal locally with people you can meet in person" is rule No.1 on Craigslist. "Follow this one simple rule and you will avoid 99% of the scam attempts on Craigslist."

Here's the NYDN story.

An update to an item posted Tuesday, from the Associated Press:

TUXTLA GUTIERREZ, Mexico -- A Mexican donkey has been freed from jail after doing time for assault and battery. The Televisa network on Wednesday showed "Blacky" gobbling food from a bucket after spending three days in a jail that normally holds people for public drunkenness and other disturbances.

Blacky was jailed for biting and kicking two men near a ranch outside Tuxtla Gutierrez, the capital of Chiapas state.

Officials freed the donkey after its owner paid a fine of $36 and the $115 hospital bill of the men, who suffered bites to the chest and a broken ankle. Authorities say he also must pay $480 to each man for missed work days.

A man arrested late Monday night on a list of felony weapons charges did not spend much time in jail, but Rancho Cordova police are holding onto the gun he allegedly brandished during a traffic incident near McGregor and Zinfandel drives.

Police were called by a 23-year-old man who told them that he and his mother had been threatened by Albert Jose Solorio Jr., 20, after his mother made a turning movement in front of Solorio. Words were exchanged at an intersection, then Solorio pulled a handgun and pointed it at the other man, states a police summary.

A short time later, the 23-year-old man spotted Solorio again and traveled behind him in another vehicle while calling police on his cell phone.

More from David Richie:

From David Richie:

A 34-year-old parolee is back in jail after leading Sacramento County sheriff's deputies on a high-speed vehicle chase through the Carmichael area, south of American River College, Sunday afternoon.

The incident started about 2:45 p.m. states a sheriff's summary released Tuesday afternoon.

Elton Glenn Ward tried to drive through a perimeter deputies had set up near Garfield Avenue and Locust Avenue during their search for a felony domestic violence suspect. Instead of yielding to officers, Ward attempted to race out of the area, striking at least one other vehicle and running numerous stop signs at speeds of up to 80 mph., officials said.

Pursuing deputies also saw him throwing suspected marijuana out the window during the chase.

Ward was finally run off the road and arrested. He was booked into Sacramento County Jail on suspicion of recklessly evading police officers and parole violation.

Ward was still in jail Tuesday, deemed ineligible for bail.

From David Richie:

A would-be robber could not take no for an answer, even after his intended victim blasted him repeatedly with pepper spray, according to a Sacramento County sheriff's summary released Tuesday afternoon.

The suspect, identified by deputies as Richard Mike, 30, was jailed early Thursday morning on a charge of suspicion of attempted robbery. He also had a warrant for driving under the influence.

Mike allegedly confronted a 56-year-old man about 12:45 a.m. Thursday in a parking structure near Interstate 80 and Watt Avenue. Mike demanded the man's money and cell phone, officials stated.

The other man reportedly told Mike that he did not have either of those items. What he had was a container of pepper spray, which he used when Mike came at him in a threatening manner, according to the report.

Mike kept pursuing the intended victim, who blasted Mike several more times before a security guard intervened. Paramedics treated the suspect at the scene before he was taken to jail.

Mike was still behind bars Tuesday with bail set at $50,000.

From Art Campos:

A 45-year-old Rocklin man has been arrested on suspicion of using a hidden camera to illegally videotape a teenage girl undressing in her bedroom, police said.

Jeffrey Allen Smith was taken into custody Sunday after a homemade DVD was discovered, said Lt. Lon Milka of the Rocklin Police Department. The girl was unaware she had been videotaped, he said.

Smith was booked into the Placer County jail in Auburn and released after posting $60,000 bail, Milka said.

"The investigation will continue to see if the video or any part of the video was distributed to others or if there are additional videos," the lieutenant said.

Milka said state law prohibits taking photos of people undressing without their consent. It is also illegal for a person to possess pornography depicting someone under the age of 18, he said.

From Art Campos:

Roseville police have averaged nearly 33 tickets a day for motorists violating seat belt laws during a new safety campaign.

Through the first eight days of the statewide "Click It or Ticket" campaign, Roseville officers had handed out 261 tickets, said department spokeswoman Dee Dee Gunther.

Police in Rocklin, meanwhile, had cited 15 motorists for seat belt violations since the campaign began May 12.

Gunther said the Roseville department is paying some overtime for the seat belt campaign, thanks to a grant received from the state Office for Traffic Safety.

"But, overall, the entire department is focusing on seat belt violations," she said. "All our traffic and patrol officers are looking for them."

Gunther said many citations have been given to motorists and passengers who are wearing the seat belts improperly.

"People have the belt tucked under the arm instead of across the shoulder and chest," she said. "That's not going to help if the person is involved in an accident."

Other motorists have protested that they just got on the road and were going to buckle up, Gunther said.

"That's not the way it works. Clicking the seat belt is something you do before you start your trip," she said.

The Click It or Ticket campaign ends June 1 for most law enforcement agencies.

The Sacramento Citizens' Crime Alert Reward Program has released its updated list of the area's wanted suspects.

Sacramento Police Department Felony Assaults detectives are seeking any information leading to the identity of subject responsible for at least four recent random stabbings in the North Sacramento area.

In each assault the suspect was on a bicycle and the victims were on foot. Each of the victims was stabbed once in the upper body as the suspect passed by on his bicycle.

The suspect is described as a Hispanic male adult, mid to late 20's, 5-foot-7 to 5-foot-10, weighing 170 pounds, with light brown complexion, medium build, short black hair and brown eyes. The suspect's bicycle has been described as both a 10-speed and a mountain bike. The color of the bike is possibly red, gray or tan.

As reported in The Bee, Sacramento police also believe the serial stabber may be linked to two assaults in 2006, including one in which the victim later died. Here are Bee stories about the attacks and the mood of the neighborhood.

For more details about these and other wanted suspects, view the Crime Alert Web site. If you have information about any wanted person or crime, call 1-800-AA-CRIME or (916) 443-HELP.

For the second time in five months, a 23-year-old Truckee woman has been arrested after she allegedly crashed her car while driving under the influence at the exact same spot north of Lake Tahoe, the Associated Press reports.

Truckee Police say that in both cases, her blood alcohol content was more than three times the legal limit.

Here's the AP story.

From Ryan Lillis:

A Sacramento woman was trying to get high with 15 pounds of marijuana, authorities said.

It's not that she was caught attempting to smoke the pot, it's that she tried to sneak the stash onto a plane from Sacramento International Airport on Monday night, according to Sacramento sheriff's officials.

Rachael Ann Wilson, 29, left, was arrested about 9 p.m. after boarding a U.S. Airways flight headed to Atlanta, according to a sheriff's news release.

Authorities said Wilson checked two cardboard boxes, one of which was too large to pass through an X-ray machine. Transportation Security Administration agents opened the box and found it was packed with large two-pound cans of coffee, authorities said.

The agents became suspicious and contacted sheriff's deputies at the airport. The deputies opened the cans and discovered there was marijuana inside, according to the news release.

Authorities said they also found pot in the other box Wilson had checked and that all together agents confiscated 15 pounds of marijuana with a street value of $125,000.

From Denny Walsh:

Richard James Ditzel of North Natomas pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court to stealing from a Sacramento credit union where he was responsible for the financial record keeping.

Ditzel, 41, admitted embezzling $409,000 over a 6 1/2-year period and using much of the money to acquire collectible coins and make payments on his personal credit card accounts.

To conceal his theft, Ditzel acknowledged, he made entries showing the fund transfers as fictitious business expenses incurred by Capital Power Credit Union - now SAFE Credit Union.

The FBI executed a search warrant in March at Ditzel's Burberry Way residence and seized thousands of dollars worth of coins and other valuables purchased with the purloined funds, according to Assistant U. S. Attorney Courtney Linn. Ditzel has agreed that the FBI may transfer those items to SAFE Credit Union as partial restitution, Linn said.

The embezzlement came to light during an audit last summer conducted in connection with a merger of SAFE and Capital Power.

Ditzel is scheduled for sentencing Aug. 5.

From David Richie:

A Fair Oaks man was arrested early Monday morning after turning himself in to Citrus Heights police on a string of domestic violence-related charges. His buddy ended up coming along for the ride - all the way to jail.

Police reports indicate that Michael Lee Johnson, 54, did not participate in any of the activity that resulted in Craig Ivon Griffen's arrest on a string of felony and misdemeanor charges including suspicion of kidnapping, false imprisonment, domestic violence and driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. Johnson was in the car when Griffen, 45, drove back to an apartment complex in the 6600 block of Sunrise Boulevard to discuss his many troubles with police officers.

Officers turned their attention to Johnson after they were finished arresting Griffen. It turned out that Johnson was on searchable probation and he was carrying an unspecified amount of suspected cocaine. The cocaine was packaged in a manner that warranted his arrest on suspicion of possession of cocaine for sale, officials said.

Both men remain in Sacramento County Jail with no projected release date. Griffen's bail is set at $90,000, Johnson's at $55,000.

In Tuxtla Gutierrez, Mexico, there's apparently zero tolerance for violent actions -- even for a donkey.

The Associated Press reports a donkey is doing time in that southern Mexico town for assault and battery after it bit and kicked two men near a ranch, police said.

Officer Sinar Gomez said the donkey will remain behind bars until its owner agrees to pay the men's medical bills.

"Around here, if someone commits a crime they are jailed," Gomez said - "no matter who they are."

Here's the story.

With gas prices soaring, there have been increasing reports of gas siphoning. According to the Associated Press, here's a another fuel thieves covet -- old cooking oil.

Restaurants from Berkeley to Sedgwick, Kan., are reporting thefts of old cooking oil worth thousands of dollars by rustlers who are refining it into barrels of biofuel in backyard stills.

Here's the AP story.

Investigators with the Cosumnes Community Services District Fire Department arrested Willie Jean Bethea, 52, left, Monday night on suspicion of arson in connection with a fire that caused major damage to an Elk Grove home earlier that day.

Bethea was a resident of the home.

The department received a call at about 6:15 about a fire at a single-story home in the 5300 block of Jade Creek Way, said Steve Capps, spokesman for the community services district. Firefighters were able to control the blaze within 20 minutes, said Capps.

A person was inside the single-story building at the time of the fire but escaped unhurt, Capps said. No injuries were reported.

The house sustained $150,000 of damage.

The Cosumnes fire department was aided by units from the Sacramento City Fire Department and the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District.

-- Bee Regional staff

From Niesha Lofing:

A Gold Hill man is facing arson charges related to a series of seven small fires set in El Dorado County this month.

Kenneth Eugene McFarland, 57, left, was arrested Sunday on suspicion of driving under the influence. He was arrested on Gold Hill Road, near the scene of a wildland fire, according to a news release by the El Dorado County District Attorney's office.

The fire followed six other small fires that began May 12.

McFarland was arrested in connection to all seven fires.

McFarland is being held in El Dorado County Jail in Placerville on multiple counts, including felony arson of forest land and felony driving under the influence with priors. His bail is set at $65,000, according to online jail information.

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and El Dorado County District Attorney's Office officials led the investigation.

The Philadelphia police commissioner on Monday fired four police officers and disciplined four others for taking part in a videotaped beating of three shooting suspects that cast the department in an embarrassing light.

Here's the Philadelphia Inquirer story.

From Niesha Lofing:

Law enforcement will be on the prowl for drunken drivers, seatbelt violators and speeders this Memorial Day weekend.

At least two sobriety checkpoints are planned for the weekend.

Sacramento police will be checking for drunken and drug-impaired drivers at a checkpoint in the east area of the city on Thursday.

The "Avoid the Eight" DUI Enforcement Task Force will conduct a DUI checkpoint from 9 p.m. Friday to 3 a.m. Saturday in Woodland. Task force officers also will be heavily patrolling Yolo County roads and highways during that time, states a Davis Police Department news release.

The task force includes officers from the California Highway Patrol, Yolo County Sheriff's Department, Yolo County Probation Department, and the Davis, West Sacramento, Winters, Woodland and UC Davis police departments.

Law enforcement also on the lookout for motorists and passengers shunning seatbelts.

CHP officers statewide will work overtime Wednesday to find and cite seatbelt and child safety seat violators, states a CHP news release.

