An 11-year-old girl was struck by a car crossing the street near the intsersection of Gilman Way and Cornelia Way in North Highlands late Sunday night. The driver sped off.
The girl was transported to UC Davis Medical Center with a leg injury. The injury doesn't appear life threatening, according to the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire Department.
No other details were immediately available.
By Robert Lewis and Bill Lindelof
rlewis@sacbee.com
The Sacramento County Coroner's department has released the name of a man who was shot and killed at his Del Paso Heights home Sunday night.
He was identified as Stanley Edward Lofton, 37, of Sacramento.
At 8:42 p.m. Sacramento police got a call from a man claiming his friend had been shot, said Sgt. Norm Leong, a police spokesman. Officers arrived at the 2300 block of Harris Avenue and found that Lofton had been shot. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Officers canvassed the neighborhood looking for witnesses, Leong said. Police had no suspects or suspect descriptions.
Police recovered a gun several blocks from the Del Paso Heights shooting although at this time they don't believe it was the one used in Lofton's death.
"It looks really old and looks like it was laying there for a while," Leong said.
In another shooting on Halloween, a man in his late teens about 9:30 p.m. went to a make-shift haunted house in the front lawn of a home on the 2300 block of John Still Drive in south Sacramento.
The teen got in an argument with another man in his late teens or early 20s wearing a red shirt. That man pulled out a gun and shot the teen in the stomach. The victim was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries, Leong said.
Call The Bee's Robert Lewis, (916) 321-1061.
By Loretta Kalb
lkalb@sacbee.com
For city police, it was one thing after another this weekend: from teens involved in hit-and run crashes, to a melee at an engagement party to a helicopter chase of a middle-aged reckless driver.
The trouble began at 8 p.m. Saturday.
A woman said she was crossing Interstate 80, northbound on Truxel Road, when a car in front of her rolled backward, striking her car.
Next thing she knew, the driver who hit her car took off. Frustrated, she decided to follow, notifying police as she pursued the car.
She told police the driver was swerving.
City police reported they caught up with the two cars at a nearby shopping complex. Police arrested a 16-year-old girl on suspicion of drug possession, misdemeanor hit-and-run and driving without a license. Police said they found a large amount of Vicodin in her car.
Police said they detained another teen a few hours later after a fight broke out at a store in the 2600 block of Rio Linda Blvd. According to police, the juvenile tried to steal beer. Employees recognized him from previous beer thefts. They followed him, reclaimed the beer, locked the door and a fight ensued. Once officers arrived, they cited the teen and released him to his parents.
Then, shortly before midnight on West El Camino Avenue at Orchard Lane, a vehicle hit two parked cars and took off, police said.
When an officer arrived and began following a car in the neighborhood, the driver sped away. A short pursuit followed, ending when the suspect crashed his car into a center median and then ran. Police said they apprehended the 19-year-old suspect, who was intoxicated.
At about the same time, over in South Natomas in the 4900 block of Duckhorn Drive, numerous fights broke out at an engagement party, police said.
They took a 27-year-old man into custody after they found he had a loaded gun in his pants pocket.
Meanwhile, police got a call about a reckless driver in the south area on Pocket Road near Nasca Way. A department helicopter pilot detected the errant vehicle and followed it until other officers arrived. But police attempts to get the motorist to pull over failed. Near Blackwater Drive, the driver slowed to 5 mph, crossed into the opposing lanes of traffic and stopped.
Police arrested Jan Loomis, 55, on suspicion of felony reckless evasion of a police officer and for misdemeanor driving with a blood alcohol of 0.08 percent or more.
Call The Bee's Loretta Kalb, (916) 321-1073.
By Laurel Rosenhall
lrosenhall@sacbee.com
An American River College student was arrested Friday night after misbehaving at campus Halloween celebration, a college spokeswoman said.
Timothy Lee Allen, 27, was booked in Sacramento Main Jail on suspicion of assault, battery and resisting arrest, all felonies, around 8:30 p.m. Friday, according to booking records.
Allen had been at the American River College "Haunted Festival," which included pumpkin carving, horror movies, trick-or-treating and a costume contest.
When he began to act out, a staff member asked him to leave and called campus police, said Susie Williams, spokeswoman for the Los Rios Community College District.
Allen did not leave, Williams said. When police arrived, they asked for his ID. He gave officers the identification but then grabbed it back and started to run, Williams said.
Allen ran into one of the officers, who then arrested him, Williams said.
He is being held on $25,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.
Call The Bee's Laurel Rosenhall, (916) 321-1083.
By Matthew Kawahara
mkawahara@sacbee.com
Authorities have identified the motorcyclist killed in a head-on collision Wednesday in Newcastle.
Peter Price Pirtle, 53, of Newcastle, was killed when he veered into the path of an oncoming van on a rural roadway, according to Placer County Sheriff's Department public information officer Dena Erwin.
Pirtle was riding a 1997 Harley-Davidson motorcycle eastbound on Indian Hill Road at Newcastle Road at 2:43 p.m., California Highway Patrol Officer Dave Montijo said last week.
The road there consists of two eastbound lanes heading uphill and one westbound lane coming downhill, Montijo said. As Pirtle came to a slight curve, he drifted into the opposite lane and collided head-on with a 2003 commercial Chevy van driven by Christopher J. Lemieux, 27, of Fair Oaks.
Pirtle was pronounced dead at the scene.
Call The Bee's Matthew Kawahara, (916) 321-1015.
By Matthew Kawahara
mkawahara@sacbee.com
A Sacramento man has died from a gunshot wound that medical personnel discovered after the man crashed his truck into several cars in a pool room parking lot late Friday night.
Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies responded to Hard Times Billiards at the corner of Auburn Boulevard and Garfield Avenue at 10:58 p.m. Friday after receiving calls that a white Chevrolet pickup truck had crashed into several cars in the parking lot, according to a sheriff's department release.
Deputies found a male driver alone in the pickup truck, and paramedics transported him to a local hospital, according to the release.
At 11:33 p.m., hospital personnel notified the sheriff's department that the driver had a gunshot wound to his upper body. The driver was pronounced dead a short time later, the release states.
He has been identified as Steven Carmassi, 35, of Sacramento.
Sheriff's department detectives believe the shooting occurred close to the pool hall, the release states. Carmassi's truck also struck traffic lights at the intersection of Auburn Boulevard and Garfield Avenue before hitting vehicles in the parking lot, according to the release.
Detectives do not know where Carmassi was coming from or trying to drive to after he was shot.
Investigators have not identified a suspect or a motive for the killing, and they urge anybody who has information of Carmassi's whereabouts Friday night to call Sheriff's Homicide detectives at (916) 874-5115, or Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP.
Call The Bee's Matthew Kawahara, (916) 321-1015.
By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
Twenty-four of 92 computers stolen from two schools in the Twin Rivers School District in August have been recovered, and one person has been arrested in connection with the burglaries.
Thirty laptop computers were stolen from Madison Elementary School in North Highlands on Aug. 10 and 62 laptops were taken from Dry Creek Elementary School in an Aug. 17 burglary. The laptops, with a total value of approximately $161,000, were used by students as a learning tool and for other activities, according to a Twin Rivers Police Department news release.
An investigation by a Twin River's detective assigned to the Sacramento Valley Hi Tech Crimes Task Force led to the recovery of 24 of the computers taken from Dry Creek Elementary. They were located in 18 jurisdictions, including Sacramento, Rancho Cordova, Folsom, Elk Grove, Davis, Nevada City, Olivehurst, Marysville, Yuba City, Beale Air Force Base and as far away as Las Vegas and Arizona, officials said. Officials said the recovered computers have a total value of $42,000.
Alan Sutton, 34, of Sacramento was arrested Sept. 15 on suspicion of felony possession of stolen property in connection the Dry Creek burglary, said Officer William Cho, Twin Rivers Police Department spokesman.
Cho said the investigation is continuing, and other people are being sought in connection with the burglaries.
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.
By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
A Citrus Heights man has been arrested in connection with a computer hacking scheme in which he is accused of unlawfully accessing e-mail and Facebook accounts of women throughout the United States.
The California Highway Patrol arrested George Samuel Bronk, 23, today on suspicion of 30 felony counts associated with computer intrusion, identity theft, child pornography and extortion.
The arrest followed a two-moth investigation that began in August when the CHP's Computer Crimes Investigations Unit received a request for assistance from the Connecticut State Police. Information obtained by the State Police from a victim in Connecticut led the CHP to serve a search warrant at Bronk's Citrus Heights home, where several items of electronic evidence were found, according to a CHP news release.
Bronk is accused of using his personal computer to unlawfully access more than 170 e-mail and Facebook accounts of women throughout the United States, including California and the initial victim in Connecticut. E-mail addresses to each of the accounts were among a compiled list of 3,200 e-mail profiles found on Bronk's computer, officials said.
Investigators said the activity appeared to have taken place from September 2009 through September 2010, during which Bronk allegedly targeted victims by scanning for information on Facebook's social networking website. He then allegedly electronically contacted the victim's e-mail service provider, used the forgotten password process and guessed security questions posed by the e-mail service provider. Once access to the e-mail account was gained, the victim was locked out.
After gaining access to the e-mail account, Bronk allegedly searched the victim's "sent mail" folder for nude or semi-nude photographs and videos, which he then sent to the victim's entire-mail address book from the victim's e-mail account. The pictures and videos also were downloaded to his personal computer.
In many cases, according to the news release, he posted the nude photographs to galleries on the victims' Facebook pages and to other Internet sites, and made posted comments on the Facebook sites of the victims' friends.
In an online chat session with one victim, officials said, Bronk demanded that that victim send him more sexually explicit photographs of herself. He allegedly threatened to more widely post photographs that he already possessed of the victim if the victim did not comply. The victim complied.
In addition to the evidence related to the unlawful access of e-mail and Facebook accounts, extortion and identity theft, more than 1,100 images and 50 videos of child pornography were located on Bronk's computer and a portable hard drive, according to the news release.
With the discovery of additional victims, the CHP initiated a joint investigation with the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force and the FBI, and is being assisted by the California Attorney General's Office.
People who think they may have been a victim in the case are advised to contact the CHP's Computer Crimes Investigations Unit at cciu-tipline@chp.ca.gov.
The CHP reminds computer users to take steps to safeguard their online accounts, including the security questions associated with these accounts. This includes limiting the amount and kinds of information posted on social networking sites, removing birthdates and parents' names, for example. People also are advised to change the security questions on e-mail services, banks and other online sites on a regular basis, and to avoid using information that is available on any social networking site or elsewhere on the Internet.
For more information about identity theft, see the websites at http://ag.ca.gov/idtheft/ or www.sachitechcops.org/idtheft.htm
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.
By Kim Minugh
kminugh@sacbee.com
A part-time employee at Sacramento's Matsuyama Elementary School is in custody after authorities allegedly caught him downloading child pornography onto his personal computer, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department.
Deputies arrested Darrin Dean Byington (left), 37, at his downtown apartment Thursday, said sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Tim Curran. Byington was booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail on suspicion of felony charges of possessing obscene matter depicting a person under the age of 14 and selling or distributing obscene matter depicting a minor, according to booking records.
He remains in custody in lieu of $50,000 bail.
Curran said Byington was caught downloading the child pornography through "investigative techniques" by the multiagency Sacramento County Hi Tech Crimes Task Force. Detectives served a search warrant at Byington's apartment and arrested him based on information found in his computer, Curran said.
It's unclear whether Byington's alleged criminal conduct involved any students at the school, and Curran said parents who suspect their children have been victims of inappropriate contact by Byington should call the Sacramento Police Department at (916) 264-5471.
School district officials said that Byington, who they did not identify by name, has been placed on paid administrative leave and that school parents were notified today.
"The district is taking these allegations extremely seriously and should the charges prove true, the district will take the strongest possible action," Janet Weeks, a spokeswoman for the Sacramento City Unified School District, wrote in the statement.
Byington is scheduled to appear in court Monday.
Call The Bee's Kim Minugh, (916) 321-1038.
By Queenie Wong
qwong@sacbee.com
A 36-year-old Elk Grove woman was arrested at her home today for allegedly stealing the credit card of an elderly person she was caring for and then going on a roughly $8,000 spending spree, according to the Davis Police Department.
Police said they arrested Gennetta Ballance today after serving a search warrant and recovering items at her house that they believe Ballance purchased with the stolen card. Police believe that the suspect stole the Visa card when she was employed as a caregiver at the victim's residence.
Officers began investigating the case in August when the owner of the card discovered 20 unauthorized transactions and withdrawals.
Most of the transactions were made at Sacramento area retail stores and the trail eventually led to Ballance, police said.
Ballance is being held at the Yolo County Jail.
Call The Bee's Queenie Wong, (916) 321-1008.
By Sam Stanton
sstanton@sacbee.com
The El Dorado County sheriff and jail commander are the latest officials to oppose unsealing documents in the Jaycee Lee Dugard kidnapping case, saying releasing any information about security at the Placerville jail involving Phillip and Nancy Garrido could pose a "serious breach of security."
The concerns, outlined in court filngs dated Thursday, were filed to oppose an effort by The Bee and other media groups seeking to unseal documents in the Garrido case, including grand jury transcripts of Dugard's testimony in the matter last month.
El Dorado County District Attorney Vern Pierson earlier this week filed papers opposing releasing the transcripts, and on Thursday Sheriff Manfred Kollar and Jail commander Pam Lane both filed documents saying the release of otehr sealed documents could seriously undermine security at the jail.
Lane and Kollar said they did not want the judge in the case to unseal testimony taken last April after the Garridos asked for the right to visit each other in jail.
Judge Douglas Phimister heard testimony in a closed court session about how security in the jail would be affected by such visits, and Lane said in her filing Thursday that "I would consider it a serious breach of security, with potentially dangerous consequences, if this information were to be made public."
The sheriff agreed, saying the two jail officials who testified in the April session discussed "the jail security implications of personal visitation between the Garridos, including how difficult and dangerous that would be to arrange given the physical layout of the jail, staffing levels, etc."
Afterward, the judge said the Garridos could not visit each other but could speak to each other in a five-minute phone call each month.
A hearing on the effort by the media groups to open sealed documents is scheduled to be held Thursday.
The Garridos are accused of kidnapping Dugard in 1991 when she was 11 and holding her captive in tents and sheds in their Antioch-area backyard for 18 years. She was discovered alive in August 2009 along with two daughters she was forced to have with Philip Garrido, a convicted rapist and kidnapper.
Both have pleaded not guilty, although the prosecution of Phillip Garrido is in hold while a court-appointed expert determines whether he is mentally competent to stand trial.
Call The Bee's Sam Stanton, (916) 321-1091.
By Robert D. Dávila
bdavila@sacbee.com
Hubert Peter Rotteveel, a once successful real estate salesman and member of a prominent farming family in Dixon, admitted to four felony bank robbery charges today and was sentenced to four years and eight months in prison.
Under a plea agreement with prosecutors, Rotteveel pleaded no contest in Yolo Superior Court to three counts of second-degree robbery and one count of attempted second-degree robbery. He was sentenced to the minimum term under the deal by Superior Court Judge David Rosenberg.
The charges stemmed from heists June 30 at River City Bank in Woodland and First Northern Bank of Dixon in West Sacramento. In both holdups, Rotteveel used a BB gun to get money from tellers.
The agreement spared Rotteveel, a father of three, from a possible maximum sentence of 13 years, said his lawyer, Tom Johnson.
Rotteveel, 47, was a member of UCLA's national championship soccer team in 1985 and ran the Sacramento Knights indoor soccer team.
He built a successful real estate business but saw his fortune collapse during the recession and sought bankruptcy protection last year.
He apologized in court today for the robberies and thanked family members - who attended the 20-minute hearing - for their support.
"I am deeply sorry that I hurt the victims who were involved," Rotteveel said.
Photo above of Hubert Rotteveel is at his arraignment this summer. Photo by Manny Crisostomo
Call The Bee's Robert D. Dávila, (916) 321-1077.
By Queenie Wong
qwong@sacbee.com
A full-sized Ford pickup truck crashed into a pizza restaurant in Roseville this morning, injuring the driver, according to police officials.
No one in the restaurant, at 384 N. Sunrise Ave., has been reported injured and the driver was transported to a local hospital, said Dee Dee Gunther, a spokeswoman for the Roseville Police Department.
At 11:31 a.m., officers responded to reports of a pickup truck crashing into the corner of the restaurant. When officers arrived at the scene, the driver was already out of the truck and on his feet, she said.
A building crew from Roseville is currently at the scene assessing the damage to the restaurant.
Call The Bee's Queenie Wong, (916) 321-1008.
By Queenie Wong
qwong@sacbee.com
A 43-year-old Woodland man has been convicted on 11 felony counts of child molestation against his 11-year-old stepdaughter, but claimed during the trial that a cyst on his brain and Lyme disease caused him to lose control of his impulses, according to the Yolo County District Attorney's office.
Eric Franklin Sass faces a maximum sentence of 28 years in state prison for molesting his stepdaughter when she was between 8 years old and 10 years old. A Yolo County jury convicted Sass Tuesday on eleven felony counts of child molestation and one count of lewd and obscene conduct.
The jury also found that he engaged in "substantial sexual conduct" when he molested her, according to the news release.
"The verdict reflects the commitment of the jury to perform their civic duty in a serious case, and also demonstrates their ability to critically evaluate the medical and psychiatric evidence they were presented with," said Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig in a statement.
But Sass claimed during the trail that a cyst on his brain and Lyme disease caused him to molest his stepdaughter. A neurologist and neuropsychologist, called by the defense, told the jury that Sass did not willfully molest his stepdaughter.
To rebut the defense's claims, the prosecution called forensic psychiatrist Jason Roof from the UC Davis Medical Center to testify in the trial. Roof said that Sass did not exhibit any behaviors to suggest he had an impulse control disorder.
The District Attorney's office said that Sass molested his stepdaughter for two years before she told her mother. When the mom confronted Sass, he admitted to molesting his stepdaughter. The stepdaughter told a child interview specialist at the Yolo County Multi-Disciplinary Interview Center that she didn't report the molestation immediately because Sass told her that he would go to jail if he told the police. The victim also testified at trial about several incidents when Sass molested her.
Sass is expected to be sentenced by Judge Timothy L. Fall on Jan. 6. The case was previously tried in July, but the judge declared a mistrial after a jury could not reach a unanimous verdict.
Call The Bee's Queenie Wong, (916) 321-1008.
By Andy Furillo
afurillo@sacbee.com
A judge today ordered Quran Jones (left) to stand trial for the beating and stabbing death last year of fellow Sacramento State student and dorm mate Scott Gregory Hawkins.
Sacramento Superior Court Judge Michael W. Sweet made his decision to hold Jones over for trial after a brief preliminary hearing in which two police detectives testified.
Jones, 21, appeared in court in a wheelchair. He was shot and wounded by Sacramento State police officers after he lunged at them with a knife when they responded to the disturbance in the dorm suite he shared with the 23-year-old Hawkins, according to the criminal complaint filed by prosecutors.
The judge set Jones' next court appearance for Nov. 19.
Call The Bee's Andy Furillo, (916) 321-1141.
By Andy Furillo
afurillo@sacbee.com
The sentencing on fired former Sacramento sheriff's deputy Chu Vue for the murder of state correctional officer Steve Lo two years ago was delayed today because the probation report on the case had not yet been completed.
Sacramento Superior Court Judge Steve White rescheduled Vue's sentencing for Nov. 29.
A jury convicted the 45-year-old Vue on Sept. 19 in the killing of the 39-year-old prison officer.
Evidence at trial showed that Vue arranged for two of his younger brothers to carry out the shooting death of Lo because the officer was having an affair with the former deputy's wife.
Vue's younger brothers, Gary Vue and Chong Vue, are scheduled to be tried Feb. 15.
Sentencing today also was delayed on Vue's co-defendant, fellow Hmong clan member Lang Vue.
Lang Vue was acquitted on murder charges, but was convicted of being an accessory to a felony by harboring Chu Vue's two younger brothers.
The brothers were wanted on a Minnesota murder charges when Lo was shot and killed Oct. 15, 2008, in the garage of his south Sacramento home while he was preparing to go to work.
Call The Bee's Andy Furillo, (916) 321-1141.
By Queenie Wong
qwong@sacbee.com
Residents who receive calls from a person requesting monetary donations for the training of CAL FIRE firefighters should keep their wallets closed, according to fire officials.
The state agency says that the phone solicitation is part of a recent donation scam and that funding for CAL FIRE comes from the department's budget, not from solicitations.
The agency learned about the scam after a resident of Santa Clara County reported receiving such a call, according to the news release.
If you receive a call, the agency said to try to get as much information as possible and then report it to CAL FIRE Law Enforcement Officers at (408) 778-0930.
"We hope that by getting the word out early no one will give their money to these criminals and that if residents do get a call from a scammer, they will be prepared to gather pertinent information so we can put a stop to this," said Josh White, CAL FIRE deputy chief of law enforcement, in a statement.
Call The Bee's Queenie Wong, (916) 321-1008.
By Queenie Wong
qwong@sacbee.com
A 55-year-old Madison man has been convicted of using his son's Social Security number to avoid losing benefits, according to the Yolo County District Attorney's office.
It was the second time the man had fraudulently used his son's Social Security number, the DA said.
Thomas Wesley Bertram was convicted Wednesday on one felony count of identity theft and faces three years in state prison, the release states.
"There is no justification for economically victimizing anyone, much less your own child," Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig said in a statement. "Identity theft is a danger that we all have to protect against, but this man violated a fundamental duty as a parent and the jury held him accountable."
The release gives this chain of events:
In January 2009, Bertram was hired as a commercial truck driver at a farming operation. He used his son's Social Security number while filling out the employment paperwork to avoid losing his own Social Security benefits and to avoid tax liability.
When the son discovered that his father had stolen his identity while attempting to apply for unemployment benefits, he contacted the Yolo County Sheriff's Department.
Bertram was arrested on June 20, but he told his son that he never worked for the farming operation.
During a confrontation between the two, Bertram blamed the identity theft on an ex-brother-in-law or an illegal immigrant. The farm owner told Yolo County Sheriff detectives that he had know the elder Bertram since high school and that Bertram had worked on the farm in 2009.
This is the second time Bertram was arrested for stealing his son's identity.
In 2004, he tried to apply for a credit card at the Home Depot in Woodland using his son's Social Security number. He admitted to using the number, but claimed that he didn't know which number was his at the time.
Bertram is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 15.
Call The Bee's Queenie Wong, (916) 321-1008.
By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
El Dorado County Sheriff's deputies are advising Lake Tahoe area residents to take measures to discourage burglars.
The department is investigating a rash of burglaries in the Tahoe Paradise and Tahoe Mountain areas. Officials said it appears the burglaries are occurring during daylight hours when residents are away from home.
Residents are urged to lock their homes when they leave and to activate home security systems.
Anyone with information regarding the crimes or suspicious activity in the area is asked to call Detective Matt Harwood at (530) 573-3015 or the Secret Witness program at (530) 541-6800.
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.
By Matt Kawahara
mkawahara@sacbee.com
A Twin Rivers Police Department officer shot a man this afternoon who reached behind his back multiple times during a chase in north Sacramento, a police spokesman said.
The officer shot the man three times, but the wounds were believed to be non-life threatening, said Twin Rivers police spokesman William Cho.
The shooting took place in the 1300 block of Nogales Street.
Cho gave this account of events:
About 1:20 p.m., a Twin Rivers officer on routine patrol near Grant High School saw a suspicious man on a bicycle.
The officer attempted to contact the man, later identified as Richard Sazo, age 28 or 29. Sazo moved his hand behind his back toward his waistband as if reaching for something.
The officer told him to show his hands and get off his bike. Sazo got off the bicycle, but he then got back on the bike and started a short chase, with the officer following on foot, yelling, "Stop!" "Police!"
During that chase, the officer used a stun gun on Sazo and he lost control of the bike, but kept moving. The officer shot Sazo with the stun gun again, finally stopping him.
Sazo faced the officer and verbally challenged him. Sazo reached again behind his back toward his waistband.
The officer then drew his service weapon and shot Sazo three times, wounding him in a hand, his left leg and right shoulder.
Sazo was taken to a local hospital.
No weapon was found on Sazo, who police identified as a parolee.
The officer is a four-year veteran.
Once released from the hospital, Sazo will be booked on suspicion of various charges including resisting arrest and assault on a peace officer.
The Twin Rivers Police Department provides police services for the Twin Rivers Unified School District and several other school districts.
The department has 18 full-time officers.
Call The Bee's Matt Kawahara, (916) 321-1015.
By Ed Fletcher
efletcher@sacbee.com
In Placer County Superior Court today, the lawyer for suspected Westfield Galleria arsonist won a judge's order to have his client's mental state evaluated.
As expected, Johnny Griffin III asked Judge Colleen Nichols to suspend criminal proceedings so psychologists can analyze the 23-year-old.
"I had some questions concerning his mental stability. The court, based on that, agreed to appoint doctors to evaluate him to make an assessment," Griffin said. "I believe that he has substantial mental health issues."
Griffin said he had obtained documents from "at least four" mental heath facilities to support his claim.
Prior to the 2 p.m. hearing beginning, Piggee looked disinterested, tilting his head to the side and closing his eyes, as if he was taking a nap. Later he lightly bumped his head against the courtroom wall.
The young man is accused of starting last week's fire that severely damaged the Roseville shopping center, the Sacramento region's largest mall.
Facing five felony counts, Piggee is accused of walking into the GameStop at the Galleria on Oct. 21, telling the clerk he had a bomb and gun then setting fire to the store. The fire later burst out of control, forcing the mall to shut down for a week before some shops were reopened this morning.
The charges against Piggee include: aggravated arson, arson of a structure, two counts of threats to commit crimes resulting in death, and one count of burglary. He also faces a special allegation of using an accelerant to commit arson.
Call The Bee's Ed Fletcher, (916) 321-1269.
By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
A Placer County man who had been reported missing Tuesday was found dead Wednesday evening after a vehicle was discovered overturned down an embankment in the Meadow Vista area.
A bicyclist riding southbound on Placer Hills Road, north of Lake Arthur Road, observed what appeared to be an overturned vehicle and notified emergency personnel, according to a California Highway Patrol news release.
Officials said it was determined that the driver of the vehicle, a white Honda CR-V, had been ejected and pinned under the vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
He was identified as Gary D. Rosebush, 67, of Meadow Vista, who had been reported missing.
A preliminary investigation determined that Rosebush was traveling northbound on Placer Hills Road sometime on Monday when his vehicle traveled off the roadway and down the embankment where it hit a tree, according to the CHP.
The cause of the incident remains under investigation.
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.
By Bee Staff
The public is invited to a family "Howl-O-Ween" event on Sunday, which will benefit Placer County law enforcement dogs.
From 11 a.m. until 3 p.m., participants will be able to meet the dogs and their handlers at Starbucks, 1228 Galleria Blvd. in Roseville, across the street from the Galleria Mall. There will be K-9 demonstrations.
Raffle tickets will be for sale to win a new Trek mountain bike, donated by Bob's Cycle Center.
Raffle proceeds benefit local law enforcement dogs through the Foothills K-9 Association.
For more information, go to foothillsk9.org.
Raffle tickets are also available at Starbucks, Galleria Blvd., Bob's Cycle Center, 378 N. Sunrise Blvd., Roseville, and at the Animal Nutrition Center, 1805 Cirby Way, Roseville.
A chaplain watches as police officers meet at the scene of a shooting at Truxel Avenue and Terracina Drive in Natomas on Thursday. Photo by Bryan Patrick
By Chelsea Phua and Queenie Wong
cphua@sacbee.com
Sacramento County coroner's officials have identified the man killed in an officer-involved shooting this morning in Natomas as Zachary J. Ragan, 42, pictured at right.
The fatal shooting happened about 10 a.m. in North Natomas, when Sacramento police officers stopped Ragan, who matched the description of a suspect in a Wednesday night assault.
When Ragan charged at police with a sharp object in his hand, officers fired and killed him, authorities said.
Leong said one of the five Sacramento officers involved is a 28-year veteran. Years of service for the others range from one to six.
Leong said Sacramento police believe the dead man was the same suspect who allegedly assaulted a 17-year-old boy Wednesday night.
Police said the man threatened and held a knife to the throat of the teen, who was attending a church-related youth group function in the 4700 block of Crest Drive.
According to a police log, the assailant was described as a white man between 40 to 60 years old, about 6 feet 1 inch tall, weighing 180 pounds, unshaven with a mustache and appeared to be a transient.
It's not clear why he attacked the teen, but Leong said he appeared to be intoxicated.
On Thursday morning, five police officers patrolling the area near Terracina Drive and Truxel Road spotted a man matching the suspect's description and stopped him.
Police said they noticed he was carrying a hard object with a sharp point that resembled the blade of a knife and ordered him to drop the weapon. They also tried to talk to him and calm him down, but he mentioned numerous times that he was not going back to prison and was not going to drop his weapon.
Officers shot him with a stun gun, but he quickly got up from the ground and lunged at them.
"Officers were in fear for their safety and each of them fired their duty weapons," a news release stated.
Two witnesses at the Tuscaro Apartments near the shooting said they heard what sounded like rapid gunshots or fireworks.
Police later determined that the man they shot was wanted on a $1 million warrant from out of state for assault with a knife.
Read more:
The Public Eye: BJS releases prison/jail/arrest mortality stats
Photo of Regan provided by Butte County Sheriff's Office
Call The Bee's Chelsea Phua, (916) 321-1132.
Q: Was Gary Jay Livers of Orangevale ever convicted of child molestation? - Anonymous, Sacramento
A: Livers' court case is still in the pretrial stages. No trial date has been set. His next court date is set for Nov. 4, according to Sacramento Superior Court records.
Livers (left), 45, is in jail on $3 million bail, facing seven felony charges of sexually assaulting a child.
He was arrested on July 29 by Sacramento County Sheriff's Department deputies, The Bee reported.
Livers is accused of sexually assaulting a now 11-year-old girl multiple times, a Sheriff's Department spokesman said. The alleged assault began when the child was 10 years old, he said.
