Sacto 9-1-1

By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com

Two people are in Placer County Jail on suspicion of attempted robbery and attempted murder after a shooting incident at an Auburn-area motel late Sunday night.

Ruthie Ann Barnes, 20, and Zane Aaron Davis, 28, are being held without bail.

Placer County Sheriff's Department spokesman Lt. Mark Reid said deputies responded to a report of shots fired to the Super 8 Motel at 140 E. Hillcrest Drive. As they were en route to the site, they were notified that a vehicle was seen leaving the area.

The deputies stopped the vehicle with Davis and Barnes inside, and found the weapon believed to have been used in the shooting, Reid said. The two were taken into custody.

Reid said the incident is believed to have been drug related.

The victim fled before deputies arrived at the motel but was located Monday. Reid said the man had suffered minor injuries but was not struck by the gunshots. He was arrested on warrants.

Reid said the incident is still under investigation.

Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.

By Kim Minugh
kminugh@sacbee.com

Sacramento police are searching for a teenage boy suspected of shooting another teen near Valley High School this afternoon, according to authorities.

The injured teen suffered a non-life-threatening injury to the arm and has been taken to a nearby hospital, said police spokesman Sgt. Norm Leong.

Police responded to Valley High School about 3:40 p.m. after someone said a gunshot victim had walked onto campus, Leong said. Police later determined that the teen was shot while walking in the area of Center Parkway and Sunny Hollow Court by another teen, who also was on foot.

The Valley High campus was temporarily locked down as police cleared the campus.

Police received information that the suspected shooter could be found on nearby La Almendra Way, but they did not find the suspect there, according to a police post on Twitter.

The shooter was described as a black teen wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and armed with a gun, Leong said.

The motive for the shooting is not known, Leong said.

Call The Bee's Kim Minugh, (916) 321-1038.

By Andy Furillo
afurillo@sacbee.com

A man initially charged with murder in a shooting death that took place last year in an apartment on Orange Grove Avenue pleaded guilty Monday to voluntary manslaughter, according to Sacramento County Superior Court records.

Anthony William Race, 22, will be sentenced Jan. 7 for the July 15, 2009, killing of Isaac Bartovsky.

Call The Bee's Andy Furillo, (916) 321-1141.

By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com

Sacramento investigators have confiscated $2 million in counterfeit CDs and DVDs from a San Jose warehouse. (Photo at left from the Sacramento Sheriff's Department.)

Among the DVDs were movies still in theaters, including "Megamind," "Due Date" and "Saw 3D."

The bootleg movies are obtained by video recording films inside theaters, according to a news release from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department.

Investigators from the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force also busted a sophisticated counterfeit manufacturing operation in San Jose, the release states.

The investigation began in early August in Galt. It led detectives to two homes and a storage facility in Sacramento and a residence in Modesto.

Six arrests were made during the investigation for charges related to trafficking counterfeit goods, possession and use of counterfeit identification, identity theft and use of fraudulent documents to conceal citizenship.

Those arrested were Abel Zaragoza, 44, of Sacramento, Victor Quiroz, 22, of Modesto, Eleazar Gomez, 27, of Sacramento, Carlos Tejada, 31, of Sacramento, Aldo Alamilla, 21, of Sacramento and Luis Puntos, 22, of Merced, the release states.

All except Zaragoza have United States immigration holds placed upon them and are ineligible for bail, investigators said.

Zaragoza posted $10,000 bail and was released from custody, the release states.

So far, more than 350,000 counterfeit items have been seized and three manufacturing operations shut down.

The task force worked with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Immigration & Customs Enforcement and anti-piracy investigators from the Recording Industry Association of America.

Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.

By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com

Sacramento fire investigators have determined that a fire in a dentist's office on South Land Park Drive Monday night was not suspicious and may have been caused by an electric fan.

Initially, fire investigators believed the fire to be suspicious because an intrusion alarm was set off at the dental office at 7210 South Land Park Drive shortly before 6 p.m.

The business owner told fire investigators that he received a message on his phone that an intrusion alarm had activated at 5:58 p.m. He drove to his office and saw smoke coming from the roof, fire officials said.

Firefighters arrived just after 6:30 p.m. and saw flames coming from the front window and roof of the office building.

The fire was extinguished at about 7 p.m. However, the dental office was a complete loss.

Fire officials said the intrusion alarm could have been activated by the fire itself. There is no evidence of a criminal act.

The fire appears to have started under a desk near an electrical fan. The fan cannot be ruled out as the cause of the blaze, fire official said.

Fire officials reminded the public to turn off electrical devices when leaving work or home.

Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.

Q: Has the man who killed all those girls and was known as the "I-5 Strangler" died? I knew one of the victims. - Someone Who Knew a V, Sacramento

Roger Reece Kibbe is now 71 and in prison at the Pleasant Valley State Prison in Coalinga, records show. He passed his 19th year in prison last June. (Photo at left is of Kibbe from a 2008 court hearing.)

In August 2009, Kibbe finally admitted that he killed six young women investigators had long suspected were his victims, The Bee reported.

Kibbe pleaded guilty to killing Lou Ellen Burleigh in 1977 and Lora Heedrick, Barbara Ann Scott, Stephanie Brown, Charmaine Sabrah and Katherine Kelly Quinones, all in 1986.

In exchange for the plea, which included special circumstances of rape, kidnapping and a previous murder conviction, prosecutors agreed they wouldn't seek the death penalty or charge him for additional crimes.

Kibbe already was serving time for the 1991 slaying of 17-year-old Darcine Frackenpohl, a runaway from Seattle whose body was found in El Dorado County.

In November 2009, Kibbe was sentenced to six consecutive life terms.

"This will ensure he'll never have the opportunity to have parole," a deputy district attorney with San Joaquin County, told The Bee in 2009. "Basically, he's going to die in prison now."

Authorities long suspected Kibbe was responsible for many unsolved homicides where women were sexually assaulted and killed near major roadways. He often left a signature - random cuts in his victims' clothing.

Investigators struggled with evidence because in many cases the victims' bodies were decomposed and there was no DNA evidence.

Bruce Henderson authored the book "Trace Evidence," which chronicled the case of the so-called I-5 Strangler.

"There's one missing, Karen Finch," said Bruce Henderson authored the book "Trace Evidence," which chronicled the case of the I-5 Strangler.

Finch, a 25-year-old Lodi resident, was found sexually assaulted and killed in a ditch along Kiefer Boulevard, a half-mile north of Jackson Road, in 1987.

A prosecutor said there wasn't enough evidence to charge Kibbe in Finch's killing, but that her case is "still being investigated."

For a complete list of questions answered by Sacto911, click here

By Bill Enfield
benfield@sacbee.com

A killer who beat and shot to death one man and then sexually assaulted a woman before shooting her is due a parole hearing this month.

Roosevelt Virgil Vinson, now 49, is serving a life sentence for killing Jessie James Turner, 30, in February 1979 in a south Sacramento apartment, The Bee reported.

Police said Vinson also handcuffed Turner's 16-year-old girlfriend - Tenner "Tina" Smith - to a bed, sexually assaulted her and shot her in the head. She survived and was a key witness against Vinson.

However, in 1980 Smith was found beaten and strangled in a Santa Clara County motel room. The Santa Clara District Attorney's Office was unable to determine if anyone had been prosecuted in Smith's death because the office's computerized archives do not go back that far.

Vinson also received a nine-year sentence for sexual assault and attempted murder along with a two-year sentence for using a gun while committing a crime.

Vinson's hearing will be Dec. 6 at the Correctional Training Facility at Soledad 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/BOPH/index.html

Bee researcher Linda Beymer contributed to this report

Call The Bee's Bill Enfield, (916) 321-1058.

By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com

A Boston man who was dubbed "the British bandit" for the exaggerated English accent he affected during bank robberies, will be residing in prison.

U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb sentenced Patrick Edward Doherty, 32, to 30 months in prison to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release for bank robbery, according to a federal Department of Justice news release. He also was ordered to pay restitution.

Doherty was arrested in November 2009 when investigators uncovered information regarding his method of operation and linking his likeness to surveillance photos. He was charged with the April 5, 2009 robbery of the Tri Counties Bank on Arena Boulevard in Sacramento, and the April 22, 2009, robbery of the Bank of America on Anderson Road in Davis. He pleaded guilty on April 5 of this year.

Doherty has been in custody since his arrest in last year.

The case was the product of an investigation by the Sacramento Violent Crimes Task Force, which includes the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Rodriguez prosecuted the case.

Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.

By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com

A Sacramento man has been sentenced to five years in prison for his role in a nationwide bank fraud conspiracy.

U.S. District Judge Frank C. Damrell Jr. sentenced Donald Taylor, 39, to the five-year term for conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Taylor pleaded guilty Aug. 31.

He was the seventh defendant sentenced in the case, which resulted from an investigation by the U.S. Secret Service, the FBI and police and sheriff's departments in several states, according to a federal Department of Justice news release.

According to court documents, the scheme netted between $1 million and $2 million in losses to 37 financial institutions in late 2007 and early 2008. The organizers, operating from California, sent runners to Alabama, Arizona, California, Illinois, Indiana, Montana, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma and Texas to use "prepaid" credit cards for cash advances at banks. Although the cards had only small amounts of money available, the runners would tell the bank tellers to call a toll-free number that was controlled by a participant in the scheme.

This individual would pose as a card services representative, state that thousands of dollars were available on the card and instruct the teller which buttons to press on the card terminal to carry out the transaction. The runner would then keep a portion of the funds and remit a portion of the fraudulently obtained monies, typically half, to organizers in the Sacramento area.

On July 7, 2008, the Secret Service, FBI and police investigators executed search warrants at multiple locations in Sacramento.

Officials said evidence showed that Taylor was an "inactive" gang member who worked as middle management in the conspiracy. He recruited runners and instructed them on how to conduct the fraud and send money to the Sacramento-based organizers.

Taylor's recruits carried out or attempted approximately $450,000 in fraudulent advances, and Taylor received a cut of the proceeds from their transactions, officials said.

Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.

By Cathy Locke and Bill Lindelof
clocke@sacbee.com

A civil liberties group is calling on the FBI to investigate the beating of a cab driver.