The "Vehicle Occupant Safety Awareness and Education Day" coincides with the statewide "Click It or Ticket" campaign, which began May 12 and runs through June 2, according to a CHP news release.

Officers' overtime will be paid through a grant from the state Office of Traffic Safety.

The CHP also will be holding a maximum enforcement period Memorial Day weekend for seatbelt usage and all available officers will be patrolling the roadways beginning Friday, according to another CHP news release.

Last year, 37 people died in vehicle crashes in California over Memorial Day weekend, and at least half of those killed in CHP jurisdiction were not wearing a seatbelt, the release states.

Reader Bob Slakey of Greenhaven warns of possible scam artists representing "MedExtras Medical Offices."

A man claiming to represent that company called Slakey on Monday, saying he needed a new medical card costing $347.50. The caller said Slakey could send a check, but first needed to read off the account numbers at the bottom of the check.

Slakey asked to speak to the man's supervisor, who said the company is based in New York, but gave the wrong ZIP code for the area. Slakey didn't provide the account numbers or send any money.

Here are tips from the Better Business Bureau on how to prevent identification theft and warnings about recent scams.

From Art Campos:

Roseville police are asking the public for help in finding a man who robbed a service station of cash about 2:20 a.m. Monday.

The suspect entered the Chevron convenience store in the 1500 block of Eureka Road, approached the clerk in a threatening manner and demanded cash, said police spokeswoman Dee Dee Gunther. After taking an undisclosed amount of cash, the robber fled, she said.

No weapon or getaway vehicle was seen, and the clerk did not report being injured, Gunther said.

The suspect was described as black, in his late 20s or early 30s, about 6 feet tall and about 215 pounds. He had brown hair and brown eyes and may have had a goatee. He wore a dark-colored baseball cap with a lighter-colored bill.

He also wore a tan or brown jacket and black-and-white athletic shoes. The clerk did not notice the color of his pants.

Anyone with information is asked to call police detectives at (916) 774-5070 or the Crime Stoppers program, in which cash rewards are given for information, at (916) 783-7867.

State Franchise Tax Board officials are warning taxpayers about two scams involving
identity theft.

Here are details, as provided by the FTB:

"Taxpayers should protect their personal information and treat any unsolicited e-mails with caution," said State Controller and FTB Chair John Chiang. "Contact FTB immediately if you have any concerns."

The first scam involves an e-mail "phishing" for taxpayer data. The e-mail masquerades as offering to check the status of your state income tax refund. Scams of this nature attempt to lure people into revealing personal and financial information, such as Social Security, bank account or credit card numbers, which may be used to steal that taxpayer's identify.

The second scam involves a phony letter informing the taxpayer his or her tax return may be audited. The letter refers the taxpayer to a fake FTB address in Georgia. In addition, both the e-mail and the letter contain misspellings and grammatical errors. Taxpayers who receive such a notice should contact FTB at (800) 852-5711.

FTB has several policies in place to protect the safety and security of taxpayer information. The agency never collects confidential taxpayer information through email or phone solicitation. FTB warns taxpayers against providing personal information over the telephone or via email to those who cannot verify they are FTB employees.

Here is the FTB's Information Privacy policy

From Sandy Louey:

Elk Grove police are investigating a shooting over the weekend that injured an 18-year-old man at a party.

The incident occurred at 1:30 a.m. Sunday in a home in the 8800 block of Benson Place. There was a large group of people at the party, inside and outside the home.

Some uninvited people showed up, but weren't allowed to enter the party. One of them then fired several rounds, hitting the man, who was grazed in the upper arm, according to a police report.

Both the man and the person who fired the gun fled in different vehicles. The wounded man was stopped by officers and taken to a local hospital for treatment.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call Elk Grove police at (916) 714-5115.

Citrus Heights police received an assist from the Placer County sheriff's "Falcon 30" helicopter to run down an assault suspect Friday night after a woman was stabbed in the neck and threatened with a gun, officials said.

The action occurred about 9 p.m. when two women tried to intervene during an argument between Adrian Lamar Bradford, 20, and another woman in the parking lot of an apartment complex at 7711 Greenback Lane. The two women were hosting the party that Bradford and the other woman were attending, officials said.

More details from David Richie:

From Sandy Louey:

Elk Grove police officers arrested a 13-year-old boy who was at a dance at the Barbara Morse Wackford Community and Aquatic Complex Friday night.

Around 8:30 p.m., officers were trying to break up a large fight that had broken out during a dance organized by the Community Community Services District at the complex at 9014 Bruceville Road, said Officer Christopher Trim, spokesman for the police department.

When officers were breaking up the fight, the boy was disruptive, refused to leave and punched an officer twice, according to a police report.

The boy, who was taken to juvenile hall, was arrested on suspicion of battery against a police officer, resisting a police officer and inciting a riot, the report said.

From David Richie:

A 22-year-old Rio Linda woman has been jailed for felony hit and run with death or injury after she allegedly ran over another woman while fleeing a fight scene about 2:30 a.m. Sunday.

Officers responded to complaints about 20 people milling around in the area near Claypool and Daffodil ways in Citrus Heights. There were also additional reports that at least four people were involved in a fight in the neighborhood south of Old Auburn Road.

Meanwhile, a 26-year-old woman had walked out of her home on Daffodil Way to ask her neighbors to quiet down and was hit by the fleeing vehicle. Although her injuries seemed superficial, she was transported to Mercy San Juan Medical Center, Carmichael. Emergency room doctors soon determined that the woman had indeed suffered potentially life-threatening internal injuries if quick treatment had not been available, officials said.

Witnesses provided officers with a license plate number and a description of the driver.

Later that morning, Brandy Marie Christensen called the police department. She surrendered to officers who went to her Rio Linda home.

Jail records indicate that Christensen also was charged with misdemeanor driving with a suspended license and she was rearrested on a previous drunken driving charge. She remains in Sacramento County Jail but most likely will be released Tuesday after a court appearance.

From Niesha Lofing:

A Hummer slamming into a house interrupted a serene Sunday evening in Sacramento's Pocket Area neighborhood.

It happened around 6:53 p.m. in the 7700 block of Windbridge Drive when two men in a yellow Hummer hit the residence, said Sacramento police Officer Konrad Von Schoech.

No one was injured.

The driver and passenger ran away after the crash, Von Schoech.

Apparently the Hummer's registered owner had sold the vehicle recently and the buyers never paid. The registered owner had tried to file a stolen vehicle report with the Yuba City Police Department, Von Schoech said.

Police are looking for information about the incident and the two men involved. Anyone with information is asked to call Sacramento police at (916) 264-5471.

Del Norte County authorities are investigating a deputy shooting last week that left a suspect and his dog dead, the Associated Press reports.

Authorities say the man was in a pickup truck with Oregon plates on Highway 199, when a sheriff's deputy began pursuing him for reckless driving Friday afternoon.

Here's the story from the Daily Triplicate in Crescent City.

From David Richie:

Citrus Heights police are seeking information about a hit-and-run driver who struck a man in a wheelchair Sunday evening.

The incident occurred about 6:30 p.m. on Fair Oaks Boulevard, south of Sunrise East Way. A 25-year-old man was southbound on Fair Oaks Boulevard in the bicycle lane. A vehicle made a right turn and instead of moving into the traffic lane, the driver kept traveling along the same path as the wheelchair.

The man in the wheelchair was thrown about 15 feet. He was subsequently transported to a nearby hospital with cuts and bruises.

A witness followed the hit and run driver to Fair Oaks and Madison Avenue before losing sight of the car.

Police describe the vehicle as a gold mid- to late-1990s four-door Toyota Camry. It most likely has damage to the front and right front passenger side, officials said.

From Niesha Lofing:

West Sacramento city officials have chosen a Bay Area fireman to serve as the city's new fire chief.

Al Terrell, who is currently Newark's assistant fire chief, will start his new job as West Sacramento's fire chief June 2, states a city news release.

Terrell has worked in the fire service for 22 years in the Bay Area. While serving as assistant fire chief in Newark, Terrell oversaw the operations division and served as the department's disaster preparedness coordinator, terrorism liaison officer and public information officer.

He has a bachelor's degree in management from Saint Mary's College in Moraga.

Terrell replaces fire Chief Fred Postel, who retired earlier this year after more than 14 years with the city's fire department, the release states.

The city conducted a national search for his replacement.

From Niesha Lofing:

Be on the lookout - scam artists pretending to be area water employees are targeting elderly residents.

Earlier this month, scam artists posing as "Sacramento Water Works" staff went to the home of an elderly couple in downtown Sacramento and said they were investigating a water supply issue in the neighborhood. They asked if they could go inside the home to check the water pipes. Once inside, one scam artist asked the homeowners to run the water and kept them occupied while the other scam artist ransacked the house, states a Sacramento Police Department news release.

The thieves absconded with cash.

The scam is similar to other incidents last year in the Oak Park and north areas of the city, the release states.

According to the city's department of utilities, "Sacramento Water Works" does not exist. Utility department employees are required to wear identification bearing their name and photo and wear shirts, usually orange, with the utilities logo on the left side.

Utility employees also drive a city vehicle with the city logo on the door and they will rarely ask to come inside a home, the release states.

If a utility employee needs to enter a home, it should be prearranged through the utility department.

Anyone with information about this latest scam or who has observed similar suspicious activity is asked to call the police department at (916) 264-5471.

The Los Angeles Times reports that authorities say the fatal police shooting of a 46-year-old Samoan man in North Long Beach was necessary to subdue a violent suspect who was brawling with an officer and had grabbed his baton.

But neighbors and relatives described it as an unwarranted assault on a shirtless, unarmed man as he lay face down on a sidewalk.

Here's the story

From Niesha Lofing and Sandy Louey:

Elk Grove police are looking for a man who stole a car at gunpoint early Friday, one day after two men took the vehicle of an 84-year-old man.

Friday's carjacking occurred at 5:26 a.m. at a Shell gas station at 8607 Elk Grove Blvd., a police dispatcher said.

The carjacker, described as a black male in his 30s, was armed with a handgun when he approached a 75-year-old man in a tan, 1993 Buick Park Avenue and took his car, she said.

The victim suffered minor injuries and was taken to an area hospital.

The Buick's license plate number is 3EMX260.

On Thursday night, the carjacking took place at 5:05 p.m. in the parking lot of a shopping center at Sheldon Road and West Stockton Boulevard, according to a police report.

Two men approached the man who was sitting in his vehicle. One of the men had a kitchen knife and ordered the vehicle's owner to exit his car. The two carjackers drove away in the vehicle toward Highway 99, the report said. The stolen vehicle was later found in Sacramento.

The carjackers were described as African American men 17 to 18 years old, 140 pounds, and from 5-foot-5 to 5-foot-8, according to police.

Anyone with information on either crime is asked to call police at (916) 714-5115.

From Art Campos:

A Roseville man got his stolen car back - thanks to a little fairy.

Driving on Douglas Boulevard early Thursday evening, the car-theft victim noticed two distinctive stickers of Disney's Tinkerbell character on a nearby car in the traffic, police said. Recognizing the stickers as the ones on his Saturn sedan that had been stolen five days earlier, the man began trailing the vehicle.

The victim lost the Saturn in traffic but later spotted it parked at the Wal-Mart store on Lead Hill Boulevard, said Dee Dee Gunther, a police spokeswoman.

The man called police and continued to watch his car, she said. A woman and girl returned to the car and drove away, but police were able to locate and stop the vehicle, she said.

Inside the car, police found merchandise stolen from the Wal-Mart, Gunther said.

Arrested on suspicion of vehicle theft, burglary, possession of stolen property and contributing to the delinquency of a minor was Sandra Monique Alcala, 20, of Roseville. She was booked into the Placer County jail and held on $20,000 bail, Gunther said.

Her companion, a 17-year-old girl from Citrus Heights, was arrested on suspicion of possessing stolen property. She was released to an adult guardian on a promise to appear in court, Gunther said.

An image of one of the robbery suspects is captured by a surveillance camera as he tries to use a victim's ATM card. Photo provided by the Sacramento Police Deparment.