For a complete list of questions answered by Sacto911, click here
By Sam Stanton
sstanton@sacbee.com
Trick or treaters won't be the only ones on the streets Halloween night.
Parole agents statewide will be out Sunday enforcing what state corrections officials say are the toughest restrictions of the year for sex offenders.
The state requires that paroled sex offenders remain indoors from 5 p.m. Halloween night until 5 a.m., that all outside lights be turned off to make it appear no one is home and that no Halloween decorations be displayed and no candy offered.
Offenders also are not allowed to answer knocks on their doors unless they come from parole agents or other law enforcement officers checking to see that offenders remain in compliance.
Corrections officials refer to the program as "Operation Boo" and say Sunday will mark its 18th year.
Call The Bee's Sam Stanton, (916) 321-1091.
By Queenie Wong
qwong@sacbee.com
A multiple-vehicle collision slowed down traffic on the southbound Interstate 5 on J Street this morning.
The accident occurred shortly before 8 a.m. between a white Volvo and a cement truck and ushered morning commuters to the left lane for about half an hour. All other lanes were closed.
The roadway off Q Street is now cleared, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Another accident involving two vehicles is currently slowing down traffic on Westbound Interstate 80 and Northbound Interstate 5.
Call The Bee's Queenie Wong, (916) 321-1008.
By Queenie Wong
qwong@sacbee.com
Three men who led Galt police officers on a high-speed chase early yesterday morning after burglarizing a Raley's shopping center on Twin Cities Road have been arrested, police said.
Dwayne Wade Osborne, 20; Allan Wayne Sherman, 20; and Anthony Lynn Pinkins, 21, face charges of burglary, conspiracy, assault on an officer and felony evading.
Sherman is currently out on bail from Bakersfield for robbery and assault with a deadly weapon, Pinkins is on parole and Osborne is on probation in Riverside for burglary.
Galt police officers arrived at about 2:54 a.m. at an Aisle 1 gas station on Twin Cities Road yesterday after they received reports of a man breaking through the store's window with a large rock, said Lt. Brian Vizzusi, a spokesman for the Galt Police Department. The suspect stole packs of cigarettes and a large amount of cash from the register.
When police tried to pull the driver of the vehicle over about an hour later on Lincoln Way, he took off going east bound on Twin Cities Road at about 100 mph and almost struck the officer. The chase ended on Highway 104 near the Sacramento-Amador county line after Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies put down a spike strip to try and stop the car. The driver swerved to try to avoid the strip and the car rolled over once after hitting a tree stump.
Police arrested Pinkins after 8 a.m. after spotting him in a field off Twin Cities Road near Rancho Seco. Sherman and Osborne were located in a field near Carbondale Road and Ione Road at about 11:45 a.m. yesterday.
Call The Bee's Queenie Wong, (916) 321-1008.
Whatever happened to Joseph Simlick who is accused of killing the parents of his ex-girlfriend in Sutter? - Barb, Sacramento
A preliminary hearing is scheduled in Sutter County Superior Court on Dec. 8 for Joseph Hayden Simlick, charged with two counts of first-degree murder and false imprisonment, court records and media accounts show.
In August, Simlick, 21, of Loomis pleaded not guilty to the slayings of Jack and Susan Martin, both 46, on July 30.
The Martins were found in their burned-out home on Mulberry Street in Sutter.
Simlick is also charged with falsely imprisoning the Martins' youngest daughter five days before the deaths of her parents, a sheriff's spokesman said shortly after Simlick's arrest.
The spokesman said that jealousy and anger apparently were factors in the deaths.
A judge has since issued a gag order in the case.
For a complete list of questions answered by Sacto911, click here
By Queenie Wong
qwong@sacbee.com
Traffic is starting to clear up on eastbound Interstate 80 after an early morning big rig fire blocked multiple lanes in Roseville.
All lanes are now open except for one off ramp lane west of Taylor Road.
The Roseville Fire Department and the California Highway Patrol arrived at the scene shortly before 4 a.m. when they received reports of a tire on the truck catching fire.
The fire fully engulfed the truck, but no one inside the vehicle was injured.
An earlier version of this story mistakenly said the accident was in Auburn.
Call The Bee's Queenie Wong, (916) 321-1008.
By Chelsea Phua
cphua@sacbe.com
Sacramento County Sheriff's detectives have arrested a fourth person in connection with the Sept. 26 shooting death of 33-year-old Oquitzin Bravo and said they now believe that a suspect they arrested earlier fired the shot that killed him.
On Sept. 29, authorities arrested Ignacio Leyba, 26, on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon for allegedly shooting a second person at a party in the 5600 block of 47th Avenue, where Bravo was killed.
On Wednesday, authorities amended the charges to include murder during Leyba's court appearance. Investigators say they believe Leyba was also responsible for shooting Bravo at about 2:30 a.m. after he and another suspect, David Goodier, 27, started a fight in the back yard of the home where the party was held. Goodier was arrested for allegedly assaulting a third victim.
On Tuesday, detectives arrested Patricia Laura Castellano, 40, who was the party host, on suspicion of being an accessory after the fact. They said she helped her daughter, Olivia Castellano, move Bravo's body from the backyard of the home to the street in front of the home after he was shot. Olivia Castellano was arrested Oct. 12 on suspicion of being an accessory.
Patricia Castellano is ineligible for bail and is scheduled to be arraigned at 1:30 p.m. Thursday.
Call The Bee's Chelsea Phua, (916) 321-1132.
By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
A man described by federal officials as the head of a Mexican drug trafficking family has been sentenced in Sacramento to more than 23 years in prison.
U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. today sentenced Miguel Ruiz-Bravo, 39, of Apatzingan, Mexico, to 23 years and four months in prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. Ruiz-Bravo pleaded guilty June 24.
According to court documents in a separate matter, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents in March 2003 discovered an active methamphetamine laboratory in the Tehama County town of Corning. The agents arrested seven people and seized approximately 36 pounds of methamphetamine.
These individuals had been observed traveling in three different vehicles, all registered in names that were aliases used by Miguel Ruiz-Bravo, who was believed to be in Mexico at the time of the arrests, according to a federal Department of Justice news release.
One of the people arrested was the defendant's brother, Alejandro Ruiz-Bravo, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Agents continued their investigation into the Ruiz-Bravo organization, and in July 2004, they received authorization to install a wiretap in a phone used by Ruiz-Bravo's nephew, Jaime Ruiz-Estrella.
Intercepted calls showed that Miguel Ruiz-Bravo was controlling an active methamphetamine distribution business in Sacramento from his home in Mexico, primarily through instructions passed to his nephew Ruiz-Estrella and another brother, Gerardo Ruiz-Bravo, according to the news release.
On Aug. 1, 2004, agents seized 18 pounds of methamphetamine from Ruiz-Estrella. This seizure led to the arrest of 10 more people, including Ruiz Bravo's nephew and younger brother. Again, officials said, Miguel Ruiz-Bravo was in Mexico at the time of the arrests.
All the defendants pleaded guilty, and Jaime Ruiz-Estrella and Gerardo Ruiz-Bravo were sentenced to 188 months and 168 months, respectively.
On Aug. 24, 2005, an indictment charged Miguel Ruiz-Bravo with directing the delivery of 18 pounds of methamphetamine seized from his nephew.
Miguel Ruiz-Bravo was arrested on Dec. 15, 2006 by state authorities with five other people, including another brother, Omar Ruiz-Bravo.
The state charged Miguel Ruiz-Bravo with possessing approximately 80 pounds of methamphetamine. He subsequently pleaded guilty and was sentenced in Sacramento Superior Court to 17 years in prison. Following his sentencing, he was transferred to federal custody for prosecution.
Officials said the case resulted from extensive investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S Attorney Philip Ferrari prosecuted the case.
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.
By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
A motorcyclist was killed this afternoon in Newcastle when he veered into the path of an oncoming van on a rural Placer County roadway.
Officer Dave Montijo of the California Highway Patrol said the man was riding a 1997 Harley Davidson motorcycle eastbound on Indian Hill Road at Newcastle Road at 2:43 p.m. At that point, Montijo said, the road consists of two eastbound lanes heading uphill and one westbound lane coming downhill.
As he approached a slight curve, the motorcyclist strayed into the opposite lane where he collided head on with a 2003 commercial Chevy van driven by a 27-year-old Fair Oaks man.
The motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene. His name has not been released pending notification of family, and Montijo said officers were still trying to confirm where he lived.
The van's driver was not injured, although his vehicle was totaled, Montijo said. The collision also sparked a small grass fire that was quickly extinguished by the Newcastle Fire Department.
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.
By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
A Rescue man was arrested Monday afternoon after he allegedly set off a homemade explosive device, an El Dorado County sheriff's spokesman said today.
Lt. Bryan Golmitz, El Dorado County Sheriff's Department spokesman, said Jeffrey Scott Shaw, 40, was taken into custody shortly before 6 p.m. Monday in the 2600 block of Hastings Drive, just north of Green Valley Road. Residents of a nearby subdivision had reported hearing a loud boom.
Golmitz said it appeared that a milk carton possibly filled with a gasoline mixture had exploded, burning a 1-foot to 2-foot area. He said the explosion posed to threat to nearby residents.
Golmitz said Shaw was arrested on suspicion of threatening and obstructing law enforcement officers, and information will be forwarded to the District Attorney's Office alleging possession of a destructive device. He said deputies had had previous contact with Shaw regarding a number of issues.
According to inmate information available on the Sheriff's Department's website, Shaw is being held on $258,000 bail, including $115,000 related to enhancements for prior felony convictions.
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.
By Bee Staff
A mental patient who is accused of strangling a psychiatric nurse in Napa over the weekend stabbed a woman more than 11 times in Sacramento in 1997, Bee reports and records show.
Jess Willard Massey (left), 37, is accused of killing Donna Gross, whose body was found in a small courtyard at the Napa State Hospital on Saturday.
In 1997, Massey was deemed insane when he stabbed a 49-year-old woman as she walked to her truck in a parking garage on R Street, across the street from her job at the Department of Corrections, The Bee reported.
In a plea agreement, Massey pleaded guilty by reason of insanity for attempted murder but accepted convictions for carjacking and assault.
A Sacramento Superior Court judge ordered Massey to be confined in a mental institution until he regained his sanity. He then would start serving 31-year sentence for carjacking and assault.
"I want to apologize for what I did to you. I hope some day you can accept my apology. I thank Jesus Christ for keeping you alive," Massey said to the victim when he was sentenced.
Earlier on the day he attacked the woman in Sacramento, Massey was released from prison where he was serving time for assaulting another woman.
Massey's public defender said his client has a "significant history of mental illness" which required Massey be housed in a mental hospital as early as 13.
After the Napa attack, California's Department of Mental Health said it has implemented new security measures at Napa State Hospital where the nurse was killed.
A department spokeswoman told KTVU-TV in Oakland that the police presence at the hospital has been increased. Patient access to hospital grounds has also been restricted and a shuttle service is now available to take staff to the parking lot.
Friends of Gross who gathered on Tuesday night at a candlelight vigil for the 54-year-old described her as a caring person who was dedicated to her job.
By Queenie Wong
qwong@sacbee.com
The Sacramento Police Department said a 12-year-old boy reported missing on Tuesday was today found safe in north Sacramento.
Police officers responded to a report of a missing person at the 3000 block of Howe Avenue around 5 p.m. Tuesday. The boy had traveled to Sacramento with his mother for a medical appointment, but walked out of the appointment.
Call The Bee's Queenie Wong, (916) 321-1008.
By Bee Staff
A man who shot his sister and her husband to death near an El Dorado County school in 1986 is due a parole hearing.
Bryon Seibels Woolley, now 86, of Tempe, Ariz., was convicted of the murders of Patricia Cuccinello, 64, and Louis Cuccinello, 62. The pair lived in Cool, across a road from a school, The Bee reported.
The Cuccinellos were retired East Coast teachers.
Patricia Cuccinello's mother had died weeks earlier in Massachusetts and she had been named executor of her mother's estate.
Witnesses said Wooley shot the pair outside their home, told a school custodian to call police and waited for sheriff's deputies to arrive.
Woolley's hearing will be Nov. at the California Medical Facility where he is incarcerated.
If you want to give your opinion of an inmate's suitability for parole, you may mail a letter to:
Martin Hoshino, executive director
Board of Parole Hearings
1515 K Street
Sacramento, CA 95811
For more information on the Board of Parole Hearings, go to:
http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/Divisions_Boards/BOPH/
Bee researcher Linda Beymer contributed to this report
By Kim Minugh
kminugh@sacbee.com
Hundreds of stories have appeared in local newspapers about the Sacramento teen who was shackled and tortured by at least three people in Tracy - not to mention the stories that have aired on television stations or the reaction that has surfaced on the Internet from as far away as Japan.
But that's not enough to move the trial of Anthony Vincent Waiters, the final defendant facing torture charges in the case, out of Stockton, a San Joaquin Superior Court judge ruled this morning.
Judge Terrence Van Oss denied the motion by Waiters' defense attorney, arguing that the San Joaquin jury pool was no more tainted by publicity surrounding the case than it would be in other locations.
"It's everywhere," Van Oss said of the publicity. "You can't get away from it."
He also argued that potential jurors must be made aware of the charges in the case, and the reaction to those charges - he called them "inflammatory" - would be about the same no matter the venue.
"That's going to be true whether the trial was held here or in San Diego or in Crescent City," he said.
Waiters' attorney, Allan Jose, had argued that the continued coverage by the media - from the Bay Area to Sacramento - had tainted San Joaquin County's jury pool and prevented his client from receiving a fair trial.
Deputy District Attorney Angela Hayes countered that bias already had been weeded out through the jury-selection process. About 40 percent of the potential jurors in the case - there were 207 questioned - admitted to having some opinion about Waiters' perceived guilt, and had been dismissed.
The case is scheduled to continue with Hayes' opening statement at 1:30 p.m.
After more than a year of captivity, the victim escaped from the home of Kelly Layne Lau and Michael Luther Schumacher in December 2008 by unclasping a shackle around his ankle and running to a nearby health club.
The victim, now 17, has not been publicly identified.
Lau, 32; her husband, Schumacher, 36; and their friend Caren Ramirez, 45, pleaded guilty earlier to a variety of charges, including false imprisonment and inflicting corporal injury on a child.
Lau was sentenced to 33 years in prison, Schumacher to 30 years and Ramirez to 34 years.
Call The Bee's Kim Minugh, (916) 321-1038.
By Bee Staff
The Rancho Cordova Police Department will conduct a DUI/driver's license checkpoint on Friday beginning at 8 p.m. in an undisclosed part of the city.
The checkpoint will run until 2 a.m. Saturday, according to a Police Department news release.
Officers will check drivers for signs of impairment, provide educational materials and check for valid driver's licenses.
This checkpoint is funded by a grant from the State Office of Traffic Safety.
By Queenie Wong
qwong@sacbee.com
A high-speed chase in south Sacramento County that began after a gas station burglary ended early this morning with a rollover crash near Rancho Seco Park, according to the Galt Police Department.
One suspect, who was found with a large amount of coins, was arrested around 8:45 a.m. near the scene of the accident. Two other suspects, who police described as black males in their 20s, also fled from the scene.
Lt. Brian Vizzusi, a spokesman for the Galt Police Department, said that they believe they've identified the two suspects, but no arrest has been made yet.
Police officers arrived at about 2:54 a.m. at an Aisle 1 Raley's gas station on Twin Cities Road after they received reports of a man breaking through the convenience store window with a large rock. The suspect stole packs of cigarettes and a large amount of cash from the register, Vizzusi said.
When police tried to pull the driver of the vehicle over about an hour later, he took off going east bound on Twin Cities Road at about 100 mph. The chase ended near Rancho Seco Park after Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies put down a spike strip to try and stop the car. The driver swerved to try to avoid the strip and the car rolled over once.
"Officers decided to terminate the pursuit because of the reckless driving," said Vizzusi.
The suspects are not believed to be critically injured from the accident, he said.
Call The Bee's Queenie Wong, (916) 321-1008.
By Bee Staff
A Sacramento man who killed his mistress in 1982 because he said she pressured him to leave his wife is due a parole hearing.
A judge sentenced Chester Grant Galloway, now 70, to 15 years to life in prison for the murder of Margaret Kramer, 63, of Clarksburg, The Bee reported.
Galloway said he and Kramer were walking in the woods and had just sat on a log when he strangled her. He stuffed her body into a log.
At the time of his arrest, Galloway was an escapee from a Florida prison where he was serving time for burglary.
He also served two other prison terms for burglary.
After Galloway led investigators to Kramer's body, he confessed to the killing.
Galloway's hearing will be Nov. 3 at the California Medical Facility where he is incarcerated.
If you want to give your opinion of an inmate's suitability for parole, you may mail a letter to:
Martin Hoshino, executive director
Board of Parole Hearings
1515 K Street
Sacramento, CA 95811
For more information on the Board of Parole Hearings, go to:
http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/Divisions_Boards/BOPH/
Bee researcher Linda Beymer contributed to this report
By Kim Minugh
kminugh@sacbee.com
Four years ago today, Sacramento County Sheriff's Deputy Jeff Mitchell was fatally shot with his service weapon on the side of a rural road. The case remains unsolved.
Sheriff John McGinness, whose term ends in January, hopes that changes before he leaves office. He said solving Mitchell's killing is his No. 1 priority for the department as he finishes out his tenure there.
"It's not going to bring Jeff back, but it's a big deal," McGinness said this week. "It's important to the community, it's important to the profession and the department. It's just a huge unresolved chapter."
In the early morning hours of Oct. 27, 2006, Mitchell (photo right), 38, was patrolling near Sloughhouse when he notified dispatch he was stopping to check out a suspicious white van with one visible passenger and no license plates.
At one point his radio was "keyed," but he did not respond to dispatchers when they tried to check on him in the following minutes. They dispatched other deputies to check on him. The first arriving deputy found Mitchell at 3:47 a.m. with a gunshot wound to the head.
He was pronounced dead at a local hospital. He left behind a wife and the couple's young son.
The Sheriff's Department launched a wide-ranging manhunt, specifically targeted white vans around the region. About 12 hours after Mitchell was found, El Dorado County authorities found a white van partially submerged in a shallow river and two dead bodies inside.
McGinness quickly and publicly cleared the deceased, Allan Shubert and Nicole Welch, were not believed to be responsible for Mitchell's death. But even today, homicide detectives are investigating a link between the three deaths.
Detective Tony Turnbull, who is assigned to the Mitchell case full-time, told The Bee earlier this year that he suspects whoever killed the deputy did it in the course of trying to cover up the deaths of Shubert and Welch.
McGinness said he is encouraged by that continuing investigation.
"I have hope -- I have significant hope," he said.
Though McGinness would like to see Mitchell's killer found before he leaves his post in January, he added that he just wants to see it happen, whenever that might be.
"If it happens in February, I'll be every bit as pleased as if it happens today," he said.
Anyone with information about these crimes is asked to call Turnbull at (916) 874-4432 or Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP. A reward of $225,000 is still offered in the case.
Call The Bee's Kim Minugh, (916) 321-1038.
By Andy Furillo
afurillo@sacbee.com
A murder trial that provided a glimpse into an upper-level, Sacramento-based methamphetamine distribution ring ended in a conviction Tuesday for defendant Poe Blue Siavii.
Jurors took less than two days to return their first-degree verdict against the defendant charged in the May 4, 2008, shooting death of Joshua Aaron Kalb at the Elkhorn Boulevard park-and-ride off Highway 99.
Siavii, 33, faces a life term in prison with no chance of parole. He had been accused in the special-circumstance case of murdering Kalb, 28, while lying in wait.
"Thank God," said the victim's mother, Tina Kalb. "The right decision was made. Now my family and I can put our lives back together somehow."
Prosecutors said Siavii was mad at Kalb, who was one of his drug suppliers, for pressuring him too hard to pay off a drug debt. They also said Siavii suspected Kalb of stealing $30,000 from him.
Testimony at trial showed that their operation, which stretched into Hawaii, once turned more than $900,000 in cash in a three-week period in late 2007.
A lower-level dealer who worked for Siavii testified in the trial that Siavii had told him to meet him at the park-and-ride near the airport the night of the killing. When he got there, the witness said he heard a couple of gunshots come out of Kalb's car and that Siavii emerged to wipe the vehicle down.
Siavii testified at trial that it was the dealer, Stephen Riddick, who did the shooting.
"I don't know where they found the presentation lacking in terms of why Mr. Riddick was not the shooter," Siavii's lawyers, Kyle R. Knapp, said in an interview. "On behalf of the Siavii family, we are very disappointed."
The jury foreman, who declined to give his name, said that Siavii hurt his credibility by initially telling sheriff's homicide detectives he wasn't at the park-and-ride. Cell phone transmissions showed Siavii making calls from the area and his DNA was found on a Coca-Cola can in the lot. He later admitted that he had been there.
Sacramento Superior Court Judge James L. Long scheduled Siavii's sentencing for Nov. 22.
Call The Bee's Andy Furillo, (916) 321-1141.
By Chelsea Phua
cphua@sacbee.com
The Sacramento County District Attorney's office has decided not to charge an 18-year-old student from California State University, Sacramento, with sexual assault.
A complaint was never filed against Jonathan Lee, a spokeswoman for the district attorney's office said.
"The decision was based on the insufficiency of the evidence," a news release from the office stated.
Campus police arrested Lee early last week for allegedly raping a fellow student on campus. A university spokeswoman said the female student reported to police last Monday that she had been raped by an acquaintance that same evening in the American River Courtyard residence hall.
Meanwhile, campus police are investigating the kidnapping and sexual assault of another female student last week. The victim was assaulted in the Residence Hall parking lot about 8:30 p.m. Friday, police said.
The student had left her vehicle and was walking toward the residence halls when she was approached by three men in a van. One of them pulled her into the van. She was taken to the south side of the parking lot and sexually assaulted.
Police has released a composite sketch of one of the suspects.
The victim described the man who pulled her into the van as Latino, about 19 to 20 years old, 5 feet 10 inches tall, slender build, with a buzz haircut and brown eyes.
She described the van as a dark-colored minivan, possibly red, with a driver's side sliding door.
Anyone with information is urged to call the Sacramento State Police Department Dispatch Center at (916) 278-6851. Callers may remain anonymous.
Call The Bee's Chelsea Phua, (916) 321-1132.
By Sam Stanton
sstanton@sacbee.com
Sacramento County rangers are dealing with an explosion of car burglaries along the American River Parkway this month and are looking for help in locating two suspects for questioning.
Typically, rangers report about seven car burglaries a month along the parkway in October but have had reports of 22 so far, Ranger Supervisor John Havicon said today.
Several of the cars were hit Sunday at the William Pond access point or in the neighborhood nearby at Ivanhoe Way and McClaren Drive, where many people park on the streets rather than pay the park entry fee.
"The suspects are consistently breaking into the cars and using the trunk openers to get inside the trunk," Havicon said in an email. "The thieves got away with several thousands of dollars in property and cash along with credit cards, which they immediately went shopping with."
Havicon said store surveillance cameras in shops where stolen cards were used have identified a suspect vehicle - an older dark Ford Aerostar van with running boards and a missing hubcap on the right front wheel. The cameras also captured photos of two men believed to have come from the van shopping in the stores.
Anyone with information on the van or who sees suspicious activity in the parkway should call 916-875-PARK (7275).
View Rash of car burglaries reported near William Pond park in a larger map
Photo credit: Photos above were captured by store surveillance cameras. Sacramento County Park Rangers believe the men, pictured above, are suspects who used credit cards taken from the stolen vehicles. The men are believed to have been in the van.
Call The Bee's Sam Stanton, (916) 321-1091.
By Queenie Wong
qwong@sacbee.com
A 19-year-old Roseville man was arrested for illegal drug possession early this morning after a neighbor alerted police about a possible car burglary near his house, according to police officials.
Michael Dean Castro was arrested by the Rocklin Police Department for possession of narcotics, possession of medication without a prescription, and possession of marijuana in access of 28.5 grams.
Rocklin police officers arrived at the 2700 block of Genesee Drive at around 3:06 a.m. after receiving a report of a possible car burglary. The neighbor, who saw Castro looking in a car, pointed out where he had last seen the suspect to the officers. After searching the area, officers found the Castro hiding in the bushes. Prescription medicine, which was not prescribed to Castro, and marijuana were found on the suspect.
He was booked into Placer County Jail and is being held on $10,000 bail.
Call The Bee's Queenie Wong, (916) 321-1008.
By Queenie Wong
qwong@sacbee.com
The Lodi Police Department is still searching for a 77-year-old woman suffering from dementia, who has been missing from a convalescent hospital since Friday.
Catherine Elizabeth Hall (top photo), who is confined to a wheelchair, disappeared from the hospital in Lodi after her 58-year-old son, Eric Thomas Larson (bottom photo), came to visit her. Police believe that Larson took his mom from the hospital, but they have been unsuccessful in locating them. Hall has other medical issues that require medication.
Hall is 5 feet 5 inches and weighs 150 pounds. Police believe Larson lives in the Bay Area, but that hasn't been confirmed.
Anyone with information about the missing person should call the Lodi Police Department at 209-333-6727.
Call The Bee's Queenie Wong, (916) 321-1008.
By Chelsea Phua and Queenie Wong
cphua@sacbee.com
A 35-year-old man who was shot yesterday night outside a South Sacramento area apartment complex remains in critical condition, according to police officials.
Sgt. Norm Leong, a spokesman for the Sacramento Police Department, said police are still investigating the shooting that occurred around 8:33 p.m. in the 5300 block of 47th Avenue. When officers arrived in the area, the victim had already been shot.
Police detectives believe that he was outside the apartment when he got shot. Three people, described as black males in their 20s, were seen fleeing the area during that time.
A motive has not been determined.
Anyone with information related to the shooting should contact Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP or text in a tip to 274637 (CRIMES). Enter SACTIP followed by the tip information. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.
Call The Bee's Chelsea Phua, (916) 321-1132.
By Kim Minugh
kminugh@sacbee.com
A 26-year-old Sacramento man died Sunday morning after the car he was riding in crashed into a light pole while being chased by sheriff's deputies, according to authorities.
Sacramento County coroner's records indicate Jeremy Randall Sidener died Sunday morning after the Thursday night crash at Stockton Boulevard and 47th Avenue.
The pursuit began about 11:30 p.m. Thursday when a sheriff's K9 officer attempted to pull over a white Honda with no license plates and four occupants in the area of Parker Avenue and Stockton Boulevard, said sheriff's Sgt. Tim Curran.
The driver fled, and the brief pursuit reached speeds of more than 90 mph, Curran said. About a minute later, the Honda crashed into a light pole. All four occupants were injured and taken to local hospitals, Curran said.
Deputies later determined the car had been reported stolen to Sacramento police earlier that day, Curran said.
Call The Bee's Kim Minugh, (916) 321-1038.
By Kim Minugh
kminugh@sacbee.com
Two gun rights groups have dropped a lawsuit against the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department and Sheriff John McGinness after authorities clarified that "personal safety" is a sufficient reason to be issued a permit to carry a concealed weapon, according to a news release by the groups.
However, the Second Amendment Foundation and the Calguns Foundation are continuing forward with litigation against the Yolo County Sheriff's Department and Sheriff Ed Prieto, whose agency's policy states that self protection without credible threats of violence are not sufficient reasons for a permit, according to the release.
That litigation began after Yolo County resident Brett Stewart argued he needed a concealed weapon permit for self defense and was denied a permit, the release states. Stewart, identified as a "Calguns supporter," seeks to join the litigation as a plaintiff, according to the release.
The Sacramento County case stems from efforts by Deanna Sykes - co-founder of the Sacramento chapter of Pink Pistols, an international group that advocates gun ownership by gays and lesbians - to gain a permit. She cited personal safety as her reason for her need, and she, too, was denied.
However, McGinness altered his agency's approach to concealed weapon permits about two years ago, when the department's budget faced severe cuts, said sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Tim Curran.
Those cuts meant fewer deputies on the street, and McGinness directed the permit review committee to accept "personal safety" as a legitimate reason for residents without criminal histories, according to Curran.
In the news release, issued Monday, the Second Amendment Foundation and the Calguns Foundation vowed to continue working toward gun owner rights in California - "until everyone's firearms civil rights are fully protected," SAF founder Alan Gottlieb was quoted as saying. "Together, we will see many more legal victories."
Call The Bee's Kim Minugh, (916) 321-1038.
By Kim Minugh
kminugh@sacbee.com
A 24-year-old man is being held in the Sacramento County Main Jail in lieu of $2.4 million bail after sheriff's deputies allegedly found him pimping a 14-year-old girl, according to authorities.
Deputies arrested William Lavaell Ervin at the Motel 6 on the 4800 block of Watt Avenue on Sunday afternoon, said sheriff's Sgt. Tim Curran. He was booked on suspicion of rape; pimping a person under the age of 16; pandering by encouraging a minor under the age of 16; kidnapping for robbery; and drug possession, according to jail booking records.
He is being held in lieu of $2.4 million bail.
Curran said deputies received a call from a 14-year-old girl who had run away from her pimp, who was working out of the Motel 6. Deputies located the girl and found her story to be credible, then located Ervin and arrested him, Curran said.
The girl was taken to the Children's Receiving Home.
Call The Bee's Kim Minugh, (916) 321-1038.
By Sam Stanton and Dale Kasler
sstanton@sacbee.com
Some Westfield Galleria stores, including Nordstrom, may be able to open in the next several days, a Westfield official said this afternoon.
Meanwhile, Roseville authorities revealed they will be reviewing whether the mall sprinkler system was ordered turned off at some point during Thursday's fire.
Questions have lingered about how the fire took over the mall after it initially appeared to be doing little damage once the sprinkler system was activated Thursday morning.
Witnesses at the scene reported seeing little smoke until after noon, when the fire suddenly erupted into a huge blaze.
Roseville police kept firefighters from going into the mall to fight the fire over fears that a bomb was inside, and authorities have said they have no information on whether the sprinkler system was shut down at one point.