West Sacramento Police are investigating an incident in which a taxi driver was assaulted and robbed early Sunday morning.

Officers responded to the 600 block of Lighthouse Drive about 1:50 a.m. Sunday and found the taxi driver, who reported that he had been assaulted.

The driver told police he had picked up four people in Sacramento and driven them to West Sacramento, where two of the passengers began assaulting him and demanded money. A third passenger tried to stop the assault but was assaulted herself, according to a Police Department news release.

The taxi driver fled when the passengers got out of the cab.

Police said the taxi driver was taken to a hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. The passenger who was assaulted was not located.

Police said the assault and robbery appeared to be an isolated incident and, contrary to some media reports, it is not being investigated as a hate crime.

However, the Sacramento Valley chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, (CAIR) wants the Federal Bureau of Investigation to investigate the attack.

Leaders suspect that the the taxi driver, who is Sikh, was mistaken as Muslim and attacked for that reason.

Two of the subjects were described as men, possibly Hispanic, 30 to 35 years old. The other two passengers were described only as females.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the West Sacramento Police Department at (916) 617-4900.

Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.

By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com

The California Highway Patrol will operate a sobriety checkpoint in El Dorado County on Friday night in an effort to discourage people from driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

The checkpoint, staffed by a team of CHP officers, will be set up about 8 p.m. and continue through the evening, according to a news release from the CHP's Placerville-area office.

Officers will control traffic at the checkpoint to evaluate drivers' sobriety, check driver's licenses and hand out literature warning of the dangers of drinking and driving. Additional CHP officers will be assigned to roving patrols in the checkpoint area to seek out DUI drivers.

Officials said the operation is part of an effort to reduce the number of DUI collisions in El Dorado County.

Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.

By Kim Minugh
kminugh@sacbee.com

Sacramento County sheriff's detectives have arrested an 18-year-old man in connection with the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old boy Saturday morning, according to authorities.

Detectives booked Luis Prudente into the Sacramento County Main Jail this morning on suspicion of murder and attempted murder, according to booking records. He also was placed on an immigration-related hold because he is undocumented.

Prudente stands accused in the death of Jesse Dean Jones, who was shot behind Encina High School as he was walking home early Saturday morning with a 15-year-old female friend, said sheriff's Sgt. Tim Curran. A second suspect remains at large, Curran said.

A car pulled up to the pair at the intersection of Wittkop Way and Clinton Road about 2 a.m. Saturday, Curran said. A person got out of the car and fired shots before getting back into the car and fleeing, Curran said.

Jones was shot in the stomach, and his friend in the foot. They were taken to a nearby hospital, where Jones was pronounced dead. The girl was treated and released.

Detectives suspect Prudente pulled the trigger, but they are not clear whether he was driving the car. They are still searching for a second suspect who was in the car with Prudente and who has not been identified, Curran said. However, Curran noted that Prudente is cooperating with authorities.

At this point, detectives suspect the shooting was gang-related and fueled by "rival gang affiliations," Curran said. Prudente previously had been validated by law enforcement as a gang member, the spokesman said.

Prudente is scheduled to be arraigned in court Tuesday, jail booking records show.

Anyone with information is asked to call homicide detectives at (916) 874-5115 or Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP. Tips also can be texted to 274637 with the word "SACTIP" followed by the tip information. Callers can remain anonymous and might be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

Call The Bee's Kim Minugh, (916) 321-1038.

By Andy Furillo
afurillo@sacbee.com

Fired former Sacramento sheriff's deputy Chu Vue was sentenced today to a life term in prison with no chance of parole for the love triangle shooting death two years ago of state correctional officer Steve Lo.

Sacramento Superior Court Judge Steve White also added three years to Vue's term for harboring the two brothers that his jury found carried out the Oct. 15, 2008, murder in the garage of Lo's south Sacramento home.

White called the case, in which Vue was convicted of planning the murder because the 39-year-old Lo was having an affair with the former deputy's wife, as "an enormous tragedy."

"It's a tragedy bracketed by betrayals," White said, "the betrayal of Mr. Vue by his wife, and a betrayal by Mr. Vue of his children, of his family, his clan and the Hmong people.

"The Hmong people looked up to you, Mr. Vue, as a leader in the Hmong community, as a deputy sheriff in the Sacramento sheriff's department."

Vue's brothers, Gary Vue and Chong Vue, are scheduled for trial next year.

The victim's older son and daughter as well as his wife and his former wife, extolled the slain correctional officer as a beloved, if imperfect, father and husband, one whose passing left them all grief-stricken.

"My high school graduation is coming up in June 2001," 17-year-old Andy Lo said. "I don't even look forward to it, because I know it will be a sad day. Who is going to cheer for me the moment I receive my diploma?"

Vue, 45, proclaimed his innocence in a brief statement to the court. His case already is on appeal.

"Hopefully, when my brothers' trial comes , that will clean it up," Vue said, before he was sentenced and led out of the courtroom in chains.

Photo Captions: (top)Fired former Sacramento sheriff's deputy Chu Vu listens to personal statements from family members of state correctional officer Steve Lo before Vu was sentenced in Sacramento Superior Court on Monday for the killing of Lo. (bottom) Sia Vang, wife of state correctional officer Steve Lo, reads a statement about her husband in Sacramento Superior Court on Monday. Fired former Sacramento sheriff's deputy Chu Vu was sentenced to a life term in prison with no chance of parole for the killing of Lo. Photos by Randy Pench

Call The Bee's Andy Furillo, (916) 321-1141.

By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com

A man was shot outside a Sacramento River restaurant after a fight at the bar.

Sacramento police officers responded to the Virgin Sturgeon restaurant along the Garden Highway about 1 a.m. Sunday. Officers learned that a fight at the restaurant bar continued outside.

After the fight, a person in a dark-colored sedan traveling westbound on Garden Highway shot several rounds at a group of people, injuring one man. The victim suffered non life-threatening wounds.

The suspect was described as a thin Hispanic man, about 22 years old. He was wearing a gray knit cap and gray coat.

Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.

Bee staff

The Elk Grove Police Department has announced it is stepping up patrols in all its local shopping centers during the holiday season -- through Dec. 24.

The department said the increased presence "will allow officers to focus on any suspicious activity occurring in and around shopping centers, which historically have experienced a seasonal increase in criminal activity."

Officers will be in marked patrol vehicles, unmarked cars and on foot patrol.

In addition, the department is asking the public to take crime prevention measures, including:

• Keeping packages and other valuables in the car trunk and out of sight.

• Avoiding carrying large sums of cash.

• Paying for purchases with a check or credit card.

• Carrying a purse under your arm with the strap across your body.

• Putting wallets in an inside pocket of your jacket or front pants pocket.

• Staying alert and be aware of your surroundings at all times.

• Shopping after dark with friends.

• Parking in a well-lit area.

• Checking the interior of the car before you unlock the door to get in.

• Locking your car doors and windows even if you are only gone for a few minutes.

By Loretta Kalb
lkalb@sacbee.com

'Tis apparently the season ... to rob and burglarize.

At least, that's the deduction one could make as a result of the rash of residential burglaries in Folsom that police there say have occurred over Thanksgiving week.

Police Sgt. Jason Browning said 10 home burglaries were reported across the city of Folsom starting Nov. 21, prompting the department to issue reminders to residents on how to avoid being victimized.

The reminders: Place holds on newspaper and mail deliveries. Have bright exterior lights to deter snooping. Lock rear access gates. Close window blinds. Remove hidden keys.

And don't forget to lock all doors and windows. Use timers to automatically cycle interior lamps off and on. Secure valuables in a safe. Advise trusted neighbors of your vacation plans.

The Folsom burglary report came only days after a series of late-night armed robberies in Sacramento's midtown put the community on high alert.

The Bee reported Thanksgiving Day that 10 robberies of pedestrians have occurred in the midtown area since Nov. 10 compared to four during the same time span in 2009. No arrrests have been made.

In Folsom, police are advising citizens that they can use the community-based group, Citizens Assisting Public Safety, which works in support of the department and offers free vacation checks year around. To request help from CAPS, visit the city Website: www.folsom.ca.us. Choose "police" from the "department" header and then choose "services" from the drop-down menu.

Call The Bee's Loretta Kalb, (916) 321-1073.

Above is note that was left today at the site where Jesse Jones of Sacramento was fatally wounded. Bee Staff photo by Kim Minugh.

By Kim Minugh
kminugh@sacbee.com

A 15-year-old boy was shot and killed early this morning as he and a friend were walking to their homes near Encina High School, according to authorities.

Those responsible for the death of Jesse Dean Jones remained at large tonight, and Sacramento County sheriff's detectives were asking for the public's help in identifying them.

Jones was walking with a 15-year-old female friend about 2 a.m. when an unknown car pulled up next to them at the corner of Wittkop Way and Clinton Road, behind the high school campus, said sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Tim Curran.

A person got out of the car and fired several shots, striking Jones in the stomach and his friend in the foot, Curran said.

The victims were transported to an area hospital, where Jones, a freshman at Encina High, was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival. His female friend suffered a non-life-threatening injury and was expected to survive, Curran said.

Detectives do not know where the victims had been prior to the shooting, but were told the teens were headed home, Curran said. Both live in the area.

Curran said it's not clear whether the victims were targeted or chosen at random.

At least two people were in the car, one of them the shooter, but the female victim was not able to provide a description of the assailants or their vehicle, Curran said.

Efforts by The Bee to find Jones' family were unsuccessful.

This evening, as the sun set behind Encina High School, the neighborhood was quiet. The only remnant of the morning's crime was a piece of paper that had been stapled to a street sign, addressed to Jones' family.

"I am so sorry 4 your loss," the note read. "For what (it's) worth we were there 4 him ... too the end. I am soo sorry."

The note was signed by several people whose names were not legible.

Jones' killing was the 37th in the Sheriff's Department's jurisdiction this year.

Anyone with information regarding this homicide is asked to call detectives at (916) 874-5115 or Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP. Tips also can be texted to 274637 with the word "SACTIP" followed by the tip information.

Callers to Crime Alert can remain anonymous and might be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

Call The Bee's Kim Minugh at (916) 321-1038.