From Ryan Lillis:

Sacramento police are on the hunt for two men who they said are responsible for a pair of robberies in the downtown area.

The first robbery linked to the pair occurred at 2:25 a.m. May 4, when a victim was robbed at gunpoint at 18th and T streets, police said.

A second hold-up took place around 3:15 a.m. Sunday around 3:15 a.m., when a victim was robbed near 13th and H streets, according to police.

In both robberies, the victims were approached by the two men on foot. One of the men flashed a sawed-off shotgun and demanded the victim's wallet.

One of the robbers was described as a white man between age 20 and 25. He stands between 5-foot-6 and 5-foot-8 and has short brown hair. Police said he was wearing a dark hooded zip-up sweatshirt and dark pants.

His sidekick was described as a white or Latino man also between age 20 and 25. He has a shaved head, stands 5-foot-6 and was wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt.

Anyone with information on the robbers is asked to call Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

A federal court jury in Fresno found two Modesto men guilty Thursday on federal drug charges for operating a medical marijuana dispensary in the Stanislaus County community that raked in somewhere between $6 million and $9 million in less than two years of operation.

Here is the Fresno Bee story.

By Ryan Lillis:

Sacramento sheriff's deputies arrested 12 johns and seven prostitutes during a sting operation Thursday night in North Highlands, officials said.

The operation was in response to ongoing quality-of-life complaints along Watt Avenue, between Interstate 80 and Myrtle Avenue, said sheriff's Sgt. Tim Curran.

Officers from the department's Northwest Division Problem Oriented Policing team and the Special Intelligence Investigations Bureau conducted the sting, Curran said.

Added Rocklin's latest to CrimeMapper - 224 incidents.

The breakdown of crime types, with the usual caveats:

Burglary - 54
DUI - 29
Grafitti - 21
Misdemeanor Warrant - 18
Vandalism / Damage Property (plus 6 "Vandalism under $400.00" incidents) - 18

From Art Campos:

A 34-year-old man has been sentenced to eight months in the Placer County jail for exposing himself to two teenage girls and driving alongside a third girl in three incidents in Rocklin in September.

James Demetrius Singh of Roseville also was placed on three years' probation and ordered to register as a sex offender Wednesday in Placer Superior Court by Judge Eugene S. Gini.

Singh pleaded no contest on March 28 to one misdemeanor charge of indecent exposure and two misdemeanor counts of annoying or molesting children.

The incidents occurred as students were walking home from school Sept. 11, Rocklin police reported. They said Singh exposed himself to two 15-year-old girls and that a third girl came forward later to report that a man had stalked her the same day by slowly driving alongside her as she was walking home.

From Niesha Lofing:

Elk Grove police are looking for a man who stole a car at gunpoint early Friday.

The carjacking occurred at 5:26 a.m. at a Shell gas station at 8607 Elk Grove Blvd., a police dispatcher said.

The carjacker, described as a black male in his 30s, was armed with a handgun when he approached a man in a tan, 1993 Buick Park Avenue and took his car, she said.

The victim suffered minor injuries and was taken to an area hospital.

The Buick's license plate number is 3EMX260. Anyone with information should call Elk Grove police at (916) 714-5115.

Arden Arcade resident Joyce Green was the target of a suspected scam Thursday. According to Green, only an alert courtesy desk clerk at the Wal-Mart at El Camino and Watt avenues saved her from being bilked out of more than $2,000.

Here's Green's tale:

My phone rang this morning and a young male voice obviously upset, said, "Grandma, I'm in trouble." He said, "You won't be mad at me, will you?" I did reserve the right to be disappointed. It seems that he'd been out of town at a concert. Money, cash, cards etc were stolen. He and a friend needed money to get home. I asked a few questions but the situation needed to be resolved. He gave me an address and asked that I send him $2,000 in a money gram which could be purchased for cash +$50 at Wal-Mart. He would call me back in an hour for the confirmation number of the money gram.

Fortunately the young lady at the Wal-Mart courtesy desk was suspicious. She'd had a similar situation the week before in which the fellow could not spell the name of the person he was impersonating. When my call came in I told him that I could not send the money as there was a scam going on. When I asked for his cell phone number, he hung up! Later, I found that my grandson was at work. A friend at church experienced the same thing. I had never thought I was that gullible. Seniors beware!

Sacramento Police Department Sex Assaults detectives and The California Department of Corrections seek Danny Regalado on a felony no-bail arrest warrant for parole violations, fleeing parole and willfully failure to register as a sex offender.

According to authorities, Regalado cut off his Global Positioning System and fled.

Regalado, 43, is described as 5-foot-8, weighing 200 pounds and having black hair and brown eyes.

A transient, he is known to frequent the downtown Sacramento area.

For details about other wanted suspects, view the Crime Alert Web site. If you have information about any wanted person or crime, call 1-800-AA-CRIME or (916) 443-HELP.

You've heard the phrase, "Don't kill the messenger." This may be a case of stealing from the messenger in Fresno County. From the Associated Press:

Police are looking into the theft of hundreds of community newspapers after two weekly papers ran an unflattering article last week about the city of Orange Cove.

Some of the papers vanished from racks in Reedley and Orange Cove, while others were plucked straight from people's front yards.

The story that ran in both the Reedley Exponent and the Orange Cove & Mountain Times probed whether Orange Cove officials improperly declared an "emergency" to get a local BMX race track built in 2005.

Mid-Valley Publishing publisher Fred Hall says he believes the paper theft was politically motivated and is offering a $500 reward for information about who took them.

Have a question about area crime news?

Bee reporter Ryan Lillis will answer your queries on Sacto 9-1-1 about area crime trends, statistics and and other issues.

Please click here to post your question.

Adding 988 records from the Roseville PD for April 2008.

Top crimes by type:
Theft - 280
Other misdemeanor - 104
Warrant arrest - 69
DUI - 69
Vandalism - 57
Drunk in public - 51
Forgery/fraud - 48
Assault - 46

From Art Campos:

A forum about the effects of methamphetamine and other drug use on communities in Placer County has been scheduled for May 22 in Loomis.

The discussion will take place at 6:30 p.m. at Franklin School, 7050 Franklin School Road.

The forum's purpose is to increase community awareness about drug abuse, how to identify drug-related behavior and where a person can seek help.

Speakers will include Placer County Sheriff Ed Bonner, author Christy Crandell and former drug addict Leonard Brown.

More information is available by calling the sheriff's community services office at (916) 652-2400.

From David Richie:

Gold prospecting equipment was targeted in two recent thefts reported to the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office.

On Monday afternoon, a Latrobe resident told deputies that a custom-made sluice box and a pump had been taken from a spot on his property along the Cosumnes River. The box was valued at about $1,000.

The property owner said he did not think the box could have been taken out across his property and he talked with deputies about the possibility that it was floated downstream to a point where the thieves could take it out and load it into a vehicle.

A Lotus area property owner was hit even harder. On April 25, he discovered that someone had cut the lock off a his storage container off Webber Creek Road and replaced it with a new lock. He sawed that lock off and soon determined that his storage container had been ransacked.

The losses included two Keene gold dredges and their pumps, worth about $3,000 each. A $600 Keene swirl pan also was missing.

The thieves had an obvious eye for precious metal. They also rolled out six spools of copper wire each weighing about 300 pounds and worth about $500 each.

A $900 riding lawn mower also was taken from the storage container.

From Ryan Lillis:

Sacramento sheriff's homicide detectives need the public's help in identifying a woman whose remains were found in March in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

Investigators believe the woman had been dead nearly four years before a fisherman found her March 29 in the 17000 block of Tyler Island Road. The woman, who detectives said was likely the victim of a homicide, was found in dense brush.

The woman was either white or Latino and stood between 5-foot-1 inch and 5-foot-8.

She was found with a light-colored zippered Grateful Dead jacket, top, with a multi-colored band around the collar and waist area, a beaded necklace, bottom right, with a tarnished crouching frog, and a dark blue pullover sweatshirt, bottom left, with the words "Delta Fire Crew" and two crossed fireman's axes with the No. 5 on the left chest area.

Anyone with information on who the woman might be is asked to call Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

From Niesha Lofing:

Rancho Cordova police won third place in the 2007 California Law Enforcement Challenge.

The competition, sponsored by the California Highway Patrol, rewards departments with the best traffic safety programs in the state.

Agencies are judged in categories based on their size and applicants are judged based on training, public information and education, enforcement activities and effectiveness in decreasing crashes and injuries, states a Rancho Cordova Police Department news release.

This was the first time the department entered the competition.

As part of the statewide "Click It or Ticket" campaign, the California Highway Patrol is targeting people who do not buckle up when riding in a vehicle.

The CHP has designated Wednesday as a "Vehicle Occupant Safety Awareness and Education Day." Here are the details -- and some pertinent statistics -- as provied by the CHP:

"The goal of this campaign is to stress that seat belts save lives," said CHP Captain (Chuck) Chellew. "More than 30 percent of all vehicle passengers killed statewide in 2006 and 2007 were not buckled up at the time of the collision. We hope people will learn from this and take the extra seconds to put on their seat belt or properly restrain their child. There's no do over when it comes to safety."

CHP officers on grant-funded overtime, provided by the Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), will take to the road specifically looking for violations of seat belt and child safety restraint laws. "Drivers who are found not wearing their seat belt or breaking the state's child safety seat laws will be ticketed," said Captain Chellew.

According to OTS, seat belt usage by California motorists is at a record high, 94.6 percent. One of the CHP's primary goals is to raise that number even higher, an effort that will require the public's cooperation.

In 2007, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) issued 203,490 citations to drivers and passengers who failed to buckle up. That figure does not include the 16,517 tickets issued for child safety seat violations. California law requires children younger than age 6 or weighing less than 60 pounds to be properly secured in the back seat.

The Bee's Regional editions publish Public Safety Watch stories each Thursday. Here's a roundup of those stories and Police/Fire Logs, as compiled by Bee reporters:

Sacramento/North Sacramento/south Sacramento:
Best Buy employee arrested
Police/Fire Log

Arden/Carmichael:
Police/Fire Log

Elk Grove/Laguna:
Property owners told to cut overgrown weeds
Police/Fire Log

Citrus Heights/Orangevale/Fair Oaks:
Police corral SUV theft suspect after pursuit by vehicle owner
Police/Fire Log

Folsom:
Folsom honors public service feats
Police/Fire Log

Rancho Cordova/Gold River:
Police/Fire Log

South Placer County:
Buckle up, or face a citation
Police/Fire Log

El Dorado County:
Police/Fire Log

From Niesha Lofing:

South Lake Tahoe police are honoring their own during the department's annual award ceremony today. Three awards will be given this year, states a department news release.

1.) Bill Kline, a police operations worker, will receive the distinguished service award for his loyal and dedicated service to the department in recent years. Kline, who is responsible department's maintenance operations, accomplishes a wide range of tasks on a daily basis, has a positive attitude and is thorough and efficient in his job, the release states.

2.) Police Chief Terry Daniels will give a special presentation, recognizing department employees who helped safeguard South Lake Tahoe during the Angora fire.

3.) The detective bureau also will be recognized. Because of staffing shortages, the detective unit has been shrunk to a single investigator, Det. Shannon Norrgard, who has "worked tirelessly to solve nearly every major case reported within the last year," the release states. The unit's sergeant, lieutenant and other former members also will be honored.

The ceremony is scheduled at 2 p.m. at the police department, 1352 Johnson Blvd.

From Chelsea Phua:

Authorities are looking for a man who sexually assaulted a 16-year-old girl Wednesday morning in Rancho Cordova.

According to a Sacramento County Sheriff's Department news release, the girl was walking to school at about 7:40 a.m. when she passed a vehicle parked on Mills Tower Drive.

She heard two men talking in Spanish as she passed the car. One of the men offered her a ride, which she declined.

One of the men then got out of the vehicle, grabbed the girl from behind and sexually assaulted her, the sheriff's department said. The victim managed to run away from the man after a brief struggle.

The first suspect is described a Hispanic man about 5-feet-10-inches tall. He was wearing a red, button-up shirt, dark brown pants and tan construction boots. He was unshaven and had short brown hair. The victim did not see the second suspect.

Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff's department at (916) 874-5070.