Dennis Mathisen, division chief for Roseville Fire, said in response to reporters' questions at a press conference at the Galleria that determining what happened with the sprinklers would be investigated.
"We've been hearing some of the information, too," Mathisen said. "As with any investigation our ears and eyes are wide open (for) any information that comes our way ... There have been no final determinations that have been made."
Mathisen added that "we can say that the sprinkler system was activated," but would not elaborate.
Roseville police Lt. Michael Doane also said he could not address the issue. "All of that is being reviewed right now," he said.
Officials have said the mall may not be able to reopen until late November, but mall general manager Gavin Farnam said today that the mall can be reopened in phases, beginning in "several days" with the opening of Nordstrom and some other stores.
He did not elaborate, but Roseville public works director Rob Jensen said he believed 25 to 30 percent of the Galleria's stores may soon reopen.
"It's a good number of stores that will be open within the week," Jensen said.
Call The Bee's Sam Stanton, (916) 321-1091.
By Kim Minugh and Cathy Locke
kminugh@sacbee.com
A leak in a natural gas line serving the Goodwill store at Auburn Boulevard and Old Auburn Road in Citrus Heights has been capped after the store and neighboring businesses were evacuated earlier this afternoon.
Capt. Christian Pebbles, spokesman for the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District, said that store's staff reported the odor of gas. Natural gas was found leaking through a crack in the building's foundation and periodically reached explosive levels, he said.
Pebbles said the leak was in an ancillary or "house" line, a line after the meter, not the main supply line. He said PG&E crews capped the line and released gas trapped under the building's foundation.
Four businesses in the commercial complex were evacuated, and portions of Auburn Boulevard and Old Auburn Road were closed to traffic for about four hours. The Sacramento Municipal Utility District also cut power in the area.
Pebbles said the other businesses have been allowed to reopen, but the Goodwill store will remain closed until the gas line is repaired.
Call The Bee's Kim Minugh, (916) 321-1038.
By Queenie Wong and Ed Fletcher
qwong@sacbee.com
Federal bomb agents have removed "items of evidentiary value" from the crime scene inside the Westfield Galleria in Roseville, but will not reveal whether that means they've located the backpack that they believe might contain explosives.
"It's still an active criminal investigation," said Jeff Vind, the assistant special agent in charge of the San Francisco office of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
ATF agents are inside the mall focusing on the second-floor area where the fire began last Thursday, setting off a massive blaze that badly damaged at least 20 stores and is likely to keep the Galleria shut until late November.
Vind said a great deal of progress was made today but that there is still a great deal of debris to deal with.
"It's still a dangerous location," he said.
Vind's comments came as the suspect in the fire, Alexander Corney Piggee, made his first court appearance in Auburn briefly.
He faces five felony counts -- aggravated arson, arson of a structure, two counts of threats to commit crimes resulting in death and burglary -- as well as a special allegation of using an accelerant to commit arson.
Piggee, 23, blurted out in court that he is "not guilty," but the Placer Superior Court judge did not enter a plea and scheduled another court session for Oct. 28 to give his family the opportunity to hire an attorney.
No one was injured in the fire, but about one quarter of the 1.3 million square foot center -- the largest shopping complex in the region -- was damaged by fire, smoke or water.
About a dozen of Piggee's family members showed up in court in Auburn. His mother has told The Bee that Piggee was angry and troubled over the fact that she had told him he had to move from her home because he was an adult who needed to fend for himself. She also said he had visited three hospitals in the past six weeks seeking treatment for depression.
Family members would not speak to the media at the courthouse, but his mother, Mary Carter, briefly interrupted the hearing as the judge was asking Piggee whether he wanted a public defender appointed. "I'm his mother," she told the judge after raising her hand, then said she was working to get Sacramento attorney Johnny Griffin III hired.
The judge then asked Piggee if he wanted to wait for his family to hire an attorney and he replied, "I'll trust my family, I'll wait."
Photo caption: Mary Carter, left, mother of suspect Alexander Corney Piggee, walks with another son, Michael Marilao, Jr. into Placer County Court in Auburn on Monday with another of her sons. (Photo by Randy Pench)
Call The Bee's Queenie Wong, (916) 321-1008.
By Andy Furillo
afurillo@sacbee.com
A Sacramento Superior Court jury today convicted Demario Richard Wiggins of second-degree murder in the July 20, 2009, shooting death of Tersha Jo Brown.
Wiggins, 32, faces at least a 15-to-life sentence from Judge Russell L. Hom. The sentence could be doubled to 30-to-life under the state's "three strikes" law pending a hearing scheduled for this afternoon on whether Wiggins has a previous violent felony conviction.
Prosecutors charged that Wiggins shot Brown, 26, in a dispute over whether he was having an affair.
Brown's family today described her as a one-time softball star who went to New Mexico State University on a full-ride scholarship. They said she eventually transferred to Sonoma State and graduated with a degree in English and went on to become a human resources manager for the Williams-Sonoma company in San Francisco.
They said she met Wiggins through a friend and that she quickly fell into major debt supporting his lifestyle heavy with drug dealing and gambling. They said when she sought to pull out of the relationship he threatened to kill her and her grandmother who lived in Vacaville.
"This is a tragedy that happens all the time," the victim's mother, Sharon Brown, said in an interview today. "You think your kids know right from wrong, but people can take you in."
Call The Bee's Andy Furillo, (916) 321-1141.
By Kim Minugh
kminugh@sacbee.com
Sacramento police saturated a north Natomas neighborhood this morning after an 11-year-old boy reported an attempted kidnapping there, according to authorities.
The boy told police that he was in the area of Zurlo Way and Bridgecross Drive about 8:45 a.m. when a white van pulled up next to him, said Officer Konrad von Schoech, a police spokesman.
Three white men were inside the van, and one attempted to pull the boy inside, the boy told police. The boy said he got away, ran home and told his parents about the incident, von Schoech said. The boy's dad called police.
Von Schoech said Sacramento police officers, assisted by Twin Rivers Unified School District police officers, were in the area within minutes searching for the van, but did not locate any that matched the description given by the boy.
"We like to err on the side of caution," von Schoech said.
Call The Bee's Kim Minugh, (916) 321-1038.
By Andy Furillo
afurillo@sacbee.com
Sacramento prosecutors decided today that they will not file domestic violence charges against Los Angeles Lakers forward Matt Barnes in his arrest over the summer following an altercation with his fiancee.
"In the matter of the arrest of Matt Barnes on Sept. 8 on domestic violence charges, the District
Attorney's Office announced today that no complaint will be filed," Assistant District Attorney Albert Locher said in a prepared statement. "The decision was made following additional investigation, and was based on the insufficiency of the evidence."
Barnes, a Del Campo High School graduate who went to UCLA and played for the Kings in the 2004-05 season, was arrested Sept. after Sacramento sheriff's deputies responded to his Fair Oaks home in response to a 911 hangup call. Deputies said there was evidence of a physical altercation between Barnes and his fiancee, Gloria Govan. She denied it in a statement that was released through a publicist.
Barnes had been scheduled for a hearing this morning in Sacramento Superior Court.
Tom Johnson, the Sacramenento lawyer who represented Barnes, welcomed the DA's decision.
"I think the DA's office tries to make the right decisions, and they tried to do that here," Johnson said. "We think it was the right decision."
Call The Bee's Andy Furillo, (916) 321-1141.
By Loretta Kalb
lkalb@sacbee.com
It seemed an outrage:
A woman called police in Sacramento and said two men tried to take her kids as she and a friend pushed strollers along the 500 block of El Camino Avenue shortly before midnight Saturday.
Officers who responded to the call, however, found a very different scenario, according to the Sacramento Police Department.
The woman actually had stolen merchandise from a nearby store, police said. Turns out that the two men weren't after her children. They were trying to recover the merchandise.
It was just another weekend night in the city, one marked also by an arrest for drug possession, a temporarily missing juvenile, cases of domestic violence and a stolen moving van.
The arrest for possession of an illicit drug came after police identified a stolen vehicle shortly after midnight this morning and followed the driver to Marconi Boulevard and Heron Way, where the car stopped.
The driver, identified as 21-year-old Gina Saechao, was arrested without incident. Police said her passenger, 42-year-old James Bryant, was taken into custody for possession of methamphetamine.
The missing juvenile, a 17-year-old female, did not come home from school on Friday. Her parents reported her missing, and officers came to the 1400 block of Rene Avenue in Del Paso Heights to investigate Saturday night. The teenager eventually came home and told her parents she was fine. She had decided to spend the night with friends without passing along the information, police said.
About 10 p.m. Saturday night, police said a woman received minor injuries after an argument with a man she knows became physical. By the time police arrived at Sully Street and Main Avenue, not far from Rio Linda Boulevard, the man had left.
The other domestic violence case came shortly before 5 p.m. Saturday at Meadowview Road and Manorside Drive in the south area. Police said a woman reported a fight with her ex-partner that became physical. When that happened, she said, the ex-partner waved a gun at her. Police said they took the suspect into custody.
Then, shortly before midnight Saturday, police arrested Kaleb Royals, 24, for investigation of stealing a moving truck and crashing it into a fence at Eleanor Street and Beaumont Avenue in the north area. Witnesses said they watched the suspect enter a nearby residence after the crash.
He was booked into the main jail on suspicion of motor vehicle theft, buying or receiving stolen property, misdemeanor hit and run, property damage, and driving without a license, and was held on $30,000 bail.
Call The Bee's Loretta Kalb, (916) 321-1079.
By Robert D. Dávila
bdavila@sacbee.com
Arson investigators arrested a 24-year-old man today in connection with a rash of recent 
fires set in vehicles parked in driveways in the Southwoods Park area of Sacramento County, near French and Gerber roads.
Samuel Jones Jr. (left) was booked at Sacramento County jail on two counts of felony arson and one count of possessing a firebomb, according to the Sheriff's Department website. Bail was set at $1 million.
Jones was arrested on suspicion of setting fire to vehicles in the early morning hours during the last three months, according to a news release by the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District.
He is scheduled for arraignment Tuesday in Sacramento County Superior Court.
Call The Bee's Robert D. Dávila, (916) 321-1077.
By Carlos Alcala
calcala@sacbee.com
A suspected candy bandit wound up in mounds of trouble Friday, after he left his photo identification at the scene of the crime in Sacramento.
Police report that an unidentified suspect entered the Smart & Final, 2431 28th St., about 10 a.m. and began loading candy into his messenger bag.
Recognizing the suspect from an earlier incident, the store manager confronted him.
The suspect pushed and swung at employees in order to escape, but he was arrested nearby after police found his transit ID with his name and photo in the bag at the store.
There was no word on whether the conclusion elicited any snickers.
Call The Bee's Carlos Alcala, (916) 321-1987.
By Carlos Alcala
calcala@sacbee.com
Sacramento police arrested two men suspected of taking a woman's purse and cell phone Friday morning.
According to a police report, the woman was in the 3500 block of Meadowview Road when one suspect approached and demanded her purse.
She refused until the suspect pulled a gun. He took the purse and ran off while a second suspect allegedly took her phone by force.
Officers were quickly on the scene and managed to arrest the suspect who had taken the purse.
The second suspect was seen jumping a fence on Andros Court and officers surrounded a house there and asked those inside to come out.
When they emerged, the victim identified one of them as the man who took her phone.
The woman's phone was found inside the residence in the suspect's bedroom.
The two suspects were identified as Dale Ellis, 25, and Perry Ellis, 19.
Call The Bee's Carlos Alcala, (916) 321-1987.
By Carlos Alcala
calcala@sacbee.com
An unidentified 57-year-old man was hit by a car and killed in Linda late Friday, California Highway Patrol officials reported.
The man was walking across North Beale Road west of Yuba Community College when he was hit.
The driver, Pablo Arredondo, 25, of Yuba City, told officers he was driving his Lexus eastbound on North Beale when he saw the pedestrian immediately in front of him.
Arredondo swerved unsuccessfully to avoid hitting the man, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
The CHP said Arredondo was not under the influence of alcohol.
Call The Bee's Carlos Alcala, (916) 321-1987.
By Chelsea Phua
cphua@sacbee.com
Campus police from California State University, Sacramento, said Friday they are investigating the kidnapping and sexual assault of a female student.
Police said the student was assaulted in the Residence Hall parking lot about 8:30 p.m. Thursday.
The student had got out of her vehicle and was walking toward the residence halls when she was approached by three men in a van. One of the men pulled her into the van. She was taken to the south side of the parking lot, where she was sexually assaulted.
Police said the victim was later treated and released from an area medical center.
She described the van as a dark-colored minivan, possibly red, with a driver's side sliding door. She described the man who pulled her into the van as Latino, about 19 to 20 years old, 5 feet 10 inches tall, slender build, with a buzz haircut and brown eyes. The police do not have a description of the driver or the other man.
Campus spokesman Detective Scott Christian said it's not clear if the suspects have any affiliations to the university.
This is the third reported sexual assault attack on campus in the past two months. On Sept. 13, an assailant touched a female student "on an intimate part of her body" while she was studying near Capistrano Hall.
Earlier this week, a female student reported being raped by an acquaintance in the American River Courtyard residence hall.
University spokeswoman Kim Nava said Friday that prosecutors have decided to drop charges against Jonathan Lee, 18, who was arrested on suspicion of rape.
"We are seeing these as unrelated incidents," said Lori Varlotta, the university's vice president for student affairs. University officials have not received reports from students being anxious because of the recent sexual assault incidents, Varlotta said.
"Sacramento State has a very comprehensive approach to dealing with sex assault," Varlotta said, outlining the various workshops and training provided to students and student leaders in avoiding and dealing with sexual assault cases.
She said the university is one of the few in the California State University system that has a certified rape counselor available round the clock.
In response to the latest incident, officials said they have increased uniformed patrols on campus, particularly the Residence Hall area.
Christian declined to divulge specifics of the security increase, saying that they could compromise police operations.
Officials are also encouraging students to use the Hornet Night Shuttle, which will escort students to and from their vehicles.
The numbers to call from dusk to 11 p.m. Monday to Thursday are (916) 278-7260 on a cell phone or 8-7260 from any on-campus phone. The numbers to call after hours are (916) 278-6851 or 8-6851.
Students are also encouraged to walk to and from classes in pairs or small groups, especially when it's dark, and to immediately report any suspicious people, vehicles, or activity to the campus police at (916) 278-6851.
More than 80 emergency phones are also accessible to students throughout campus, officials said. Students are immediately connected to a dispatcher when they pick up the emergency phones.
Call The Bee's Chelsea Phua, (916) 321-1132.
By Chelsea Phua
cphua@sacbee.com
A 48-year-old Rio Linda woman died Friday night after being struck by a car while crossing the road on Elkhorn Boulevard, California Highway Patrol officers said.
CHP spokeswoman Officer Lizz Dutton said Julie Ernst was running across the road near Sixth Street when the accident happened at about 6:40 p.m.
A 65-year-old Rio Linda man was westbound on Elkhorn Boulevard in his black Mustang and was attempting to change lanes. He glanced over to check his side mirrors and went he looked up again, she appeared in front of his vehicle, Dutton said.
It was a dark area and there was no crosswalk, Dutton said. Ernst had a dog with her. The dog was not hit.
Ernst died at the scene, Dutton said.
Call The Bee's Chelsea Phua, (916) 321-1132.
By Chelsea Phua
cphua@sacbee.com
Sacramento Fire Department arson investigators are asking the public for help in identifying and finding two "people of interest" who may be involved in a commercial structure fire in east Sacramento.
Fire officials said the fire took place at 4:45 a.m. Oct. 13 at the Bisla's Sports Bar, 7042 Folsom Blvd.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Arson Tip Line at (916) 808-8732 or Crime Alert at 1-800-AA-CRIME or e-mail wanted@crimealert.org
Photos provided by Sacramento Fire Department
Call The Bee's Chelsea Phua, (916) 321-1132.
By Matt Kawahara
mkawahara@sacbee.com
Based on witness statements, investigators now believe that the two high school girls ![RP TEENS STRUCK BY VEHICLE[1].JPG](http://blogs.sacbee.com/crime/RP%20TEENS%20STRUCK%20BY%20VEHICLE%5B1%5D.JPG)
who were hospitalized with serious injuries after being hit by a car in Oak Park on Tuesday were in the crosswalk when they were hit, a Sacramento police department spokesman said today.
The girls, both 17, were crossing Broadway at 39th Street on their way to nearby American Legion High when they were struck by a black Scion, said Sgt. Norm Leong.
They were taken to the hospital, one in critical condition and one in serious condition, Leong said.
As of this afternoon, one girl has been treated and released from the hospital, while the other is listed in serious condition, according to UC Davis Medical Center spokesman Charles Casey.
The accident happened at about 8 a.m. Tuesday just a block from the high school.
The 26-year-old driver was not arrested. Leong said there were no apparent signs that the driver was impaired.
Photo above. A Sacramento City police officer takes pictures of the scene where two female teens who were on their way to school were hit by a vehicle on Broadway east of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. on Tuesday. Bee Staff Photo by Randy Pench.
Call The Bee's Matt Kawahara, (916) 321-1015.
By Matt Kawahara
mkawahara@sacbee.com
An Orangevale man who was found dead of an apparent suicide Tuesday in a rugged part of Placer County was a suspect in a Sacramento County Sheriff's Department child molestation investigation, according to a news release.
Jamie "Jim" Lewis (right) was found dead by the Placer County Sheriff's Department in a remote area of Robinson Flat from an apparent suicide, a Placer sheriff's spokesman said earlier this week.
Lewis was reported missing on Monday.
Lewis was a registered sex offender as a result of a 1990 child molestation conviction in Shasta County, according to the Sacramento sheriff's release.
Sacramento sheriff's child-abuse detectives were seeking Lewis' arrest in a new case, the release states.
Detectives believe that Lewis recently became aware of the current investigation, according to the release.
The release states that Lewis told his family on Oct. 16 that he was going to go ATV riding in at Robinson Flat and that a family friend reported Lewis missing on Monday when Lewis did not return home.
Placer County deputies, search and rescue volunteers and California Highway Patrol air support searched for him Monday and Tuesday. They were joined Tuesday by searchers from Sacramento, El Dorado and Yuba counties.
Detectives also believe that there may be other victims who were victimized by Lewis and have not come forward, according to the release.
Detectives are asking anyone who believes their child had contact with and may have been victimized by Lewis to call the Sheriff's Department at (916) 874-5115.
Call The Bee's Matt Kawahara, (916) 321-1015.
Bee Staff
Roseville authorities are investigating the unauthorized release of photos of the burned interior of the Westfield Galleria in Roseville, saying they appear to have been leaked by emergency response officials working inside the mall.
City spokeswoman Megan MacPherson said city workers had taken video from inside the structure earlier today and had hoped to release it but were holding off because Westfield officials had not yet been able to get inside to see the damage for themselves.
However, three photos that appear to have been taken by a cell phone camera were leaked in an anonymous email to KCRA and posted on the station's website.
MacPherson said only emergency personnel and city officials have been allowed inside the mall and that officials are looking into how the photos were released. She added that the photos did not come from the video city officials took earlier.
By Bee Staff
A reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest or arrests in the theft of 32 new Apple MacBook laptop computers, according to the Placer County Sheriff's Department.
The computers were stolen from the Harvest Ridge Cooperative Charter School, 9050 Old State Highway in Newcastle, sometime between 3 p.m. Oct. 16 and 6:30 a.m. Oct. 18, according to a news release.
The computers, still in boxes, are described as white, 13-inch Apple MacBook laptops. The computers are valued at $36,000.
The suspect or suspects entered the school by breaking a window. They then went through five classrooms before breaking a padlock to enter a secure area where the computers were stored.
"The true victims in this case are the students who are now without their educational tools," said sheriff's spokesman Lt. Jeff Ausnow.
Anyone with information is asked to call Placer County Crime Stoppers toll-free at (800) 923-8191. Operators are available 24 hours a day.
Tipsters can remain anonymous and receive a reward of up to $1,000 if their information leads to an arrest or arrests.
All information remains confidential. For more information on Placer County Crime Stoppers, go to www.placercrimestoppers.com
Q: What happened to the man who allegedly got fired from an adult novelty store for not being gay? - Chu Papi, Earth
A: The case of Michael Beaton who claimed he was fired from Suzie's Adult Superstore on Auburn Boulevard because he wasn't gay has been settled, both sides to the civil suit say.
The case was settled, said Jordan T.L. Peters, attorney for Beaton, but she declined further comment, citing terms of the settlement.
Ben Webster of Littler Mendelson PC - attorney for Janra Enterprises, owner of Suzie's - said, "The case was resolved on a confidential basis with no admission of improper conduct or liability of any kind."
Beaton worked as a security guard at Suzie's and helped out on sales as needed, according to the suit filed in Sacramento Superior Court this spring.
But when he asked for a promotion to a full-time sales slot, Beaton claimed he was turned down because he isn't gay.
Beaton claimed he was hired in March 2009 to work as a part-time security guard at Suzie's. He said he quickly moved up to full time and then covered for salespeople when they took lunch breaks.
The suit claimed that Beaton's supervisor told him he'd be good in a sales job. Beaton said he scored high in a sales test, but didn't get the promotion.
A supervisor told him, "You're just not the gay boy that they're looking for," according to the suit.
The suit stated Beaton "learned that a gay man ... had been hired for the sales job."
Beaton was put to work doing work such as cleaning up after patrons had sex in film booths and picking up used condoms and hypodermic needles, the suit claimed.
The suit claimed Beaton was hurt on the job in January. In February, he told his boss he would no longer work on the booths to aid sexual activity.
The suit claimed he was effectively fired in April when his boss told him that he was "done."
For a complete list of questions answered by Sacto911, click here
By Queenie Wong
qwong@sacbee.com
The 23-year-old man suspected of setting fire to the Westfield Galleria in Roseville has been booked at the Placer County Jail.
Alexander Piggee, a transient, was booked on suspicion of arson (willfully and maliciously setting a fire), arson under conditions likely to cause great bodily injury and causing damages and losses in excess of $6.5 million, burglary (entering a building with the intent to commit a felony) and making criminal threats.
He is being held without bail and is scheduled to be arraigned at 1 p.m. on October 25.
Call The Bee's Queenie Wong, (916) 321-1008.
By Queenie Wong
qwong@sacbee.com
A man who died at a hospital after firefighters found him at a house fire yesterday morning in the 4000 block of Galbrath Avenue has been identified as 51-year-old Zachary Hood, according to Sacramento County Coroner's Office online records.
Hood was transported to the Mercy San Juan Hospital "under CPR," but did not survive, Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District spokesman Capt. Christian Pebbles.
At 5:06 a.m., firefighters arrived at the house south of Antelope Road to find it "well involved with fire and threatening adjacent homes," he said.
The fire started in the kitchen area and the cause is still under investigation.
Call The Bee's Queenie Wong, (916) 321-1008.
By Bee Staff
A vehicle hit a 16-year-old male as he was skateboarding on Antelope Road near Lauppe Lane this morning, Citrus Heights police said.
The victim was taken to Mercy San Juan Hospital where he was reported in critical condition, police said.
A preliminary investigation shows that alcohol or speeding do not appear to be factors.
The accident happened around 7:55 a.m. as the skateboarder was traveling west on Antelope in the roadway, police said.
No other details were available.
By Ryan Lillis
rlillis@sacbee.com
The suspect in the Roseville Galleria fire may be connected to two arsons in Antelope in the past day, a source has told The Bee.
Follow this developing news story here.
Call The Bee's Ryan Lillis, (916) 321-1061.
By Bee Staff
A man died at a hospital after he was found this morning in a house fire in the 4000 block Galbrath Avenue, a Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District spokesman said.
At 5:06 a.m., firefighters arrived at the house south of Antelope Road to find it "well involved with fire and threatening adjacent homes," said Capt. Christian Pebbles.
Firefighters found an unidentified man, who was transported to Mercy San Juan Hospital "under CPR," Pebbles said.
The fire victim did not survive, Pebbles said.
It took more than 40 firefighters 25 minutes to bring the fire under control, he said.
The fire started in the kitchen area and the cause is still under investigation.
Follow updates to this developing news story here.
By Matt Kawahara, Bill Lindelof, Ed Fletcher, Dale Kasler and Sam Stanton
sstanton@sacbee.com
A fresh plume of heavy black smoke is pouring from the Roseville Galleria this afternoon as police continue to try and determine whether a backpack left there during a barricade situation this morning contained any explosives.
There was no immediate word on what caused the fresh smoke, but Roseville officials say the suspect in the siege of the mall has been taken to the Roseville city jail.
The suspect's name has not yet been released, but the incident ended with no injuries to customers or employees.
The drama began this morning after a man in his early to mid-20s walked into the GameStop store on the second floor and began talking incoherently to clerks, and then ordered them out.
The suspect apparently set a fire inside the mall after it was evacuated, but the mall's sprinkler system appeared to have suppressed portions of the fire after a period during which a large plume of smoke billowed from the mall, the largest in the Sacramento region.
Police and firefighters delayed entering the GameStop store where a fire apparently was set because of concerns over the backpack.
Officials said the man took over the store after telling the clerks something about his sister being held captive.
He then ordered the GameStop workers out, sparking the evacuation and closure of the mall.
The mother of the GameStop manager said she spoke to her son after the mall evacuation to make certain everyone was all right.
"I called him right away," Norma Delgado told The Bee. "The store was evacuated and he's doing fine."
Delgado said her son told her that the suspect came in and ordered workers to leave.
"He didn't tell me much, he just told me he was ordered to get out, and he did," she said. "I'm still a little shaky."
Misty Briglia, who works inside the Macy's next to the GameStop, said workers initially were told not to alarm customers or let them know precisely what was going on until everyone was ordered to evacuate at about 11:15 a.m.
"I'm a little freaked out," she said.
The evacuation led to a massive response to the mall, a sprawling 10-year-old center that is one of the area's top shopping destinations.
Police and fire units surrounded the buildings while shoppers and customers moved away from the mall as smoke billowed overhead.
It was not immediately clear whether the suspect, who could be seen handcuffed and being questioned by officers sitting on a mall bench, was armed.
Reports that shots had been fired were dismissed by Roseville police, who said the sound was from a non-lethal device being used to break a window.
The Galleria has transformed Roseville into one of the retail hubs of the Sacramento area.
Not only has it imported such upscale merchants as Tiffany and Louis Vitton, it's also sparked the development of several shopping centers in the adjacent area. Last February Hyatt opened a hotel next door.
In addition, the mall serves as "home court" for the Sacramento Capitals team tennis franchise.
A $240 million expansion, concluded in November 2008, brought 100 more stores to the mall and signified the Galleria's ability to persevere in a difficult economy. It also irritated Sacramento city officials, who accused owner Westfield Corp. of lavishing attention on the Roseville mall while neglecting the company's Downtown Plaza.
The incident sparked heightened security measures at Arden Fair Mall, where Sacramento police came out to patrol the parking areas to make certain there were no problems.
Arden Fair security manager Steve Reed said he monitored the situation at the Galleria through law enforcement and media contacts, but that there were no problems at his mall today.
"Obviously, our main concern is the safety of the customers," Reed said. "We heightened our patrols, made them more frequent and actually had law enforcement on the property patrolling today because of this incident."
Ironically, Reed said, he began his day at 6 a.m. by distributing information from the U.S. Department of homeland Security on how merchants and security should respond to such an incident. Malls typically have extensive security procedures and surveillance devices, and Reed said they train regularly to respond to problems.
Call The Bee's Matt Kawahara, (916) 321-1015.
Firefighters waiting for bomb squad to check out backpack
12:22 p.m.
A Fire Department spokesman said the mall's sprinkler system is being used as a "first line of defense" against a fire in the mall until the bomb squad tells firefighters they can move in.
12:20 p.m.
A Police Department bomb squad moves into to check out a backpack that police say the suspect left behind.
Around 12:10 p.m.
A suspect is taken into custody.
12:03 p.m.
Roseville Fire public information officer Dennis Mathiesen said that the situation "is extremely dangerous" for firefighters.
"We have to make sure we don't run in there too quick," said Mathiesen.
Police said they do not know of any motive for the suspect setting the store on fire.
11:55 a.m.
Firefighters can be seen moving toward the mall, apparently positioning themselves to fight the fire.
Sprinklers in mall are activated.
11:50 a.m.
Smoke can be seen rising from the mall.
Police have not been able to make contact with the man, Roseville Police officer Jerry Wernli said.
Police know who the suspect is but they are not releasing the man's name
About 10:30 a.m.
A subject walked into a business, identified by a Roseville spokeswoman as GameStop on the mall's second level.
The man, described as being in his 20s, was speaking incoherently, saying his sister was being held captive.
He told employees to leave and also said that he was armed.
After employees left he lit something on fire.
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
The Roseville Galleria Mall has been evacuated after reports of a suspect barricaded inside the mall.
A Roseville city official confirmed that mall has been cleared. A police command post has been set up.
"We have the Roseville police department dealing with the suspect in the mall, possibly in the back room of one of the tenants of the mall," said Roseville city spokeswoman Vonette McCauley.
"They are addressing that situation. Fire and emergency medical services are on scene to deal with what may occur."
McCauley said she could not confirm if a fire reported earlier was an actual blaze or a report of a pulled fire alarm.
"We are trying to confirm that," she said.
McCauley said she could not confirm media reports that the tenant where the suspect may be holed up is the GameStop store.
The situation apparently started around 10:30 a.m.
No other details were available.
Image from Google maps.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
A third person has been arrested in the shooting death of a Sacramento cab driver earlier this week.
James Walker, 54, was found dead in his taxi early Monday at Hillsdale Village Apartments near Madison Avenue and Interstate 80.
Sacramento County sheriff's homicide detectives late last night arrested Antoine Lee Taylor (top photo), 20, of Sacramento on suspicion of robbery and the killing of Walker.
Sacramento County sheriff's detectives had already booked Jermaine John Campbell (bottom photo), 19, and Jonathan Steven Hudson (middle photo), 18, into Sacramento County Jail on suspicion of murder and robbery on Wednesday.
Campbell was also booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, a charge unrelated to the killing of Walker, according to Sacramento County Sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Tim Curran.