By Carlos Alcalá
calcala@sacbee.com

A Placerville man was shot in the course of a marijuana deal Friday, Folsom police reported.

Police became aware of the incident around 10 p.m. after responding to a report of a car idling in the road at the intersection of Serpa Way and Fetter Court in Folsom, according to a release from Sgt. Jason Browning.

Police reported they found blood on the trunk of the car and could smell a heavy odor of burning marijuana coming from inside.

They found the vehicle's 21-year-old owner in a nearby hospital, being treated for a single gunshot to the abdomen. It was believed not to be life threatening.

The shooting victim said he'd been shot by a prospective customer he knew as Tony from Elk Grove. The suspect was described as a Hispanic male, 5 foot 10 inches tall and about 165 pounds. He was wearing a red-and-black checked jacket.

Police are investigating the incident as a robbery and attempted homicide. No information was released on the victim's identity. He is not currently facing any charges.

Anyone with information is asked to call the tip line at (916) 585-4110.

Call The Bee's Carlos Alcalá, (916) 321-1987.

By Carlos Alcalá
calcala@sacbee.com

A truck driving on Roseville Road before 8 a.m. this morning struck and killed a man lying on the roadway, Sacramento police reported.

Police have not determined why the unidentified white male victim was in the road between Connie Drive and Winters Street, said Sgt. Norm Leong.

The driver did not see the man in the road until it was too late to avoid him. The driver stopped and waited for police, Leong said.

Call The Bee's Carlos Alcalá, (916) 321-1987.

By Chelsea Phua
cphua@sacbee.com

A family of four walking to a restaurant in midtown Sacramento were confronted by two men, who exchanged angry words with the family and then shot two of them, one a 10-year-old boy.

The boy was shot in the leg and a 21-year-old adult was shot in the buttocks, police said. The injuries were believed to be non-life threatening.

They were taken to the UCD Medical Center.

The two suspects fled and were at large late Friday.

The family was headed for the Panda Express restaurant in a corner shopping center at 19th and S streets at about 8 p.m. when the gunmen approached them, said Officer Matt Wimple. One of them yelled words that could be construed as gang terminology, Wimple said, but it's not clear if the shooting was gang-related.

"The family tried to walk away and ignore them," said Wimple said. But the two gunmen opened fire, he said.

Police said the family did not know the gunmen.

The two gunmen ran eastbound across 19th Street and down an alley.

The suspects are described at two male Hispanics in their late teens to early 20s. One was wearing a black and red plaid jacket. Another one was wearing dark clothing. One was about 6 feet tall with a thin build.

No other description was given.

Call The Bee's Chelsea Phua, (916) 321-1132.

By Bee Staff

The Folsom Police Department is asking for the public's help in locating a 66-year-old man who they suspect is armed with a handgun and is a risk to himself.

David Strobehn (left) is described as 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighing 130 pounds with gray curly hair, blue eyes, and a clean shaven face.

He was last seen during this morning at his apartment in Folsom.

His maroon 1994 Toyota Tercel, California license 3VXD611 is also missing from his residence.

Police and family are not aware of any intended destination.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Folsom Police Department at (916) 355-7231 or your local law enforcement agency.

By Chelsea Phua
cphua@sacbee.com

Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District firefighters tonight rescued a dog stuck in a 30-feet deep hole on Gerber Road and Birch Ranch Drive in Sacramento County. The dog apparently was in good condition.

Assistant Chief Duane Arend said the dog, a 13-year-old yellow Labrador, fell into the 30-inch wide hole. The dog was discovered at about 4:45 p.m. The hole was drilled as part of the construction of a septic system at the residence, Arend said.

A firefighter was lowered into the hole and rescued the dog.

The firefighter is part of the department's confine space rescue crew, and was lowered by rope off a rigging system.

Call The Bee's Chelsea Phua, (916) 321-1132.

By Bee Staff

A federal judge in Sacramento sentenced a 38-year-old man earlier this week to 26 months in prison and fined him $25,000 in a counterfeit-goods and money laundering case, according to the U.S. attorney.

Qi Jin Chen, also known as Jimmy Chen, also was ordered to pay $2,975 in restitution and three years of supervision after his prison term, said Benjamin B. Wagner in a news release.

On Feb. 22, Chen, formerly of Stockton, pleaded guilty to trafficking in counterfeit goods and structuring cash transactions to evade reporting requirements.

In sentencing the defendant, Judge Frank C. Damrell Jr. said that Chen was a "sharp dealer," who "made a substantial amount of money" dealing in counterfeit goods and who understood the banking laws and manipulated them to avoid attention to his illegal activities, the release states.

Chen admitted in his plea agreement that he was a wholesaler and a retailer of counterfeit goods in major quantities.

In a search conducted in October 2008, law enforcement agents seized truckloads of counterfeit items that, had they been genuine, would be valued at over $7 million.

Items seized from Chen ranged from inferior and dangerous power strips marked with the UL quality symbol to counterfeit purses (some covered in lead-based paint) purporting to be from manufacturers like Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, and Fendi, to jewelry purporting to be from manufacturers like Tiffany and Juicy Couture.

Chen also admitted that he structured his cash deposits (kept them below $10,000) in order to avoid generating a currency transaction report from the bank to the government.

The case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Secret Service; Placer County Sheriff's Office; the Galt Police Department; and an Internal Revenue Service financial crimes task force, which includes agents from IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Sacramento Police Department, and the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department.

Assistant United States Attorneys Robin Taylor and Jean Hobler prosecuted the case.

By Matt Kawahara
mkawahara@sacbee.com

Woodland police are investigating the death of a man found in a California Street apartment as a suspicious death - although there were no signs of a struggle or foul play, according to a Woodland Police Department news release.

On Thursday at 1:56 p.m., Woodland police responded to a report of a possible dead body in an apartment in the 500 block of California Street, according to the release.

They found a Hispanic male adult, about 30 years of age, lying dead in a bedroom of the apartment, the release states. Woodland police detectives and officials from the Yolo County Coroner's Office established the approximate time of death within the previous eight hours.

The death is being investigated as suspicious due to the victim's relatively young age, lack of obvious trauma and reported alcohol consumption the night before, the release states.

The victim's name was not immediately available.

Call The Bee's Matt Kawahara, (916) 321-1015.

Bee Metro Staff

Shasta County sheriff's deputies are searching for a 15-year-old Redding girl who they believe is with a 44-year-old uncle wanted on a felony warrant.

Jean Marie Berlinghoff, 15, was last seen at her home two weeks ago. Officials believe she is with her uncle, 44-year-old Charles Berlinghoff. The uncle is from the San Bernardino area and is wanted on a $100,000 felony warrant, according to the sheriff's department.

Electronic message signs along freeways in California counties from Sacramento north have been activated with information about the missing girl. They read: "Missing Child, '87 Gry Olds 4DR, Lic 2DNX546."

"During the Thanksgiving holiday weekend - the busiest and most traveled time of the year - it is hoped that a member of the motoring public may see the car and call authorities with information," sheriff's officials said in a prepared statement.

Jean Marie Berlinghoff is described as 5 feet 2 inches tall and about 120 pounds. She has a quarter-size birthmark above her right knee.

Charles Berlinghoff is about 5-foot-11, 185 pounds with a large tattoo on his right shoulder. He drives a gray 1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass, California license plate 2DNX546.

Anyone who sees the pair is asked to call the Shasta County Sheriff's Office at (530) 245-6025 or their local law enforcement agency.

A $10,000 reward is available in this case through the Shasta County Secret Witness Program.

By Chelsea Phua and Robert Lewis
rlewis@sacbee.com

The pedestrian who was struck and killed Wednesday night in Citrus Heights near the intersection of Auburn Boulevard and Halifax Street has been identified.

Patricia Ann Erickson, 73, of Citrus Heights, died after being struck at 7:14 p.m., according to the Sacramento County Coroner's Office.

The woman was struck by a white Nissan Altima traveling northeast on Auburn Boulevard, according to Citrus Heights Police Lt. Daman Christensen. She was taken to Mercy San Juan Medical Center where she was pronounced dead.

Alcohol does not appear to have been a factor in the accident, police said. The intersection has traffic lights and a crosswalk, but it's not clear if the victim was in the crosswalk.

Call The Bee's Chelsea Phua, (916) 321-1132.

By Kim Minugh and Robert Lewis
rlewis@sacbee.com

A 27-year-old woman who was struck by a 16-year-old driver fleeing from the police in Carmichael died Wednesday night at Mercy San Juan Hospital, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The victim, Heather Michele Carr of Citrus Heights, was driving her Saturn when she was struck by an SUV at the intersection of Manzanita and Coyle avenues. The 16-year-old driver of the SUV was fleeing an officer who had tried to pull him over for driving twice the speed limit on Manzanita, police said.

The teen's car struck the Saturn and a Honda CRV. Others involved in the collision were treated for minor injuries, CHP Officer Lizz Dutton said.

The CHP is reviewing the collision, and Dutton said charges are expected to be sought against the 16-year-old when the investigation is complete.

Photo: Officers survey the wreckage of a Saturn at Manzanita and Coyle avenues in Carmichael on Tuesday night. Adalto Nascimento/Special to The Bee

Call The Bee's Kim Minugh, (916) 321-1038.

By Chelsea Phua
cphua@sacbee.com

An elderly female pedestrian was killed Wednesday night when she was struck by a vehicle, Citrus Heights police said.

Police Lt. Daman Christensen said a white Nissan Altima was northeast on Auburn Boulevard at Halifax Street when the accident happened about 7:15 p.m.

The woman, who has not been identified, was transported to Mercy San Juan Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.

Police said alcohol does not appear to be a factor in the incident. Christensen said the intersection has traffic lights and a crosswalk, but it's not clear who had the right of way and whether the pedestrian was in the crosswalk.

Traffic on Auburn Boulevard is being diverted at two locations, Van Maren Lane and Donegal Drive. Authorities are expected to close the roadway for several hours for the investigation.

Police advise motorists to watch their traveling speed and be alert for pedestrians at all times.

Call The Bee's Chelsea Phua, (916) 321-1132.

By Kim Minugh and Bill Lindelof
kminugh@sacbee.com

An 18-month-old child who fell into a Pacific Gas & Electric canal near Colfax this morning has died, according to authorities.