Have a question about area crime news?

Bee reporter Ryan Lillis will answer your queries on Sacto 9-1-1 about area crime trends, statistics and and other issues.

Please click here to post your question.

The Associated Press neatly sums up this scrap metal theft plot. The newest metal desired -- light poles:

Police say a dimwitted scheme to steal light poles from a village storage yard has resulted in two arrests on Long Island. Nassau County Police Lt. Ray Cote said Wednesday that neighbors noticed two men carving up the aluminum poles with a cordless power tool and stashing them in a van under the cover of darkness. He says plainclothes officers arrived and caught the thieves in the act.

Cote says the government pays about $1,000 for a light pole - and thieves can get about $150 apiece by selling them for scrap metal.

Here is the full story from Newsday.

' ... Crime is a problem in North Natomas. It's a problem in South Natomas. It's a problem in Carmichael, Fair Oaks, East Sacramento, The Pocket, Greenhaven, Elk Grove, etc. Designating that 10% of all new rental housing be set aside for Section 8 tenants in North Natomas probably isn't helping matters. But then again, it's unfair to target Section 8 families for every crime problem in North Natomas ...'
-- billbird2111, commenting on Chelsea Phua and Niesha Lofing's "Body of woman, 27, is found outside her Natomas apartment" story.

From David Richie:

A theft suspect in Folsom escaped carrying a case of beer, police said.

Police were roving through the area around Prairie City and Iron Point roads around noon Wednesday, looking for the suspect who may have been involved in a fistfight and possible bicycle theft at a Chevron gas station and convenience store.

Officers took one person into custody near the Malabar restaurant. They were looking for one more person, said Michelle Beattie, police department spokeswoman.

That suspect was described as a Latino male, about 5-foot-6, wearing a tan jacket and carrying a case of beer that was somehow involved in the altercation, Beattie said.

Roseville police are seeking the public's help in finding a man who indecently exposed himself May 6 to children playing on River Oak Way.

Police said the man stopped his pickup truck at 5:35 p.m. and looked around before getting out of the vehicle and exposing himself to four girls, who were 7 to 8 years old.

Wearing only white socks, the suspect stood in the middle of the street and then got back in his truck and drove toward Misty Wood Drive, police reported.

Detective Doug Blake said the man didn't speak, smile or make any gestures.

The suspect was described as white, about 40, 6 feet tall and 180 pounds. He had short brown hair, a handlebar-type mustache and a thin build.

More details from Art Campos:

A former Placer County sheriff's deputy could face up to nearly six years in a state prison after pleading guilty to five counts involving sexual relations with underage girls, the District Attorney's Office reported.

Michael Stuart Johnson, left, agreed to the plea Thursday before Placer Superior Court Judge Robert P. McElhany, who set the sentencing date to July 16 and named retired Judge J. Richard Couzens to impose the sentence.

More details from Art Campos.

Also from Crime Alert officials:

Sacramento Police Department Public Works officers and Sacramento City Code Enforcement officers are seeking any information leading to the identity of the subject responsible for the tagging of public and private property in the North Sacramento area.

The tag "USB" has recently appeared in the Del Paso Heights, South Natomas, North Natomas and North Sacramento neighborhoods, resulting in thousands of dollars in cleanup and repainting costs.

Anyone who has information about the taggings or taggers is asked to call 1-800-AA-CRIME or (916) 443-HELP.

The Sacramento Citizens' Crime Alert Reward Program has released its updated list of the area's wanted suspects.

1.) Sacramento Police Department Career Criminal Apprehension Team detectives seek Andrea Atkins. left, on a felony no-bail arrest warrant for carrying a concealed firearm, carrying a loaded firearm and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Atkins, 26, also known as Tiffany Marquis Allen, is described as 5-foot-4, weighing 170 and having brown hair and brown eyes.

Atkins' last known address was in the 6900 block of Demaret Drive in the Golf Course Terrace neighborhood of Sacramento.

2.) Sacramento Police Department Family Abuse detectives seek Jeffery Martin Cross on a felony $200,000 bail arrest warrant for burglary, assault with a deadly weapon and making death threats.

According to authorities, the victim recently left Cross after an eight-year relationship because of his narcotics use and abusive behavior. At 11 p.m. April 23, Cross, wearing a black ski mask, reportedly entered the victim’s residence and bedroom, woke her and threatened to kill her. The victim barricaded her home after the incident.

At 9:25 p.m. May 3, Cross reportedly kicked in the rear door of the residence and attacked the victim with his hands and a broken wood 2-by-4. Cross fled in a light blue Kia four-door vehicle with California license plate No. 5 JDW 958.

Cross, 43, also known as Jeffery Martin Hallen, is described as 6-foot-2 weighing 195 pounds with blond hair and green eyes. Cross is listed as a transient. Authorities say he has an extensive and violent criminal history, and exhibits violent behavior toward law enforcement officers and prison guards.

For more details about these and other wanted suspects, view the Crime Alert Web site. If you have information about any wanted person or crime, call 1-800-AA-CRIME or (916) 443-HELP.

Police say an international lottery scam has bilked a 90-year-old San Carlos woman out of more than $400,000.

According to the San Jose Mercury News, the woman told police someone called her in January saying she had won a lottery, but that taxes and processing fees needed to be paid in advance because the winnings would come from another country.

Over the next four months, she sent more than 20 payments to addresses in Bulgaria and Israel.

Here's the rest of the Mercury News story.

Have a question about area crime news?

Bee reporter Ryan Lillis will answer your queries on Sacto 9-1-1 about area crime trends, statistics and and other issues.

Please go to www.sacbee.com/ask to post your question.

From Stan Oklobdzija:

The Rancho Cordova Police Department seeks three men who robbed a woman at gunpoint on Saturday night just down the block from the police station.

At 11:55 p.m., a 26-year-old woman was approached by three men at the 3300 block of Mather Field Road, according to a report.

One of the men, described as a black male between 18 to 25 years old standing about 6-feet-tall and weighing about 200 pounds pointed a shotgun at the woman while his accomplices robbed her, the report said.

Police are asking anyone with information to call (916) 362-5115 or Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP.

From Stan Oklobdzija:

It didn't take a Sherlock Holmes to crack this stolen-car caper.

At about 12:40 a.m. May 6, Sacramento County Sheriff's Deputies stopped Joseph Sixtoe, 26, at the 3000 block of Stanton Circle near Fair Oaks Boulevard in Carmichael for driving a car with no front license plate, according to a sheriff's report.

After Sixtoe told the deputy he didn't have a driver's license, he ran the car's VIN number which showed a different license plate than the one screwed on to the back of the car, according to the report.

Trusting his gut, the deputy checked the car's VIN number against a list of stolen cars and sure enough, found it reported stolen.

Upon searching the car, deputies found the classic tools of the trade for a car thief -- shaved keys, a screwdriver and wire, the report said.

Sixtoe was arrested on suspicion of possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of burglary tools and probation violation, the report said.

Scrap metal thieves have even infiltrated military bases, according to an Associated Press report from Twentynine Palms in San Bernardino County:

Hundreds of Marines were conducting a combat training mission in the Mojave Desert when an air patrol spotted something kicking up dust: A civilian pickup truck speeding across the barren landscape.

Behind the wheel was a suspected scrap metal thief who had been combing the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center for spent brass shell casings. His intrusion onto the base was the 12th time in six months that scavengers had inadvertently halted combat exercises.

"This is not just some petty crime. This is dangerous business," said Andy Chatelin, director of range management at Twentynine Palms, which at 932 square miles is the world's largest Marine Corps base.

Here's the rest of the story.

From Art Campos:

A Roseville motorist ran a red light Monday - and ended up in jail.

After stopping the man on the freeway, a Roseville police officer discovered the driver had a suspended license and that the vehicle, a Honda Accord, had been stolen, said Dee Dee Gunther, a department spokeswoman.

Gunther said a license plate from a different Honda had been placed on the car, but a check of the vehicle's identification number revealed that the car had been reported stolen April 23 in Roseville.

"It wasn't his lucky night," Gunther said of the driver. "I guess if you're going to drive a stolen vehicle, you should obey the rules of the road."

The incident occurred shortly after 1:30 a.m. when a Roseville officer noticed that the driver ignored a red light and made a right turn from Orlando Avenue onto Auburn Boulevard and then onto eastbound Interstate 80, Gunther said.

Arrested on suspicion of driving with a suspended license, auto theft and possession of burglar's tools was Michael Ray Eberhardt, 36.

Folsom police have dealt with 19 traffic collisions from Thursday through Sunday, according to incident logs posted today.

Bicycle riders were involved in three of those collisions.

Two bike riders were struck Thursday. The first collision happened about 7:10 a.m. on Iron Point Road and Oak Avenue Parkway. The second car vs. bicycle collision occurred about 3:45 p.m. near Riley Street and Wales Drive. A third bicyclist was transported to the hospital about 5:20 a.m. Friday after being hit near Sibley Street and Levy Road.

More details from David Richie:

From Sandy Louey:

An Elk Grove man recovered his stolen golf clubs Monday with a little detective work.

The man, whose golf clubs were stolen Sunday from the Cordova Golf Course in Rosemont, went on Craigslist that night and found a set of clubs for sale that matched his, according to a report from the Elk Grove Police Department.

The man responded to the listing and agreed to meet the seller Monday at the Emerald Lakes Golf Course in Elk Grove to examine the clubs, the report said.

He then contacted the police, who were there when Bryan Sughrue drove into the parking lot and removed the man's stolen golf clubs from the trunk, according to reports.

Sughrue, 27, of Elk Grove, was arrested on suspicion of receiving stolen property and violating probation.

From Sandy Louey:

The Cosumnes Community Services District Fire Department and the Murphy 400 Fund will host a community blood drive from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.

The drive is at Fire Station 71, 8760 Elk Grove Blvd. No appointment is necessary and donors will receive a BloodSource T-shirt.

The Murphy 400 Fund is a BloodSource donor club started by Tim Murphy of Elk Grove, who set out to collect 400 pints of blood before his 40th birthday last May. By his 40th birthday, 619 pints were donated to the fund.

Prospective donors must be in generally good health, free from cold symptoms for at least 48 hours, be at least 17 years old (16 years old with parental consent); and weigh at least 110 pounds.

Donors also must bring a photo ID.

Blue Lake's former police chief faces an additional 14 charges, bringing the total to 33 counts of rape, weapons possession and witness coercion, the Associated Press reports.

David Gundersen pleaded not guilty to all counts at his arraignment Monday.

Blue Lake is a city of 1,000-plus people east of Arcata.

Here is the Eureka Times-Standard's story.

You've might of read this cautionary cell phone brief today on Page A4 of The Bee: A businessman who refused to get off his cell phone during a flight was arrested when his flight landed in Dallas.

According to the police report, Mr. Jones was asked to turn off his cellphone and responded, "Kiss my [expletive]." When asked again, he said, "Kiss my [expletive]. Not happening."

Here are more details from the Dallas Morning News.

The Associated Press reports that law enforcement officials are crediting a tip with helping them track down a Santa Rosa man suspected of stabbing his girlfriend to death.

After getting a lead that Honorio "Victor" Pantaleon was headed to a family member's home, Mendocino County authorities arrested him Monday night in Ukiah.

Here's the Santa Rosa Press Democrat story.

Following up on Tuesday's post:

Elk Grove police are investigating the third spate of BB gun vandalism in the city within two weeks.

The latest occurrences were reported to police Saturday. The windows of five vehicles were shot out with a BB gun overnight. The incidents occurred in various locations in the city, according to a police report.

Nine vehicles, parked on streets near Franklin and Laguna boulevards, were hit with BB guns on April 25. Another 11 vehicles were vandalized May 1-3 in Elk Grove east of Highway 99.

Police encourage residents to call 911 if they hear or see anything suspicious.

-- Sandy Louey

From Sandy Louey:

A 19-year-old man was arrested Sunday night for an attempted carjacking in Elk Grove.

Xavier Vasquez was a passenger in a vehicle that chased after a woman driving in the 5200 block of Laguna Woods Drive around 11:50 p.m., according to a police report.