Campbell was arrested at a home in the 2500 block of Seamist Drive and Hudson was arrested in the 500 block of El Camino Avenue. Taylor was arrested in the 3500 block of Sunrise Pines Drive in Rancho Cordova.
Sheriff's detectives allege that the three young men were visiting friends at the apartment complex and telephoned for a taxi with the intent to rob the driver.
When Walker arrived at the complex he was shot and killed when the two suspects tried to rob him, according to a Sheriff's Department news release.
Walker suffered at least one gunshot wound to his upper body, Curran said.
Deputies were called to the 5100 block of Hillsdale Boulevard Monday after residents reported hearing gunshots at 3:14 a.m.
Deputies found Walker in the driver's seat of his cab, parked in the driveway of the apartment parking lot. Paramedics arrived a short time later and pronounced Walker dead, Curran said.
Nobody witnessed the shooting, Curran said.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.comA four-alarm fire ripped through a midtown food bank and offices of the Episcopal church early this morning.
The two buildings on 27th Street near Capitol Avenue were heavily damaged, especially the River City Food Bank. The food bank serves more than 36,000 people every year.
About 8,000 pounds of food was in the food bank when the fire broke out.
"We believe that food is gone but we have not been able to go into the building," said Lesley Miller, spokeswoman for the food bank.
The fire did not harm nearby Trinity Cathedral, the cathedral for the Episcopal Diocese of Northern California.
The blaze, which is under investigation, broke out about 1:45 a.m. at the food bank. The fire spread to the diocesan offices, eventually going to four alarms with 104 firefighters responding.
Flames shot 20 to 30 feet into the air and it took more than an hour to bring the blaze under control, said Capt. Jonathan Burgess, spokesman for the Sacramento Fire Department.
"The food bank was pretty much a complete loss," said Burgess.
The food bank is not operated by the church, although it receives support from many congregations. Started by St. Paul's Episcopal it was headquartered at Trinity Cathedral at one time.
Until 1997, the food bank was affiliated with Episcopal Community Services. But for more than a decade the food bank has been independent, providing emergency food and shelter.
The diocesan office building suffered damage to the attic and rooms upstairs. Downstairs rooms were in good condition, except for water damage, Burgess said.
Two people from a nearby apartment were evacuated but then later allowed to go back to their residence.
Several people reported the fire, which is under investigation.
Firefighters had a tough time breaking through the ceiling to get to the fire in the attic of the food bank. That forced firefighters to pull out and pour water onto the two-story building from the outside.
"Firefighters did a good job stopping it," said Burgess. "Flame was 20-30 feet in the air from the food bank."
Anyone who wants to help the food bank replenish its supplies with the holidays approaching, is encouraged to donate online at rivercityfoodbank.org.
Photo caption: Firefighters mop at the River City Food Bank in Sacramento on Thursday morning after a four-alarm fire ripped through the food bank and offices of the Episcopal church. Photo by Randy Pench.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
By Chelsea Phua
cphua@sacbee.com
A 38-year-old man was arrested for reportedly stealing a fire engine Wednesday afternoon from a south Sacramento fire station, fire officials said.
California Highway Patrol officers booked Andre Marcellos Newsome into Sacramento County Main Jail on suspicion of motor vehicle theft and purchase or receipt of stolen vehicle, according to online jail records.
Newsome had allegedly taken the engine because he needed a ride home to Fresno, CHP Officer Eric Aston said.
"He said he figured a fire engine was as good as any other vehicle he could take," Aston said.
Newsome was discharged Wednesday afternoon from Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento Medical Center, where he had been receiving treatment for "some psychological disorder," Aston said. As he walked by the fire station at East Parkway and Franklin Boulevard, he saw Fire Engine 57 parked outside.
The engine, which was usually parked inside the apparatus room, was moved in front of the station on the driveway so a city maintenance crew could work on modifications to the room, said Capt. Jonathan Burgess, Sacramento Fire Department spokesman.
When the city crew left, the fire engine was still there, Burgess said.
Firefighters, who were inside the station, did not know the engine was taken until CHP officers called the fire department to say it was found some 20 miles away, CHP Sgt. Sean Duryee said.
A passer-by spotted the fire engine - with its lights and sirens on - on Franklin Boulevard near Twin Cities Road shortly before 4 p.m., CHP officials said. The witness allegedly saw Newsome climb out of the driver's side of the engine.
"(The witness) thought that was kind of odd," Aston said.
Newsome told authorities he decided to abandon the fire engine because he couldn't figure out how to turn off the lights and sirens, which he had apparently turned on some time during his drive south, Aston said.
Newsome was also having trouble with the brakes, the officer said.
"He wasn't able to operate the vehicle very well," Aston said.
Fire officials said fire engines are difficult to operate without training or familiarity. They said all the equipment appeared to be on the vehicle, but one of the rear tires sustained significant damage because the engine was being driven with the emergency break engaged.
The engine was towed to the Meadowview Corporation Facility for inspection and needed repairs.
Other agencies that helped recover the engine included the California Department of Fish and Game, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department and the Consumes Community Services District Fire Department.
Photo of Andre Newsome courtesy of Sacramento County Sheriff's Department
Call The Bee's Chelsea Phua, (916) 321-1132.
By Matt Kawahara
mkawahara@sacbee.com
The Sacramento Fire Department is asking for the public's help in recovering fire training equipment that it believes was stolen yesterday.
The equipment was being stored in boxes near the McClellan Park Fire Training Facility and was found missing yesterday, according to a department release.
It is described in the release as "vital to the training of new fire recruits" and its estimated value is $20,000.
The missing equipment includes generators, chain saws, nail guns, compressors, circular saws, axes and other hand tools.
Police are asking anyone with information to call Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP or to text a tip to 274637 (CRIMES). Enter SACTIP followed by the crime information.
Callers may remain anonymous and be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.
Call The Bee's Matt Kawahara, (916) 321-1015.
By Matt Kawahara and Chelsea Phua
mkawahara@sacbee.com
Firefighters evacuated about 50 homes in downtown Sacramento this afternoon after a construction crew cut a large natural gas line near Fifth and U streets.
The evacuation was ordered by the Sacramento Fire Department after an odor of gas was reported at about 1:35 p.m., Fire Department spokesman Jonathan Burgess said.
A crew was working to replace a storm drain when the PG&E line was cut.
Workers capped the leak at 5:45 p.m. and residents have been allowed back into their homes.
No injuries were reported.
Call The Bee's Matt Kawahara, (916) 321-1015.
By Bee Staff
The Elk Grove Police Department will conduct a DUI/driver's license checkpoint beginning at 8 p.m. Friday and running until 3 a.m. at an undisclosed location in the city.
"We will be talking to drivers, making sure they are not impaired, arresting those who are, and getting the word out that impaired driving and driving without a proper license is not acceptable in Elk Grove," said Police Chief Robert Lehner in a news release.
Funding for this checkpoint comes from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
The Sacramento County Coroner's department has released the name of a 16-year-old who was killed over the weekend in what police said was a drive-by shooting in south Sacramento.
He has been identified as Jimmy Le of Sacramento.
Sacramento police said they are now investigating the case a homicide.
The teen was attending a party in the 6100 block of Lemon Bell Way when the shooting happened shortly after midnight Sunday.
Someone reportedly fired from a light-colored car. Three others were wounded and taken to area hospitals with non life-threatening injuries.
Le died on Tuesday.
Police are asking anyone with information to call Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP or to text a tip to 274637 (CRIMES). Enter SACTIP followed by the crime information.
Callers may remain anonymous and be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
By Matt Kawahara
mkawahara@sacbee.com
Detectives have arrested a Walnut Creek man in connection with the shooting of a 32-year-old man in the head in West Sacramento on the night of Oct. 12.
Detectives from the West Sacramento Police Department and the San Jose Police Department arrested Damon William Elwood, 28, at a Starbucks in San Jose on the afternoon of Oct. 13, according to a West Sacramento Police Department press release.
According to the release, Elwood was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
At about 6:40 p.m. on Oct. 12, West Sacramento police responded to reports of two males arguing and a gunshot at the 1600 block of Madrone Avenue, according to the release.
When officers arrived, they found a man shot in the head, according to the release.
The victim, Kataurus Bryant, 32, of San Jose, was in West Sacramento visiting relatives, police said.
Bryant is still listed in critical condition, according to the release.
Call The Bee's Matt Kawahara, (916) 321-1015.
By Andy Furillo
afurillo@sacbee.com
A man pleaded guilty Tuesday to felony hit-and-run in a traffic wreck that killed three people, according to Sacramento Superior Court records.
![badcarrasco[1].jpg](http://blogs.sacbee.com/crime/badcarrasco%5B1%5D.jpg)
Omar Carrasco (left), 25, is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 17, in connection with the two-car collision at Cosumnes River Boulevard and Center Parkway.
The 3:30 a.m. accident on March 5 took the lives of three Sacramento men who relatives said had been friends since boyhood. They were identified as Raoul Perez, 23; Manuel Ruiz, 25; and Gregory Valenzuela, 22.
Carrasco, who has a previous conviction of drunk driving, faces a maximum sentence of four years in prison on the hit-and-run charge as a result of his guilty plea.
Call The Bee's Andy Furillo, (916) 321-1141.
By Bee Staff
A reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest or arrests of those responsible for a rock-throwing incident that injured two spectators at the Del Oro High School Band Spectacular Saturday night, according to the Placer County Sheriff's Department.
A man was struck in the head and a young girl was hit in the hand by large rocks around 8 p.m. as they sat in the visitor bleachers. They both received medical aid at the scene, a sheriff's spokesman said.
"It's very fortunate that these injuries were not more serious," said Lt. Jeff Ausnow. "The rocks were the size of baseballs."
Anyone who wishes to remain anonymous and receive up to $1,000 in reward money is urged to call Placer County Crime Stoppers, toll-free at (800) 923-8191. Operators are available 24 hours a day.
If that information leads to an arrest or arrests, a cash reward will be paid. All information remains confidential.
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
Two teenagers have been arrested in the killing of a Sacramento cab driver earlier this week.
James Walker, 54, was found dead in his taxi early Monday at Hillsdale Village Apartments near Madison Avenue and Interstate 80.
Sacramento County sheriff's detectives early this morning booked Jermaine John Campbell, 19, and Jonathan Steven Hudson, 18, into Sacramento County Jail on suspicion of murder and robbery.
Campbell was also booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, a charge unrelated to the killing of Walker, according to Sacramento County Sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Tim Curran.
Campbell was arrested at a home in the 2500 block of Seamist Drive and Hudson was arrested in the 500 block of El Camino Avenue.
Sheriff's detectives allege that the two young men were visiting friends at the apartment complex and telephoned for a taxi with the intent to rob the driver.
When Walker arrived at the complex he was shot and killed when the two suspects tried to rob him, according to a Sheriff's Department news release.
Walker suffered at least one gunshot wound to his upper body, Curran said.
Deputies were called to the 5100 block of Hillsdale Boulevard Monday after residents reported hearing gunshots at 3:14 a.m.
Deputies found Walker in the driver's seat of his cab, parked in the driveway of the apartment parking lot. Paramedics arrived a short time later and pronounced Walker dead, Curran said.
Nobody witnessed the shooting, Curran said.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
Q: In the 1980s, Larry LaPoint killed Ray Lockridge a Coker-Ewing real estate agent. The shooting occurred at the real estate office in Roseville. Where is Lapoint now? - Anonymous, Roseville
A: Lawrence Eugene Lapoint, now 66, is in prison, records indicate.
Lapoint was sentenced to prison for 25 years to life for the Oct. 29, 1985, rifle and shotgun attack on a Roseville real estate office that left one man dead, The Bee reported.
Lapoint's sentence for the murder of Lockridge and six other criminal convictions from the same attack mean Lapoint would serve at least 25 years in state prison before becoming eligible for parole, prosecutors said at the time of his sentencing. Lapoint was sentenced on May 29, 1987.
The fatal shooting incident occurred at the Coker-Ewing Real Estate office on Douglas Boulevard in Roseville.
It stemmed from Lapoint's feud with the firm over alleged deficiencies in a south Roseville home that his ex-wife had purchased from Coker-Ewing. Lapoint, though divorced from his wife, still lived at the home.
Lockridge, 40, died in his office of gunshot wounds while Lapoint held hostage another Coker-Ewing employee who was wounded in the foot.
Lapoint surrendered to the California Highway Patrol about an hour after the shooting began, telling authorities he was after the firm's owners, Robert Coker and Harry Ewing.
For a complete list of questions answered by Sacto911, click here
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
A man who returned to a section of railroad tracks to retrieve belongings was hit and killed by a passenger train in Lodi.
The 41-year-old Lodi man was sitting on the tracks just north of Kettleman Lane in Lodi about 10:40 p.m. Tuesday when a northbound Amtrak train approached at about 65 mph.
Witnesses told Lodi police that the man stood up and walked away, but returned to retrieve a backpack he left between the rails.
He was then hit by the train, the second fatality involving pedestrians this year along that particular section of track.
Pedestrians who enter that track area are subject to citation or arrest for trespassing.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
By Chelsea Phua
cphua@sacbee.com
A 16-year-old who was injured over the weekend in what police said was a drive-by shooting in south Sacramento has died.
Sacramento police said they are now investigating the case a homicide.
The teen, who authorities have not identified, was attending a party in the 6100 block of Lemon Bell Way when the shooting happened shortly after midnight Sunday.
Someone reportedly fired from inside a light-colored car. Three others were taken to area hospitals with non life-threatening injuries. The 16-year-old was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries.
Police are asking anyone with information to call Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP or to text a tip to 274637 (CRIMES). Enter SACTIP followed by the crime information. Callers may remain anonymous and be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.
Call The Bee's Chelsea Phua, (916) 321-1132.
By Chelsea Phua
cphua@sacbee.com
Campus police at California State University, Sacramento, have arrested an 18-year-old student accused of raping a fellow student on campus.
University spokeswoman Kim Nava said the female student reported to police on Monday evening that she was raped by an acquaintance that same evening in the American River Courtyard residence hall.
Police arrested Jonathan Lee, who was booked into Sacramento County Main Jail early Tuesday on a felony rape charge, according to online jail records.
He is being held on a $150,000 bail and scheduled for a court appearance Thursday.
Call The Bee's Chelsea Phua, (916) 321-1132.
By Bee Staff
Two minimum-security inmates - a car thief and a drugs/firearm possessor - escaped this morning from a support facility at Folsom State Prison, official said.
Officials described the escapees as:
-Jeffrey William Howard (below left), 43, a white male, 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighing 205 pounds with a shaved head, brown hair and brown eyes. He was sent to prison from Los Angeles County on July 13, 2009 to serve a four-year sentence for vehicle theft.
-Garrett Daniel Summitt (below right), 34, a white male, 6 feet tall, weighing 230 pounds with a shaved head, blonde hair and blue eyes. He was sent to prison from Los Angeles County on Dec. 10 to serve a six-year sentence for possession of a controlled substance and firearm possession.
Local law enforcement agencies and the California Highway Patrol have been notified and are assisting in the search.
Anyone seeing individuals who match the description should contact law enforcement authorities immediately or call 911.
Folsom State Prison opened in 1880 and is California's second oldest prison, officials said. It houses 3,526 minimum- and medium-security inmates and employs more than 1,100 people.
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
Placer sheriff: Missing Orangevale man found dead of suicide
An Orangevale man missing in a rugged part of Placer County was found this afternoon dead of an apparent suicide, said Lt. Jeff Ausnow, spokesman for the Placer County Sheriff's Department.
Jamie Michael Lewis, 51, should have returned home on Saturday from an outing on his all-terrain vehicle. He was riding his off-road vehicle in the Robinson Flat area between Foresthill and Soda Springs.
His body was found near Robinson Flat at around 1 p.m. by the Placer County Sheriff's Search and Rescue unit.
That is where Placer County deputies, search and rescue volunteers and California Highway Patrol air support searched for him on Monday and today. They were joined today by searchers from Sacramento, El Dorado and Yuba counties.
Lewis, an experienced ATV rider with no known medical issues, was reported missing on Monday by family members.
A total of 28 ATV riders, six riders on horseback, 25 hikers and personnel in two four-wheel drive vehicles searched for Lewis.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
The two teenagers hit by a minivan this morning crossing a busy street in Oak Park were students at American Legion High School, an official with the Sacramento City Unified School District said.
A black Scion traveling eastbound on Broadway near 39th Street struck the two 17-year-old girls about 8 a.m. One of the girls was reported in critical condition and the other also had serious injuries, police said.
The girls were struck in the middle of the street just east of the high school. Earlier police reported that the girls did not appear to have been in a crosswalk when they were hit by the van but now officers say that is under investigation.
The 26-year-old driver of the van stopped and was interviewed by officers. The circumstances that led up to the accident are under investigation.
Photo caption: A Sacramento police officer investigates the scene on Broadway east of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard where two teens were struck by an eastbound vehicle while on their way to school. Bee Staff Photo by Randy Pench. Video by Randy Pench is of an interview with Sgt. Norm Leong.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
Folsom police say that a middle school student's injuries were less severe because the eighth grader was wearing a helmet when struck by a car.
The cyclist's helmet absorbed a significant amount of impact, cracking the inner foam lining. Officer Steve Bailey said the helmet prevented serious head injuries.
Officers said that at about 8 a.m. Monday a car was making a right turn onto Silberhorn Drive when the vehicle struck the boy on his bike as he was riding to Folsom Middle School, 500 Blue Ravine Road.
The boy was transported to the hospital. He suffered a partially collapsed right lung and injuries to his left side. His injuries were not life-threatening, police said.
The investigation is ongoing and no fault has been determined.
The Folsom Police Department encourages all cyclists to wear helmets. A helmet is required for cyclists under the age of 18 years old.
The department has received a $50,000 grant from the state Office of Traffic Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for cycling and pedestrian education.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
By Chelsea Phua
cphua@sacbee.com
Yolo County authorities said Monday that they found a missing El Dorado County teenager in the Dunnigan home of a 35-year-old sex offender over the weekend.
Authorities said Jason Sigur was booked into Yolo County jail early Saturday on charges that included kidnapping, lewd and lascivious acts with a minor under 14 and failure to register as a sex offender.
Jail officials said Sigur's bail is set at $1 million and he is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.
According to a sheriff's department news release, Sigur is accused of kidnapping a 13-year-old girl from her El Dorado Hills home. The girl was reported missing Friday morning by the El Dorado County Sheriff's Department.
Yolo County deputies went to Sigur's home shortly after 9:45 a.m. Friday and found the girl. They said that during the time she was at Sigur's home, he sexually assaulted her.
Authorities said the investigation later revealed that Sigur and the girl had previous contact.
Deputies later found Sigur in the area of Dunnigan and arrested him.
Call The Bee's Chelsea Phua, (916) 321-1132.
By Andy Furillo
afurillo@sacbee.com
A Sacramento Superior Court jury has convicted Christopher Brian Rogers of murder in the Nov. 25, 2004, shooting death of Juanita Johnson.
The panel returned the verdict against the 35-year-old Rogers on Friday. Rogers was being retried after another jury in June could not reach a verdict in his case.
Rogers was arrested last year on a DNA cold hit after testing on semen samples taken from Johnson's body matched the defendant's genetic profile.
He admitted having sex with the 44-year-old woman, whose body was found in the 3900 block of 43rd Avenue, but denied that he shot and killed her.
Judge Eugene L. Balanon scheduled Rogers' sentencing for Nov. 19.
Call The Bee's Andy Furillo, (916) 321-1141.
By Andy Furillo
afurillo@sacbee.com
A man convicted of voluntary manslaughter in a fatal shooting in a Sacramento homeless camp off 47th Avenue two years ago has been sentenced to 21 years in prison.
Oscar Martinez, 33, who had been charged with murder in the death of Vincent Segura Hernandez, 39, was convicted on the lesser offense Sept. 7 by a Sacramento Superior Court jury.
Judge Gary S. Mullen imposed the term Friday.
Call The Bee's Andy Furillo, (916) 321-1141.
By Andy Furillo
afurillo@sacbee.com
A Sacramento man convicted of murdering his mother and grandmother has been sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Superior Court Judge Robert M. Twiss imposed the term Friday on Jack Aaron Squires, 48.
Squires was convicted last month in the April 2008 shooting deaths of his mother, Kathleen Roloff, 65, and grandmother, Elma Alberta Matranga, 94, in their Woodlake home.
Evidence at the trial showed that Squires was angry because he felt he was going to get cut out of a $400,000 loan his mother took out against their residence.
Call The Bee's Andy Furillo, (916) 321-1141.
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
Folsom police arrested two men in connection with gunfire on a residential street Sunday night.
Police said they responded to the 400 block of Turnpike Drive where gunshots were heard about 10 p.m. Police found .25-caliber shell casings in the road, but no victims or suspects.
A white Mercedes was seen leaving the area toward Blue Ravine Road, a vehicle that was later linked to the shooting on Turnpike Drive. The car was searched and police say they found cocaine, ecstasy, methamphetamine, marijuana and digital scales.
The driver, Jeffrey Jurgens (top photo), 19, of Citrus Heights was arrested on suspicion of possession of narcotics with intent to sell.
Later, officers searched a home on John Henry Circle in Folsom. During the search, officers found a .25-caliber semi-automatic pistol.
Dustin Paiz (bottom photo), 22, of Folsom was arrested on suspicion of being a felon in possession of firearms, possession of a narcotic, possession of nunchucks and assault with a deadly weapon.
Police believe that the shooting stemmed from a drug transaction that went bad.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
By Bill Lindelof and Matt Kawahara
blindelof@sacbee.com
The Sacramento County Coroner's Department has released the name of the taxi driver shot to death this morning at an apartment complex.
He was identified as James Walker, 54, of Sacramento.
Two Yellow Cab companies are now offering a $20,000 in the killing of the cabbie found dead in his vehicle at an apartment complex near Madison Avenue and Interstate 80.
The cab driver had suffered at least one gunshot wound in his upper body, according to Sacramento County Sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Tim Curran.
Deputies were called to the complex in the 5100 block of Hillsdale Boulevard at 3:14 a.m. by residents who heard gunshots. Deputies found the fatally wounded cabbie in the driver's seat of his vehicle, which was parked in the driveway of the complex parking lot.
Paramedics arrived a short time later and pronounced Walker dead.
"Nobody witnessed the shooting," said Curran.
Deputies were interviewing the Yellow Cab taxi company to see if Walker was responding to a call for a fare at the complex or if he was dropping passengers off.
Yellow Cab of Sacramento has offered a reward of $15,000 and Yellow Cab of San Jose has put up a reward of $5,000 for the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for Walker's death.
Homicide detectives have not determined a motive for the shooting and have not identified a suspect. Anyone with information is asked to call detectives at (916) 874-5115 or Crime Alert at (916) 443-4357. In addition to the reward from Yellow Cab, callers to Crime Alert may be eligible for a reward up to $1,000.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
By Loretta Kalb
lkalb@sacbee.com
A 28-year-old Sacramento man, Darrell Eugene Carter, has been arrested in the shooting death of Richard Alfred Lovett sheriff's officials say.
Sacramento Sheriff's detectives believe Carter confronted Lovett on the evening of Oct. 9 in the parking lot of an apartment building in the 8700 block of Fair Oaks Boulevard because the victim was involved in a romantic relationship with Carter's wife. The confrontation led to an argument and the fatal shooting.
Witnesses told investigators they heard arguing shortly after 7 p.m., followed by the sound of multiple gunshots. Lovett collapsed, witnesses said, and someone dressed in dark clothing got into a car and drove away.
Carter was arrested Thursday at a relative's apartment on Data Drive. Sheriff's spokesman Tim Curran said. He was booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail on a charge of murder and for violating his parole. Carter is scheduled for arraignment Monday afternoon in Sacramento Superior Court Department 63.
Call The Bee's Loretta Kalb, (916) 321-1073.
By Loretta Kalb
lkalb@sacbee.com
It was just another Saturday night in the city.
Sacramento Police this morning reported an array of afternoon and evening law-breaking on the first day of the weekend, including a case of a man with an annoying penchant for "smelling" women.
Shortly before 6 p.m. Saturday, for example, a man reported he had been robbed of his marijuana by two men in the 3200 block of Sweet Maple Way not far from the Garden Highway.
The complainant said he knew one of the robbers. No immediate word from police on whether the stolen marijuana was for medicinal use, or for some other purpose.
About four hours later, shortly before 10 p.m., a man sitting on a park bench at the 2900 block of Truxel Road in South Natomas was robbed at gunpoint by two masked men. The men fled on foot with the victim's wallet, police said.
Only minutes after the armed robber struck, police arrested a juvenile in the 2500 block of New Market Drive not far from Inderkum High School for allegedly possessing narcotics. The youth was taken to juvenile hall.
Police also responded to a non-injury, two-vehicle collision at Heritage Lane and Exposition Boulevard at about 10:35 p.m. Motorist Rodney Cook, 44, was arrested for investigation of driving under the influence, police said.
Later in the evening, on the 500 block of Ford Road in the Norwood area, a woman reported that she was being held against her will by a 37-year-old suspect that she knows. Police report they still are investigating that case, which was reported shortly before 11 p.m.
Then close to midnight in the 2600 block of Gateway Oaks Drive in South Natomas, an armed man robbed a gas station clerk at gunpoint and got away with cash, police said.
The sniffing incident came hours earlier - before nightfall.
At around 2:30 p.m. in the 1900 block of Alhambra Boulevard near downtown Sacramento, officers received a call about a man behaving strangely.
According to the report, the alleged perpetrator was walking up to women and smelling and, possibly, spitting on them.
Police took a report.
Call The Bee's Loretta Kalb, (916) 321-1073.
By Loretta Kalb
lkalb@sacbee.com
Sacramento authorities today have identified the pedestrian struck by a motorist as he crossed the street in the Pocket area shortly before 8:30 p.m. Saturday. The Sacramento County Coroner's Office said the victim is Chun Hang Chan, 27.
Police spokesman Sgt. Norm Leong said Chan was wearing dark clothing as he attempted to cross Riverside Boulevard at Galley Court. He was not in a crosswalk.
Sacramento firefighters took the man to an area hospital where he died.
Leong said there was no indication that the driver of a white Lexus sedan was under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The driver stopped and remained at the site.
Call The Bee's Loretta Kalb, (916) 321-1073.
Four men were victims of a drive-by shooting outside a party in south Sacramento shortly after midnight this morning, police said today.
Sacramento Police spokesman Sgt. Norm Leong reported that the shootings are being investigated as possibly gang related.
He said police were called to the site in the 6100 block of Lemon Bell Way after a report that several people were shot. Three of the four victims were taken to area hospitals with non-life threatening injuries. A 16-year-old juvenile was taken to a local hospital with injuries considered life threatening.
Preliminary investigation showed that a motorist driving a light colored car drove by the home and someone inside the vehicle shot at a group of people who were at the party.
Police are asking anyone with information about crime to call Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP or to text a tip to 274637 (CRIMES). Enter SACTIP followed by the crime information. Callers may remain anonymous and be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.
By Bee Staff
A pedestrian was struck by a car and killed tonight as he crossed a street in the Pocket area, Sacramento police said.
The car that hit the pedestrian stopped and there were no indications of driver impairment, said Sgt. Norm Leong, police spokesman.
The man was killed at Riverside Boulevard and Galley Court, Leong said.
The accident happened sometime after 9 p.m.
No other details were available.
![RB Shooting[1].JPG](http://blogs.sacbee.com/crime/RB%20Shooting%5B1%5D.JPG)
Police direct pedestrian traffic away from a shooting near 12th Street and K Street in downtown Sacramento on Saturday. Bee Staff Photo by Randall Benton.
By Hudson Sangree
hsangree@sacbee.com
In a bizarre shooting in front of an upscale restaurant in downtown Sacramento tonight, police said a member of a jazz band pulled a handgun and shot one of two men who had picked fights with a waiter, a homeless man and a band member.
The band member, whom police did not identify, was detained but not arrested.
The wounded man was taken to an area hospital with multiple gunshots to his upper body, police said.
Police said today the man was in stable but serious condition.
The events began shortly before 7 p.m. when two men described as large white men in their 20s, possibly intoxicated, tried to pick a fight with a valet parking attendant and mooned patrons at Ella restaurant at 12th and K streets, witnesses told The Bee.
The men crossed the street to the Broiler restaurant, where they entered the building and again started trouble, police and witnesses said.
As they exited the building, the men touched one of several human-sized cat figurines belonging to a jazz band that was playing on the patio just outside the restaurant.
A band member told the men to stop it. At that point, a homeless man in his early 20s confronted the two men and they beat him, said Sgt. Norm Leong, police spokesman.
Witnesses said they used kick-boxing techniques in attacking the homeless man.
They punched a waiter who tried to intervene, knocking him to the ground.
The two men then punched the band member and backed off, Leong said.
But the two men again approached the band member, at which point he pulled a handgun and shot one of the assailants, Leong said.
Leong said the man suspected of firing the gun was not arrested. He said police will refer the case to the District Attorney's Office to determine whether charges are merited.
Patrons at the two restaurants continued to eat and sip drinks as the police outside cordoned off the K Street mall, questioned witnesses and searched for shell casings.
The diners watched the surreal scene through the restaurant's large windows.
Visitors to the Esquire Imax Theatre and nearby hotels moved around the crime scene.
The shooting disrupted light-rail service through downtown.
Light-rail travelers were bused around the crime scene.
Call The Bee's Hudson Sangree, (916) 321-1191.
By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
Three Sacramento residents have been indicted on employment fraud charges.
A federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment charging Rebecca Lynn Stoneking, 38, Russell Edward Williams, 51, and Timothy Jack Oller, 50, with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and mail fraud.
The indictment accuses Stoneking, a former employee of the Employment Development Department, of using her position as an account technician and her own computer access at EDD to fraudulently obtain more than $90,000 in unemployment benefits for Williams and Oller.
The indictment alleges that Stoneking executed the scheme by selecting a company that was going out of business and replacing the names of legitimate employees with the names of Williams and Oller. Stoneking then allegedly assisted Williams and Oller in filing for unemployment benefits based on wages they never earned from the company.