The boy, identified by the Placer County Sheriff's Department as Zachary Mather, was walking with his mother along the canal in the 1300 block of Lake View Drive when they slipped on the ice and fell into the water about 9:40 a.m.

The mother was able to get out, but the boy could not, said Dena Erwin, a sheriff's spokeswoman.

A sheriff's helicopter aided in the search for the boy, who was found in a straining gate about a half-mile downstream from where he and his mother fell in. A diver pulled him from the water at about 11:40 a.m., Erwin said.

Mather was transported to Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at about 12:15 p.m., shortly after his arrival, Erwin said.

Detectives responded to the scene and will conduct interviews as part of a review of the death, but "everything points to just a tragic accident," Erwin said.

Call The Bee's Kim Minugh, (916) 321-1038.

By Bobby Caina Calvan
bcalvan@sacbee.com

A Sacramento man pleaded guilty to 13 felony counts of grand theft in connection with a ponzi scheme that bilked $6.3 million from investors, most elderly clients of the man's insurance business, state authorities announced Wednesday.

William A. Sassman, 42, faces 18 years in prison and $4.3 million in restitution. Formal sentencing is set for Jan. 7 in Sacramento Superior Court, according to a joint statement by the Attorney General's Office and the Department of Insurance.

Sassman has been in the Sacramento Main Jail since his arrest on Nov. 16, 2009 on 100 various counts, including charges of felony grand theft, burglary and scheming to defraud.

Call The Bee's Bobby Caina Calvan, (916) 321-1067.

By Bee Staff

A 32-year-old man died in a head-on collision in Loomis, the California Highway Patrol reported.

Robert Spillane III of Loomis was killed in the crash around 4:45 p.m. Tuesday on Horseshoe Bar Road, west of Happy Road, the CHP said.

Spillane lost control of his Geo Metro for an unknown reason and traveled into the path of a Chevrolet Tahoe driven by a 66-year-old woman, the CHP said.

Spillane was pronounced dead at the scene by South Placer Fire District paramedics, the CHP said.

The driver of the Tahoe suffered moderate injuries, the CHP said, and a 67-year-old male passenger in that vehicle suffered major injuries.

By Kim Minugh
kminugh@sascbee.com

A 27-year-old Citrus Heights woman remains in critical condition after the car she was riding in was struck by a 16-year-old boy fleeing an officer in Carmichael, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The CHP had previously issued an erroneous report that the woman had died.

The incident began shortly after 9:10 p.m., when a CHP officer saw the 16-year-old driving a sports utility vehicle at more than twice the posted speed limit on Manzanita Avenue. The teen failed to pull over when the officer activated his lights and sirens, the CHP said.

The 16-year-old then ran a red light at Coyle Avenue and struck a Saturn, in which the 27-year-old woman was a passenger, and a Honda CRV.

The 27-year-old woman was taken to a hospital, said CHP Officer Lizz Dutton. The driver of the Saturn initially was thought to have suffered major injuries, but was released from the hospital Tuesday night, Dutton said.

Everyone else involved in the collision has been treated for minor injuries, Dutton said.

The CHP's Major Accident Investigations Team is reviewing the collision, and Dutton said charges are expected to be sought against the 16-year-old when the investigation is complete.

Call The Bee's Kim Minugh, (916) 321-1038.

By Bee Staff

The Elk Grove Police Department is asking for the public's help in identifying a man who attempted to rob the Walmart store at 8465 Elk Grove Blvd on Nov. 19.

At approximately 8:56 p.m., an unidentified male (see photos below) went to the store's customer service counter. The man handed an employee a note indicating that this was a robbery, police said.

The man then displayed a small chrome handgun in a threatening manner when another employee approached. Several customers saw what was taking place and ran from the area, according to a police news release.

As a result of the disturbance created by the customers fleeing the area, the armed man left the store on foot without any money, police said.

The suspect possibly fled in a silver or tan 2002-2003 Honda Civic four-door sedan with tinted rear windows, police said.

The man was described as a white male, approximately 20 to 30 years old, 5 feet 8 inches tall with a thin build. The man had sandy blond hair and was unshaven. The man was last seen wearing a red baseball cap, gray hooded sweatshirt, faded blue jeans and dark shoes.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Elk Grove Police Department Detective Bureau at (916) 478-8060 or Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP (4357).

Callers to Crime Alert can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

Tips can also be sent via SMS text message by entering CRIMES (274637) on a cell phone, followed by Tip732 and the message.

By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com

Police are searching for three armed men who committed an early morning home-invasion robbery earlier this week in West Sacramento.

At about 5:45 a.m. Tuesday three men kicked in the front door of a home in the 3400 block of French Road, a West Sacramento Police Department spokesman said.

The men held the residents at gunpoint while they took a large amount of marijuana and an unknown amount of cash. There were no reported injuries.

Police have no description of the robbers or a getaway vehicle. It is unclear whether the marijuana was for medical purposes, the spokesman said.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at (916) 617-4915.

Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.

Q: What happened to Clarence Smith, the sickle slayer? He killed my brother, who was trying to help a woman Smith was attacking. - Nita Simmons, Auburn

A: Clarence Otis Smith died in prison in 2008 at age 80, records show.

Smith was serving two life sentences for his 1972 conviction on two counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder, The Bee reported.

He was convicted of murdering Donna Fitzhugh, 28, of Ontario and a mother of two, and John Simmons, 29, of Weimar, in July 1971.

He was also known as the "Dog Bar killer" for the site along the American River where he committed the murders. He was called the "sickle slayer" because of the curved-blade knife he used.

Smith told officials that God had ordered him to kill people "possessed by demons" at the campground between Auburn and Nevada City.

Smith, who worked as a garbage collector, fled after the killings. FBI agents tracked him to Mexico City within a couple of weeks of the slayings and arrested him.

For a complete list of questions answered by Sacto911, click here

By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com

A dispute over a loose dog ended with one man being arrested for pointing a gun at his neighbors, police said.

Woodland police officers responded to the 600 block of Conner Lane at about 5 p.m. Sunday and arrested David Hodges, 52, of Woodland.

The argument between neighbors revolved around Hodges being upset over the neighbor's dog being on his lawn. Hodges argued with his neighbors, a disagreement that escalated into Hodges allegedly swinging a board at one of them, police said.

Police said Hodges then got a handgun from his home and came back outside where he pointed the weapon at several people, threatening to kill them.

A board and handgun were recovered at the scene. Hodges was booked into Yolo County Jail on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon.

Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.

By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com

A fire quickly spread from the first floor to the upper story of an old house under renovation in midtown Sacramento early this morning.

When firefighters arrived to 619 18th St. at about 1:30 a.m, heavy smoke was pouring from the vacant residential structure.

The fire spread to an upstairs apartment and attic, resulting in a second alarm to be called.

The fire was contained to portions of downstairs, upstairs and attic in the three-unit structure, according to a fire department press release. All units were vacant and construction equipment in the downstairs apartment indicated the building was under renovation.

No cause has been determined for the fire.

Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.

By Chelsea Phua
cphua@sacbee.com

A 16-year-old boy fleeing police pursuit in a sport utility vehicle crashed into two other vehicles Tuesday night in Carmichael, sending two women to hospital with major injuries.

California Highway Patrol Officer Lizz Dutton said the 16-year-old was speeding at twice the 45 mph posted speed limit on northbound Manzanita Avenue when he was spotted by a CHP officer shortly after 9:10 p.m.

The officer initiated his lights to attempt a traffic stop, but the 16-year-old, who was carrying two passengers - a 15-year-old boy and a 20-year-old man - in the Mercury Mountaineer, took off, Dutton said.

The 16-year-old then ran a red light at Coyle Avenue, striking a Saturn and a Honda CRV. Two women in the Saturn suffered major injuries and were taken to Mercy San Juan Medical Center.
The sole occupant of the Honda CRV transported herself to hospital as a precautionary measure.
The three in the vehicle that fled police pursuit were taken to UC Davis Medical Center with minor injuries.

Dutton said authorities will likely file charges against the 16-year-old, but they have not determined what those charges will be.

Call The Bee's Chelsea Phua, (916) 321-1132.

By Bee Staff

A man who was extradited from Mexico has been sentenced to 50 years to life in prison for a 2007 slaying in Citrus Heights.

A jury convicted Edgar Martinez, 22, of first-degree murder and personally discharging a firearm causing death, Sacramento District Attorney Jan Scully said in a news release.

In the early morning hours of Sept. 8, 2007, Martinez became involved in an argument with Jose Segura, 23, at a house on Van Maren Lane in Citrus Heights, Scully said.

During the argument, Martinez shot Segura four times, killing him. Martinez then fled to Mexico, she said.

Citrus Heights Police Department detectives were able to find Martinez and secure his extradition, she said.

By Kim Minugh
kminugh@sacbee.com

Two more suspects are in custody in connection with the June 15 killing of 50-year-old Fernando Vichez in the Town & Country Village neighborhood, according to authorities.

On Monday, Sacramento County sheriff's detectives arrested 36-year-old Fitima Goodman on suspicion of murder and robbery, said department spokesman Sgt. Tim Curran.

Also that day, Fresno police arrested Goodman's 15-year-old son on the same charges, Curran said. The boy had been staying at his father's house in Fresno, Curran said.

Already in custody is Jermaine Antonio Barnes, 22. Detectives allege that Goodman was driving a car in which her son, Barnes and another passenger the morning of June 15 when they came across Vichez walking in the area of Howe Avenue and Whippoorwill Lane, Curran said.

Three people got out of the car and attempted to rob Vichez of cash, but he ended up beaten and shot, Curran said.

A sheriff's deputy patrolling the area heard the gunshots and found Vichez lying in the street. He died later at a hospital.

The relationship between Goodman, her son and Barnes is unknown. Detectives believe Vichez was not known to his assailants and instead was chosen at random, Curran said.

A fourth arrest in the case is possible, Curran said.

Goodman, who is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday, has one previous criminal case in Sacramento County, according to online Superior Court records. She was convicted of misdemeanor petty theft in 1995, though the conviction was dismissed in 2006.

Barnes is due back in court Dec. 17.