After the woman turned down a side street to avoid Vasquez, he and another person approached her car and began punching the windows. The woman, who feared for her safety, believed they were going to take her vehicle, the report said.

The woman drove away. The other vehicle chased after her until it collided with a parked vehicle. Vasquez and others in the vehicle tried to set it on fire and then ran away.

A K-9 unit apprehended Vasquez, who was arrested on suspicion of attempted carjacking and resisting a peace officer.

Vasquez, who was being held on $50,000 bail, is scheduled to be in court Wednesday.

Citrus Heights police arrested four suspected drunken drivers, had 20 vehicles towed and wrote 41 traffic tickets for various violations Saturday night.

Officers selected the westbound lanes of Madison Avenue near San Juan Avenue for their latest DUI checkpoint. Officers also worked overtime in patrol vehicles to target drunken drivers.

Residents can expect to see DUI checkpoints somewhere in the city for the rest of the summer, officials said.

They are using a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety to cover the costs of the additional enforcement effort.

The officers' sense of urgency was increased Saturday because the city had just experienced an alcohol-related traffic fatality and another crash that could easily have been a fatality, said Sgt. Eric Mattke, police traffic unit supervisor.

Both incidents were solo motorcycle crashes.

More details from David Richie:

A 21-year-old Citrus Heights man remains in jail today, facing four felony charges, after being chased for several miles by an alleged car theft victim who wanted his sports utility vehicle back.

Timothy Lynn "Thumper" Carroll was booked into Sacramento County Jail early Saturday on suspicion of vehicle theft, assault with a deadly weapon, vandalism and possessing stolen property.

The assault charge was filed because at one point during the chase, Carroll tried to ram the pursuing vehicle. The vandalism occurred when the chase blew through the grounds of Mesa Verde High School and several gates were damaged, officials said.

More details from David Richie:

From Sandy Louey:

Area police departments began a crackdown on seat belt scofflaws Monday as part of a statewide campaign.

The statewide "Click It or Ticket" enforcement program, which focuses on encouraging seat belt use, continues until June 1.

More than 280 law enforcement agencies are participating in this year's campaign. Grant money that helps pay for officer overtime during the campaign comes from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

California has the country's fourth-highest seat belt use rate at 94.6 percent. State law requires everyone in a car to wear a seat belt at all times.

Tickets for not wearing a seat belt range from $80 to $91 for adults and $330 to $401 for children under age 16, depending on the county.

Here are some additional seat belt facts and figures, as provided by the Elk Grove Police Department:

With Monday marking the official start of fire season in California, Sacramento fire officials are urging residents to take measures to keep themselves, their families and their property safe.

Lack of rainfall has already become the anticipated evil doer of fire season.

"Everything is dry and we didn't get the water that everyone wanted and that's huge," said Sacramento Fire Department Capt. Jim Doucette. "And with budget cuts too, that's going to have some kind of effect. We're keeping our fingers crossed."

More details from Niesha Lofing:

From the Santa Rosa Press Democrat:

A Santa Rosa man is being sought by police in Santa Rosa and Mendocino County today after he allegedly stabbed his girlfriend to death and then drove north to Ukiah to assault the woman's mother, police officials said.

Honorio Pantaleon, left, 30, is being sought in connection with the homicide. Pantaleon and the woman have two children together under age 5. Detectives were withholding the name of the deceased woman but said the children were safe with family members.

Here are more details from the Press Democrat.

From Niesha Lofing:

Wondering what all that commotion was about Monday morning in a neighborhood near Ambassador and Rossmoor drives in Rancho Cordova?

Turns out it was a dud pipe bomb.

Someone found a PVC pipe with a burnt fuse around 9:38 a.m. and called authorities.

Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies responded and evacuated several houses in the neighborhood, said Sgt. Tim Curran.

The Explosive Ordnance Division also responded, collected the object and rendered it safe at the scene using a robot, he said.

The situation was over in about an hour.

Two teenagers were found dead in a Chester home Sunday, and the girl's former boyfriend has been arrested in connection with the double homicide, authorities said Monday.

Steven Daniel Furtado, left, and Jennifer Carmen Carrigan, both 18, were found dead by Carrigan's mother in a home on Aldon Way about 12:30 p.m., according to the Plumas County Sheriff's Department. The cause of death has not been determined.

Read M.S. Enkoji and Ryan Lillis' story for more details.

As reported Friday, the Yolo County District Attorney's Elder Protection Unit will sponsor presentations on how to guard older adults from crime and abuse at various venues this month.

Here are the times, dates and location of the events:

5 p.m. May 20 - Identity theft awareness presentation and video, Lincoln Gardens Senior Apartments, 836 W. Lincoln Ave., Woodland, during the complex's potluck.

9:30 a.m. May 30 - Fraud awareness presentation, Cross Court Athletic Club, 433 W. Cross Street, Woodland, during their senior breakfast club.

3:30 p.m. May 30 - West Sacramento Senior Center, 664 Cummins Way, West Sacramento, during the center's "Celebration of Older Americans."

For information or to schedule a presentation on protecting the elderly from crime, call Dave Edwards, an enforcement officer with the DA's elder protection unit, at (530) 666-8180.

Two Kansas City men who authorities say scanned local obituary pages to find potential targets for their home burglary spree have been convicted in a Platte County court.

"It's hard to imagine a more cruel and heartless burglary scheme than this one," Platte County Prosecutor Eric Zahnd said in a statement. "Picking out a home to break into because the owner is at a funeral reveals a complete lack of any conscience whatsoever."

Here are more details from the Kansas City Star.

Four drivers were arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence of alochol or drugs during a traffic checkpoint Saturday night in Citrus Heights, authorities report.

The checkpoint took place from 8 p.m. Saturday to 1 a.m. Sunday on Madison and San Juan avenues, according to a Citrus Heights Police Department news release.

Other checkpoint totals: Twenty vehicles were towed, 41 citations were written and, a total of 1,502 cars drove through the checkpoint and officers contacted 685 drivers.

Citrus Heights Police have several more checkpoints scheduled in the upcoming months.

From Ryan Lillis:

Three teenagers were arrested Thursday night in connection with the drive-by shooting death of a man in Linda, Yuba County Sheriff Steve Durfor said.

In a news release issued Friday, Durfor said the boys were arrested on suspicion of homicide in connection with the killing of a 29-year-old man near Yuba Community College.

The suspects are a 16-year-old boy from Sacramento, a 16-year-old boy from Olivehurst and a 14-year-old Marysville boy, Durfor said. The boys were booked into Bi-County Juvenile Hall in Marysville.

Following the shooting of Raymond Castro of Marysville on Thursday, sheriff's deputies found the suspects' silver Honda abandoned in a nearby parking lot, Durfor said. SWAT officers from Yuba and Sutter counties then searched neighborhood apartments until finding all three boys, he said.

The drive-by was the fifth in Yuba County this year, but the first with a reported injury, Durfor said. The sheriff described the recent drive-by shootings as "sad and disturbing."

The Arcata Police Department is investigating the links in three robberies in which the suspect brandished a can of pepper spray.

Here's the Eureka Times-Standard's story.

From Niesha Lofing:

Concerned about protecting yourself or an elderly family member from crime? The Yolo County District Attorney's Elder Protection Unit can help.

The District Attorney's staff will be holding presentations on how to guard older adults from crime and abuse at various venues this month, states a news release from the Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig's office.

The presentations is in recognition of May being Older Americans Month.

Older adults are vulnerable to financial abuse and physical, sexual and emotional abuse, the release states.

Victims of elder and dependant adult abuse crimes span the spectrum of race, religion, gender and socio-economic status. Given the projected increase of the elderly population in Yolo County - between 1990 and 2020, the population of those ages 60 and older is expected to rise nearly 100 percent, and those 85 and older are expected to increase nearly 200 percent - education of how to protect older adults is important, the release states.

Dave Edwards, an enforcement officer with the DA's elder protection unit, said older adults in particular are targets for identity theft and financial type crime.

"One (reason) is that they have a nest egg that they've accumulated over many years," he said. "Crooks all over know this and with California having more people over the age of 65 than any other state, we're a real target."

More details about the events:

"It's prohibition all over again! Get rid of the criminals, not the beer."
-- woodie1, commenting on Cathy Locke's story about the Rancho Cordova City Council's refusal to allow a neighborhood grocery store in a high-crime area to add beer and wine to its inventory.

From David Richie:

Folsom officials and co-workers have honored police officers, firefighters, civilian employees, and residents for exceptional service - often provided at great personal risk.

Awards were given during a city luncheon last week, and more details about some of the recipients were released Thursday.

A drunken driver narrowly missed resident and Citizen Award recipient Dava Tennant before plowing into another vehicle near Blue Ravine Road and Russi Road about 3 p.m. Feb. 4, officials said. The DUI driver's car caught fire and Tennant moved quickly to pull the stunned man out of the vehicle. She then returned to the wreckage to assist the driver of the other vehicle.

The DUI driver walked away from the accident scene when he regained consciousness. Tennant then worked with responding police officers, giving them a complete description that allowed officers to arrest the man a short time later, officials said.

Here are more details about the honorees' actions:

Allowing a neighborhood grocery store to add beer and wine to its inventory would only aggravate problems in a high-crime area, Rancho Cordova officials say.

But supporters of Coloma Grocery's effort to obtain a liquor license accused the city of unfairly penalizing a business owner who has done no wrong.

The City Council earlier this week refused to issue a letter in support the storeowners' license application for the off-sale of beer and wine, citing an undue concentration of businesses that sell alcohol.

The store, at 2225 McGregor Drive, also is in a high-crime district, defined as a crime-reporting district where the number of reported crimes per year exceeds the citywide average by more than 20 percent.

Read the rest of Cathy Locke's story.

Sacramento County is slated to receive the largest chunk -- $170,000 -- of a $500,000 settlement resulting from a 12-county environmental protection case against Jiffy Lube International.

The case involved Jiffy Lube's inappropriate disposal of hazardous waste - primarily used and unused motor oil and antifreeze - under the state's hazardous waste control law, Sacramento County District Attorney Jan Scully announced earlier this week in a news release.

Scully's office led the multi-county case.

More details from Niesha Lofing:

Seven more Philadelphia police officers were removed from active duty Thursday in the probe of the news video that shows police beating and kicking three shooting suspects after a car chase Monday night, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Here's the story.

Add Little League fields to the list of victims in the wave of metal thefts.

The Ventura County Star reports that the Ventura Coastal Little League has to reschedule games and shift fields after thieves struck an electrical vault at park last week, stealing copper wires and controllers from the park's electrical system.

Here's the story

The Sacramento County Sheriff's Department released a photo of Monica Espinosa, who was booked Thursday on suspicion of resisting arrest, assault with intent to commit great bodily injury on an officer and violation of parole.

Authorities said the 23-year-old woman, part of a trio trying to break into a car near a south Sacramento apartment complex early Thursday, drove a sport-utility vehicle at two sheriff's deputies and was shot in both legs.

Here's Ryan Lillis and Niesha Lofing's story.

To keep thieves from getting underneath his pickup again, Aaron Hecock built an impromptu anti-theft device in front of his Del Paso Manor neighborhood home. Photo by Bryan Patrick/bpatrick@sacbe.com

We've chronicled the rash of metal thefts statewide, and they continue seemingly unabated. In Ramon Coronado's story about catalytic converter thefts in the Del Paso Manor neighborhood in the Arden Arcade area, he details Aaron Hecock's plight to thwart thieves.

In the Bay Area, no metal seems out of play. As reported by Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle, among the items thieves have targeted are copper wiring along the Richmond Parkway, two nearly century-old bronze plaques from the Shakespeare Garden in Golden Gate Park and 200 little graveside bronze flower vases from Rolling Hills Memorial Park cemetery in Richmond.

'I hope this will cause the car thieves in my area to think twice about breaking into my neighbors cars. I am also very glad that a individual was aware enough to notice that someone was breaking into a car at 3:30 in the morning. I would like a neighbor like you.'
MJORDAN3, commenting on Niesha Lofing's 'Suspect shot by deputy responding to burglary in south Sacramento' story

From Niesha Lofing:

A Sacramento man was convicted Wednesday of kidnapping and sexually assaulting two women more than eight years after the crimes occurred, thanks to the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office DNA cold hit program.