The U.S. Marshals Service and the U.S. Postal Service arrested the three defendants Wednesday. All entered not guilty pleas at their arraignment, according to a federal Department of Justice news release. Williams and Oller have been detained pending trial. Stoneking was released to the custody of a family member in Victorville.
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.
By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
The former executive director of a Yolo County organization that advocates for children has pleaded no contest to grand theft from an employer.
Claudean Medlock, 54, of Carmichael, former executive director of Yolo County Court Appointed Special Advocates, was arrested after her employer was notified July 27 of irregularities in its bank account. Medlock had embezzled nearly $46,000 from CASA, according to a Yolo County District Attorney's Office news release.
As executive director, Medlock was entrusted with a CASA debit card, which she used to take multiple cash advances, totaling approximately $30,000, to gamble at various casinos in the region. She also forged checks and falsified expense reports to obtain approximately $16,000.
Medlock was hired by CASA in July 2009. A month later, a case was filed in Sacramento Superior Court accusing her of embezzling from her previous employer, California Musical Theatre, where she had served nearly two years as the theater's director of development.
Medlock pleaded no contest to those charges in November 2009, but a CASA spokeswoman said earlier this year that Medlock did not list her employment with California Musical Theatre when she applied for the CASA job. Because that court case wasn't initiated until August 2009, no red flags were raised when her fingerprints were submitted to the state Department of Justice as part of a background check, officials said.
As part of her sentence, Medlock will be ordered to pay full restitution to CASA, according to the District Attorney's Office.
She will be sentenced Dec. 8, and faces up to one year in county jail and five years of felony probation.
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.
By Bee Staff
A Roseville woman's scheme to collect insurance by reporting a phony home invasion robbery backfired and has resulted in a two-month jail sentence for her, the Placer County District Attorney's Office reported today.
See Yang (left), 25, was also placed on three years probation and fined $270 during her sentencing Oct. 7 in Placer County Superior Court by a visiting judge, according to a news release from the DA offices.
Yang pleaded no contest on July 29 to a felony charge of grand theft by false pretenses in a case that stretched back to Feb. 9, 2008, when she reported to Roseville police that she had just been robbed in her home by two masked suspects, one of whom carried a gun, the release states.
Yang told police that the robbers made off with money and jewelry, and she presented a claim to her insurance company. She received an insurance payment the following month, the release states.
But the scheme eventually went awry when she took some of the missing items from the bogus robbery to a pawn shop in an effort to collect cash, according to the DA's office.
By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
A 49-year-old man with development disabilities who was reported missing in Elk Grove early this afternoon has been found.
Elk Grove Police said the man is safe, in good health and will be returned home.
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.
By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
A woman who said she fired gunshots into the air when a fight broke out at a North Sacramento apartment complex last year has been sentenced to three years in prison for voluntary manslaughter.
Fifty-year-old Susan Ogburn, who has also gone by the name Susan Woods, pleaded no contest in August in the shooting death of Fernando Munoz, 25.
Munoz was fatally wounded March 21, 2009 at an apartment complex at Altos and Eleanor avenues.
Ogburn told police at the time of her arrest that she was trying to help Munoz, a friend, and others on his side of the melee and instead hit him in the upper body.
During an emotional sentencing hearing Friday in Sacramento Superior Court, public defender Jennifer Cerri said that Ogburn, at the urging of her family, wished to withdraw her plea and retain another attorney to represent her.
Deputy District Attorney Eric Kindall opposed the request, and it was subsequently denied by Judge Michael A. Savage.
A video showing Munoz, the father of five young children, with family and friends was shown during the hearing. His mother, Sandy Carrell, said a three-year prison term was not adequate for taking a life.
Munoz's family sobbed as they viewed the scenes of his life, and Ogburn, standing in the courtroom cell, appeared to be trying to hold back tears as she nodded toward her family in the courtroom
"This is where my son is now," Carrell said, displaying a gold-colored metal box that she said contained her son's cremated remains.
Carrell said her son never carried a gun and it was not right that his life was taken by someone who did.
Judge Savage said he understood that Munoz's family was not satisfied with the sentence, which was less than the six-year prison term recommended in the probation report. But Savage said he respected the District Attorney's Office's recommendation for the lower sentence.
Kindall said after the hearing that the lesser sentence was sought because "there were issues with proof."
As part of the plea agreement, the voluntary manslaughter will count as a "strike" offense, Kindall said.
After serving her prison sentence, Ogburn will be on parole up to three years. She also was ordered to pay $200 in restitution as well as restitution of $7,548 to the Victims of Violent Crimes Program. The latter amount, however, will be the subject of a restitution hearing Nov. 19.
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
The North Highlands man convicted of shooting a sea lion in the Sacramento River was sentenced to jail this morning in Sutter County.
Larry Allen Legans was sentenced to 30 days in jail, five years of probation and ordered to pay restitution of $51,081 for injuring the sea lion that came to be known as Sgt. Nevis. (Photo left is of Sgt. Nevis after recent surgery.)
Legans is also barred from all hunting or fishing activities for the five years he will be on probation, according to a press release from the Sutter County District Attorney's office.
"I am pleased to have the criminal conviction in this case and very glad that the court imposed the large restitution amount for the care of the injured animal," said Sutter County District Attorney Carl Adams.
"Many individuals and agencies have gone to great lengths to capture and treat the injured animal and it's fair and just that the defendant bear that burden," Adams said.
Sgt. Nevis was shot in the face near the town of Verona in Sutter County in November and his injuries made it impossible for the sea lion to swim underwater.
He was named in honor of Sgt. Michael Nevis, the Yolo County Animal Control officer who assisted the Marine Mammal Center in capturing the injured animal on Dec. 5.
The nearly 700-pound sea lion underwent a two-hour operation last week.
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom officials said the surgery was necessary to cover a craterlike wound under the sea lion's eyes. The wound prevented him from diving deep to forage and placed him at risk for infection.
Six Flags officials have said that the animal has become too accustomed to humans to be released into the wild. Sgt. Nevins will remain as one of the park's attractions.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
By Kim Minugh and Chelsea Phua
kminugh@sacbee.com
A 20-year-old man was shot in downtown Sacramento on this morning after a group of people who were in the area to attend a protest at the federal courthouse got into a fight, according to police.
The victim suffered a non-life-threatening injury to his wrist, said police spokeswoman Officer Laura Peck. Officers identified a handful of juveniles, ages 15 and 16, they suspect were involved in the fight. One 16-year-old was taken into custody Friday night, said Sgt. Norm Leong, police spokesman.
Officers working security for the courthouse protest - a gathering of Hmong Americans who want prosecutors to drop a case against 12 people accused of plotting to overthrow the communist government in Laos - heard a single shot fired just before 11 a.m., Peck said. They saw a group of five subjects running in the area and detained them.
Police later found the shooting victim at Capitol and Fourth Street, and determined the shooting had occurred on the Fifth Street sidewalk, near J Street. The courthouse is at Fifth and I streets.
Call The Bee's Kim Minugh, (916) 321-1038.
By Bee Staff
To help combat identity theft, the Roseville and Rocklin police departments, in partnership with Roseville Crime Stoppers and Pacific Records Management are sponsoring a document shredding service from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.
Document shredding will be done at the Roseville Municipal Parking Lot, corner of Oak Street and Washington Boulevard and at the Rocklin Police Department, 4080 Rocklin Road, according to a Roseville Police Department news release.
The service will be available for the following:
• Reconciled bank statements
• Credit card offers
• Old medical forms
• Old insurance forms
• Tax returns (after 7-year retention period)
• Reconciled credit card receipts
• Any other paperwork containing personal or financial information
The first three banker's boxes will be shredded for free. A fee of $5 will be charged for each additional box.
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
A hit-and-run driver killed a pedestrian on a highway in Yolo County this morning, the California Highway Patrol said.
At about 3 a.m., a pedestrian was reported to have been hit on Highway 113 south of Gibson Road in Woodland. The right lane on the highway was blocked for a time for the investigation, said CHP officer Rich Wetzel.
The pedestrian died at the scene. CHP officers are trying to confirm his identity.
Officers have no information on the vehicle that hit the man and request that anyone who might have witnessed the hit-and-run to call the Woodland CHP office at (530) 662-4685.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
The Sacramento County Coroner's Office has released the name of a man killed when his car hit a utility pole this morning south of Elk Grove.
He was identified as James Thomas Dittmar, 21, of Elk Grove.
California Highway Patrol officer Michael Bradley said at about 1:45 a.m. Dittmar was traveling eastbound on Lambert Road at Franklin Boulevard when his car drove up a small hill on Lambert Road and over railroad tracks.
At the top of the rise in the roadway, Dittmar's car became airborne. When the vehicle landed, the car veered to the left into a ditch and struck a utility pole.
He died at the scene, the CHP said.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
By Bee Staff
A man who murdered an elderly couple while they were fishing on the delta in Sacramento County is due a parole hearing.
Michael Edward Rowlett, now 57, was convicted of the Sept. 22, 1973 murders of Genevieve Genegobis, 74, and Jorge L. Francisco, 67, beside the Delta Cross Channel near Walnut Grove, The Bee reported.
David Leslie Johnson also was found guilty of killing the couple.
Robbery was the motive, investigators said.
Rowlett's hearing will be held Oct. 28 at the California State Prison, Solano where he is incarcerated.
If you want to give your opinion of an inmate's suitability for parole, you may mail a letter to:
Martin Hoshino, executive director
Board of Parole Hearings
1515 K Street
Sacramento, CA 95811
For more information on the Board of Parole Hearings, go to:
http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/Divisions_Boards/BOPH/
Bee researcher Linda Beymer contributed to this report
By Chelsea Phua
cphua@sacbee.com
Sacramento police on Thursday arrested a man who allegedly pulled out a gun at another man in a drug deal gone bad.
Police did not name the suspect Thursday night.
Sgt. Norm Leong said the victim, who had a medicinal card for marijuana use, had arranged to buy the drug through an online marijuana "brokerage" site because it was cheaper than buying from a dispensary.
The victim made the arrangement through a person he thought was associated with a legitimate dispensary.
But when the victim arrived shortly before 5 p.m. at the parking lot of Fry's electronic store at Northgate Boulevard near Interstate 80 and got into the suspect's car, the suspect pulled out a gun and tried to rob the victim of his money.
The victim fought back, causing the suspect to hit the car's accelerator. The car crashed into an embankment and burst into flames. The suspect ran off, but police later found him on the other side of the highway at a motel, Leong said.
The victim escaped unhurt, Leong said.
Photo credit: Photo of suspect's car released by the Sacramento Police Department.
Call The Bee's Chelsea Phua, (916) 321-1132.
By Chelsea Phua
cphua@sacbee.com
Three teenagers who were charged as adults in the case of a rock throwing case that seriously injured a motorist pleaded no contest Thursday to three felony counts.
The Placer County District Attorney's office said Sean Edwin Steele, 17, Hunter Perez and Samuel Edward Quinlan, both 16, -- all charged as adults -- entered pleas for conspiracy, assault with a deadly weapon and assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury.
Visiting Judge Garrett Olney sentenced the teenagers to 10 months in the Placer County Juvenile Detention Center and three years of probation.
Each also was ordered to perform 300 hours of community service. A violation of probation would mean six years in state prison and $10,000 in fines, the judge said.
"I hope these kids learn a lesson out of this," the victim, Jose Palomera, a Sacramento resident, said in a phone interview Thursday. In a news release by the District Attorney's Office, Palomera said he hopes the boys understand "what they did was not a game" and could have killed him and his two passengers.
Two of the boys have visited Palomera to apologize, and the parents of the third boy apologized to him in a previous court hearing, Palomera said.
Authorities said the teens were hurling rocks and debris - including a street barricade - from the Canyon Way overpass into oncoming traffic on Interstate 80 in the early hours of July 26.
The objects struck two trucks, but the drivers were not injured. But a rock smashed through the front windshield of Palomera's Ford Explorer and hit him in the face. Palomera was able to pull over to the side of the road.
In a complaint filed in August, prosecutors had listed eight felony counts. In exchange for the plea, the counts were reduced to three, said Dean Starks, Steele's defense attorney. However, the charge of assault with a deadly weapon will appear as a strike on the teens' criminal records, prosecutors said.
Call The Bee's Chelsea Phua, (916) 321-1132.
By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
A Yolo County jury has convicted a Sacramento man of a 2009 gang beating in West Sacramento.
Michael Rene Romero, 21, was found guilty Wednesday of attempted murder with premeditation, gang enhancements, attempted robbery and other felony charges.
Romero and another gang member attacked the 47-year-old victim in the early morning hours of Jan. 21, 2009. A good Samaritan driving by during the attack testified that the victim was on the ground and being beaten by the two men, according to a Yolo County District Attorney's Office news release. The man turned his truck around and interrupted the attack.
The victim was left comatose in the street, and suffered permanent physical injuries and mental disabilities as a result of the attack, officials said.
Romero was arrested about a month later in Sacramento County, and his accomplice, Antonio Delgado, was arrested by West Sacramento police officers about 10 days after the beating. A jury convicted Delgado of attempted murder and other charges earlier this year.
Romero is to be sentenced Nov. 10.
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.
By Bee Staff
A Wilton businessman has pleaded guilty to six counts of grand theft, admitting he embezzled more than more than $760,000 from 11 clients last year, Sacramento County District Attorney Jan Scully said today.
Lonnie Crawford Nielson, 46, will be sentenced Feb. 11 and faces up to eight years in prison, Scully said.
Nielson, a part owner of the Sacramento Capitals tennis team, was the owner and sole operator of 1031 Exchange Real Estate Service, a business that temporarily accepted funds from the sale of his clients' real estate properties, Scully said.
Nielson was supposed to put these funds into separate and secure bank trust accounts for each client. These funds were to be applied to his clients' future purchases of other real estate properties.
Instead of holding his clients' funds in separate bank trust accounts, Nielson used their funds to pay off debts he owed to other clients, including an investment Nielson made in the Le Rivage Hotel in Sacramento, Scully said. As a result, Nielson was unable to return the funds as promised to his clients.
The embezzlement occurred between May and December 2009, Scully said.
By Bill Lindelof and Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
A Sacramento man died this morning after his car left the road and went into a canal just west of Elverta.
The man extricated from the blue compact car was identified on the Sacramento County Coroner's website as Aaron Donald Dove, 38.
The incident occurred about 7:30 a.m. on Elverta Road, just west of East Levee Road.
The car came to rest upside down in the water, according to the California Highway Patrol. Dove was the only person in the vehicle.
CHP Office Lizz Dutton said a witness reported that the car was westbound on Elverta Road before it entered the water. The driver was traveling on the shoulder of the road for a few hundred feet before the car went into the canal.
Photo caption: A car sits on the embankment above the canal after being pulled from the canal just west of Elverta Thursday morning. Photo by Randy Pench
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
Two people died when their car pulled in front of a sport utility vehicle on Highway 50 east of Placerville, the California Highway Patrol said today.
The couple was traveling eastbound on the freeway at Five Mile Road on Wednesday afternoon when their car turned at a left-turn lane to cross the westbound lanes of Highway 50 onto Five Mile Road, according to the CHP.
When they turned, the couple's car was broadsided by the SUV traveling westbound on Highway 50, the CHP reported.
Both of the people in the car died at the scene.
Several children were in the SUV, along with the driver.
One child was taken to a Placerville hospital and two were taken by air ambulance to UC Davis Medical Center with non life-threatening injuries.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
By Bee Staff
A man who intentionally ran down a Rocklin woman in 1994 as she was taking her daily walk is due a parole hearing.
Matthew Joseph Lopez, now 35, received the maximum sentence possible - life plus four years - for the unprovoked Aug. 29, 1994, attack, The Bee reported.
Lopez randomly chose the 51-year-old victim, who was walking in the bicycle lane on Whitney Boulevard, The Bee reported.
He was convicted of attempted murder.
The woman survived but sustained life-threatening injuries, including a broken back, shattered right knee, internal bleeding and bruising, and fractured leg, facial bones and fingers.
In his confession to police, Lopez said he wasn't happy with his life and wanted to do something that would land him in jail.
Lopez's hearing will be held Oct. 28 at the California State Prison, Solano where he is incarcerated.
If you want to give your opinion of an inmate's suitability for parole, you may mail a letter to:
Martin Hoshino, executive director
Board of Parole Hearings
1515 K Street
Sacramento, CA 95811
For more information on the Board of Parole Hearings, go to:
http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/Divisions_Boards/BOPH/
Bee researcher Linda Beymer contributed to this report
By Sam Stanton
sstanton@sacbee.com
California prison officials have launched an online service that allows inmates to be located by plugging their names or other information into a website that will pinpoint what prison they are in, as well as visitation and other rules for each facility.
The website, http://inmatelocator.cdcr.ca.gov, is designed to help family of friends of inmates determine where they are being held in various prisons throughout the state.
Individuals can go to the site and enter an inmate's name or California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation inmate number to find out where the person they are searching for is being held.
"Inmates who stay connected with loved ones are often more motivated to change their behavior and lead a crime-free life," CDCR Secretary Matthew Cate said in a release announcing the new service. "This new tool will make it more convenient for the public to locate, write and visit incarcerated family members and friends."
Call The Bee's Sam Stanton, (916) 321-1091.
By Bee staff
Sacramento Police officials are seeking a suspect who stole a police bait truck within the city, Sacramento Crime Alert officials report.
The suspect (right photo) fled before officers could make an arrest, officials said.
The suspect is described as a man in his late 30s to early 40s.
The Sacramento Police Department urges anyone with information about the suspect to contact Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP or text in a tip to 274637 (CRIMES). Enter SACTIP followed by the tip information.
Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.
By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
Roseville police are searching for a man who assaulted a woman Tuesday night as she walked her dog in a local park.
Officers were called to Lincoln Estates Park, 331 James Drive, regarding an attack that occurred about 8 p.m. The 40-year-old woman was walking her dog in the park when a man she did not know attacked her with a knife, according to a Police Department news release. The man rummaged through her pockets, but did not take any property from her. He then ran away.
Officers searched the surrounding area with the assistance of the California Highway Patrol's helicopter and a police canine, but were unable to locate the man.
The woman was taken by ambulance to Sutter Roseville Medical Center, where she was treated for a minor knife injury to her chest and released.
He assailant was described as Latino, in his late 20s or early 30s, 5 feet, 9 inches tall, weighing 150 pounds, with short hair, a goatee and a disheveled appearance. He was wearing a black beanie cap, a dark buttoned-up, long-sleeved shirt and blue jeans.
Anyone with information about the crime is asked to call Roseville Crime Stoppers at (916) 783-7867. Callers main remain anonymous and may be eligible for cash rewards for information leading to an arrest.
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.
By Kim Minugh
kminugh@sacbee.com
A Sacramento Superior Court judge sentenced a 34-year-old woman today to 15 years to life in prison after she struck and killed 54-year-old Stanley Spaeth while driving drunk in April 2009 - her fifth drunken driving offense.
![Rebecca Vela[1].jpg](http://blogs.sacbee.com/crime/Rebecca%20Vela%5B1%5D.jpg)
Judge Kevin J. McCormick handed down the sentence - the maximum Rebecca Vela (left) faced - during an emotional hearing this afternoon.
Vela's blood-alcohol level was .21 the night of April 18, 2009 when she rear-ended Spaeth's motorcycle as he was headed home on East Stockton Boulevard in Elk Grove. He had just finished a shift working as a security guard - a second job he had picked up to help pay for his older daughter's upcoming college tuition.
In September, McCormick found Vela guilty of second-degree murder, vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, driving under the influence with prior convictions for the offense and hit-and-run.
Several of Spaeth's relatives spoke at today's hearing of their devastation over his death, his wife's struggle with financial ruin and their collective anger toward a woman whose pattern of drunken driving had reached a fatal climax.
"Rebecca Vela had many opportunities to change her behavior and stop drinking and driving before she murdered our son," said Virginia Spaeth, the victim's mother.
Vela cried for much of the hearing and offered a tearful apology to her victim's family.
"There are no words to express my remorse, my shame or my guilt," she sobbed. "I'm deeply sorry."
She went on to pledge to begin bettering herself, and to "never drink again."
After the sentencing, Spaeth's family members embraced each other and the Elk Grove police detectives who investigated the case.
Spaeth's wife, Denise Spaeth, was somber in her reaction to Vela's sentence.
"It's not a cause for celebration, but it's as much justice as we can have," she said, her eyes red and swollen. "I would rather the law for first offenders change to make this not happen again."
Call The Bee's Kim Minugh, (916) 321-1038.
By Bill Lindelof and Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
Northbound Capital City Freeway has reopened between Marconi and Fulton avenues after being closed for more than three hours.
The stretch of Interstate 80 was closed after a big rig hauling plastic pipe overturned about 11:30 a.m., spilling pipe all over the roadway.
The freeway reopened about 2:40 p.m.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
By Robert Lewis
rlewis@sacbee.com
The U.S. Attorney's Office has charged two officials at a Long Island payroll company with allegedly stealing nearly $20 million in client funds -- including $17 million in payroll tax money from Sacramento County.
Albert Cipoletti, the chief executive officer of Ingentra HR Services, and Kerry Seaman, the company's comptroller are charged with wire fraud for their role in the alleged scheme.
The county has contracted with Ingentra since late 2004 to process payroll for the myriad special districts in the county. In May, however, county officials learned not all of their tax payments were making it to the Internal Revenue Service. The company should have passed along $71 million in federal income tax. The IRS, however, only received $54 million. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Attorney's Office investigated the missing funds. U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wagner filed charges today.
According to court documents, the two defendants took the correct amount of federal tax witholdings from the victims -- including Sacramento County -- but sent fraudulent reports to the IRS, understating the amount of taxes due.
The county still owes the IRS $17 million in back taxes. The IRS has waived penalties. County officials are formally asking the IRS to forgive the debt.
Photo caption: U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wagner, above, filed charges against two employees of a payroll company for their role in an alleged scheme that resulted in $17 million in payroll tax money stolen from Sacramento County. (Randy Pench/rpench@sacbee.com)
Call The Bee's Robert Lewis, (916) 321-1061.
By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
Teenagers and their parents can learn how to improve their safety behind the wheel during a Teen/Parent Driving Safety Fair at the All American Speedway in Roseville on Thursday.
The event, sponsored by the California Highway Patrol, Impact Teen Drivers and Bill McAnally Racing, is scheduled from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. The fair will feature safety workshops, information booths and drawings for prizes.
The All American Speedway is at 800 All America City Blvd., Roseville.
Thirty teenagers, ages 14 to 17, and their parents also will have an opportunity to drive a safety course on the track. Because the number of participants is limited, advance registration is recommended by calling (916) 733-7432. On-site signups will be accepted if spaces are available.
Deaths among teenage drivers are three times greater than among adult drivers, according to the California Highway Patrol. The driving safety fair, presented as part of National Teen Driver Safety Week, is intended to raise awareness of the dangers of reckless and distracted driving, the No. 1 killer of teenagers in the United States.
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.
By Kim Minugh
kminugh@sacbee.com
Sacramento County sheriff's detectives have arrested a third suspect in connection with the Sept. 26 shooting death of Oquitzin Bravo.
Olivia Maria Castellano, 20, was arrested Tuesday night and booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail on suspicion of murder and accessory after the fact, according to jail booking records.
Detectives allege that Castellano was at the 47th Avenue party at which the 33-year-old Bravo was fatally shot and helped move the man's body from the backyard, where the shooting occurred, to the street, where deputies found him, said sheriff's Sgt. Tim Curran.
Castellano is the daughter of the party's host, Curran said. Her relationship to the other suspects in custody not known, he said.
Ignacio Leyba, 26, is suspected of shooting a second victim at the home (that victim has been treated and released from a hospital).
David Goodier, 27, is accused of assaulting a third victim.
Both men face charges of assault with a deadly weapon, Curran said.
Detectives say the three victims were invited to the party by a friend of the hosts. They allege that Leyba, Goodier, and possibly others started a fight with the victims for unknown reasons before shots were fired.
Anyone with additional information regarding this shooting is urged to call Sheriff's Homicide detectives at (916) 874-5115, or Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP.
Tipsters may also text message a tip by texting "SACTIP" to 274637, followed by the tip information.
Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.
Call The Bee's Kim Minugh, (916) 321-1038.
By Bee Staff
A Sacramento man who killed a drug dealer and tried to kill the dealer's girlfriend in 1988 to wipe clean a $160 debt is due a parole hearing.
Brian David Frye, now 40, was caught after the wounded woman sat up and started fighting with him as he drove her and her boyfriend's body to a disposal site, The Bee reported.
The woman and Frye fought for control of a gun that finally discharged, wounding Frye in the hand. The shot alerted bystanders who intervened and Frye was arrested.
According to testimony, Frye met William D. Massey and Massey's girlfriend, both 19, in a Sacramento school parking lot over $160 that Frye owed Massey, police said.
Instead Frye opened fire on Massey, killing him and wounding Bothun.
Frye's attorney claimed Frye was in a "drug-induced psychosis" - having ingested cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamines, LSD and alcohol - and therefore was suffering from diminished capacity.
A Sacramento Superior Court judge sentenced Frye to 25 years to life in prison.
Frye's hearing will be held Oct. 28 at the California State Prison, Solano where he is incarcerated.
If you want to give your opinion of an inmate's suitability for parole, you may mail a letter to:
Martin Hoshino, executive director
Board of Parole Hearings
1515 K Street
Sacramento, CA 95811
For more information on the Board of Parole Hearings, go to:
http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/Divisions_Boards/BOPH/
Bee researcher Linda Beymer contributed to this report
Q: What happened to the man who killed Katherine Thomas in 1990? I was renting a room to her when she was killed. - Anonymous, Sacramento
A: In November 1992, Richard Ray Thomas was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for the shooting death of his estranged wife, who died carrying in her purse a restraining order she had been granted against him.
Thomas, a 38-year-old journeyman mason, was convicted in October 1992 by a jury of killing Katherine A. Thomas, 25, who died quickly after being shot three times with a 12-gauge shotgun on Jan. 24, 1990, as she worked at River City Rentals on Jackson Highway.
Just before he pulled the trigger, Thomas told the victim, "I warned you, didn't I? I warned you, " according to a co-worker. He then said, "Now somebody shoot me. Somebody please shoot me."
Evidence revealed that Katherine Thomas had filed for dissolution of their marriage on Nov. 22, 1989, and had obtained a temporary restraining order against her husband six weeks before the shooting.
Richard Thomas legally bought the shotgun he used to kill the victim about 40 minutes before the shooting. This case was cited in the ultimately successful push to get a waiting period in California for the purchase of long guns.
For a complete list of questions answered by Sacto911, click here
By Bee Staff
An industrial-size toilet would be needed to flush the amount of marijuana that Sacramento sheriff's deputies said they found beside an apartment's commode, according to crime summaries released this week.
The summary outlines this series of events:
At about 12:30 p.m. Oct. 9, deputies had just made a warrant arrest in the 4400 block of Oakhollow Drive. One of the deputies went to the arrested subject's apartment to place some of his property inside.
The apartment door was unlocked. The deputy opened the door and announced "Sheriff's Department." He immediately smelled the strong odor of fresh marijuana.
But before he could step inside, the occupants slammed the door shut and locked it.
The deputies feared the drug was being flushed down the toilet, but they managed to locate a key and open the door.
Inside, they found a box in front of the toilet containing three one-gallon bags of "greed buds believed to be marijuana."
They also found a man and woman inside the apartment.
Frederick Reed, 38, was booked into jail on suspicion of four felonies related to drug possession and sales. He also is being held on no bail for alleged parole violation, jail records show.
The woman was arrested but later released.
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
Two fires within a month at the same Stockton Boulevard upholstery shop in Colonial Heights are under investigation, fire officials said.
This morning a two-alarm fire broke out at the shop in the 4600 block of Stockton Boulevard. The blaze is considered suspicious, according to the Sacramento City Fire Department.
Firefighters responded to the same location on Sept. 21 when a three-alarm fire heavily damaged the upholstery shop and spread to an adjacent glass business.
Today's fire was contained to the upholstery shop, which had been fenced off after the September fire.
Today's fire is considered suspicious because electricity and gas were not connected to the building and nobody was allowed to go into the structure, a Fire Department spokesman said.
Video caption: Sacramento City Fire Captain Jason Hemler discusses the fire. Video by Randy Pench.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
A jewel thief has stolen $30,000 in gems and other valuables from Shingle Springs homes.
The burglar entered unlocked windows and doors at three homes earlier this month on weekday afternoons in the rural area around Meder and Ponderosa roads.
In each case, the burglar took a pillowcase, perhaps to carry away the jewelry.
The El Dorado County Sheriff's Department is asking residents to lock doors and windows when away from home.
No description of the suspect is available. However, neighbors say that before the burglaries, a young man was going door-to-door asking for donations.
Although this kind of solicitation has sometimes been a ruse for burglars casing a home, deputies have no evidence that occurred in the Shingle Springs break-ins.
Anyone with information is asked to call detectives at (530) 642-4711.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
By Chelsea Phua
cphua@sacbee.com
West Sacramento police are looking for a person who shot a 32-year-old man Tuesday evening in the 1600 block of Madrone Avenue.
Police said the shooting happened about 6:40 p.m., when the victim was reported arguing with another man and a shot was heard. When officers arrived, they found the West Sacramento victim with what appeared to a gunshot wound to his head.
The man, who has not been identified, was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries, police said.
Police did not have a description of the suspect or the vehicle in which he fled.
Anyone with information is asked to call the West Sacramento Police Department at (916) 375-6474.
Call The Bee's Chelsea Phua, (916) 321-1132.
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
Six teens from Roseville's Oakmont High School were arrested in connection with an off-campus fight over the weekend.
Roseville police said that about 9:45 p.m. Friday they responded to Crestmont Park, 1500 Champion Drive, for a report of a fight involving a large group of teenagers.
During the fight, which police said was not gang-related, an 18-year-old boy was hit several times with a large metal flashlight. He was treated and then released from a hospital.