Call The Bee's Kim Minugh, (916) 321-1038.

By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com

A man who apparently jumped from a third story in midtown Sacramento onto the street suffered a severely broken ankle.

The incident occurred early this morning in the 1700 block of O Street, the Sacramento Police Department reported.

Sacramento police and the Sacramento firefighters were called to scene of a reported leap from a window on the third floor of an apartment house.

The man said that someone was in his apartment had scared him. However, officers said they recognized him from earlier reports in which he stated people were in his apartment - incidents that proved unfounded.

The man was taken to UC Davis Medical Center for treatment of his broken ankle and possible internal injuries.

No evidence was found of an intruder.

Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.

By Bee Staff

The Placer County Sheriff's Department is asking the public's help in finding a 5th suspect in a female band of burglars led by a male.

Three women and one man have been arrested in the case, according to a Sheriff's Department news release.

Detectives are seeking Amanda Jojo, 21 (left), who is wanted on suspicion of burglary charges. All of the suspects are from Placer County.

Over the past several months, Stephanie Cooke-Perez, 27, Jayme L. Salcedo, 33, Karissa D. Yeager, 27, and Joseph W. Einspahr, 30, were arrested, a sheriff's spokeswoman said. (Below, from left to right, top to bottom.)

They are suspected of breaking into cars in the sheriff's jurisdiction, as well as State Parks' jurisdiction in Placer County, the spokeswoman said.

The group has been identified in 10 residential and vehicle burglaries, she said.

Detectives are still sorting through a large amount of stolen property found on the group and attempting to identify more burglaries.

Salcedo and Yeager have posted bail, the spokeswoman said.

Cooke-Perez is being held without bail on suspicion of a parole violation as well as charges of burglary, receiving stolen property, possession of a controlled substance and committing a felony while out on bail, the spokeswoman said.

Einspahr remains in custody at the Placer County Jail with bail set at $115,000, she said. He is charged with burglary, receiving stolen property, conspiracy, possession of a controlled substance, committing a felony while out on bail and a $25,000 warrant from Nevada County, she said.

By Kim Minugh and Bill Lindelof
kminugh@sacbee.com

Sacramento police are beefing up patrols in the Colonial Village neighborhood after an armed man ordered three women to expose themselves in that area Monday night.

The unknown man also attempted to rob those women, along with a fourth victim, though police suspect he possibly took property in only one incident, said police Sgt. Norm Leong.

Detectives also are looking into whether a fifth case, from earlier this month, is connected, Leong said. (See link below to Sacramento Police Department map.)

Monday night's attacks began about 6:30 p.m., when a woman getting out of her car near Quonset Drive and 25th Avenue was approached by a man armed with a gun, Leong said. The man tried to rob the victim, but he fled when she activated her car alarm.

About a half-hour later, another female victim was walking in the area when she, too, was approached by a man with a gun, Leong said. He tried to rob her, but she did not have any property with her.

The man then ordered the woman to expose herself, Leong said, and she complied. The man then fled.

Thirty minutes later, in the area of Fruitridge Road and Wilkinson Street, a woman getting out of her car was approached by an armed man, Leong said. He rifled through her property, though it's unclear whether he took anything, Leong said.

He then demanded that the victim expose herself. She complied, then screamed as a car approached, scaring off the robber, Leong said.

In the final incident, about 7:40 p.m., a woman was walking into an apartment complex parking lot when she was approached by a man with a gun.

He demanded that she expose herself, Leong said, but fled before she complied, possibly because a nearby resident came outside.

According to police, victims described the man in all four cases as a thin, black man in his 20s, 5 feet 6 inches to 6 feet tall, wearing a ski mask, a black hooded sweatshirt or jacket and dark jeans. All four victims saw the man armed with a gun.

Leong said detectives believe the same man is responsible for all four attacks. He does not appear to be targeting any particular group of victims, Leong said: The victims range in age from 30s to 60s and are different ethnicities.

Detectives also are investigating whether the same man assaulted a woman Nov. 13 in the area of 76th Street and 25th Avenue, Leong said.

In that case, a woman was walking about 9:30 p.m. when she was approached by a man on a bicycle who indicated he had a gun, though none was seen, Leong said. The man demanded that the victim expose herself, and then sexually assaulted her before fleeing.

Leong declined to be more specific about the nature of the assault.

That victim described her assailant as a black man in his 20s, 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighing 120 pounds, and wearing dark clothing.

The nature and frequency of the incidents has police "very concerned," Leong said. The department has increased the number of patrol officers in the area, and have assigned multiple detectives to the case, he said.

"Within an hour, (the man) commits four different crimes and in each case it seems to escalate," the spokesman said. "We put out this (information) right away because we believe the people in the community need to know about this."

Detectives also hope that residents in the area will be vigilant and call in any suspicious or unusual activity to the department's non-emergency line, (916) 264-5471.

Police are reminding residents to be aware of their surroundings, particularly when parking or getting out of the car. If there is anyone suspicious in the area, drive away and call police.

They also recommend walking in well-lit and well-traveled areas and, when possible, not alone.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to call Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP or text in a tip to 274637. Enter "SACTIP" followed by the tip information. Callers can remain anonymous and might be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

Map of Crime Locations.pdf

Call The Bee's Kim Minugh, (916) 321-1038.

By Loretta Kalb
lkalb@sacbee.com

A Yolo County judge has sentenced a 44-year old man to 180 days in jail for felony violation of probation for failing to pay court-ordered child support, Mark Jones, director of county child support services, said today.

Roger Lon Cox, 44, of Napa was found to have violated conditions of his probation earlier this year and was scheduled for Nov. 1 sentencing, giving him time to become current on payments due for the support of his child, who lives in Yolo County, Jones said.

However, Cox failed to make any of the court-ordered payments and failed to appear at the sentencing hearing, according to the Department of Child Support Services. A bench warrant was issued for his arrest; and he surrendered on Nov. 4.

"Mr. Cox is an example of what can happen when an individual ignores his or her responsibilities and fails to pay child support," said Colin Anderson, Yolo County Child Support Services attorney, in a prepared statement.

The Yolo County Child Support Services Department based in Woodland provides free services to custodial and non-custodial parents to assist in establishing paternity, obtaining or modifying child support or medical support orders, finding absent parents and collecting child support payments, including back support payments.

The department can be reached at (866) 901-3212.

Call The Bee's Loretta Kalb, (916) 321-1073.

By Kim Minugh
kminugh@sacbee.com

The man convicted of harboring Chu Vue's fugitive brothers - who are accused of going on to kill a correctional officer - walked out of Sacramento's courthouse a free man today after a brief sentencing hearing.

Sacramento Superior Court Judge Steve White sentenced Lang Vue (right), who a jury found guilty of felony accessory, to three years in prison. However, Vue received enough credit for time already served in custody to escape further incarceration.

Vue will be on parole for three years, according to White, and will not be allowed to possess firearms.

Vue was found guilty of harboring Gary and Chong Vue - the brothers of former Sacramento County Sheriff's Deputy Chu Vue and the alleged killers of correctional officer Steve Lo - while they were fugitives from authorities in Minnesota, where they were wanted for murder.

Lang and Chu Vue, who are distant cousins and members of the same Hmong clan, were tried together in Sacramento County Superior Court on charges of murder.

A jury found Chu Vue guilty of first-degree murder for arranging Lo's killing, but failed to find enough evidence that Lang Vue knew of Gary and Chong Vue's alleged intentions to convict him of murder. They found him guilty of being an accessory.

As he left the courtroom this morning, Lang Vue declined to comment, other than to say it was "cool" to finally be free. His attorney, Matthew Scoble, also declined to comment, citing an ongoing gag order in the case.

Prosecutor Eric Kindall argued that Chu Vue masterminded the plot because Lo was having an affair with Chu Vue's wife, Chia.

Chu Vue, who faces life in prison without the possibility of parole, is scheduled to be sentenced Monday.

His brothers, Gary and Chong, are expected to be tried on murder charges next year.

Call The Bee's Kim Minugh, (916) 321-1038.

By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com

A suspected robber left his backpack at the scene of the crime Monday evening on the American River bike trail near Northgate Boulevard, police said.

Sacramento police said a man was riding his bike eastbound into downtown about 6 p.m. when he was approached by two males wearing gray hooded sweatshirts.

He was knocked to the ground by the assailants and his wallet was taken from his backpack. The suspects fled on foot.

Officers checked the area but could not find the attackers.

The bicyclist was taken to the hospital for treatment. An officer picked up two backpacks at the scene.

At the hospital, the victim claimed one backpack but said the other was not his. Inside the unclaimed backpack officers found identification belonging to a male teen.

He was later connected to the crime, police said, and arrested.

No other details were available.

Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.

By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com

A suspicious device that drew the bomb squad to Arden Fair Mall turned out to be nothing more than a school project.

A store employee spotted the suspicious-looking device on the front seat of a parked truck Monday afternoon at the mall. The device had numerous wires and hoses going into boxes and bottles.

Mall security was able to call up a surveillance picture of the truck's driver entering the mall. Sacramento police responded to question the man but could not find him.

Meanwhile, the bomb squad was preparing to break into the vehicle when the man, a mall store employee, was found.

The device turned out to be a school project and not an explosive.

Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.

By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com

Employees and visitors at the Carol Miller Justice Center in Sacramento have been allowed to go back inside this morning after the building was evacuated following reports of a possible gas leak.

The building, located at 301 Bicentennial Circle, near Howe Avenue and Highway 50, was evacuated for about an hour. The odor dissipated and crews could not find any leak so the public and employees were allowed to re-enter, said a Sacramento fire department spokesman.

Traffic, small claims, and unlawful detainer cases are handled at the center.

Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.

By Chelsea Phua
cphua@sacbee.com

Sacramento police are asking the public for help in finding a missing couple.

In a news release, police said the employer of Faaiza Castellanos (left photo), 31, reported the woman missing Nov. 10 after Castellanos failed to show up for work. Castellanos had taken personal time off from work and was last seen by her employer Nov. 2. Family, friends and neighbors also reported not seeing Castellanos since that date.

During the investigation, detectives learned that Castellanos' husband, Julio Cesar Castellanos (right photo), 32, has also been missing since Nov. 2. The couple may be traveling in a black 2000 Honda Accord LX.