Anton A. Johnson kidnapped and sexually assaulted two different women in March 1999 and April 2000. Johnson was a stranger to each victim, who each immediately reported the crimes to law enforcement and underwent exams for DNA evidence collection, states a news release from Sacramento County District Attorney Jan Scully's office.

In 2004, law enforcement officials were told that the DNA in both cases matched, but they did not know the identity of the suspect.

In July 2006, the DNA cold hit program identified Johnson as the suspect, the release states.

Detectives reopened the case and located both victims. Johnson was arrested in August 2006.

Johnson will be sentenced June 10 in Sacramento Superior Court.

From Niesha Lofing:

Sacramento police conducted a sobriety checkpoint in the south area Saturday night and netted three arrests for their efforts.

Of the 278 vehicles that passed through the checkpoint from 9:04 p.m. to 11:58 p.m. on Franklin Boulevard and 26th Avenue, 13 drivers were stopped for roadside sobriety tests, according to a news release.

Three drivers were arrested for driving under the influence and four motorists were cited for being unlicensed or having expired or suspended driver's licenses.

Six vehicles were towed, the release states.

An update to Wednesday's post about the Philadelphia police officers kicking and beating three men pulled from a car during a traffic stop.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports today that a police sergeant and five officers have been removed from street duty in connection with Monday night's violent arrest of the three shooting suspects.

Here's the story

The Bee's Regional editions publish Public Safety Watch stories each Thursday. Here's a roundup of those stories and Police/Fire Logs, as compiled by Bee reporters:

Sacramento/North Sacramento/south Sacramento:
Two arrested after North Highlands traffic stop
Police/Fire Log

Arden/Carmichael:
Rash of catalytic converter thefts hit Del Paso Manor neighborhood
Two arrested after police suspect drug deal
Police/Fire Log

Elk Grove/Laguna:
Eighteen arrested in unlicensed worker sting
Police/Fire Log

Citrus Heights/Orangevale:
Motorcycle owner helps police nab suspect
Police/Fire Log

Folsom:
Armed robberies may be related, police say
Police/Fire Log

Rancho Cordova/Gold River:
Rancho Cordova police officer reels in drunken driving suspects fulltime
Police/Fire Log

South Placer:
Lincoln targets street gangs
Local law enforcement officers to tackle former NFL players
Police/Fire Log

El Dorado:
Police/Fire Log

The Sacramento Bee's Arrest Log database for 2008 has been updated through April 29.

Sacramento police have arrested a 20-year-old man in connection with the death of his friend who he said fell into the Sacramento River, authorities said.

Richard David Froemke was arrested Wednesday evening on a felony charge of nonvehicular involuntary manslaughter, according to online jail records. He was being held in lieu of a $30,000 bail.

Froemke had told police that he saw his friend, Robert Alexander Rodriguez, 20, left, of Sacramento, fall into the river while they were walking on the I Street bridge about 7:30 p.m. April 10.

Froemke told police he searched the river for hours, but his friend did not resurface. Froemke did not report Rodriguez missing until four days later.

Rodriguez's body was found floating about 50 to 100 yards south of the I Street bridge on April 17, according to a department statement released that day.

Froemke's next court date is scheduled for May 9.

-- Bee Metro Staff

From Ryan Lillis:

If you're going to be a good Samaritan, do it sober.

That's the lesson one man was taught Monday night when he tried to help someone who was fleeing a group of attackers in Sacramento's Oki Park.

According to Sacramento police, several people called 911 about 9:15 p.m. to report a fight inside the park in the city's College/Glen neighborhood. Police said the victim was approached by several suspects, who started yelling at the man.

Eventually the confrontation turned physical. The man was attacked and, as he tried to flee, several suspects jumped onto his car and kicked out several of the windows.

A police helicopter was the first on the scene. As the copter arrived, the suspects took off. The helicopter tracked one group of cars fleeing the scene and then keyed in on a white SUV that "was driving erratically and appeared to be trying to flee the area," according to police reports.

The helicopter followed the SUV to an apartment complex on nearby La Riviera Drive, where officers on the ground caught up to the driver, police said. Turns out, the driver was a good Samaritan trying to help the victim get away.

But, according to police records, "unfortunately the good Samaritan was intoxicated and blew a .18 blood alcohol level," which is more than twice the legal limit. The driver was arrested for driving while under the influence. His name was not listed in police records.

From Ryan Lillis:

A mugger in Meadowview knocked down an 80-year-old woman and grabbed her purse Monday night, according to Sacramento police.

Police said the street thief forced his victim to the ground at about 9:23 p.m. on the 7300 block of 24th Street. The mugger took the woman's purse and ran off.

The victim received some minor scrapes in the attack, police said. She was only able to describe the robber as a tall man.

Starting to add 3,167 reports from the Sheriff's department to CrimeMapper

Some rough analysis. Top 10 types of reports:

PC 459 Burglary - 769
PC 488 Petty Theft - 289
PC 487 Grand Theft - 203
PC 594(A) Vandalism - 158
PC 211 Robbery Apparent Minor Injury - 100
PC 273.5 Inflict Crpl Inj Sp/Cohab Apparent Minor Injury - 87
PC 594(B)(1) Vandalism ($400 Or More) - 82
PC 647(F) Disorderly Conduct:Public Intoxication - 73
PC 242 Battery Apparent Minor Injury - 66
PC 484G Thft:Use Access Card Data - 61

Again, these numbers aren't gospel. It's a simple group-by query, so it would count "burglary" and "burgalry" as two different types of crime reports, even though the difference is only a typo. Also, the monthly updates sometimes contain days from the end of last month.

5,839 reports being added to CrimeMapper as I type.

What did the reports consist of? When I run a 'group by' query over the report definitions, it shows 341 different types of reports.

Here are the top 10 types of reports:

10851(A)VC TAKE VEH W/O OWNER - 384
459 PC BURGLARY RESIDENCE - 322
459 PC BURGLARY VEHICLE - 307
MISSING PERSON - 299
TRAFFIC ACCIDENT-NON INJURY - 156
TRAFFIC ACCIDENT INJURY - 148
273.5(A) BEAT SPOUSE/CO-HABITA - 146
594(B)(2)(A) VANDALISM/ -$400 - 142
484 PC PETTY THEFT - 125
459 PC BURGLARY BUSINESS - 122

And what kind of incidents generated just a single report each? There were lots, and sometimes the same kind of crime report have different descriptions because of typos or different wording. But here's a few that seem unique:

602.1(A)TRES OBST BUSIN OPERAT
BIAS - GAY/LESBIAN - I RPT
601(A) WI JUVENILE INCORRIGIBL
212.5(B) ROB-VICINITY OF ATM
REAL ESTATE FRAUD I RPT

FYI, "I RPT" means, in the words of SPD Sgt. Matt Young, "The elements required to establish that a crime occurred are not present, but we still want to document the incident."

The Sacramento Citizens' Crime Alert Reward Program has released its updated list of the area's wanted suspects.

Sacramento Police Department Career Criminal Apprehension Team Detectives seek Vincent Gonzalez, left, on a felony no-bail arrest warrant for attempted murder and burglary. On Oct. 7, 2007, police officers were called to the 400 block of Peralta Avenue in the Gardenland area about a stabbing that just occurred. Upon arriving, officers found the victim with stab wounds to his abdomen and his left arm. Gonzalez, 32, is described as 5-foot-11 weighing 185 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. He is known to frequent the Northgate Boulevard/El Camino Avenue area of Sacramento.

Sacramento Police Department robbery detectives seek Clarence Holmes on a felony $50,000 bail arrest warrant for robbery. Holmes, 25, is described as 5-foot-11 weighing 165 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. His last known address is in the 7000 block of Demaret Drive in the Golf Course Terrace neighborhood of Sacramento.

For more details about these and other wanted suspects, view the Crime Alert Web site. If you have information about any wanted person or crime, call 1-800-AA-CRIME or 916-443-HELP.

Here's a warning to parents -- and teens -- about the dangers of binge drinking:

The Santa Rosa Press Democrat reports that an invitation to a party for teens in Rohnert Park left one 15-year-old girl nearly dead from alcohol poisoning and several others extremely intoxicated, police said Tuesday.

Rohnert Park police say the 15-year-old girl's blood-alcohol content was 0.578 -- seven times the level for drunken driving -- when she was hospitalized over the weekend.

Here's the Press Democrat story

From Dan Nguyen:

The Wall Street Journal fronts a behind-the-scene account of the Uma Thurman stalker trial; one of its own reporters was a juror.

A good read if you're an Uma Thurman fan or curious how a jury distinguishes
between a charge of aggravated harassment and stalking.

Was Mr. Jordan simply a lovestruck fan with an odd sense of humor and no sense of boundaries, as the defense argued? Or was he a threat who should face jail time?

Tuesday around lunchtime, my fellow 11 jurors and I -- including two
lawyers, a former editor for the TV show "Wife Swap" and a rock-show caterer
-- convicted him on one count of stalking and one count of aggravated
harassment. We acquitted on two aggravated-harassment counts. Mr. Jordan
faces up to a year in prison.

Getting there took us about seven hours of deliberation, spread over two
days, starting Monday afternoon. Our debate centered on a surprisingly
complex question: Where is the line between obsession and menace?

From Ryan Lillis:

Another serial bank robber is on the loose in Sacramento. Dubbed the "Grocery List Bandit" by the FBI, he has robbed three grocery stores and tried to hit another over the past two months, authorities said.

The string started March 17 when the suspect robbed the Bank of America inside Save Mart at 2501 Fair Oaks Blvd, according to the FBI.

On April 18, the man struck again, hitting the Wells Fargo inside Raley's at 3518 Marconi Ave., the FBI said.

According to the FBI, the same man tried to knock over the U.S. Bank inside Save Mart at 2735 Marconi Ave. on Tuesday but was unsuccessful. That same day, he is suspected of robbing the Wells Fargo inside Raley's at 7847 Lichen Drive (above photo).

The robber has used a note to demand his loot in each robbery, and no weapons have been seen.

The FBI described the robber as an African American with a light complexion in his early 20s. He is 6 feet tall and has a slim build.

From Niesha Lofing:

A former "Baywatch" actor who gained fame running on the beach was caught running from the law recently in Placerville.

Jose Rafael Solano Jr., 37, left, was arrested on suspicion of burglary April 28 after allegedly stealing sheets of tattoo patterns from Hangtown Tattoo and fleeing through town, said Placerville Police Department Capt. Mike Scott.

David Cameron, the tattoo business's owner, called police about 7:25 p.m. to report that a man had entered his business and taken 50 sheets of tattoo patterns without paying for them, Scott said.

When Cameron went outside to confront him, Solano became angry and allegedly threatened Cameron with physical violence.

Cameron called police and gave them a description of Solano and the vehicle he fled in, Scott said.

Officers stopped Solano's vehicle on Main Street, east of Cedar Ravine Road. Cameron and another witness were brought to the traffic stop and they identified Solano as the person who allegedly took the patterns.

Officers found the tattoo patterns in Solano's vehicle, he said.

Solano was booked into El Dorado County Jail in Placerville on suspicion of burglary and failing to stop after damaging property. He posted the $10,000 bail the same day he was arrested, an El Dorado County Superior Court clerk said.

Solano is scheduled to be arraigned at 8:30 a.m. June 3 in Superior Court, she said.

Police are still investigating the incident, along with allegations that Solano backed into a light pole on Main Street and damaged it just before police stopped him, Scott said.

Solano played lifeguard "Manny Gutierrez" on "Baywatch" from 1996 to 1999 and also has appeared on the TV drama "Jag," according to the Internet Movie Database's Web site.

As detailed today on Page A6 of The Bee, a half-dozen police officers kicked and beat three men pulled from a car during a traffic stop as a TV helicopter taped the confrontation.

The Associated Press reported this morning that more than a dozen police officers will be taken off the street as authorities investigate the video, the mayor's office said.

"At a glance it does appear to be a bit beyond the pale," said Doug Oliver, a spokesman for Mayor Michael Nutter. "Officers are not allowed to operate outside of the law."