Officers were not able to identify or locate all the participants so they called upon Roseville police department's youth service officers to interview students on the Oakmont campus today. As a result of those interviews, six male students were arrested on suspicion of assault causing great bodily injury.
One of the students was also charged on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. The six teens were taken to Placer County Juvenile Hall.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
Monday was a busy day and overnight for Sacramento police with calls ranging from a shooting, to an averted suicide to a dead body in a building, according to reports released today.
Some of the most notable calls:
- A 15-year-old boy riding his bicycle near Jamestown Drive and Waterford Road near Arden Way was shot in the arm. The shot came from a sport utility vehicle at about 6:30 p.m. on Monday. Police said the motive is not clear.
- Officers were called to report of naked woman running in street in Del Paso Heights and knocking over trash cans. An officer approached the woman lying face down on a lawn.
The woman got to her feet and attempted to punch the officer. The officer was able to control her and she was taken to the hospital for a mental health evaluation.
- A suicidal man left his home with a gun in the Natomas area, police were told. They found him in a nearby park and talked him into surrendering. He was taken to a hospital for evaluation.
- A dead body was found inside a building in the 1200 block of Alhambra Boulevard in East Sacramento. Building owners, who had not been in the structure for several years, found the decomposed body. No suspicious circumstances were found.
- A teen approached a female in the 1900 block of Broadway about 10:30 p.m. Monday and forcefully took her cell phone. The teen fled on foot.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
Lincoln police have released the name of a man who was shot and killed on Sunday - the first homicide case that the city has seen in a decade.
He was identified as Antonio Morales, 36, of Lincoln.
Police continue to look for Gerardo Ramirez, 37, as a suspect in the fatal shooting of Morales.
Officers responded at about 9 p.m. on Sunday to a report that a man had been shot in the 1600 block of First Street. When they arrived at the Oaks at Joiner Ranch apartment complex they found the dead man.
Several people, including at least four adults, were inside the apartment when the shooting happened, said Lt. Paul Shelgren.
According to witnesses, Shelgren said the victim and the suspect were arguing when the suspect pulled out a handgun and shot Morales.
Investigators are working to determine what the men were arguing about and what triggered the shooting. Shelgren said both men knew each other.
Shelgren said investigators believe that Ramirez fled in a 1996 blue Toyota 4-Runner pick-up truck with the license plate number 5BXC720.
City officials said that the killing was the first homicide in Lincoln in a decade.
"This is the first homicide we have had since 1999 or 2000," said Jill Thompson, a city spokeswoman.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
By Bee Staff
An admitted heroin addict who confessed he strangled his mother in her Sacramento home in 1985 because she wouldn't give him money for drugs is due a parole hearing.
A Sacramento judge sentenced Larry Michael Ryzak, now 57, to the then mandatory 15 years to life in prison after Ryzak pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, The Bee reported.
According to a prosecutor for the Sacramento District Attorney's Office, Ryzak said he killed his mother, Lisa Rose Stone, 66, during an Oct. 9, 1985, argument about money in her 23rd Avenue home.
Ryzak asked his mother for money to sustain his heroin habit. When she wouldn't give it to him, an argument ensued and Ryzak strangled her, using some sort of a choke hold, the prosecutor said.
He was arrested the next day with Stone's purse in his possession.
Ryzak's hearing will be held Oct. 20 at the California State Prison, San Quentin where he is incarcerated.
If you want to give your opinion of an inmate's suitability for parole, you may mail a letter to:
Martin Hoshino, executive director
Board of Parole Hearings
1515 K Street
Sacramento, CA 95811
For more information on the Board of Parole Hearings, go to:
http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/Divisions_Boards/BOPH/
Bee researcher Linda Beymer contributed to this report
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
Interstate 5 near Sacramento International Airport is now open after a truck diesel fuel leak and a crash had closed a southbound lane.
The California Highway Patrol received a report of a big rig hauling hay leaking fuel in the slow lane about 7:10 a.m. on southbound I-5 north of Airport Boulevard.
Before units could respond, a crash occurred between a van headed to the airport and a pickup truck. The truck overturned off the roadway.
Injuries were reported to occupants of the van and the truck.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
Expect some traffic congestion today between Sacramento State and Cal Expo associated with firefighters paying their respects to a fallen comrade.
James Saunders, a 22-year veteran of the department, died Thursday morning at Mercy San Juan Medical Center. Fire officials said Saunders suffered a major heart attack on Oct. 2 while fighting a grass fire near Haggin Oaks Golf Course. He was 52 years old.
A funeral is being held at Sacramento State this morning. Services will include a ceremonial last ring of a fire bell and a missing man fly-over.
At about 2:15 p.m. the service will end and 100 fire engines and other vehicles will leave the parking lot for a reception at Cal Expo. The procession will travel down College Town Drive, head north on Howe Avenue and west on Arden Way to Exposition Boulevard before entering the Main Gate of Cal Expo.
Sac Metro Fire extended its thanks in a press release for the public's understanding for any traffic delays.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
Photo caption: Sac Metro firefighters hang an American flag at Hornet Stadium in preparation for the traditional line of duty death fire service Firefighter James Saunders at the stadium on Tuesday. Saunders died while fighting a fire in Sacramento on Oct. 7. (Photo by Renee C. Byer/rbyer@sacbee.com)
By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
The drivers of a big rig truck and a transit bus have been taken to hospitals with major injuries following a collision on Highway 12, east of Highway 160.
Officer Angel Arceo, a spokesman for the California Highway Patrol in Stockton, said the big rig pulling a set of double-bottom dump trailers was traveling west on Highway 12 about 4:40 p.m. just east of the San Joaquin-Sacramento County line. The driver came up on slower traffic and when she tried to slow down, the big rig jack-knifed and went into the eastbound lane where it collided with a South County Transit bus. The driver was the only person on the bus.
Arceo said the big rig, owned by Silva Trucking of French Camp, also collided with a Chevy Blazer, but the driver of the Blazer was not injured.
Arceo declined to give the names of the injured drivers, but he said the bus driver, a 53-year-old woman from Galt, was taken by air ambulance to UC Davis Medical Center. The big rig driver, a 59-year-old woman from Sutter Creek, was taken by air ambulance to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek.
Highway 12 was closed in both directions for nearly three hours.
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.
By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
A grass fire that started around 4 p.m. west of Roseville was reported 40 percent contained at 100 acres about 5:30 p.m.
Daniel Berlant said the grass fire was near a residential area at Walerga Road and Bridgestone Crescent Court.
Firefighters have been kept busy this afternoon responding to grass fires around the Sacramento region.
In addition to the Roseville-area fire, Berlant said Cal Fire dispatched two strike teams of five engines each to two grass fires in Yuba County, one at Grand and Linda avenues in the Linda area, and the other at Highway 65 and 40 Mile Road near Wheatland.
Because of gusty winds, red flag fire warnings have been in effect this afternoon.
Berlant said the strongest winds have been reported between Dixon and the Bay Area.
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.
By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
A grass fire that began about 4 p.m. on Roseville's western edge burned a couple of fences, but firefighters were able to prevent damage to homes.
Daniel Berlant, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, reported shortly before 8 p.m. that the fire was 70 percent contained and full containment was expected by morning.
The fire initially was estimated to have burned about 100 acres, but after mapping the area from the air, Berlant said, that figure was reduced to 56 acres.
With homes bordering the fire on two sides, the city of Roseville sent automated phone messages to area residents about 5 p.m. advising evacuations, but then rescinded the advisory. Berlant said the fire was halted about 200 feet from some property lines.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Firefighters were kept busy throughout the afternoon responding to grass fires around the Sacramento region.
In addition to the Roseville-area fire, Berlant said Cal Fire dispatched two strike teams of five engines each to two grass fires in Yuba County, one at Grand and Linda avenues in the Linda area, and the other at Highway 65 and 40 Mile Road near Wheatland.
Because of gusting winds, red flag fire warnings were in effect throughout the afternoon and evening. Berlant said the strongest winds have been reported between Dixon and the Bay Area.
Photo credit: Paul Kitagaki Jr., The Sacramento Bee
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.
By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
A man accused of a robbery at a bank ATM in Elk Grove was arrested Sunday night after a police officer drove up during the incident.
A 20-year-old man was making a deposit at a Bank of America ATM in the 5000 block of Laguna Boulevard shortly before 6:30 p.m. when another man ran up to him and tried to take the deposit from the victim's hand, according to the Elk Grove Police Department's daily activity summary. The victim hung on to the money, and the man began trying to punch the victim and the victim's companion.
A police officer pulled up as the robbery was taking place and the man ran toward Franklin Boulevard.
Other officers responded and located Jeremy Kekahuna, 30, of Elk Grove, who was arrested on suspicion of robbery and booked into Sacramento County Jail.
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
Sacramento police report they arrested two naked men Sunday morning in separate incidents on bike trails.
In the first report, police said they received a call of a naked man south of Cal Expo along the American River Parkway. Police responded and arrested Lonnie C. Belton, 36, for suspicion of indecent exposure at 10:49 a.m.
Shortly after that, Sacramento police said that a call was received about a naked man on the Two Rivers Trail north of Fifth Street. Police said they took Amit Kumar, 34 into custody on suspicion of illegal camping and indecent exposure.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
By Tony Bizjak and Kim Minugh
tbizjak@sacbee.com
Sacramento Kings part-owner George Maloof told the Bee he drank four beers at a wedding and was pulling into his driveway late Saturday when a police officer arrested him for drunken driving.
"I didn't feel I was intoxicated," Maloof, who runs the Palms Casino Hotel, told the Bee via phone from Las Vegas this morning. His blood alcohol was .086, he said, barely over the limit.
Maloof was stopped by a traffic officer about 11:30 p.m., according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
He was later booked into the Clark County Detention Center on suspicion of the following charges, police said: driving under the influence of alcohol; speeding 20 to 21 miles per hour over the posted speed limit; making an illegal turn; driving without a valid license and not having proof of insurance.
Maloof said he had worked all day at the Palms prior to the wedding, and was texting the hotel when the officer pulled him over.
He said he was carrying his passport with him for identification, and acknowledged his license had expired.
"I haven't had time" to renew it, he said. "I've been so busy."
Maloof called the arrest a "one-time only thing. It won't happen again."
It was the second high-profile driving arrest involving the Sacramento Kings this year. Kings basketball player Tyreke Evans pleaded no contest to reckless driving the evening of May 31 when a CHP plane spied him driving his Mercedes at nearly 130 miles per hour for nine miles on I-80 in northern Sacramento.
Call The Bee's Tony Bizjak, (916) 321-1059.
By Chelsea Phua and Bill Lindelof
cphua@sacbee.com
Lincoln police are working the first homicide case that the city has seen in a decade.
They are looking for Gerardo Ramirez, 37, as a suspect in the fatal shooting of another man on Sunday night. Authorities are withholding the dead man's identity pending notification of family.
Officers responded at about 9 p.m. on Sunday to a report that a man had been shot at 1685 First St. When they arrived at the Oaks at Joiner Ranch apartment complex they found the dead man.
Several people, including at least four adults, were inside the apartment when the shooting happened, said Lt. Paul Shelgren. According to witnesses, Shelgren said the victim and the suspect were arguing when the suspect pulled out a handgun and shot the victim. Investigators are working to determine what the men were arguing about and what triggered the shooting. Shelgren said both men knew each other.
Shelgren said investigators believe that Ramirez took off in a 1996 blue Toyota 4-Runner pick-up truck with the license plate number 5BXC720.
City officials said that the killing was the first homicide in Lincoln in a decade.
"This is the first homicide we have had since 1999 or 2000," said Jill Thompson, a city spokeswoman.
A 41-year-old Lincoln man was arrested Dec. 20, 2000 on suspicion of stabbing his father to death.
Shelgren said Sunday's killing was an isolated incident.
"This is not an everyday or every year occurrence in Lincoln," Shelgren said. "I would imagine people are shocked."
"But the potential for this type of crime does exist," he said, noting Lincoln's growth and its proximity to other larger cities in the area such as Sacramento.
Most of the witnesses only spoke Spanish, Shelgren said. A lieutenant on duty that night who was fluent in Spanish helped translate the witnesses' statements.
Shelgren advises that anyone who has information or who spots Ramirez should try to observe as much information as possible without intervening into the situation. Anyone with information is asked to call Lincoln Police detective Jason Maschmeyer at (916) 645-4040
By Hudson Sangree and Matt Kawahara
hsangree@sacbee.com
The Sacramento County coroner's office has identified a man who was shot to death at a Carmichael apartment complex Saturday as Richard Alfred Lovett, 35.
The shooting occurred just after 7 p.m. at an apartment complex in the 8700 block of Fair Oaks Boulevard, said Sacramento Sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Tim Curran.
The victim was found on the ground in a parking lot, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, Curran said. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.
Curran said a black male in dark clothing was seen jumping in a vehicle after the shooting. The vehicle left at a high rate of speed.
Witnesses said they heard sounds of an argument and then heard gunshots.
Darryl Jackson, who lives nearby, said he was awakened by the sound of gunfire.
"What I heard was like four short shots, bam, bam, bam, bam," he said.
Jackson said he grabbed a flashlight, ran outside and looked over the gate that separates the parking lot where the shooting occurred from the parking lot at the complex where Jackson lives.
Jackson said he saw the victim on the ground with a handful of people gathered around him, including a woman who had to be pulled off of the victim.
"They were picking her up and she was going hysterical," Jackson said.
Sheriff's homicide detectives have not determined a motive for the shooting or a suspect, Curran said in a news release.
Authorities are asking anyone with information to call detectives at (916) 874-5115 or Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP.
Tipsters may also send a text message by texting to 274637 (CRIMES). Enter SACTIP followed by the tip information.
Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.
Call The Bee's Hudson Sangree, (916) 321-1191.
By Matt Kawahara
mkawahara@sacbee.com
Roseville police have arrested a parolee-at-large who broke into a sleeping Roseville woman's house and got into her bed, a police spokesman said.
Anteus Magee, 28, was booked into the Placer County jail on charges of burglary, sexual assault, failure to register as a sex offender and parole violation.
A Roseville woman who had hosted a party earlier in the evening woke up early Saturday morning and realized that there was a man in her bed, said Roseville police spokesman Cal Walstad.
The man left the house and was found later in a nearby neighborhood by police who had set up a perimeter around the original call, Walstad said. Magee was seen trying to leave the area, Walstad said.
Magee was arrested at 4:33 a.m., two hours after the attack, Walstad said.
He is being held at the Placer County jail without bail.
Call The Bee's Matt Kawahara, (916) 321-1015.
![174961737-93e20538e0bd0e9d0830fcc3bae419c0.4cb10200-scaled[1].jpg](http://blogs.sacbee.com/crime/174961737-93e20538e0bd0e9d0830fcc3bae419c0.4cb10200-scaled%5B1%5D.jpg)
By Matt Kawahara
mkawahara@sacbee.com
Fire crews have rescued a pilot who was trapped in a glider aircraft that became wrapped around power lines near State Highway 49 and Woodridge Drive just south of Lake of the Pines late this afternoon. (Photo above is courtesy of Cal Fire.)
The woman did not sustain injuries in the incident and was walking around fine on the ground, said Daniel Berlant, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesman.
The woman was taking off in the glider from a nearby large, open field shortly before 4 p.m., Berlant said. The glider didn't get high enough to clear the power lines, and it became tangled around the lines, trapping the woman about 20 feet above the ground, Berlant said.
Fire crews were on scene around 4 p.m. and in communication with the woman while they waited for Pacific Gas and Electric crews to de-energize the power lines so she could be brought down, Berlant said.
Once the lines were de-energized, fire crews raised a ladder from a fire truck to the woman, who safely made her way down, Berlant said. The woman was rescued just before 6 p.m.
About 15 firefighters were on scene, Berlant said.
An earlier version of this story mistakenly said the event was in Placer County.
Call The Bee's Matt Kawahara, (916) 321-1015.
By Carlos Alcalá
calcala@sacbee.com
Sacramento Metro Fire quickly contained a quarter-acre grass fire today in the American River Parkway on the heels of another parkway fire that injured two firefighters Friday.
The new fire, of unknown origin, broke out near Raldina Court in Carmichael and was fought by grass fire crews and a helicopter, said Capt. Christian Pebbles.
It was reported around 12:30 p.m. Saturday, less than a day after another fire near Sunrise Boulevard.
In Friday's blaze, one firefighter injured his ribs falling down a steep bank and another suffered heat exhaustion, but no one was injured today and there were no losses to property.
There are no strong winds to fan the blazes this weekend, but fire officials warn that dry weather and fuel mean that there is still significant wildfire danger.
Call The Bee's Carlos Alcalá, (916) 321-1987.
By Carlos Alcalá
calcala@sacbee.com
The Sacramento Sheriff's Department said late this afternoon that a missing 67-year-old man with dementia who walked away from Mercy San Juan Hospital in Carmichael early this morning has been found safe.
Call The Bee's Carlos Alcalá, (916) 321-1987.
By Carlos Alcalá
calcala@sacbee.com
A Sacramento County Jail inmate died Friday after being transported to Sutter General Hospital, Sheriff's officials reported.
Hilario Carranza, 49, was taken to the hospital at 5:15 a.m. and died at 9:07 a.m., according to Sheriff's Sgt. Tim Curran.
Carranza had a history of medical problems and had been housed on the jail's medical floor. However the cause of death is listed by the coroner as undetermined.
Carranza, who may be known by other names, had been in custody since March 19 and was being held on federal charges.
Call The Bee's Carlos Alcalá, (916) 321-1987.
By Carlos Alcalá
calcala@sacbee.com
Sacramento police are investigating an incident Friday in which a man exposed himself to a 15-year-old girl and tried to get her to enter his car.
According to a police incident report, the victim was walking in the area of 12th and E streets at about 5:40 p.m. when she saw a car make a U-turn and begin to follow her.
The suspect yelled to the victim in an attempt to get her to get in his car. When she looked, she saw that the driver was masturbating.
The suspect was described as a clean-shaven, short-haired white male in his 30s, wearing a green t-shirt, green-and-white shorts and a green baseball cap.
The car was described as a new silver four-door sedan, similar to a Toyota Camry.
Call The Bee's Carlos Alcalá, (916) 321-1987.
By Carlos Alcalá
calcala@sacbee.com
Sacramento Metro Fire officials are reminding area residents that wildfires are still a hazard, in light of a blaze Friday that threatened homes and sent two firefighters to the hospital.
The fire started in the American River Parkway near Sunrise Boulevard around 3 p.m.
In the course of fighting the fire, one firefighter fell down a steep cliff face and injured his ribs while another suffered heat exhaustion, according to a release issued by Capt. Christian Pebbles. Both injured firefighters were treated and released.
The fire occupied 30 firefighters and took nearly an hour to bring under control.
Although the blaze threatened homes atop the ridge at Villa Court, there were no homes damaged.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Call The Bee's Carlos Alcalá, (916) 321-1987.
By Chelsea Phua
cphua@sacbee.com
The West Sacramento Police Department said a missing 37-year-old man they considered to be an at-risk was found safe tonight.
Earlier, police asked for the public's help in finding the man.
Call The Bee's Chelsea Phua, (916) 321-1132.
By Chelsea Phua
cphua@sacbee.com
Sacramento County Sheriff's homicide detectives have arrested two men believed to be involved in a fight that resulted in the shooting death of a 33-year-old man at a Sept. 26 party in south Sacramento.
However, neither man is believed to be the killer.
Oquitzin Bravo and another man was shot during the fight, which broke out at a home in the 5600 block of 47th Avenue at about 2:30 a.m. Bravo was transported to the hospital, where he died.
The second victim, a 30-year-old man, was also taken to the hospital, but has since been released.
Detectives said a third man was assaulted and held at knife-point during the shooting, but he escaped into the neighborhood and hid until deputies arrived.
Authorities said they believe that Ignacio Leyba, 26, shot the second victim and David Goodier, 27, assaulted the third.
Leyba was arrested Sept. 29 at a home in Sacramento and Goodier was arrested on Thursday in Springfield, Ore., where he had been staying with relatives, sheriff officials said.
Investigators say they are working to identify who shot and killed Bravo.
Detectives say that the three victims were invited to the party by a friend of the hosts.
The shooting occurred after Leyba, Goodier and perhaps other people, allegedly started a fight with the victims in the backyard of the home. It's unknown why the fight started.
Authorities said the party's hosts, who live at the 47th Avenue home, have been uncooperative in identifying all the guests at the party.
However, investigators found video surveillance photos from a store near the home.
Leyba was one of the men in the surveillance photos, said department spokesman Sgt. Tim Curran.
The other man in the photos has also been questioned, but not charged at this point, Curran said. Goodier wasn't in the photos.
Leyba was booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail on charges that include assault with a deadly weapon.
Goodier was booked on the same charge at the Springfield City Jail.
Sacramento County Sheriff's detectives are working with Oregon officials to have Goodier returned to Sacramento.
Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff's homicide detectives at (916) 874-5115, or Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP.
Tipsters can also send a text message by texting to 274637 (CRIMES). Enter SACTIP, followed by the information.
Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.
Call The Bee's Chelsea Phua, (916) 321-1132.
By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
Sgt. Nevis, a sea lion rescued from the Sacramento River last fall after suffering a gunshot wound to the head, was reported recovering from reconstructive surgery this afternoon at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo. (Photo left is of Sgt. Nevis after surgery.)
Jim Oswald, a spokesman from the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, said the nearly 700-pound sea lion had come out of anesthesia following the two-hour operation.
"He's already eaten a couple of fish," Oswald said.
Six Flags officials said the surgery was necessary to cover a crater-like wound under the sea lion's eyes. The wound prevented him from diving deep to forage and placed him at risk for infection.
The surgeons, including Dr. Praful Ramenini, a specialist in human reconstructive surgery, used loosened skin just above the wound and stretched it over the wound.
Officials said Sgt. Nevis will spend a few days recovering in the Six Flags' Vet Clinic quarantine room before being returned to his home in the park's Seal Cove exhibit.
Sgt. Nevis was allegedly shot by a fisherman on the Sacramento River last November. The sea lion was nicknamed Sgt. Nevis for the Yolo County animal control officer, Sgt. Michael Nevis, who helped the Marine Mammal Center rescue him Dec. 5.
The man accused of shooting the sea lion, Larry Allen Legans, 44, of North Highlands, has pleaded not guilty to a single charge of animal cruelty in Sutter Superior Court. He is scheduled for trial Oct. 19.
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.
By Andy Furillo
afurillo@sacbee.com
A Sacramento Superior Court jury today convicted Manuel Alvarado-Guerre of first-degree murder in the stabbing death two years ago of Rodolfo Nunez in the North Highlands area.
Authorities said an alcohol-fueled argument over a cell phone prompted a dispute that led to the Oct. 8, 2008, killing of the 28-year-old Nunez.
The victim left a house where he and Alvarado-Guerre had been drinking and passed out in some bushes in a strip-mall parking lot on Walerga Road.
Alvarado-Guerre, 36, followed Nunez, woke him up and stabbed him to death, according to Deputy District Attorney Jeff Ritschard's trial brief.
Judge Michael P. Kenny scheduled Alvarado-Guerre's sentencing for Nov. 5.
Call The Bee's Andy Furillo, (916) 321-1141.
By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
A Yuba City parolee has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for being a felon is possession of a firearm.
Sue Vue, 28, was convicted by a federal jury in Sacramento in July following a four-day trial and was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Garcia.
According to testimony presented during the trial, a Sutter County sheriff's deputy was patrolling the area of the Sutter Cemetery on March 14, 2009, when he saw a traffic accident and stopped one of the vehicles involved to investigate. Vue was in the vehicle and refused to show the deputy his hands before running from the vehicle.
The deputy gave chase through the cemetery, caught Vue and tried to take him into custody.
Vue resisted arrest and removed a loaded Ruger semiautomatic handgun from his waistband. The deputy knocked the gun from Vue's hand, and the struggle continued until other emergency personnel came to the deputy's aid.
Vue also was found to possess a knife, hatchet and an additional loaded magazine matching the handgun, according to a federal Department of Justice news release. Officials said the handgun had been reported stolen years before and had been involved in shootings.
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.
By Matt Kawahara
mkawahara@sacbee.com
A 49-year-old male inmate at the Sacramento County Main Jail has died in the hospital, according to a news release from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department.
The Sacramento County Coroner's Office is working to determine the cause of death, officials said.
The inmate was transported to Sutter General Hospital at 5:15 a.m. Friday morning and had a long history of medical problems, officials said. He had been in custody since March 19, 2010, on federal charges.
Call The Bee's Matt Kawahara, (916) 321-1015.
By Cynthia Hubert
chubert@sacbee.com
Three of four people charged with holding a Sacramento teenager captive and ritualistically abusing him pleaded guilty Friday in San Joaquin County Superior Court to charges that will send them to prison for 30-plus years.
Michael Schumacher, his wife, Kelly Lau, and their friend Karen Ramirez pleaded guilty to various felonies, including false imprisonment and inflicting corporal injury on a child.
A fourth defendant, Anthony Waiters, is scheduled to go to trial later this month.
Schumacher received a 30-year prison term. Lau got 33 years and Ramirez received 34 years.
The four are accused of holding a teenager known publicly as Kyle Doe hostage in a Tracy home for more than a year and beating, burning, slashing and chaining him.
The teen escaped in December 2008 by freeing himself from an ankle chain and running to a nearby health club.
Call The Bee's Cynthia Hubert, (916) 321-1082.
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
Two teens were taken into custody on suspicion of robbery Thursday at a Mather skate park.
Rancho Cordova police received a call about 5 p.m. about a robbery at the park, 3755 Schriever Ave., in the Mather Sports Center. Officers identified six suspects who they found in a black BMW at a nearby park.
Two of the suspects were arrested, a 15-year-old and a 17-year-old, on suspicion of robbery and conspiracy, according to a police spokesman. A handgun was recovered from the car.
About five victims were identified at the skate park. One person was hit in the face, police said.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
Bee Metro Staff
A fundraising dinner dance for the Yolo County Sheriff's mounted posse is planned for Saturday.
The all-volunteer organization, organized in 2002 by Sheriff Ed Prieto, provides community outreach and conducts search and rescue operations.
The posse is paid for through fundraising, which supports monthly training and equipment for the posse and horses.
The dinner dance starts at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Yolo County Fairgrounds' Waite Hall. Admission is $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Call (916) 719-0573 or (530) 219-4533.
By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
Sacramento Fire Department officials say two hazardous material incidents have been attributed to a Federal Express package that leaked formaldehyde onto other packages.
The Department's Hazardous Material Response team was called at 11:34 a.m. to the state Department of Fish and Game office at 1740 N. Market Blvd., where several employees were complaining of eye irritation and breathing difficulties after coming in contact with a package delivered by Federal Express. Two employees were transported to area hospitals for treatment.
Employees were evacuated and allowed to go home rather than return to the building. Firefighters ventilated the building to ensure no fumes remained.
About 20 minutes later, Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District firefighters were called to a business at 3028 Peacekeeper Way in McClellan Park regarding a suspicious package and people complaining of burning eyes.
Sacramento Fire Department spokesman Capt. Jonathan Burgess said the substance on both packages was tested and determined to be formaldehyde. It was traced to the Federal Express distribution center, where the contents of a separate package had leaked onto other packages.
Although the packages delivered to the Fish and Game office and the McClellan Park business were delivered by different trucks, they had been sorted at the same distribution center.
Burgess said fire and law enforcement officials concluded that both incidents were accidental.
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.
By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
A federal grand jury in Sacramento returned three indictments today charging five individuals with manufacturing and conspiring to manufacture marijuana in Nevada County.
This follows a separate indictment, returned July 29, arising form the same operation charging eight other defendants with manufacturing and conspiring to manufacture marijuana, according to a federal Department of Justice news release.
All four indictments are part of Operation Cash Crop, a joint operation by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies targeting major marijuana traffickers in Nevada County and neighboring areas.
Charged today were Scott Blake Miller, 31, of Grass Valley; Michael James Taylor, 47, of Bali, Indonesia; and Damien Michael Baranowski, 37, Kawika Mark Medeiros, 27, and Christian Carlson, 25, all of Nevada City.
According to court documents, during execution of 16 search warrants in three counties, law enforcement agents seized more than 4,100 marijuana plants, more than 200 pounds of processed marijuana and several firearms. A number of defendants were armed at the time of their arrest, and several of the individuals have prior felony convictions for narcotics offenses, officials said.
Carlson was arrested in a marijuana grow with a firearm while on pre-trial release from an earlier arrest. He currently faces charges for manufacturing marijuana in Southern California in 2009, the news release said.
Documents found at a number of the search locations show hundreds of thousands of dollars in financial transactions, and interstate shipment of cash and narcotics, officials said.
The investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation; U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency; California Department of Justice, Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement; and the Nevada County, Placer County and El Dorado County sheriff's departments. The joint investigations focused on both illegal narcotics transactions and illegal financial transactions.
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.
By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
![MC_SEALION.13[1].JPG](http://blogs.sacbee.com/crime/MC_SEALION.13%5B1%5D.JPG)
Sgt. Nevis, a sea lion allegedly shot in the head by a fisherman on the Sacramento River last November, is scheduled to undergo reconstructive surgery in Vallejo on Friday. (Photo at left is of Sgt. Nevis at his Six Flags Discovery Kingdom debut.)
The surgery to repair damage to the sea lion's muzzle will be performed Dr. Praful Ramenini, a specialist in human reconstructive surgery, and veterinarians Bill Van Bonn of the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito and Diana Procter of Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo.
Because Sgt. Nevis' injuries prevent him from diving deeply to forage and fears that, if released to the ocean, he would return to areas where might be shot again, veterinarians at the Marine Mammal Center found a home for him at Six Flags.
The surgery won't make it possible for the sea lion to return to the wild, but veterinarians hope it will improve his quality of life
Van Bonn said this is the first time such a procedure had been attempted on a sea lion.
"Currently, he can dive," Van Bonn said, "but he prefers not to because his nose fills up with water. We are very, very hopeful that by sealing up the holes and allowing him to close off his nose, he will be more comfortable."