Police said it's not clear why they disappeared.

The wife is 5 feet-6 inches tall and weighs 130 pounds. She has brown hair and eyes. The husband is 5 feet 5-inches tall and weighs 140 pounds.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP or text a tip 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 Ed Fletcher
efletcher@sacbee.com

The Placer County jurors in the case of the Roseville dog park battery told the court this afternoon that they are hopelessly deadlocked. A mistrial has been declared, court officials said.

Sacramento Sheriff's Deputy Monica Chavez was charged with battery after she struck event planner and former model Shelly Riley after Riley forcefully separated their scrapping dogs at the Roseville Bear Dog Park.

Chavez's attorney, Michael Bowman, argued that his client acted in defense of herself and her dogs.

It is not clear yet whether the Placer County prosecutors will seek a new trial.

Chavez could still face administrative punishment without a conviction, Sacramento Sheriff's Department officials said.

Call The Bee's Ed Fletcher, (916) 321-1269.

Photo: Sacramento County Sheriff's Deputy Monica Chavez, center, leaves Placer Superior Court on July 20. Credit: Randy Pench.

By Cynthia Hubert
chubert@sacbee.com

A San Joaquin County Superior Court jury is still deliberating in the trial of one of four people accused of holding captive and ritualistically abusing a Sacramento teenager in Tracy in 2008.

Anthony Waiters, 31, could face life in prison if convicted on all charges included in a grand jury indictment issued earlier this year. Three other people - Michael Schumacher, his wife, Kelly Lau, and their friend Caren Ramirez - all accepted plea deals and were each sentenced to at least 30 years in prison.

Waiters' attorney, Allan Jose, sought to demonstrate to jurors that his client played a lesser role in alleged abuses that the teen said included burnings, slashings, chokings, and beatings with a baseball bat.

The youth, now 18, escaped the Schumacher home with a chain still attached to his ankle in December 2008. He told the jury that he routinely was chained to a fireplace grate.

Initial reports that the jury had reached a verdict were erroneous. The jury continues to deliberate.

Call The Bee's Cynthia Hubert, (916) 321-1082.

By Stephen Magagnini
smagagnini@sacbee.com

Hate crimes across the United States are at their lowest level since 1994, and down 15 percent between 2009 and 2008, according to an analysis of FBI statistics from all 50 states that was released today.

California saw a 26 percent drop from 2008 to 2009.

Database: See 2009 hate crime stats for cities, counties

The FBI's 2009 Hate Crime Statistics Act report indicates crimes directed against individuals because of race, religion, sexual orientation and national origin all declined. In 2009, the FBI reported 6,604 hate crimes, a decrease from 7,783 in 2008.

Of the 4,422 law enforcement agencies in the United States that reported their 2009 cases to the FBI, only 2,034 - 14.1 percent - reported even a single hate crime.

Sacramento reported nine hate crimes in 2009, compared with 13 in 2008, 20 in 2007, 37 in 2006, and 50 in 2005, according to an Anti-Defamation League analysis of FBI statistics.

"In California, the number went down from 1,381 crimes reported in 2008 to 1,015 in 2009," said Michael Lieberman, Washington Counsel for the ADL.

Religion-based crimes decreased from 1,519 in 2008 to 1,303 in 2009. The number of reported anti-Jewish crimes also decreased, from 1,013 in 2008 to 931 in 2009. The majority - 71 percent of reported religion-based crimes - were directed against Jews and Jewish institutions. Reported crimes against Muslims increased slightly from 105 to 107.

Hate crimes directed at gay men and lesbians decreased for the first time in four years - from 1,297 in 2008 to 1,223 in 2009.

Hate crimes against Hispanics continued to decline - from 561 in 2008 to 483 in 2009.

The Anti-Defamation League welcomed the drop in the number of hate crimes documented by the FBI, but expressed disappointment that more than 60 U.S. cities with 100,000-plus populations did not participate in the annual study.

A victim of hate violence is much less likely to report the crime to a police department if he or she does not believe the crime will be treated with the seriousness it merits, the ADL said.

FBI hate crime stats

Call The Bee's Stephen Magagnini, (916) 321-1072.

By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com

A video of the smash-and-grab theft of four expensive road and mountain bikes from a Roseville bicycle shop has been posted on YouTube.

Someone smashed through the front door of The Hub, 1010 Pleasant Grove Blvd., about 3 a.m. last Wednesday.

The thief went for two high-priced mountain bikes with a replacement value of about $3,500 and $6,300. Then he took road bikes priced at $1,000 and $1,200.

Security video indicates that the thief had no problem taking the bikes off elevated racks, which can be awkward. Store employees are assuming that the thief has been in the store before and observed how to get the bikes down.

The masked man first smashed one of the front doors and then quickly loaded the bikes into a stolen van.

See the video here.

Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.

By Chelsea Phua and Bill Lindelof
cphua@sacbee.com

Yolo County authorities on Monday evening determined that a 57-year-old man found with a gunshot wound to his head at a ranch north of Woodland had killed himself.

Chief Deputy Coroner Robert LaBrash said investigators initially believed Wayne Henry King's death to be a homicide because no traditional weapons were found at the scene. But they later discovered a makeshift weapon, authorities said.

King's body was discovered Friday on the stairs leading to his mobile home at the Historic Nelson Ranch and Cattle Company along County Road 18C.

About 6 p.m., Yolo County deputies and Woodland firefighters responded to the ranch after a call about a man who was not breathing. King was declared dead at the scene.

Two people had noticed that ranch horses had not been fed that evening and went to find King, whose duties included feeding the horses. They called 911 when they discovered his body.

Brenda Cedarblade, who owns the ranch with her husband, said King came to work for them about five years ago. King had been homeless and living in an abandoned shed in Woodland. Cedarblade's husband, Ted Wilson, offered King a job and a place to live on the ranch on the condition that he stayed clean and sober. Cedarblade said King successfully completed his treatment program and became an integral part of the team at the ranch.

"He kept everything running," Cedarblade said. "Wayne was like family."

King helped established and maintained a community garden program for those with developmental disabilities. The garden's produce was donated at the local food banks, Cedarblade said.

On his own time, King reached out troubled youths from the inner-city areas, bringing them to the ranch to show them the animals and garden, Cedarblade said.

"He's one heck of a great guy," Wilson said.

Bee staff writer Hudson Sangree and Bee researcher Pete Basofin contributed to this report

Call The Bee's Chelsea Phua, (916) 321-1132.

By Ed Fletcher
efletcher@sacbee.com

El Dorado County authorities had no problem locating a robbery suspect today, after the suspect gave pharmacy workers his real name before returning to rob it with a BB gun.

At around 11 a.m. today Andrew Schulz, 22, asked pharmacy workers at the Safeway on Francisco Boulevard in El Dorado Hills to give him Norco - a medical grade pain reliever, said Sgt. Phil Chovanec, a spokesman for the El Dorado County Sheriff's Department. He couldn't provide a prescription from his doctor.

When the staff refused, Schulz left, Chovanec said. When he returned 15 minutes later, he showed the staff what appeared to be a semi-automatic handgun and asked "does that change things," Chovanec said.

"It turned out to be BB gun, but it looked like a semi-automatic handgun when it was shown," Chovanec said. "To the person being shown the gun, it looked real. They were scared for sure."

The suspect then left with a large amount of Norco. As the suspect left one of the clerks followed him out and was able to tell the sheriff's office the suspect's direction of travel.

Armed with that information and the patient's address, authorities quickly arrested Schulz - who lives 1.5 miles away -- and recovered the drugs and weapon, Chovanec said.

Call The Bee's Ed Fletcher, (916) 321-1269.

By Bee Staff

Folsom police are asking the public's help in find a man (left) wearing a camouflage-pattern hat who robbed a Folsom bank Friday afternoon.

The man approached a clerk in the Premiere West Bank in the 700 block of East Bidwell Street at about 4:26 p.m. and demanded money.

The clerk told police that the man said he had a weapon and reached for his waistband at one point. No weapon was seen.

The clerk gave the man an unspecified amount of cash and he fled on foot, police said.

The man was described as a white male, in his late teens to mid-20s, about 6 feet tall with a slim build. In addition to the camouflage-pattern hat, he wore a dark green over green jacket, a white t-shirt and light-colored jeans.

Anyone with information should call the Folsom Police Department at (916) 355-7230.

By Bee Staff

A federal judge in Sacramento has sentenced two men to 20-year prison terms in separate cases for child pornography offenses, the U.S. attorney said.

David Wehde, 24, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty on Aug. 18 to using a minor to produce images of child pornography and for receiving visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct via the Internet, said U.S. Attorney Benjamin G. Wagner.

Wehde is serving a 20-year state prison term he received in 2010 for molesting minors, Sacramento Superior Court and Bee reports show.

Russell Johnson, 46, of Tracy, pleaded guilty on July 1, to possessing child pornography, Wagner said.

Johnson has two prior state convictions for lewd acts upon a child under 14, Wagner said.

Wagner gave this account of Wehde's crimes:

Wehde came to the attention of law enforcement when a minor female from the Natomas area reported Wehde had contacted her via an Internet site called "espinthebottle.com," and that they had sexual relations.

At the time the girl was 13 years old, and Wehde was 21 years old. During the examination of Wehde's computer, a forensic analyst found images and videos of child pornography along with Internet chats between Wehde, the 13-year-old girl, and a second 13-year-old girl from El Dorado County.

In the chats between Wehde and the El Dorado County girl, the two discussed sex acts they had engaged in.

The forensic analyst found sexually explicit and provocative images Wehde had taken of this girl using his cell phone camera and evidence that he had sent one of the sexually provocative images to another person he communicated with via the Internet.

Wehde will be subject to lifetime supervision after his release from prison and will have to register as a sexual offender, Wagner said.

By Chelsea Phua
cphua@sacbee.com

A 54-year-old pedestrian is in critical condition Friday night after being struck by a car at 21st and J streets, Sacramento police report.

According to Sgt. Norm Leong, police spokesman, the man was crossing 21st Street at 8:30 p.m. It is unknown if the pedestrian was in a crosswalk, Leong said. According to witnesses, a four-door Buick northbound on 21st in the middle lane had a green light before striking the man, Leong said.