Oliver said that, while the use of force appeared excessive, the public should withhold judgment until all the facts are known.

"We are not going to prejudge the situation based on the video," he said. "We all saw the video, but none of us was there."

Below is the video. Here is the Philadelphia Inquirer story about the incident.

Pomona City Council members on Monday unanimously approved an urgency ordinance that essentially prevents additional registered sex offenders from moving into the Sourthern California city.

Here's the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin story.

Local and state law enforcement officials will be remembering officers killed in the line of duty in a series of events beginning today in Sacramento.

The Sacramento County Sheriff's Department will be dedicating its Memorial Rose in commemoration of Detective Vu D. Nguyen at 9 a.m. today at the Sheriff's Rose Garden, 1000 River Walk Way, according to a news release.

A new plaque also will be dedicated in memory of Nguyen at noon during the sixth annual Remembrance Ceremony at the Sacramento Police and Sheriff's Memorial, 500 Arden Way.

More details from Niesha Lofing:

From Niesha Lofing:

A Tahoe City man is being held on $1 million bail in Placer County Jail after being arrested for allegedly raping a 15-year-old girl.

Kenneth Rockwell Seymour, 55, left, was arrested at his home in the Dollar Point area April 26, the morning after the rape allegedly occurred, according to a sheriff's news release.

Placer County Sheriff's deputies learned of the alleged incident after a family member of the girl called 9-1-1.

Seymour also allegedly provided the girl with alcohol, the release states.

Seymour faces several charges, including two counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor, two counts of sexual intercourse with an intoxicated victim, two counts of an adult having sex with a minor and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, the release states.

Seymour, whose home is located in an enclave of luxury rental homes about 2 miles from Tahoe City, also lives part-time in Nevada.

From the San Francisco Chronicle:

The state Department of Justice's DNA laboratory in Richmond will double the number of DNA samples it processes starting next year when its newly expanded lab begins receiving samples from everyone arrested for a felony in California, Attorney General Jerry Brown said Monday.

The state lab, which houses more than 1 million DNA profiles of offenders, has the third-largest DNA database in the world, after national databases in the United States and England.

Here's the Chronicle's story

From Art Campos:

Roseville police said two men were arrested Monday, thanks to the efforts of a citizen who saw two men taking speakers from a vehicle in a parking lot.

The woman provided a description of the suspects' vehicle, enabling police to find and stop it on Stanford Ranch Road, said Dee Dee Gunther, a police spokeswoman. The stolen speakers were found in the back seat of the men's vehicle, she said.

The theft occurred shortly before 3 p.m. at the Home Depot parking lot at 10001 Fairway Drive, she said.

Arrested on suspicion of grand theft, conspiracy and possession of burglar's tools were Chad Albert Snodgrass, 24, and Bryan W. Rapp, 22, both of Citrus Heights.

Rapp also had a no-bail felony warrant for his arrest in previous theft cases, Gunther said.

From Bill Lindelof:

Folsom police say that a missing 83-year-old woman has been found in the same mobile home park where she was last seen -- apparently after falling down and spending the night outdoors.

Phyllis Hoel was last seen around 1 p.m. Monday near her home in the Pinebrook Mobile Home Park on Folsom-Auburn Road and Pinebrook Drive, according to a police news release. She was reported missing Tuesday by a family member.

Police said Tuesday that she was found at 12:57 p.m. behind a mobile home on Willowood Way. It is believed that she lost her balance and fell when attempting to walk up some stairs to the home.

Hoel, who is legally blind, fell behind the home against a two-foot-high rock wall and spent the night in the elements. Other than some back pain, she was in good spirits and alert.

From Sandy Louey:

Elk Grove police are investigating a new wave of BB gun vandalism.

The windows of 11 vehicles were shot out with a BB gun last week.

The vandalism occurred Thursday through Saturday in Elk Grove east of Highway 99.

The incidents likely occurred late at night, said Christopher Trim, spokesman for the Police Department. Trim said no other crimes such as vehicle thefts or break-ins were associated with the vandalism.

Trim said it was unknown if these incidents were connected to a spate of vandalism on April 25 in which nine vehicles parked on streets near Franklin and Laguna boulevards were shot with BB guns.

Trim said residents are encouraged to call 911 if they hear or see anything suspicious.

"Be our eyes and ears," he said.

From Art Campos:

Five suspected drunken drivers were arrested Saturday in Auburn by Placer's joint traffic enforcement task force, which says its next sweep will be over Memorial Day weekend.

In Citrus Heights, the police department is planning a DUI checkpoint from 7:30 p.m. Saturday to 3:30 a.m. Sunday on Madison Avenue, east of San Juan Avenue.

The Auburn arrests were made during a sobriety checkpoint conducted by the "Avoid the 7" task force, which focuses on DUI enforcement operations, especially over holidays.

The seven-agency task force has officers from the police departments of Auburn, Roseville, Rocklin and Lincoln, the Placer County Sheriff's Department, the California Highway Patrol and the California State Parks.

Auburn Police Officer Scott Alford said 785 vehicles were screened. In addition to the five arrests, the officers issued 33 citations for such offenses as invalid driver's licenses and they towed away five vehicles, he said.

Alford said the joint force will be out again for Memorial Day weekend. The enforcement period, which will include such traffic operations as checkpoints and saturation patrols, will begin May 23 and run through Memorial Day, May 26.

More details about Saturday's scheduled checkpoint from the Citrus Heights Police Department:

The checkpoint is one in a series that are being funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The primary goal of the grant is to attack DUI drivers in Citrus Heights using a high-intensity strike-team format, thereby reducing the number of DUI-related deaths and injuries.

Officers will be checking drivers for signs of impairment and for possessing a valid driver's license. The vehicles of drivers without a valid driver's license are subject to tow.

Motorists are reminded to utilize a designated driver and to not drink and drive.

Citrus Heights police have investigated collisions in this area wherein alcohol has been a factor, thus increased education and enforcement are needed in this general area.

From Niesha Lofing:

Folsom police are asking for help in locating an 83-year-old woman.

Phyllis Hoel was last seen around 1 p.m. Monday near her home in the Pinebrook Mobile Home Park on Folsom-Auburn Road and Pinebrook Drive, according to a police news release. She was reported missing Tuesday by a family member.

Hoel is about 4-foot-10, weighs 125 pounds and has short, blonde hair, blue eyes and a lump on the bridge of her nose, the release states.

She may be wearing tan slacks, a tan shirt and carrying a tan, woven cloth purse. She was last seen wearing a Timex watch, a gold wedding band and matching wedding ring.

Hoel is legally blind, but is otherwise in good health, the release states.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Folsom Police Department at (916) 355-7231.

Pedro Tayabe Olvera, left, Kawena Ula Kaluhiokalani and Jacklyn April Calanchini

From Niesha Lofing:

Three adults and a teenage girl are facing criminal charges after allegedly assaulting and kidnapping a 22-year-old man Monday at a gas station in Cameron Park.

El Dorado County Sheriff's deputies responded to a report of a stabbing in progress at the Valero Gas Station on Cameron Park Drive at 3:45 p.m. When the deputies arrived, witnesses told them that the victim was forced into a vehicle and taken from the scene, according to a sheriff's news release.

Patrol deputies stopped the vehicle for a felony traffic stop on Greenstone Road and found the victim and four other people. An investigation revealed that the man had not been stabbed, but had allegedly been assaulted and kidnapped.

The man is not being identified because of threats to his well-being.

The man had allegedly been dating the 16-year-old Shingle Springs girl and also had allegedly stolen an electronic device from her, said Sgt. Bryan Golmitz.

"They pulled up to the gas station where they had prearranged a meeting," Golmitz said. "They grabbed the victim, roughed him up a little bit and pushed him into the backseat, got in the car and took off."

The man suffered minor bumps and bruises and refused medical treatment, Golmitz said.

Deputies recovered a plastic replica of a semi-automatic handgun and two pocket knives in the vehicle.

The three adults were arrested and are being held in the Placerville jail on at least $100,000 bail each, according to online jail booking information.

Despite one of the adults being a validated gang member, the incident was not gang related, he said.

Pedro Tayabe Olvera, 24, of Shingle Springs, was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping, conspiracy to commit crime, driving on a suspended license and participating in a criminal street gang, the sheriff's department's Web site states.

Kawena Ula Kaluhiokalani, 20, of Diamond Springs, was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping and conspiracy to commit crime.

Jacklyn April Calanchini, 20, of Cameron Park, was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping and conspiracy to commit crime.

A 16-year-old Shingle Springs girl also was arrested, but it is not yet known what charges she may be facing.

Metal thieves have set their sights on another desirable target -- manhole covers.

In Long Beach, nearly 50 of the 150-pound, cast-iron lids have been stolen from roadways and alleys in the last eight months, with 17 taken in just the last week, reported the Los Angeles Times.

Here's the story.

Two people were shot -- one fatally -- in cars Monday night. Earlier in the day, a man was found dead in a car in a park-and-ride lot on West Elkhorn Boulevard near Highway 99 in northern Sacramento County.

On Saturday, a 27-year-old man died of a gunshot wound, and a 50-year-old man suffered a leg wound when a shooting erupted at a funeral in South Sacramento.

Here's a roundup story of the recent surge of violent incidents by Ryan Lillis.

A Santa Rosa man reportedly accepted a dare -- punch a camel at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom -- and was later arrested by Vallejo police.

Here are the details from the Vallejo Times-Herald.

From Art Campos:

A 27-year-old Roseville woman said a man came out of the bushes and robbed her of her purse as she and her father were walking to their front door Friday night.

The incident occurred at 11:50 p.m. in the area of Rice Lane and Barbara Way, said Roseville police spokeswoman Dee Dee Gunther.

The woman said she had just reached the door when the robber ran up and pointed the gun at her, Gunther said. The woman said she gave up her purse and that the robber ran to a gold, late-model Lexus sedan, getting into the passenger side. The car then drove off, Gunther said.

She described the suspect as black, in his 20s and about 6 feet tall and 200 pounds.

Anyone with information is asked to call detectives at (916) 784-5070.

From Sandy Louey:

A 24-year-old woman was arrested Sunday night after leading Elk Grove police on a short pursuit in a stolen vehicle.

Police had stopped a man for a vehicle code violation near Auberry Drive at 11:58 p.m., but the man put the vehicle in reverse and drove away, according to a police report.

Officers activated emergency lights and siren, but the man didn't stop and a short pursuit began. During the pursuit, the man and the woman, Serina Alvarez, changed seats so that she was driving, the report said.

Alvarez slowed down so the man could get out of the vehicle and run away, according to reports. The vehicle finally pulled over at Power Inn Road and McPhetridge Drive.

A records check indicated that the vehicle was stolen.

Police set up a perimeter to look for the man, who wasn't located.

Alvarez was arrested on suspicion of motor vehicle theft and receiving stolen property.

A day after a woman was knocked to the ground as she tried to stop two men from fleeing in a car after a purse-snatching incident, officers had the suspects in custody, the Roseville Police Department reported.

An officer spotted a vehicle at 6:45 p.m. Sunday and thought it fit the description of the one involved in Saturday's crime, said Dee Dee Gunther, a department spokeswoman.

The driver was arrested after the vehicle was pulled over at Foothills Boulevard near Vineyard Road, she said, and investigation led to the arrest later of the second suspect at a home in Sacramento.

The purse-snatching incident occurred at 5:47 p.m. Saturday in the parking lot of Sam's Club, 904 Pleasant Grove Blvd, she said. The victim, 51, was walking when a man grabbed the purse and ran to a waiting vehicle, she said.

The woman gave chase, tried to grab her purse as the man got into the vehicle and was knocked down as the auto was driven away, Gunther said.

The victim suffered minor injuries and was treated at Sutter Roseville Medical Center.

Within hours, the woman's bank cards were used for purchases at several businesses in south Sacramento, Gunther said.

Arrested Sunday was Michael Damon Foley, 19, left photo, of Roseville on suspicion of robbery, burglary, conspiracy, possession of stolen property, forgery, grand theft and assault with a deadly weapon.

The second man, Coby Masanobu Ishihara, 19, of Sacramento, was booked in the Placer County jail on suspicion of similar offenses, Gunther said. Bail was set at $50,000 for both men, she said.