Van Bonn said Ramenini will perform the surgery to reconstruct the soft tissue.
"The prognosis is cautiously optimistic," Van Bonn said.
The 650-pound adult male California sea lion was nicknamed Sgt. Nevis after Yolo County animal control Officer Sgt. Michael Nevis who helped the Marine Mammal Center rescue him Dec. 5.
The man accused of shooting the sea lion, Larry Allen Legans, 44, of North Highlands, has pleaded not guilty to a single charge of animal cruelty in Sutter Superior Court. His is scheduled for trial Oct. 19.
Jim Oswald, spokesman for the Marine Mammal Center, said that of the 1,074 marine mammals the center rescued last year, 18 were victims of gunshot wounds. Oswald said he hopes the story of Sgt. Nevis will make people pause to consider the impacts of their actions on wildlife.
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.
By Stephen Magagnini
smagagnini@sacbee.com
The Sacramento region's top federal cop, Drew S. Parenti, has announced his retirement as Special Agent In Charge of the Sacramento field office of the FBI effective Oct. 29.
After five years supervising more than 100 agents from Bakersfield to the Oregon border, Parenti will take over as Vice President of Security for Penske Truck Leasing headquartered in Reading, Pa. The company, owned by former racing champion Roger Penske, operates more than 200,000 vehicles worldwide on four continents.
During Parenti's tenure as Special Agent In Charge of the eastern District of California, the office hired a Muslim FBI agent, and built significant bridges with Sacramentans across religious, ethnic and class lines. More than 200 community leaders went through the Sacramento FBI's Citizens' Academy to learn more about how the agency works.
"There comes a time in life when you want a new challenge, a new adventure," said Parenti, who's been an FBI agent for 26 years and is eligible to retire. "One of the great pleasures of my life has been to interact with the truly diverse, varied, incredible communities we have here in the Eastern District." Parenti, 50, said the FBI "is a hard organization to leave," and praised his FBI colleagues, along with local and state law enforcement agencies who partnered with his office to fight crimes ranging from mortgage fraud to gang violence, drug trafficking, cybercrime, youth prostitution and terrorism.
Parenti said his successor has not been assigned, though most likely a Senior Special Agent In Charge from the Sacramento office will take over as acting chief.
Call The Bee's Stephen Magagnini, (916) 321-1072.
By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
A former licensed contractor whose state license was taken away earlier this year has been arrested and faces several felony and misdemeanor charges involving contracting with a revoked license and failure to carry workers' compensation insurance.
Brian Gross, 55, of Valley Springs in Calaveras County was arrested Oct. 1 by investigators from the Contractors State License Board Statewide Investigation Fraud Team and the Amador County District Attorney's Office, according to license board news release.
Gross' general building contractor's license was revoked June 1 for failure to pay two separate administrative citations totaling more than $4,000, the release states. His license had expired Dec. 31, 2009.
Last week, building officials in Jackson tipped state fraud team investigators to Gross' attempt to obtain a local business license using his revoked contractor license number. Gross was arrested when he and three employees were found roofing a home in Jackson.
Gross faces a felony count of fraudulent use of a contractor license number and misdemeanor counts for contracting without a license, illegal advertising, displaying a revoked license, failure to carry workers' compensation insurance and soliciting an excessive down payment, officials said. He is to be arraigned Oct. 15 in Amador Superior Court.
Gross' past administrative citations, according to the news release, were for filing false exemptions to avoid paying for workers' compensation insurance, failure to secure building permits, charging excessive down payments, working outside of his license classification, illegal advertising and illegal contracts.
California law requires that any home improvement job valued at $500 or more for labor and materials be done by a licensed contractor.
Licensees must carry workers' compensation coverage for all employees so that homeowners are not financially liable if a worker is injured on their property.
Roofing contractors must purchase workers' compensation coverage for themselves as well as their employees.
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.
By Bee Staff
An animal advocacy group said today that it is offering a reward of up $2,500 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever abandoned a live dog in a Davis trash bin.
The dog was euthanized Oct. 1 after UC Davis veterinarians determined the dog was unable to stand and was in great pain.
"Animal abusers are cowards," said Martin Mersereau, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals director and whose group is offering the reward. "They take their issues out on the most defenseless beings available to them."
Neither the dog's owner nor who dumped the dog has been identified, said Vicky Fletcher, business services manager for the Yolo County Sheriff's Department Animal Services Section.
She said citizens have donated $75 toward a reward in addition to the PETA reward offer.
Lt. Tom Waltz, spokesman for the Davis Police Department, said investigators had no leads in the case.
Officers spoke with residents and the manager of the apartment complex where the dog was found. They did not recognize it, he said.
No one else has come forward with information, he said.
Veterinarians at UC Davis told an investigating officer that the dog appeared to healthy, other than weakness in its hind legs, Waltz said. It was well-fed and showed no signs of trauma or abuse, he said.
Why it was placed in the dumpster remains a mystery, he said.
"It doesn't make it right," Waltz said.
A maintenance employee at the Danville Apartments in the 1200 block of Kenney Place on Sept. 30 found the dog, an elderly gray terrier mix, in the trash bin. The female dog, which was unable to stand, had no identification, according to an animal services news release.
An animal service officer transported the dog the UC Davis Veterinary Teaching Hospital for emergency care.
If you have information, call Animal Services at (530) 668-5287 extension 0 or Davis Police at (530) 747-5430.
By Andy Furillo
afurillo@sacbee.com
A jury convicted a young gunman of first-degree murder and another defendant pleaded guilty Wednesday in a husband's contract killing of his pregnant wife in Sacramento nearly five years ago.
Xeng Saetern, who is now 18 but was just 14 when he shot and killed Si Choy Saeturn, and co-defendant Khae Saephan, who is now 24, will be sentenced Nov. 15 by Sacramento Superior Court Judge Roland L. Candee.
They were accused in the Dec. 29, 2005, shooting death of the 28-year-old victim as she was getting off work from her dispatcher's job at Astro Security on 24th Street in the south area.
Saeturn's husband, Nai Saechao, pleaded guilty in 2007 to arranging the murder. He and two other accomplices have since been sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole.
A sixth defendant, Chang Saephan, had been charged with murder but pleaded guilty in February to voluntary manslaughter. He is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 28.
Call The Bee's Andy Furillo, (916) 321-1141.
Q: What is happening in the murder case of Leroy "Pops" Fisher, the friendly security guard who was killed in the Badlands parking lot? - Bradley, Carmichael
A: Michael Bruce Weisz is scheduled to go on trial Nov. 30 for second-degree murder in Fisher's death, Sacramento Superior Court records show.
Fisher died in a local hospital about an hour after he allegedly was hit by Weisz's Scion outside the Badlands club at 20th and K streets in Sacramento in the early morning hours of Sept. 23, 2009, The Bee reported.
Weisz, 22, also faces a felony charge of hit and run, records show.
Weisz' attorney argued in earlier court proceedings that Fisher's death was an accident.
Police said Weisz and a friend had been bounced from the club for unruly behavior. Police contended Weisz purposely hit the 64-year-old Fisher and then fled.
Weisz turned himself in later on Sept. 23 at a San Francisco police station.
The Sacramento District Attorney's Office charged Weisz with first-degree murder. But Sacramento Superior Court Judge James L. Long ruled there was insufficient evidence to support a first-degree murder charge, which requires proof of premeditation.
Instead, the judge ordered Weisz to stand trial on a second-degree murder charge.
Weisz's attorney put the blame on Fisher, saying Fisher assaulted Weisz with a stun gun.
"It is clear from the defense standpoint that the unfortunate death of Mr. Fisher was just an accident, brought on by Mr. Fisher's own conduct," attorney Don Masuda said in an e-mail to The Bee in December.
More than 100 people held a candlelight vigil in September for Leroy Berry Fisher III, known as "Pops" among clubgoers for his fatherly ways.
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
A Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District firefighter taken to a hospital Sunday night after fighting a small grass fire at Haggin Oaks Golf Course has died.
Jim Saunders (left), 52, suffered a "cardiac event" while working on the fire.
Saunders, a 22-year department veteran, was treated at the scene and then taken to Mercy San Juan Medical Center. Saunders was taken off life-support at 1:50 a.m. today.
His liver and both kidneys were donated for transplant and will benefit three other people, according to a news release from Metro Fire.
Saunders, a Navy veteran, is survived by his wife, Holly, and adult children, Erik and Rachel.
Saunders was assigned to Engine Company 101 in the Arcade area.
According to a report last year by the National Fire Protection Association, sudden cardiac death is the leading cause of on-duty firefighter fatalities in the United States.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
By Bee Staff
Three Sacramento killers - a rapist who murdered his victim, a man who dismembered his friend and a husband who kissed his wife after shooting her to death - were denied paroles last month.
The state Board of Parole Hearings denied parole applications for seven years each to Frank Fahey Jr. and Timothy Sugars. The board denied a parole application to Daniel Lopez for five years.
The men can request a rehearing every three years if they can show there has been a change in circumstances in their cases or that new information is available.
A Sacramento Superior Court judge sentenced Fahey, now 63, to life in prison for a 1974 rape, robbery and attempted murder, The Bee reported.
Fahey robbed an Auburn Boulevard pastrami shop just before midnight on Dec. 12, 1974. After robbing the shop, he raped the waitress and shot the shop's only customer, according to Bee reports.
Fahey then forced the waitress to drive him and the wounded male customer to an isolated area in Yolo County.
Fahey told the pair that he would have to kill them to eliminate witnesses to his crimes. The pair argued that they would not identify him and pleaded for their lives.
Fahey shot them anyway. He shot the male witness twice more and the waitress twice.
The male witness testified that Fahey then placed the gun to the male witness' head and attempted to fire twice. Both times the witness heard the gun click without firing.
Fahey has been denied paroles several times, Bee reports show.
A Sacramento Superior Court judge sentenced Sugars, now 49, to 27 years to life in prison for the 1986 murder of his friend Stephen M. Rogers, The Bee reported.
Sugars was arrested in October 1986 after Sacramento police found the victim's severed head, hands and organs in the trunk of car in which Sugars was installing stereo speakers.
According to a probation report, Sugars, who had been taking drugs, shot Rogers four times in the head while the both men were in a car.
Sugars then took the body to a deserted area of El Dorado County where he dismembered it.
On Oct. 3, 1995, Lopez, now 51, killed Christine Dickerson, 34, with a shotgun in the couple's house in Hollywood Park, The Bee reported.
Lopez shot his wife after an argument where she threatened to leave him.
The couple's two daughters fled the house as Lopez leveled the shotgun at Dickerson. The girls heard the shot as they ran out the door.
Lopez held officers at bay for five hours after he killed Dickerson. Lopez threatened to kill himself or anyone who approached the house. But he finally appeared to lean over and kiss his wife's body before raising his hands in surrender.
Lopez' hearing will be held Sept. 22 at the Sierra Conservation Center where he is incarcerated.
Another Sacramento rapist/killer - Paul Steven Mack, now 55 - had his parole hearing postponed, the board reported.
Bee researcher Linda Beymer contributed to this report
By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
A Sacramento man has pleaded guilty in federal court to ammunition violations.
Leroy Harrington III, 27, entered the plea Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Lawrence K. Karlton, admitting to possessing ammunition after receiving notice of a final restraining order and after being convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
According to court documents, Harrington purchased 50 rounds of .45-caliber ammunition on Dec. 5, 2009. At the time, Harrington had two final restraining orders lodged against him by a Sacramento Superior Court judge and had been convicted of domestic violence. Because of the restraining orders and the domestic violence conviction, he was not permitted to possess ammunition under federal law, according to a federal Department of Justice news release.
Officials said the prosecution is the result of Department of Justice efforts to curb potential domestic violence incidents, using firearms and ammunition federal statutes.
Huntington faces a prison term of up to 10 years and a fine of $250,000 for each of the ammunition charges.
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.
By Kim Minugh
kiminugh@sacbee.com
A Wilton businessman was arraigned today on charges that he embezzled more than $760,000 from nearly a dozen clients over an eight-month period last year, according to authorities.
Lonnie Crawford Nielson, 46, a part owner of the Sacramento Capitals tennis team, was arraigned on 12 felony counts of grand theft, according to a news release from the office of District Attorney Jan Scully.
Nielson also ran a business known as the "1031 Exchange." Through that operation, he temporarily accepted money from his clients' real estate property sales with the understanding that he would deposit those funds into separate and secure bank trusts, where the clients could access the money for future real estate purchases, the news release states.
Instead, the DA alleges, Nielson used the money to pay off his own debts tied to personal investments, including one he made in the Le Rivage Hotel on the Sacramento River, according to the release.
Nielson then was unable to return the money to his clients at their request, the release states.
Eleven clients were affected between May and December 2009, according to the release.
Call The Bee's Kim Minugh, (916) 321-1038.
By Bee Staff
A Sacramento man who admitted to being tanked on booze and drugs when he rear-ended a car while fleeing police, killing a 19-year-old, is due a parole hearing.
Steven Thomas Leslie, now 37, killed Peter "Jeremy" Turner after Leslie's car struck Turner's on Dec. 30, 1995, on Watt Avenue, The Bee reported.
A Sacramento Superior Court judge sentenced Leslie to an automatic sentence for second-degree murder of 15 years to life. The judge added two years for hit-and-run and resisting arrest.
Fleeing police that night, Leslie ran at least seven red lights and struck several other cars, testimony showed. He was driving a 1971 Camaro that had bald tires and no rear brakes.
Leslie told police he had ingested liquor, marijuana, and methamphetamine. He said he was "just acting stupid" when he fled from police.
Turner's father told Leslie at his sentencing: "I forgive you for killing my son. I hope prison won't be hell for you."
Leslie's hearing will be held Oct. 21 at the Mule Creek State Prison where he is incarcerated.
If you want to give your opinion of an inmate's suitability for parole, you may mail a letter to:
Martin Hoshino, executive director
Board of Parole Hearings
1515 K Street
Sacramento, CA 95811
For more information on the Board of Parole Hearings, go to:
http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/Divisions_Boards/BOPH/
Bee researcher Linda Beymer contributed to this report
Q: A couple years ago, around Christmastime, there was a couple from Natomas who were stabbed to death in their home. Their son was arrested for the crime. What has happened since? Toni, Elk Grove
A: Matthew Riley (left), the couple's 33-year-old son, is scheduled to go on trial Nov. 16 for two counts of murder in the deaths of his parents, Steven and Linda Riley, according to Sacramento Superior Court records.
He is being held without bail in the Sacramento County jail, according to jail records.
Riley placed a 911 call on Dec. 9, 2008, to alert authorities that he had found his parents fatally slashed in their home, The Bee reported. They each suffered 19 stab wounds, autopsy results showed.
According to an arrest warrant filed by investigators, Riley told police he had gone over to talk to his parents about moving in with them because he, his wife and two children were being evicted from their home in Auburn. Police said he told them he had been without work since March 2008.
Police say Riley told them he let himself in, assumed his parents were still at work, went to the family room to find a book and did not see his father's body until he headed to the kitchen for water.
For a complete list of questions answered by Sacto911, click here
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
A man sleeping in his SUV was awakened by flames this morning when someone tried to burn the vehicle, Sacramento police said.
The attack occurred about 7:30 a.m. today in the 2700 block of Ringgold Street near Broadway and Fifth Street.
A man was sleeping in his vehicle when someone left next to it what police described as an incendiary device.
The SUV sustained minor damage. The man was not injured.
Police are investigating the motivation behind the attack. Police said that the man earlier had a disagreement with at least one other person.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
The Sacramento County Coroner's Department has released the name of a woman who died in an early morning car crash today in Elk Grove.
She has been identified as Lynn Marie Silva, 51, of Elk Grove.
Police said she was traveling westbound on Elk Grove Boulevard at Highway 99 about 2:30 a.m. in an Chevrolet Camaro and for unknown reasons her car veered off the road.
The car went down an embankment, striking several trees, according to Elk Grove police spokesman Officer Chris Trim. The car then crossed northbound Highway 99 before coming to rest near the fast lane.
The vehicle suffered major damage before catching on fire, Trim said. The fire was extinguished by passing motorists.
The two faster lanes on Highway 99 were closed for several hours. All lanes opened at 6:12 a.m.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
By Chelsea Phua
cphua@sacbee.com
Roseville police arrested a woman who had been previously arrested with Ruben Cesar Salgado, the former California Highway Patrol officer who on Monday was sentenced to three years in prison.
Breaonna Ashley Nunes, 21, of Carmichael, was arrested just hours after Salgado, 37, pleaded no contest to a felony charge that he offered a confidential informant $10,000 to kill a witness in an earlier drug possession case he faced.
Nunes and Patrick Wayne Grady, 27, were arrested on an array of firearms and drug charges shortly after 4 p.m. in a parking lot of a hotel on Harding Boulevard, police said.
Here are the details, according to a Police Department news release:
Grady, a parolee who was carrying two loaded handguns, was arrested on suspicion of being a felon in possession of a firearm and other related charges, possession of methamphetamine for sale and related drug charges, and parole violations. He is being held without bail in the Placer County jail.
Another handgun was found under the passenger's seat of the car. Nunes, the passenger, was arrested on suspicion of unlawful possession of a firearm and related weapons charges, and possession of methamphetamine for sale and related drug charges. She is being held in the Placer County jail on $50,000 bail.
After the arrests, Roseville Police officers conducted a parole search of Grady's house in Sacramento and found additional firearms and ammunition, as well as a large quantity of stolen property. The suspected stolen property was turned over to the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department.
Nunes was arrested with Salgado in July, when Salgado was being charged with soliciting a murder for hire.
On Monday, Salgado also pleaded no contest to a felony charge of possessing drugs while carrying a firearm and a misdemeanor count of driving under the influence of methamphetamine.
Grady is pictured on the right; Nunes to the left. Photo credit: Roseville Police Department
Call The Bee's Chelsea Phua, (916) 321-1132.
By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
University of California, Davis, police are seeking two men in connection with what is believed to be a hate-motivated incident that occurred Sunday night on the UC Davis Quad.
Two people were approached in the quad by two men who yelled abusive comments about the victims' race and sexual orientation, according to a university news release. The men pushed and grabbed the victims before running away and leaving the area on bicycles.
One of the men is described as white, 18 or 19 years old, with a muscular build and brown medium-length hair, wearing a red polo shirt, blue jeans and a hat. The other was described as Latino, 18 or 19 years old, with a heavy build and brown hair, wearing a white T-shirt and khaki shorts.
Officials said the incident was reported to UC Davis police late Monday and is being investigated as a hate crime. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Police Department at (530) 752-1727, or the anonymous crime tip line, (530) 752-9944.
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.
By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
Two men have been arrested on suspicion of taking a purse from a woman in an Auburn bank parking lot Monday afternoon.
Placer County sheriff's deputies and detectives responded to a report of a robbery at 12:55 p.m. in the Bank of America parking lot at 2885 Bell Road. The customer had come to the bank to make cash deposits from a local business. As she walked across the parking lot of the bank, a man approached and pulled her purse away from her, according to a Sheriff's Department news release.
Photo credit: Photos released by Placer County Sheriff's Department
Based on information provided by witnesses, investigators identified the man accused of taking the purse as Joshua Tucker Bidart, 22, of Auburn. Dwight Jacob Silva, also 22, of Grass Valley is accused of driving the getaway vehicle.
The two men were arrested Monday evening on suspicion of robbery and conspiracy and booked into Placer County Jail. Bidart is being held on $50,000 bail and Silva, on $60,000 bail.
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.
By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
Nine people were displaced from their residences after a fire broke out early this morning in the garage of a Rocklin fourplex.
Fire Chief Bill Mikesell said the fire was reported at 3:34 a.m. in the 6100 block of Merrywood Drive. It started in a four-car garage.
The garage and two vehicles inside were a total loss, but Mikesell said firefighters were able to prevent the fire from spreading to the living quarters.
Nine people were in the units when the fire started and all were able to get out safely. Mikesell said one resident was taken to a local hospital for evaluation.
"Any time you have a structure fire in a residence at this time you are always very, very thankful when quick action of neighbors or firefighters prevents major injuries or death," the fire chief said.
Mikesell said residents and witnesses are being interviewed, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The American Red Cross is assisting residents with emergency shelter, food and comfort items. Mikesell said the residents were allowed into their units to retrieve clothing and some personal items, but the building must be inspected to determine whether the fire damage to the garage has affected the structural integrity of the residential units. As of late Tuesday afternoon, he said, gas and electrical services had not been restored.
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.
By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
A prisoner at California State Prison, Sacramento in Folsom has pleaded guilty to the 2008 murder of a fellow prisoner.
Steven "Matt" Schultz pleaded guilty today to the first-degree murder of Shannon Graling, according to Sacramento County District Attorney's Office news release.
Schultz was sentenced to 50 years to life to be served consecutive to the life term he is serving for murdering his mother and dumping her body in a Rocklin quarry.
"Schultz was scheduled to be considered for parole in 10 years for the murder of his mother," Deputy District Attorney David Brown said in a written statement. "This conviction ensures that he will never be released from prison."
On Feb. 14, 2008, Schultz was in the prison recreation yard when he approached Graling from behind and slit his throat with a box cutter blade, officials said. Graling's jugular vein and carotid artery were severed, and he quickly died from massive blood loss.
Graling was a convicted child molester from the Santa Cruz area and was serving a 401-year sentence.
Schultz was serving a 26-year-to-life sentence for the first-degree murder of his mother, Barbara Schultz. In July 1997, Schultz, then 17 years old, told friends that he intended to murder his mother.
A day later, Schultz struck his mother with a baseball bat, and used his hands and an extension cord to strangle her.
He then threw a party at the Rocklin home and invited his friends to a bedroom to view her corpse. With the aid of friends, he disposed of her body in a water-filled rock quarry.
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.
By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
A screening of the youth documentary "Heart of Stone" will be held at Sacramento's Guild Theater on Oct. 27 as part of an effort to reduce gang violence and improve academic success among students at area high schools.
The screening is sponsored by the Youth Development Network, a regional nonprofit organization that provides training and networking support to agencies that work with and advocate for youth.
"This story based on a high school principal in New Jersey who engages the black and Jewish alumni of his school to fight back against an influx of gangs on the campus has important life lessons for Sacramento about the power of using gang leaders to become problem-solvers in our high schools," Adrian Ruiz, Youth Development Network co-director, said in a news release.
"Heart of Stone" documents the efforts of high school principal Ron Stone to engage students and the community to help turn around a school that was overcome by violence.
The film has won numerous honors including the Audience Award at the Slamdance Film Festival, the Jury Award for Best Documentary at Cinequest Film Festival and the Kaiser Permanente Thrive Award.
The Oct. 27 screening will begin at 6 p.m. at the Guild Theater, 2828 35th St., Sacramento, with registration at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults and $5 for youth. Advance online registration is available at http://ydnetwork.org/Registration. A limited number of free tickets are available for youths upon request.
The film's director, Beth Toni Kruvant, will answer questions from the audience following the screening. A panel including Mary Struhs, Healthy Start coordinator at Hiram Johnson High School, and Capt. Daniel Hahn of the Sacramento Police Department, as well as student and alumni representatives from area schools will discuss education and gang issues.
For more information, call the Youth Development Network office at (916) 228-2227.
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.
Q: What was the outcome of Vivian Hoang's trial for conspiracy and pot cultivation in Elk Grove? - Bill, Sparks, Nev.
![Vivian HOANG x4235672[1].jpg](http://blogs.sacbee.com/crime/Vivian%20HOANG%20x4235672%5B1%5D.jpg)
A: Hoang, now 37, pleaded no contest on May 7 to one felony count of possession of more than $100,000 obtained from drug transactions, court records show. (Photo left is from 2007.)
She was sentenced to five years probation and 246 hours in custody. The 246 hours in custody was later converted to 246 hours of community service.
As reported in The Bee on Sept. 21, 2007, Hoang was one of 15 people arrested two days earlier as Elk Grove police, in a 14-hour operation, raided 21 homes in Elk Grove, Sacramento and Galt.
Records showed Hoang, a real estate agent, was listed as owner of two of the homes.
For a complete list of questions answered by Sacto911, click here
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
Two men suspected of taking piggy banks in a safe at gunpoint in Elk Grove are being sought by police.
Police released a sketch of one man and the photograph of another suspect wanted for the 5 p.m. Sept. 15 robbery at a home in the 9400 block of Havenview Way. The robbers were gained entrance by falsely saying they were selling magazines.
Once inside the home, the robbers searched the residence, taking a safe containing cash and two coin-filled piggy banks. Both suspects fled in a blue and gray, mid-1980s, two-door Oldsmobile Cutlass with big chrome rims.
The residents of the home were not injured.
One of the suspects is believed to be Adam Coleman (top photo), 28, of Sacramento, police said. An arrest warrant has been issued for Coleman.
The second suspect (bottom photo) has not been identified. He is described as an African-American, about 19 years old, 5 feet 11 inches tall and about 200 pounds.
Anyone with information is asked to call Elk Grove police at (916) 478-8060 or Crime Alert at (916) 443-4357.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
The California Highway Patrol announced that a yearlong campaign to prevent people from driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol resulted in more than 1,900 DUI arrests.
The federally funded Border-to-Border DUI Enforcement Campaign began in October 2009 with the goal of reducing the number of alcohol-involved collisions in California resulting in fatalities and injuries. To that end, the CHP conducted approximately 240 sobriety/driver license checkpoints, 100 DUI task force operations and more that 50,000 hours of proactive DUI enforcement patrols, according to a news release.
"All of these DUI enforcement efforts serve three major purposes: deterrence, removal of impaired drivers from the road and educating the motoring public," CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow said in a written statement.
The agency also implemented a statewide media campaign, and conducted local traffic safety presentations and Designated Driver Programs.
Officials recently announced that the state, for the fourth year in a row, recorded a decline in deaths related to driving under the influence.
The enforcement campaign was funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
The Fresno police chief said finding a kidnapped 8-year-old Fresno girl this morning was the highlight of his career.
Elisa Cardenas was the subject of a statewide Amber alert all night as law enforcement searched for the little girl until she was found safe this morning. The California Highway Patrol confirmed that Elisa's suspected kidnapper was also taken into custody.
The young girl was abducted Monday night in central Fresno. She was with a group of six other girls at the time of her kidnapping.
Police Chief Jerry Dyer told the Fresno Bee that a good Samaritan helped in rescuing Elisa.
Dyer said the girl bolted from the kidnapper's pickup truck this morning after the pickup was cut off and stopped by a driver who had recognized the truck from media reports. Dyer said the good Samaritan had followed the pickup, then cut it off after he saw the little girl's head pop up in a window.
The pickup truck was later seen by the CHP. The suspect was taken into custody in the parking lot of an apartment complex at Ninth Street and Saginaw Avenue in Fresno. Dyer said the suspect, who offered no resistance, was positively identified by a witness to the abduction.
Elisa was taken to Community Regional Medical Center and was in good condition, Dyer said.
"I gotta tell ya," Dyer said, "it was a highlight of my career to see Elisa and her mom reunite in that hospital room."
In a televised press conference before Elisa was found, Dyer recounted her kidnapping. He said a man grabbed the little girl, pushed her into the driver's side of his pickup truck and sped off with the vehicle's headlights off.
Dyer said that just before the abduction, police received a call from the public about a man who exposed himself to two girls a few blocks away from where Elisa was kidnapped. The suspect and vehicle in the indecent exposure case matched that of the man who kidnapped Elisa.
Overnight, police conducted a methodical search of the neighborhood and checked motels, bus depots, train stations, schools and parks.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079. The Fresno Bee contributed to this report.
By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
A Sacramento man has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit student loan fraud.
Thomas N. Keys Jr., 23, entered the plea Monday before senior U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb.
Also charged in the case are Sacramento residents Nakesha Sharrieff, aka Takiyah Raheem and Aysia Hanifah Kahan, 23; Hoa Tasha Kelly, aka Tasha Kelly, 24; and Teaona Williams, 25. Jamal Duplessis, 22, pleaded guilty on Aug. 9 and will be sentenced on Nov. 8. Jewel Minor, 24, pleaded guilty on Sept. 27 and will be sentenced on Dec. 13.
According to his guilty plea, Keys admitted that in February 2008, Teaona Williams asked him if he wanted to get financial aid money without having to go to school. Keys agreed and gave his Social Security number and date of birth to Nakesha Sharrieff. Keys had no intention of going to school and did not intend to repay the money, according to a federal Department of Justice news release.
Sharrieff applied for and received federal student aid funds in Keys name and through the Los Rios Community College District. Sharrieff called Keys when checks arrived in his name. Keys then met Sharrieff at a check cashing location, where he signed and cashed the checks and gave the cash to Sharrief, who gave him a percentage, according to the news release.
Keys is to be sentenced Dec. 27.
The case resulted from an investigation by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of the Inspector General.
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.
By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
A Placerville attorney has become the 15th person sentenced in a major federal drug enforcement case.
Lawrence Edward Weitzman, 66, will serve 27 months in federal prison for his role in laundering $2.96 million in drug proceeds for four-time convicted drug trafficker Gregory Sperow, 58, of Los Angeles, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Idaho.
Weitzman, a practicing attorney in Placerville, was sentenced Aug. 31 by Chief District Court Judge B. Lynn Winmill. The court also imposed a $25,000 fine in addition to asset forfeitures totaling $175,000.
"Weitzman's sentencing marks the end of one of the most significant drug investigations and prosecutions in the history of Idaho's U.S. Attorney's Office," Idaho U.S. Attorney Wendy Olson, said in a written statement.
Officials said Weitzman was the 15th defendant sentenced in a multiyear prosecution of the Kent Jones organization, which had been identified as a regional priority target by the Federal Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force in Idaho. The investigation resulted in a series of indictments against defendants who operated throughout the United States importing drugs from Mexico to Southern California. The drugs then were typically transported to the Portland, Ore., area before being shipped to Idaho, Washington and other areas including Colorado, Ohio, North Dakota, Nebraska, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Jersey and New York. In addition to importing and transporting marijuana, the group was heavily involved in growing marijuana in Oregon in the 1990s, both indoors and on public lands, according to the news release.