Leong said the driver, a 23-year-old man, stopped at the scene. It doesn't appear alcohol was involved in the incident, which is under investigation, he said.

Call The Bee's Chelsea Phua, (916) 321-1132.

By Andy Furillo
afurillo@sacbee.com

A Sacramento Superior Court jury convicted Kenneth Michael Mulligan today of first-degree murder in the Jan. 4, 2009, shooting death of Darrell Cadinha in Rancho Cordova.

The panel deliberated for two days after three days of testimony. Judge Kevin J. McCormick scheduled the Mulligan's sentencing for Jan. 14.

Sheriff's investigators said Mulligan, 58, and Cadinha, 50, knew each other. The shooting took place in Mulligan's mobile home off Routier Road.

Call The Bee's Andy Furillo, (916) 321-1141.

By Bee Staff

Four men are in custody facing federal criminal charges following the execution of search warrants Thursday at two Sacramento area residences that allegedly housed large-scale counterfeiting operations responsible for producing phony immigration and identity documents, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said today.

The counterfeiting operation was capable of producing fake "green cards," birth certificates and driver's licenses from California and five other states, according to the agency's news release.

During Thursday's searches, authorities seized a large cache of document-making equipment, including multiple computers, high quality printers, laminators, card stock, along with dozens of counterfeit documents, the release states. (A spokesman for the California Department of Motor Vehicles said that the newest version of California's driver's license was not being counterfeited as an earlier version of this story erroneously indicated. The DMV spokesman said the old version of the state driver's license was being produced by the suspects.)

The recovered documents included counterfeit versions of the latest generation of the Permanent Resident Card, often known as a "green card," a federal spokesman said.

The searches and arrests are the latest developments in a year-long ongoing undercover probe involving the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of Homeland Security Investigations and the California Department of Motor Vehicles, the release states. The investigation originated with a call to federal agency's toll-free tip line: (866) DHS-2ICE.

According to the search warrant affidavit, which describes several document buys by undercover agents, the suspects charged $120 for a single counterfeit card, or $250 for a "set" of phony documents. The "sets" typically included a "green card," Social Security card and a driver's license, the release states.

The transactions took place in the parking lots of businesses in south Sacramento, including The Home Depot and Hacienda Market, the release states.

When an undercover agent expressed interest in setting up his own document mill, the affidavit alleges one of the defendants told him that for $20,000 he could help him obtain the illegal software and training to create good quality counterfeits.

"Targeting those responsible for making and selling fraudulent documents is an enforcement priority for ICE Homeland Security Investigations," said Daniel Lane, assistant special agent in charge for the agency in Sacramento. "Anyone who knowingly and indiscriminately sells phony identity cards is putting the security of our communities and even our country at risk. Documents like this could potentially be used by dangerous criminals and others seeking to obscure their identities and mask their motives."

George Valverde, director of the California Department of Motor Vehicles, said the security and privacy of DMV's customer database and the state's driver's license is a top priority for the department, the release states.

"The DMV will continue to do whatever is necessary to assist local, state and federal law enforcement entities in their efforts to assure the integrity of the license," Valverde said. "The California Driver License is now the primary identification document for our citizens, and the Department is absolutely dedicated to protecting it from the criminal element such as counterfeiters. Californians expect no less."

According to the release, arrested were:

- Javier Hernandez-Lopez, 39.

- Juan Hernandez-Lopez, 33, Javier's younger brother.

- Luis Eduardo Torres-Hernandez, 25.

- Alejandro Bielma-Ortiz, 40.

The suspects are all Mexican nationals who are in the United States illegally, the release states. They are charged with manufacturing false identity and immigration documents.

In addition to the criminal arrests, agents encountered two Mexican national males at one of the document mills who were taken into custody on administrative immigration violations, the release states.

By Andy Furillo
afurillo@sacbee.com

The former Sacramento State student accused in the beating murder of his dormitory roommate today pleaded not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity.

Sacramento Superior Court Judge Marjorie Koller appointed two doctors to examine Jones (left), 21. She scheduled them to return to court Jan. 7 with their reports on Jones.

Quran Jones was found "mumbling," hitting the floor with a baseball bat with his eyes wide open and pointing in different directions when officers broke in on the dorm room where they found a savagely-wounded Scott Gregory Hawkins lying on the floor, according to a Sacramento police synopsis of the case.

"His tongue was hanging out of his mouth," one Sacramento State police officer was quoted as saying about Jones in the synopsis. "He looked really strange. The whole time I saw him, he had his tongue hanging out of his mouth."

The officers shot and seriously wounded Jones when he reportedly lunged at them with a knife in the Oct. 21, 2009, incident. Jones has made his court appearances sitting in a wheelchair.

Hawkins, 23, a junior college transfer who was living in the same suite with Jones in the campus' new American River Courtyard dormitory, died of blunt force trauma in the attack. He also had been stabbed in the head.

Call The Bee's Andy Furillo, (916) 321-1141.

By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com

A Sacramento police officer rolled his patrol car into a ditch this morning while speeding to a call.

The officer was driving with his emergency lights on to assist with the stop of a parolee. He was on the onramp of southbound Highway 99 at Fruitridge Road when he lost control of his vehicle and rolled into a ditch.

The officer was able to get out of his patrol car on his own but had a "complaint of pain," said a police spokesman. He is expected to be OK.

Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.

(Photo by Norm Leong/Sacramento Police Department)

By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com

Sacramento police officers using a security camera photo of a suspect have arrested a man for purse snatching.

Police said a woman pushing a hand cart containing her purse was in the 2200 block of 34th Street in Oak Park when she was shoved to the ground and robbed of her purse Thursday afternoon.

Later, somebody tried to use the woman's credit cards at a nearby market.

Officers arrested a suspect identified as Maurice Sapp, 49, near 35th and Broadway, with the use of the photo from the surveillance camera.

Sapp was arrested on suspicion of robbery, receiving stolen property, petty theft of a credit card and causing pain or suffering to a dependent adult.

Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.

By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com

A man who called 911 to threaten suicide if he didn't get some free gasoline ended up being arrested.

Sacramento police responded about 6:30 p.m. Thursday to a gas station in the 2400 block of Northgate Boulevard, according to a police report.

A man at the station had called the California Highway Patrol and stated he would kill himself if someone didn't bring him gasoline.

When police arrived they said Joseph David Harris, 29, was agitated and began to fight with officers.

Police had to use a stun gun to take Harris into custody. The officers suffered minor scrapes and scratches.

Harris was booked into Sacramento County Jail for resisting arrest and possession of marijuana.

Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.

Q: In the late 1990s or early 2000s, Helen Mae Jordan was murdered and her husband shot by a guy named Johnny Sierra. What happened to Johnny? - Anonymous, Sacramento

A: Johnny Ray Sierra, now 33, is in prison, serving a 25-years-to-life sentence, according to court and prison records.

Sierra, who lived just blocks from the victims' home in North Highlands, pleaded guilty on Dec. 5, 2001 to second-degree murder in the slaying of Jordan and no contest to assault with a deadly weapon in the shooting of her husband, Roger James, court records and Bee reports show.

Detectives told The Bee at the time of Sierra's arrest that they believe the couple was shot on Aug. 26, 2000, after a dispute over a monetary debt.

When deputies arrived outside Sierra's motel room, the next day, Sierra eventually jumped out of the room, extended his arms as if to shoot, pointed a tube of toothpaste at deputies and yelled, "Bang, bang, bang!"

He was then taken into custody.

For a complete list of questions answered by Sacto911, click here

By Kim Minugh
kminugh@sacbee.com

Hospital officials contacted the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department last week to report they were treating a 20-year-old male patient with a gunshot wound to his testicle and his groin, according to authorities.

To add insult to one painful injury, the man told deputies he had been high on the drug GHB and couldn't remember a thing about the shooting - not who did it, where it happened or why, according to a crime report released this week.

The wounded man said he woke up on the Rio Linda bike trail, north of Rio Linda Boulevard, realized he had been shot and got a ride to the hospital.

All the victim could tell deputies was that he had taken the drug while hanging out with friends at Rio Linda's Depot Park, said sheriff's Sgt. Tim Curran.

Deputies searched the area where he said he woke up, but found no evidence of a shooting, Curran said. And without any further information from the victim, deputies have been unable to identify or arrest a suspect, Curran said.

The man was treated for his injuries and released.

Call The Bee's Kim Minugh, (916) 321-1038.

By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com

A fire last night swept through a long-standing Italian restaurant outside of Colfax.

Giovanni's, about a mile off the freeway on the outskirts of Colfax, was heavily damaged in the blaze that was reported at 10:20 p.m. Crews are still at the scene.

The restaurant dates back almost 70 years to when Gulio and Josephine Panelli moved to the small community of Shady Glen on Highway 40, then the main route over the mountains.

The couple bought an auto camp and began serving food and beverages. After Gulio died in 1945, according to the restaurant website, Josephine continued to serve Italian food and the spot was commonly called "Josie's Place."

Food service was discontinued in the early 1960s but the restaurant was reopened in 1982 by their son John Panelli. He called it "Giovanni's," which is Italian for John.

The cause of the fire was not immediately available.

Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.

By Chelsea Phua
cphua@sacbee.com

Elk Grove police are investigating a stabbing that sent the caretaker of a storage facility to hospital on Thursday night.

Department spokesman Officer Christopher Trim said the 48-year-old victim suffered a wound to his lower abdomen and is in stable condition.

The victim apparently lived as a caretaker in the residential part of Statewide Elk Grove Mini Storage. Police said the victim let the suspect into the facility in the 9000 block of Union Park Way shortly before 8:30 p.m., when a confrontation ensued between the two men.

Witnesses said the suspect may have fled in a dark-colored sport utility vehicle.

Trim said the victim then stumbled out of the facility and was able to get help from someone in a nearby business complex. The 911 caller initially thought the victim was shot.

Call The Bee's Chelsea Phua, (916) 321-1132.

By Ed Fletcher
eflectcher@sacbee.com

The law enforcement career of Sacramento Sheriff's Deputy Monica Chavez is in the hands of a Placer County jury after prosecution and defense lawyers concluded their closing arguments midday in the case of involving an alleged dog park battery in July.