Roseville Police Chief Michael Blair said he was glad the victim was not seriously injured, but he cautioned citizens not to fight with criminals over stolen property.

"The best thing to do in a situation like this is to get to a safe place, be observant and give police as much information as possible," he said in a news release.

From Niesha Lofing:

Thunder Valley Casino officials are angered that the casino is being sued in connection to the murder of a woman in 2005.

The wrongful death lawsuit was filed by the family of Christie Wilson, the 27-year-old Sacramento woman who was last seen leaving the Lincoln casino in October 2005 with the man later convicted of her murder. Mario Flavio Garcia is serving a sentence of 59 years to life in state prison. Wilson's body has never been found.

Here's the story about the lawusit.

Here's Art Campos' Jan. 12, 2007, story about Garcia's sentencing:

From Cathy Locke:

El Dorado County is to receive $500,000 annually for 20 years for law enforcement under a pact with the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians.

But El Dorado County Sheriff Jeff Neves, left, said that won't cover the staffing and equipment he expects will be needed to handle the anticipated increase in calls for service that will come with the opening of the Red Hawk Casino.

Here's the story.

Reno police have been investigating the disappearance of Jennifer Casper-Ross for three years.

According to the Reno Gazette-Journal, police officials said Casper-Ross, left, has not tried to contact any family members or friends, including her young son, since she disappeared May 5, 2005. She also has not made any financial transactions with a credit card or bank account.

Here's the Gazette-Journal story about the case.

From David Richie:

Folsom police are asking for help identifying two suspects involved in a home-invasion robbery Thursday morning in the 200 block of Sierra Oak Court, a few blocks from the Folsom Premium Outlets.

Investigators also released a series of surveillance photos from a Shell convenience store on Sunrise Boulevard in Rancho Cordova. The photos show a man and a woman they believe to be the main suspects in the case. The two people in the store possessed the robbery victim's ATM card. The intruders had forced the woman to reveal her PIN before they left, investigators said.

The Shell station is a short distance down Folsom Boulevard from the robbery scene.

The 24-year-old woman told officers that she was confronted by a man with a gun outside her home. After forcing the woman back inside, the man was joined by a female accomplice. After taking the ATM card and other items, the two exited the home. They fled in a newer, white sedan that might have been driven by a third suspect.

The male suspect is described as African-American in his mid-20s, about 5-foot-10, with a thin build, a shaved head and no facial hair. He was wearing a tan baseball cap. The woman is described as African-American, in her mid-to-late 20s, with a medium build and her hair in a ponytail. She was wearing a pink sweatshirt.

Anyone with information about the suspects or the robbery is asked to call Folsom police detectives at (916) 355-7209.

From Art Campos:

Mindful of two recent head-on collisions on Highway 65 north of Lincoln, law enforcement agencies conducted a "zero tolerance" effort there Thursday and issued 98 citations for traffic offenses, the California Highway Patrol reported.

CHP Officer Kelly Baraga said 53 of the citations were for failure to turn on headlights in the daytime headlight zone between Lincoln and the Yuba County line. The other 45 tickets were issued for speeding, she said.

The speed limit on Highway 65 is 55 mph, but the motorists who were cited Thursday were consistently driving 15 miles over the limit, Baraga said.

"We've been getting complaints about high speed and about unsafe passing on Highway 65," she said. "Since we had two crashes earlier this year, we felt we needed to remind people by putting on an enforcement program."

Eleven officers from the CHP and from the Roseville, Lincoln and Auburn police departments participated in the operation, which ran from 8 a.m. until 12 p.m., Baraga said.

From David Richie:

Who knows what tragedy was avoided by one mother's close supervision of her son?

A 17-year-old boy was charged with possession of a concealable firearm recently after his mother found a .380-caliber semi-automatic handgun in a drawer in her son's room. The mother called the police and the boy was booked at juvenile hall, Citrus Heights police said.

The incident occurred at a home west of Auburn Boulevard, near Rusch Park.

Officers determined that the gun had no ammunition and no magazine, officials said.

The boy told police that he was just holding the weapon for a friend.

From Bill Lindelof:

With the number of motorcyclists killed in collisions statewide increasing more than 140 percent during the past decade, according to California Highway Patrol statistics, law enforcement and state officials called attention for the need to share the road.

Christopher J. Murphy, director of the state Office of Traffic Safety, told reporters at a press conference Friday morning at the California Highway Patrol Academy in West Sacramento that with warmer weather, more motorcyclists will be on the road, and all motorists need to be extra alert.

"After a crash we often hear drivers say they never saw the motorcyclist and it was too late to stop," Murphy said.

The CHP issued these statistics detailing motorcyclists killed and injured statewide from 1997 through 2007:

Year         Motorcyclists killed            Motorcyclists injured
1997                         221                             7,328
1998                         191                             6,227
1999                         221                             6,819
2000                         266                             7,537
2001                         295                             8,405
2002                         318                             8,837
2003                         368                             9,681
2004                         350                             9,488
2005                         404                             9,347
2006                         433                             10,188
2007                         460                             9,519
TOTALS                       3,527                           93,376

Murphy urged anyone needing training to attend a CHP motorcycle safety program. Last year, 63,000 people attended training courses at one of the 114 CHP-administered California Motorcyclist Safety Program training sites.

The training program is one of several places where a new "Red Asphalt"-type video will be distributed. Called "Thrill or Buzz Kill?" the CHP's will also be shown at schools and other events to promote safety.

Click here to see the video.

From Art Campos:

Placer County sheriff's detectives are investigating a series of residential break-ins that occurred over a three-week period in Granite Bay.

Detectives counted nine incidents in which burglars forced entry into a home, sometimes by breaking glass on or near the door and reaching inside and unlocking the door, said Sgt. Brian Whigam.

The crimes occurred between March 24 and April 13 and the culprits took jewelry, coins, small electronics and several firearms, Whigam said. The burglar often took pillow cases in the homes and used them as bags to carry off the goods, he said.

Items stolen in one of the burglaries turned up in the parking lot of a Jack-in-the-Box on Greenback Lane in Citrus Heights, the sergeant said.

Possible suspects have been described as two white men in their 20s and who are clean shaven, Whigam said. Suspicious vehicles seen in the vicinity of the crimes have been a small red pickup truck, possibly a 2003 model, and a tan four-door sedan, possibly a Nissan with a spoiler in the back. It may be a 2002 model, Whigam said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Placer County Sheriff's Detective Dan Blair at (916) 652-2418.

Former NFL running back and Grant High School legend Onterrio Smith was arrested early Friday in Sacramento on suspicion of driving under the influence, authorities said.

The 27-year-old Smith was booked into Sacramento County Jail just after 4 a.m., jail records show.

Here's Ryan Lillis' story.

Joe Davidson's Feb. 4, 2007 story in The Bee detailed Smith's journey from Grant High star to NFL outcast:

The Eureka Times-Standard reports that Blue Lake's police chief will stand trial on 19 felony counts accusing him of raping his wife and his former girlfriend.

A Humboldt County judge ruled Wednesday that there's sufficient evidence to hold Chief David Gundersen for trial. Blue Lake is a city of 1,000-plus people east of Arcata.

Here's the story.

El Dorado County sheriff's investigators have determined that Linda Husumi Murray, 49, left, was seen frequently at night spots like Stingers Sports Pub on La Riviera Drive.

They still do not know how she died. They are once again asking for the public's help in tracing the last days of Murray's life. She was found March 2 in a culvert off Salmon Falls Road in Pilot Hill.

Investigators believe that Murray was in a fight and died somewhere else before her body was dumped in El Dorado County, said Sgt. Bryan Golmitz, sheriff's office spokesman.

Cause of death has not yet been determined, Golmitz said.

Murray was last seen alive about 9:30 p.m. Feb. 29 when she left her home on Stoughton Way, off Folsom Boulevard, to run an errand.

More details from David Richie:

From David Richie:

El Dorado County sheriff's investigators have arrested a Folsom woman employed in extended care programs at two different schools on felony charges of lewd acts with a child and misdemeanor charges of annoying or molesting children.

Trina Lynn Rodriguez, 30, left, was taken into custody Wednesday after parents complained to officials at the Sheriff's Office and El Dorado County Office of Education.

School officials assisted sheriff's investigators, said Sgt. Bryan Golmitz, sheriff's office spokesman.

"There are five victims that we know about, all under 14. Three males and two females," Golmitz said.

Click here for the remainder of the story.

A rooster named Elvis, left, was a family pet and not one of the feral flock that enjoys protected status in Fair Oaks.

Residents pretty much love or hate the chickens, but they never do them harm.

So news that the big bird was gunned down is generating even greater outrage, said resident Bill Miller.

His grandchildren adopted Elvis months ago, when the rooster picked their yard on Grand Avenue off Bridge Street as a new place to roost.

More details from David Richie:

A parent of a student at Frontier Elementary School in the Foothill Farms neighborhood passes along an alert issued Tuesday by principal Ellen Giffin.

A male reportedly asked a student to get into his vehicle. The student didn't enter the car and was unharmed, but the school has asked the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department to provide additional security in the area through Friday.

Here is the principal's full message:

From Sandy Louey:

The Elk Grove Police Department has canceled a citywide curfew sweep planned for Friday night.

The sweep will be rescheduled. The date hasn't been determined yet, said Officer Christopher Trim, spokesman for the police department.

Under the city's municipal code, anyone younger than age 18 is subject to a 10 p.m. to daybreak curfew when not accompanied by parents or a guardian.

Former Sacramento Police Chief Albert Nájera will be the keynote speaker at the ninth annual Public Safety and Community Breakfast at 7 a.m. May 12 at the Radisson Hotel in Sacramento.

The effectiveness of making changes through community and public-safety collaboration is the theme for the event during National Police Week.

Read more details from M.S. Enkoji.

An elderly couple in Roseville lost $3,000 to scam artists who came into their home posing as repair people, police reported.

The incident occurred about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday when the thieves - a man and a woman - knocked on the door to say they were repairing the fence between the couple's yard and their neighbors, said Dee Dee Gunther, a police spokeswoman.

The thieves said they were related to the neighbor and insisted that they had met the couple in the past, Gunther said. The couple are in their late 70s to early 80s, she said.

More details from Art Campos:

The Bee's Regional editions publish Public Safety Watch stories each Thursday. Here's a roundup of those stories and Police/Fire Logs, as compiled by Bee reporters:

Sacramento/North Sacramento/south Sacramento:
Police/Fire Log

Arden/Carmichael:
Traffic stop ends in arrest of 2 on drug charges
Police/Fire Log

Elk Grove:
Third teen arrested in home burglary incident
Police/Fire Log

Citrus Heights/Orangevale/Fair Oaks:
Citrus Heights police arrest 7, tow 19 vehicles in operation targeting drunks, speeders
Police/Fire Log

Folsom:
Police/Fire Log

Rancho Cordova/Gold River:
Police/Fire Log

South Placer:
Car burglars hit 15 vehicles in single night
Police/Fire Log

El Dorado County:
Police/Fire Log

From Dan Nguyen:

As I waited in line at the GameStop in east Sacramento right before the Tuesday midnight launch of the ultra-violent videogame, "Grand Theft Auto IV," I did wonder if some kind of crime might break out. Being around 70 young men, some joking about virtual carjackings and shootings, in the middle of the night ... who knows, right? Actually, except for a few people speeding out of the parking lot, it was a very civil and orderly event.

Unfortunately, the Times Online reports that in the UK, there were at least a couple of crimes related to the much anticipated video game. In South London, one gamer was stabbed in the head and neck while waiting in line. A Lancashire man was beaten and robbed of his new copy of "GTA4."

Analysts expect this game to be one of the best selling titles in video game history. Expect a slew of stories from police officials, psychologists, and game industry veterans about whether games like "GTA4" will inspire gamers to go on killing sprees.

In 2005, 60 Minutes did a piece titled "Can A Video Game Lead To Murder?" A $600 million civil lawsuit claims that Grand Theft Auto is a "murder simulator" that led 18-year-old Devin Moore, who had no previous criminal record, to kill three people (including two police officers) at a rural police station in 2003.