The original indictment was returned by a federal grand jury in Boise, Idaho, in June 2006. Weitzman was added as a defendant in a superseding indictment filed in January 2007. On Sept. 22, 2008, Weitzman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to launder money and structure transactions, with an agreement to forfeit $175,000.
The investigation was handled by the District of Idaho because it stemmed from the case of a major drug trafficker, Leland Lang of Stites, Idaho, who was successfully prosecuted in Idaho in 2002. The Jones organization supplied Lang with large quantities of drugs that were distributed in Idaho and various Midwest and Eastern states. More than $1 million in currency was seized from Lang's mountaintop residence in Stites in 2002, officials reported.
Following the indictment of Lang and other co-conspirators in Kentucky, the investigation led to the Jones organization, which originated with a group of high school friends from Days Creek, Ore. The group's activities initially involved growing and selling marijuana, officials said, but later expanded to include smuggling large quantities of drugs from Mexico and Colombia.
Weitzman's association with the group was largely through co-defendants Sperow and Dale Barker of Evergreen, Colo., officials said. Since the 1970s, Sperow has served stints in federal prison for smuggling marijuana into the United States from Mexico and South America, as well as involvement in a large-scale methamphetamine manufacturing operation in Southern California.
From January 1996 to May 2004 Sperow was a fugitive living under several assumed names while he continued drug trafficking, according to the Department of Justice. Through Weitzman's help, officials said, Sperow continued to launder millions of dollars in drug proceeds.
Sperow was apprehended in the Bay Area community of Orinda in May 2004.
Weitzman's sentencing followed five days of testimony. In its ruling, the District Court found that "the evidence was overwhelming" that Weitzman either knew, or became willfully blind regarding the illegal source of Sperow's funds by 1996, that Weitzman continued to launder Sperow's drug funds for the eight years that Sperow was a fugitive, and that Weitzman laundered Sperow's proceeds even after Sperow was sent to federal prison for the fourth time in 2005.
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.
By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
A federal grand jury has indicted three Sacramento residents for sex trafficking of a minor and related charges.
A four-count indictment returned Sept. 30 charges Jamal Kareem Warren, 24, with sex trafficking of a minor, producing images depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, distributing images depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor and possessing images depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor. Warren made his initial appearance in court Monday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Edmund F. Brennan, according to a U.S. Department of Justice news release.
The indictment alleges that between November 2009 and Dec. 15, 2009, Warren, along with Mario Londell Boyd, 42, and Ashley Nicole Evon, 23, knowingly recruited, enticed, harbored, transported and maintained a 16-year-old girl for the purpose of having her engage in a commercial sex act. The indictment also charges Warren with producing, distributing and possessing images depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor and seeks criminal forfeiture of several items used to facilitate the crime.
Evon is scheduled to make her initial appearance in court Tuesday. Boyd has not been apprehended.
The case resulted from a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Sacramento Police Department.
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
A sleeping Elk Grove resident was awakened by a smoke detector today that was triggered when fire erupted in his apartment.
Cosumnes Fire Department firefighters were called to 10099 Elk Grove-Florin Road about 11:50 p.m. Sunday to a fire in the a second-floor apartment.
The resident had been awakened by the sound of a smoke detector to find a fast-growing fire in his kitchen. He fled the apartment and notified an adjacent tenant.
Firefighters were able to control the flames in 10 minutes. The resident of the damaged apartment was transported to a hospital for smoke inhalation.
"This is a great example of how effective smoke detectors are at reducing loss of life from fire," said Deputy Fire Chief John Michelini.
Jennifer Rubin, public education officer for the Cosumnes Fire Department, said that October is fire prevention month.
"It is a good time to change your smoke detector batteries and practice your family escape plan," said Rubin. "It all worked during this fire and everyone survived."
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
By Bill Lindelof and Kim Minugh
blindelof@sacbee.com
Former California Highway Patrol Officer Ruben Salgado today was sentenced to state prison after he pleaded no contest to a charge that he tried to arrange a killing for hire.
Salgado (photo right) also pleaded no contest to two other charges, said Art Campos, a spokesman for the Placer County District Attorney's Office: felony drug possession while carrying a firearm and misdemeanor driving under the influence of methamphetamine.
Salgado was sentenced to three years in state prison by Placer County Superior Court Judge Larry Gaddis after the judge ruled him ineligible for probation.
Salgado will not get credit for the time he has served in county jail.
"This law enforcement officer betrayed the public trust," prosecutor Doug Van Breeman said in a statement. "It is appropriate that he go to prison, even though he had no prior criminal record."
Salgado had pleaded not guilty in July to a charge that he offered $10,000 to have someone murder a witness against him in a drug and weapons case.
Salgado, a 12-year CHP veteran, was arrested by the California Highway Patrol on May 11 in Rocklin after he allegedly paid a confidential informant $100 for 1/8 ounce of methamphetamine, according to a court brief filed by the Placer County District Attorney's Office.
At the time of his arrest, he had a semiautomatic pistol in his pants pocket and another on the front floorboard of his car, and was under the influence of methamphetamine, according to the court document.
Salgado pleaded not guilty to the drug and weapons charges and was free on $70,000 bail when he was arrested in the early morning hours of July 15 after allegedly offering another confidential informant $10,000 to murder the first informant, who is a witness in the case.
According to the court brief, the witness told a CHP investigator July 6 that she had heard through contacts that Salgado was "looking to take her out of the game."
An informant, who allegedly was solicited to arrange the murder, said Salgado stated that if the witness wasn't around, there would be no case against him.
According to the court brief, the informant told Salgado that the informant's brother had just been released from prison and could do the job.
When all three met in the Governors Inn parking lot on Richards Boulevard in Sacramento on July 14, Salgado allegedly gave details of how the murder was to occur, and discussed destruction of evidence and what to do with the witness's body.
The brief says Salgado told the individual who was to carry out the murder that he could provide a photo of the intended victim as early as July 19.
Salgado was arrested shortly after that conversation, according to the court document, and a search of his hotel room turned up a baggie of methamphetamine and a methamphetamine pipe.
The CHP reported that Salgado's employment with the agency ended June 30. He had been assigned to patrol duties in the Auburn area since January 2009.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
By Andy Furillo
afurillo@sacbee.com
A fourth defendant has been convicted in a North Sacramento gang killing from three years ago.
David Moses Ballesteros, 23, was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter Friday in the Aug. 19, 2007, shooting death of Stephen Matthew "Bo" Clay, 25, on Eleanor Avenue.
Sacramento Superior court Judge Greta Curtis Fall scheduled the sentencing on Ballesteros for Nov. 5.
A separate jury returned first-degree murder convictions last week on Hector Jaime Garcia, 26, Edward Garcia, 23, and Manuel Alvarez Jr., 25.
Call The Bee's Andy Furillo, (916) 321-1141.
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
A man suspected of wildly swinging a knife in the downtown train depot has been arrested for assault.
Police said passengers were seated on benches waiting for their train about 11 p.m. Sunday when a man began acting strangely and causing a disturbance in the Sacramento Valley Station, 401 I Street.
The man pulled out a pocket knife and recklessly swung the weapon, touching the neck of a seated passenger. Luckily, the knife did not cause any injury, a police report stated.
The man then left the depot and police were summoned. Officers arrived and arrested Kevin Harold Schrand (photo right), 41, of Sacramento on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
By Cynthia Hubert
chubert@sacbee.com
STOCKTON - Lawyers are preparing for jury selection while discussing a possible plea deal in the case of four people accused of ritualistically abusing a Sacramento teenager.
Caren Ramirez, Anthony Waiters, Michael Schumacher and Kelly Lau have been indicted on 17 criminal counts including torture. They are accused of holding a teen known as Kyle M. hostage in a Tracy home and chaining, burning and beating him before he escaped in late 2008.
A last minute plea deal remains a possibility, lawyers said today.
The defendants are scheduled to appear again Wednesday in San Joaquin Superior Court.
Call The Bee's Cynthia Hubert, (916) 321-1082.
By Andy Furillo
afurillo@sacbee.com
An accused killer has pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter in a 2009 New Year's Eve party shooting after a Sacramento Superior Court jury failed to reach a verdict in his murder trial.
Nicholas Manuel Moreno is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 18 by Judge Michael W. Sweet as a result of his plea Friday. The plea took place amid jury deliberations in which the panel did not reach a verdict. Moreno is facing a 21-year sentence - 11 for the manslaughter and 10 for his fatal discharge of a firearm.
Moreno, 20, admitted in his trial testimony that he shot and killed Sacramento City College student Kyle Ray Smith, 20, at 1:10 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2009, during a brawl that broke out in front of the party house in the 400 block of Camelia River Way, in the Greenhaven neighborhood.
The defendant said the shooting was an accident, that his .45-caliber handgun went off unintentionally while he was using it to pistol whip Smith.
Police and prosecutors said Moreno had threatened to "f--- somebody up" just moments before he jumped into the fight. They said his remarks suggested that he had the intent to kill and that they merited a murder verdict.
The New Year's shooting is the second homicide in which Moreno was a principal. He was riding in a car in the Dec. 22, 2006, shooting death of Marc Grimes outside the victim's Elk Grove home.
Authorities said the killing was gang-related, that Grimes had angered a car full of Nortenos in a late-night traffic confrontation on his quiet suburban side street. No charges were filed against Moreno in the case in which the drive was convicted and sentenced to life in prison.
Call The Bee's Andy Furillo, (916) 321-1141.
By Dale Kasler and Chelsea Phua
dkasler@sacbee.com
A Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District firefighter was taken to a hospital Sunday night after fighting a small grass fire at Haggin Oaks Golf Course.
Assistant Fire Chief Brian Rice said the firefighter, a 20-year veteran, suffered a "cardiac event" while working on the fire.
Rice said the firefighter has been taken to Mercy San Juan Medical Center, where he is receiving treatment.
District officials aren't identifying the firefighter, but Rice said their "thoughts and prayers are with the family."
According to a report last year by the National Fire Protection Association, sudden cardiac death is the leading cause of on-duty firefighter fatalities in the United States.
Call The Bee's Dale Kasler, (916) 321-1066.
By Hudson Sangree
hsangree@sacbee.com
Butte County authorities are reporting a non-fatal shooting today of two individuals in the Berry Creek area near Lake Oroville State Recreation Area.
A suspect is still at large, according to the Butte County Sheriff's Office.
The victims, a man and a woman, have the same last name, but authorities could not immediately confirm their relationship.
The sheriff's office said it expects to release further details tonight.
Call The Bee's Hudson Sangree, (916) 321-1191.
By Loretta Kalb
lkalb@sacbee.com
A seriously injured 5-year-old child was taken to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento after he was hit by a motorist who Woodland police said was driving under the influence.
Police were called to the 700 block of East Street shortly before 6:30 p.m. Saturday after the boy, Josue Navarette, was taken into a nearby residence. Medical personnel had asked for an air ambulance to take the semi-conscious child to the medical center, but none was available. He was transported, instead, by ambulance to the medical center's trauma center.
The driver of the car, 20-year-old Francisco Pinon-Martinez of Woodland, was taken into custody on suspicion of driving under the influence and driving without a license.
It was one of two cases in which children were struck by DUI motorists in Woodland this weekend, police said. Early today - sometime after midnight - a 1-year-old was hit by his father in the parking lot of the Masonic Lodge in Woodland, police said. That father was booked into jail on DUI counts while his son was in good condition at UC Davis Medical Center, police said.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Woodland Police at (530) 661-7800. Callers may remain anonymous.
Call The Bee's Loretta Kalb, (916) 321-1073.
By Loretta Kalb
lkalb@sacbee.com
A 27-year-old Woodland man was booked into the Yolo County jail on felony drunken driving charges after police said he ran over his 1-year-old son at the Masonic Lodge parking lot just before 1 a.m. today.
Arrested was Alejandro Ramirez Lopez.
Police said the toddler, Christian Ramirez, was hit by his father's vehicle at the lodge on Palm Avenue in Woodland.
Woodland police said the child was first taken to Woodland Memorial Hospital, where police were notified at 12:53 a.m.
The child was taken later by helicopter to the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, where he was listed in good condition Sunday night.
Call The Bee's Loretta Kalb, (916) 321-1073.
By Matt Kawahara
mkawahara@sacbee.com
Six people were hospitalized Saturday with gastrointestinal ailments following a wedding at a Roseville church, a fire department spokeswoman said.
About 30 people were affected Saturday night by possible food poisoning at the Light of the Gospel Missionary Church on Cirby Way, where a wedding had been held in the afternoon, said Roseville Fire Department spokeswoman Vonette McCauley.
Six people were transported to a local hospital, while others were treated and released at the scene, McCauley said.
McCauley said fire department personnel suspect the stomach issues are "food-related" and ruled out the possibility that the issues were caused by hazardous materials.
The fire department responded to the church a little after 9 p.m., McCauley said.
Call The Bee's Matt Kawahara, (916) 321-1015.
By Bee Staff
A 22-year-old Sacramento man has been arrested in the June 15 robbery-slaying of Fernando Vichez, a Sacramento County sheriff's spokesman said.
Jermaine Antonio Barnes was arrested Thursday by detectives of the sheriff's Homicide Bureau and Major Crimes Bureau at a home in Merced, said Sgt. Tim Curran.
Detectives believe Barnes is one of the suspects responsible for the killing the 50-year-old Vichez in the early hours of June 15 at Howe Avenue and Whippoorwill Lane, Curran said.
A deputy performing a vehicle stop in the area heard the gunshots and discovered Vichez lying in the street and suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. The deputy performed cardio pulmonary resuscitation on Vichez until paramedics arrived but Vichez was pronounced dead at a hospital a short time later, Curran said.
Witnesses told investigators Vichez was walking on Howe Avenue when a vehicle stopped and three men got out, approached the victim and started fighting with him.
During the fight, one of the suspects produced an unknown type gun and shot the victim multiple times, Curran said.
The suspects then got back into the vehicle and fled.
Detectives have identified three additional suspects in this murder and are working to find them, Curran said.
Barnes was booked into the Sacramento County Jail on suspicion of murder and robbery, Curran said.
Anyone with information about this case is urged to call detectives at (916) 874-5057, or Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP.
Information can be sent by text message tip by texting to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter SACTIP followed by the tip information. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.
By Carlos Alcalá
calcala@sacbee.com
Coroner's officials have released the name of the parolee who died Friday after a high-speed police chase by Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies.
The man who died was Gabriel Chacon-Uribe, 27, of Sacramento.
Sheriff's officials reported that they began following a stolen car in North Highlands Friday morning.
After a brief stop, the driver sped away at up to 85 mph, officials said.
After swerving to avoid another motorist, the driver lost control near the intersection of Don Julio Boulevard and Belva Way.
The vehicle slid sideways through a church parking lot and a chain link fence before crashing into a large tree.
The driver, Chacon-Uribe, was killed instantly. A 23-year-old female passenger, who was not identified, was transported to a hospital.
She is expected to survive and will not face charges.
Chacon-Uribe was identified by sheriff's officials as a parolee-at-large and a gang member.
Call The Bee's Carlos Alcalá, (916) 321-1987.
By Carlos Alcalá
calcala@sacbee.com
Sacramento police arrested a man who turned himself in Friday afternoon at City Hall after trying to rob a nearby bank.
Police reported that Jack Burch, 32, is suspected of walking into a bank at 801 K Street and presenting a robbery note to a teller. That address is the site of a Chase Bank.
When the teller notified others in the bank, the suspect fled without any money.
While police were investigating, the suspect, believed to be intoxicated, walked into City Hall a few blocks away and turned himself in to security there.
Witnesses identified Burch as a the robbery suspect and police arrested him in connection with the attempt.
Call The Bee's Carlos Alcalá, (916) 321-1987.
By Carlos Alcalá
calcala@sacbee.com
Three people were sent to local hospitals with gunshot injuries early this morning, Sheriff's officials reported.
The incident occurred at 12:35 a.m. on Wyda Way near Arden Way in unincorporated Sacramento, according to Sheriff's Sgt. Tim Curran.
Two of the shooting victims are in critical condition.
No details were available on what caused the incident or the identities of the participants.
Call The Bee's Carlos Alcalá, (916) 321-1987.
By Matt Kawahara
mkawahara@sacbee.com
Sacramento County Sheriff's Department personnel have arrested a Sacramento man in connection with a June 15 robbery and homicide in North Sacramento.
Sheriff's detectives arrested 22-year-old Jermaine Antonio Barnes on Thursday afternoon at a friend's home in Merced, according to a department release.
Detectives believe that Barnes is one of the suspects responsible for killing Fernando Valladares Vichez, 50, near Howe Avenue and Whippoorwill Lane, according to the release.
In the early morning of June 15, a sheriff's deputy in that area heard gunshots and drove to the location, where the deputy found Vichez lying in the street with multiple gunshot wounds, according to the release. Vichez was ttaken to an area hospital and pronounced dead a short time later.
According to the release, witnesses said Vichez was walking on Howe Avenue when three men got out of a vehicle, approached Vichez and started fighting with him. During the fight, one suspect produced a firearm and shot Vichez several times. The suspects then got back into the vehicle and fled.
Barnes was taken to Sacramento County Main Jail and booked on charges of murder and robbery.
Detectives have identified three other suspects in the homicide and are working to locate and arrest them, according to the release.
Call The Bee's Matt Kawahara, (916) 321-1015.
By Bee Staff
Someone abandoned an old but live dog in a trash bin in Davis, according to the Yolo County Sheriff's Department Animal Services Section.
The dog was euthanized today after UC Davis veterinarians determined the dog was unable to stand and was in great pain, a UCD spokeswoman said.
A maintenance employee at the Danville Apartments in the 1200 block of Kenney Place on Thursday found the dog (left), an elderly gray terrier mix. The female dog, which was unable to stand, had no identification, according to an animal services news release.
An animal service officer transported the dog the UC Davis Veterinary Teaching Hospital for emergency care.
Veterinarians in the hospital's emergency room examined the dog and found that, due to age-related problems, the dog did not have use of its hind legs, was unable to stand and was in great pain. They determined that the most humane thing to do was to euthanize the dog, the UCD spokeswoman said.
Animal Services is asking the public's help in finding the owner of the dog or more information on what happened. Call (530) 668-5287 extension 0 or the Davis Police Department at its non-emergency number (530) 747-5400
By Ed Fletcher
efletcher@sacbee.com
A Placer County jury on Thursday convicted a former Sierra College student of trying to kill a former friend.
The jury convicted Paul Thomas Heintz, 23, of Rocklin, of attempted murder of Alex Abrahamian.
Abrahamian attended Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, but was on the Sierra College campus visiting friends during his spring break. Abrahamian was dating a woman whom had previously dated Heintz.
Heintz testified during the four-day trial that, enraged at seeing Abrahamian and the woman on campus, he want after his former friend with a knife March 24, 2009, but had no intention of killing him, according to a news release from the Placer County District Attorney's office
Abrahamian underwent three surgeries as a result of the stabbing.
Call The Bee's Ed Fletcher, (916) 321-1269.
By Andy Furillo
afurillo@sacbee.com
A Sacramento Superior Court judge today sentenced Michael Eugene Jastraub to 30 years to life in prison for killing a 30-year-old Sacramento State graduate student in a traffic wreck two years ago.
Sacramento Superior Court Judge Trena Burger-Plavan imposed the term on Jastraub, 42, for the May 15, 2008, death of Janell Denise Cummings. The judge added a sentence of 11 years, 4 months for related charges to run consecutively to the longer sentence.
Jastraub was convicted of second-degree murder July 16 for driving under the influence of methamphetamine, methadone and other drugs when his car caused the collision that resulted in Cummings' death.
Jastraub also was convicted on two felony counts of injuring people while driving under the influence of the drugs and two more felony counts of drug possession.
Jurors also convicted him on misdemeanor drug and paraphernalia possession, driving without a license and hit and run. He also was convicted of driving without insurance.
Call The Bee's Andy Furillo, (916) 321-1141.
By Andy Furillo
afurillo@sacbee.com
A Sacramento Superior Court judge sentenced Kevin Harper Jr. today to state prison for 25 years to life on his conviction for an assault on a child that resulted in death.
![Harper[1].JPG](http://blogs.sacbee.com/crime/Harper%5B1%5D.JPG)
Harper (left), 27, had been acquitted July 16 of second-degree murder in the death of his 6-month-old son, Jaden Harper, who died two days after his father took him to the hospital Aug. 21, 2008, with internal injuries.
But a Sacramento Superior Court jury found Harper guilty of involuntary manslaughter and the assault on a child resulting in death. The latter offense carries the 25-to-life term.
Deputy District Attorney Rochelle Hao said Harper hurt the boy by shaking him. Assistant Public Defender Sue Karlton argued that Jaden Harper suffered from chronic internal bleeding.
Sacramento Superior Court Judge Michael W. Sweet imposed the term.
Call The Bee's Andy Furillo, (916) 321-1141.
By Sam Stanton
sstanton@sacbee.com
Using secret testimony from kidnap victim Jaycee Lee Dugard, prosecutors today unveiled a new 18-count indictment charging Phillip and Nancy Garrido with abducting Dugard in 1991, when she was 11, and later videotaping sex assaults upon her.
Nancy Garrido was arraigned and pleaded not guilty to the new charges, which were handed up by an El Dorado County grand jury on Sept. 21. But Phillip Garrido, who has had criminal proceedings against him suspended while the court assesses his mental competency to stand trial, did not enter a plea because of questions over whether he could be arraigned.
Judge Douglas Phimister called attorneys to return to court Nov. 4 to address the issue of whether Garrido would enter a plea or have the judge enter one for him.
District Attorney Vern Pierson told reporters later that he could not discuss what happened inside the grand jury room but he acknowledged that using the grand jury was an effective method of supplying privacy to a victim like Dugard.
Prosecutors did not dismiss the case they originally filed in August 2009, but for now the new indictment, which largely mirrors the old charges, takes center stage. The new indictment contains several allegations that Phillip Garrido produced video of "substantial sexual conduct" from the beginning of her captivity and continuing at least until May 1994.
Despite the new charges, there is little chance the trial will commence any time soon. Phillip Garrido first must face mental examination, a process that could take months.
Garrido, convicted in the 1976 abduction and rape of Katie Calllaway-Hall, faced competency questions in that case as well but eventually stood trial.
Callaway-Hall, who has attended most of the court sessions in the Dugard case, told reporters later that Garrido was a master at manipulating the system and parole agents.
"I think he is crazy like a fox," she said.
Read the Garrido indictment here.
Phillip Garrido and his attorney, Susan Gillman, look over a new indictment issued in El Dorado County Superior Court on Friday. Bee staff photo Randy Pench
Call The Bee's Sam Stanton, (916) 321-1091.
By Matt Kawahara
mkawahara@sacbee.com
UC Davis police are asking for the public's help in identifying the suspects involved in two separate incidents - one of attempted sexual assault and one of battery - that occurred on campus Thursday night and this morning.
A female student was the victim of an attempted sexual assault Thursday and a groundskeeper was the victim of a battery today, according to a UC Davis Police Department release.
Neither victim required medical care, according to the release.
At about 7:40 p.m. Thursday, a female student left a classroom and was walking on Cushing Way on the east side of the UC Davis campus when a man came up behind her and tried to wrestle her to the ground, according to the release.
The woman fought back, freed herself and called police, the release said.
The suspect is described as a white male in his 30s wearing a dark, long-sleeved shirt and pants of an unknown color.
At about 5:30 a.m. today, near an equipment shed on the west side of campus, a UC Davis groundskeeper encountered an unknown man who punched him, leaving him with minor injuries, the release said.
The suspect then fled north toward The Colleges at La Rue, according to the release.
The suspect is described as a tall white male in his 20s with a thin build, wearing a black baseball cap and a dark or black sweater and pants.
Anyone with information about these two incidents is asked to call police at (530) 752-1930 or the Crime Tip Line, which allows callers to be anonymous, at (530) 752-9944.
Call The Bee's Matt Kawahara, (916) 321-1015.
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
A Sacramento Superior Court judge on Friday granted more freedom to convicted child molester Timothy Lee Boggs.
![BOGGS_Timothy.Lee[1].JPG](http://blogs.sacbee.com/crime/BOGGS_Timothy.Lee%5B1%5D.JPG)
Boggs (seen in 2006 photo at left), 54, petitioned the court and was granted his "unconditional release" by a judge.
State officials said they have no authority to continue to monitor Boggs. Boggs, however, must register as a sex offender with law enforcement.
Since being released from prison in 2006, Boggs has been closely monitored, including, unannounced visits and having to wear a satellite tracking device, his attorney said.
His attorney, Ken Rosenfeld, said his client before the ruling was considered a sexually violent predator.
He said that Boggs was monitored by Liberty Healthcare. The organization also provided counseling and therapy, Rosenfeld said.
"Given the work he has done, he really should be commended for going through counseling and therapy," said Rosenfeld.
Rosenfeld said is it was the opinion of doctors that Boggs no longer met the criteria of currently having a mental diagnosis and would re-offend.
"The court simply followed the law," said Rosenfeld.
Rosenfeld said even in a bad economy, Boggs has a full-time job with benefits and has purchased a home.
He said Boggs is free to leave the state, but he must register with authorities upon moving.
Boggs has two convictions for molesting 9-year-old boys in the Sacramento area in the 1980s.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
By Matt Kawahara
mkawahara@sacbee.com
A stolen vehicle crashed this morning on an elementary school playing field, missing children but killing the driver, a Sacramento County Sheriff's Department spokesman said.
The vehicle hit a tree, possibly preventing the car from striking children, Sgt. Tim Curran said. He said the driver was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency personnel.
A 23-year-old female passenger complained of pain and was taken to a hospital.
The vehicle was reported stolen and was being pursued by a deputy when the crash occurred, Curran said.
The driver was a 27-year-old parolee who was a validated gang member and previously was in prison for vehicle, theft, Curran said.
Curran gave this sequence of events:
At 10:17 a.m., a deputy was checking an area in north Sacramento County where stolen vehicles had been abandoned in the past. The deputy checked on a parked Chrysler PT Cruiser and found it was reported stolen from Citrus Heights.
As the deputy was checking on the car, a man and a woman walked to car and drove away.
About 10:30 a.m., the deputy turned on her overhead lights and the PT Cruiser stopped. The driver got out of the car, but jumped back in the car and drove away.
The pursuit ran along Watt Avenue through North Highlands. The cars driver drove south in northbound lanes on Watt at speeds of at least 85 mph.
The Car turned onto Don Julio in the wrong direction at high speeds.
When the driver swerved to avoid an oncoming car, he lost control and the car skidded about 200 yards sideway.
The car careened through a church parking lot, through a chain-link fence into a Larchmont Elementary School's soccer/baseball field and hit a tree.
The driver was ejected through the driver's side door.
Start-to-finish the pursuit lasted about two minutes, Curran said.
Call The Bee's Matt Kawahara, (916) 321-1015.
Q: What happened to Shane Vicars, the afterschool instructor, arrested earlier this year? Lena, Sacramento
A: Vicars' case is in the pretrial stages. No date has been set for a trial, Sacramento Superior Court records show.
![shane vicars[1].jpg](http://blogs.sacbee.com/crime/shane%20vicars%5B1%5D.jpg)
Vicars (left), 26, faces 22 counts of lewd or lascivious conduct with a child under the age of 14, according to court records.
He is being held in the Sacramento County Jail on $1 million bail, jail records show.
On Jan. 6, Sacramento County sheriff's detectives arrested Vicars, a child development teacher at the Sierra Oaks K-8 School's Discovery Club, The Bee reported.
Child-abuse detectives allege that Vicars abused multiple boys between the ages of 7 and 11 within the last 18 months, a sheriff's spokesman told The Bee after Vicars' arrest.
All of the alleged victims were enrolled in the after-school Discovery Club at Sierra Oaks and told detectives the alleged abuse occurred when they were alone with Vicars in a classroom, the spokesman said.
In all cases, the alleged molestation involved inappropriate touching, the spokesman said.
For a complete list of questions answered by Sacto911, click here
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
The state has a high seat belt wearing compliance rate, but the California Highway Patrol would like to see improvement.
The CHP said that 95.3 percent of the state's motorists buckle up.
"However, we still have approximately 4.7 percent of the population, which is equivalent to more than 1.7 million people, who are not buckling up," said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow.
A grant this year from the state Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been used to inform the public about the importance of seat belts in saving lives, Farrow said.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
By Bee Staff
The California Highway Patrol's Rancho Cordova Area office is finishing a year-long federally funded enforcement campaign with nearly 3,200 traffic citations, 13 DUI arrests and 12 stolen vehicles recovered.
The main emphasis of the Community Involvement to Educate Drivers project was to reduce alcohol-involved and speed-related collisions, the CHP office reported in a news release.
"Our goal was to reduce the number of lives lost and victims injured in collisions here in our community," said CHP Lt. Greg Ferrero, commander of the Rancho Cordova Area office. "While preliminary figures indicate we were successful in our efforts, there is more work to be done."
Among the enforcement efforts funded by this federal grant throughout the year were 95 speed enforcement operations targeting drivers exhibiting excessive speed. Through those operations 3,195 citations were issued for not only speed, but other violations, according to the release.
In addition, the grant funded 14 DUI saturation patrols which led to nearly 400 vehicle stops, during which 126 field sobriety tests were administered, resulting in 13 DUI arrests. The CHP also made three criminal arrests as a result of the DUI saturation patrols recovered 12 stolen vehicles.
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
An e-tran bus ran off the road after a collision involving a pickup at the intersection of Sheldon and Bradshaw roads in Elk Grove.
Minor injuries were reported to the drivers of the pickup and the bus. No injuries were reported to the six passengers on the bus, according to Elk Grove police spokesman Officer Chris Trim.
"It's not as bad as we first thought," said California Highway Patrol Officer Rich Wetzel. "Passengers have already been off-loaded into another bus and sent on their journey."
He said the bus and the pickup collided at about 6:30 a.m. The accident is under investigation.
The pickup blocked the roadway and the bus ended up in a ditch along the road shoulder.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