After three hours of deliberations, the 12-person jury asked for more information. With the court closed Friday, the earliest Chavez will know her fate is Monday.

"She can't be a peace officer if she is convicted of battery," said Sacramento County Sheriff John McGinness. "My options would be limited, if she is convicted."

State law prohibits people convicted of battery of possessing a firearm. McGinness said she might be able to work a non-sworn position but not a deputy.

If she's not convicted, she could still face administrative action, McGinness said.

Chavez, who took the stand late Wednesday, has not contested that she punched Roseville party planner Shelly Riley, but said she did so in defense of herself and her two pugs. Riley handled Chavez's dogs as they tussled with Riley's smaller dog.

Chavez's attorney Michael Bowman said he sought a plea agreement that would allow Chavez to keep her job, but the Placer District Attorney's office wouldn't bite. He said in cases where law enforcement officers are involved district attorneys are afraid to show any leniency, for fear of public criticism.

Call The Bee's Ed Fletcher, (916) 321-1269.

By Bee Staff

A 23-year-old Rancho Cordova woman allegedly tried to pose as doctor's secretary and obtain a prescription painkiller at a Folsom pharmacy, police said

Christina Thompson (left), 23, was arrested when she arrived at the pharmacy Tuesday to pick up the pills, according to a Folsom Police Department news release.

Thompson is being held in the Sacramento County jail on no bail, records show. She was on probation after pleading no contest to a prescription forgery charge in December, Sacramento Superior Court records show.

Thompson allegedly posed as a doctor's secretary and phoned in a prescription for prescription painkiller Norco, police said. She gave the pharmacy a false patient name and then tried to pick up 60 Norco pills the same day, police said.

However, the pharmacy manager called the doctor to verify the order, who said the order was false.

When Thompson arrived at the pharmacy, she met by investigators from the Folsom Police Department Criminal Investigation Bureau, who arrested her.

Thompson has an extensive history of committing the same offense, police said. She has used more than eight aliases to commit crimes on multiple occasions, police said.

When arrested, Thompson was in possession of methamphetamine, a pipe, one counterfeit $20 bill and one counterfeit $10 bill, police said.

"The hold diverted prescription opiates have on addicts is terrifying," said Sgt. Eric Heichlinger. "Nothing, not people, nor criminal law, will stand in between them and their addiction. As we've seen in recent weeks in the Sacramento region, the problem is growing exponentially. Hopefully the teamwork we've showed between the doctor, the pharmacy, and police will slow this trend."

By Bee Staff

The California Highway Patrol today reminded motorists the Thanksgiving holiday is also a maximum enforcement period.

The CHP's holiday enforcement effort begins Wednesday, Nov. 24 at 6 p.m. and continues through 11:59 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 28, the CHP said in a news release.

All available officers will be patrolling the state's roadways.

"During the holiday season many people are in a hurry and eager to get to their destination," said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. "It's important to remember that safety should never take a back seat; be safe, pay attention to the road, never drink and drive and always buckle up."

Last year during CHP's Thanksgiving holiday enforcement effort, 37 people were killed in collisions statewide, a 12 percent increase from the previous year.

Among the 19 vehicle occupants who were killed in CHP jurisdiction, 26 percent were not wearing seatbelts.

The Thanksgiving enforcement coincides with the statewide "Click It or Ticket" seatbelt campaign which runs through Nov. 29 and includes more than 150 law enforcement agencies in California.

Last year during the Thanksgiving enforcement period CHP officers made 1,461 arrests for driving under the influence.

"Start the holidays off right; designate a non-drinking driver ahead of time and always wear your seatbelt," added Commissioner Farrow.

With the Christmas and New Year's holiday right around the corner, the CHP is planning for similar maximum enforcement efforts next month, Farrow said.

By Andy Furillo
afurillo@sacbee.com

A Sacramento judge today sentenced Nicholas Manuel Moreno to 21 years in prison for the New Year's Eve shooting death last year of Kyle Ray Smith.

Moreno, had pleaded no contest last month after a jury could not reach a verdict on whether to convict him of second-degree murder. The panel was split 7-5 in favor of guilt when Superior Court Judge Michael W. Sweet declared a mistrial.

Smith, who was also 20, was shot and killed in the driveway of a house on Camelia River Way in the Greenhaven neighborhood at 1:10 a.m. during a New Year's Eve party.

According to testimony at trial, Moreno had been harassing women at the party and was asked to leave. While they were leaving, Moreno and his friends then got into a fist fight with other partygoers.

Moreno pulled out a handgun; he testified he accidentally shot and killed Smith when he hit him with the pistol.

Moreno also was in a car that was involved in the Dec. 22, 2006, shooting death of Marc Grimes on a quiet Elk Grove side street. The driver of the car, Manuel Jose Cervin, was convicted of murder in the case and sentenced to 40 years to life in prison.

Authorities never identified the gunman in the Grimes shooting, although Cervin told police in an interview that it was Moreno, investigators said.

Call The Bee's Andy Furillo, (916) 321-1141.

By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com

A 56-year-old West Sacramento man has been arrested on suspicion of impersonating a peace officer.

Frank Don Crandall (left) was arrested Nov. 10 at his home after an investigation by Sacramento County sheriff's deputies, the department said in a news release.

The investigation began Sept. 8 when Crandall is alleged to have struck a Sacramento International Airport employee with his vehicle and left the scene without stopping.

When deputies caught up with Crandall, they said he presented them with identification that stated he was a full-time peace officer for a private state public safety agency called "Law Enforcement and Public Safety Authority" or LEPSA.

Deputies issued a citation for reckless driving causing injury and began investigating his alleged peace officer status, the release states.

The follow-up investigation revealed no evidence of LEPSA's existence.

Deputies determined Crandall lacked any authority to identify himself as a peace officer, the release states.

The case was presented to the Sacramento County District Attorney's office and a warrant was issued for Crandall's arrest.

Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.

By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com

A 10-year-old girl suffered serious injuries Wednesday afternoon when she fell from the tailgate of a truck driven by her sister, Sacramento police said.

The girl was riding in the back of the truck about 2:30 p.m. in the 200 block of Menard Circle in the Natomas area when she fell.

She was taken to the hospital, according to a police report. No further details were available on the nature or extent of her injuries.

The state vehicle code notes that no person driving a pickup truck or flatbed may transport anyone in a truck bed. Exceptions include: if the person in the back of the truck is secured in a restraint system; on farmland in trucks owned by ranchers or farmers; emergency situations; and in a parade at no more than 8 mph.

It was not immediately known if the older sister was cited.

Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.

By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com

A Sacramento man was arrested Wednesday night for child endangerment after police say that he gave his girlfriend's 4-year-old son to a "random stranger."

Joseph Nathan Brewer, 23, was booked into Sacramento County Jail for endangering the health of a child and an outstanding felony warrant. He is being held without bail.

According to a Sacramento Police Department report, Brewer got into an argument with his girlfriend about 10 p.m. in the 3300 block of Broken Branch Court in the Natomas area.

Brewer is then suspected of walking the child around the apartment complex at that location before handing the child off to a "random stranger."

Officers arrested him walking nearby the complex.

Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.

Q: What happened to the youths who killed an elderly man for his Walkman at the Del Paso light rail station in 1996? - Ian, Sacramento

A: Ricardo Lynn Hall, now 35, is in prison serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole, prison and court records show.

Hall was convicted of murdering John Yee, 61, on March 27, 1996, to steal Yee's Walkman stereo, The Bee reported.

Yee was attacked while waiting for a light-rail train at Arden Way and Del Paso Boulevard in North Sacramento.

Hall was also accused of encouraging two 13-year-olds to join in the attack. At one point, he ordering the teens to not to forget to take Yee's wallet

The prosecutor said that Hall used the youngsters to commit crimes.

The minors were tried on murder and robbery charges in juvenile court. Because of their ages and the venue, The Bee was unable to determine the outcome of that trial.

For a complete list of questions answered by Sacto911, click here

By Kim Minugh
kminugh@sacbee.com

The day after he allegedly led Sacramento sheriff's deputies on a car chase Rancho Cordova, a 30-year-old man tried to outsmart them by reporting his car stolen, deputies reported.

It didn't work, and he's in jail.

Sacramento County sheriff's authorities allege that Ruslan Bidnyy fled the scene of a disturbance in Rancho Cordova one night last week, driving erratically and dangerously, according to a Sheriff's Department report released this week.

Deputies activated their lights and sirens, but the suspect did not pull over, the report states. After a short pursuit, the suspect stopped his car and fled on foot, escaping deputies.

But deputies were on to him the next day when he tried to report his car stolen, according to the report. They arrested Bidnyy for felony evasion, for violating parole and for an outstanding warrant for resisting arrest, evasion and child endangerment, according to jail booking records.

Bidnyy remains in the Sacramento County Main Jail, where he is being held with no possibility for bail.

Call The Bee's Kim Minugh, (916) 321-1038.

By Kim Minugh
kminugh@sacbee.com

West Sacramento police are warning residents to be cautious in the area of South River Road after a building contractor reporting seeing a possible mountain lion there twice in two days.

The contractor went to police today after seeing what he thought to be a cougar just before noon on the Stone Lock property, an undeveloped area along South River Road, east of Hearst Street, according to a police news release.

The contractor said he saw a mountain lion Tuesday as well, the report states.

Police are advising residents to bring pets indoors at night, and to avoid being in the area in the early evenings, late at night or in the early mornings, when mountain lions might be active.

For more information about mountain lions and safety, visit http://www.dfg.ca.gov/news/issues/lion.

Call The Bee's Kim Minugh, (916) 321-1038.

By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com

Placer County Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest of arrests for massive vandalism that occurred at the Manzanita Cemetery near Lincoln last weekend.

Between 100 and 150 headstones and monuments were overturned, pulled out of the ground or broken in pieces sometime between Friday and Sunday morning.

Some of the headstones were more than 100 years old. Officials said damage is estimated at more than $100,000.

Placer County Crime Stoppers in a nonprofit group that works with law enforcement agencies in the county to reduce crime. Through the Crime Stoppers' program, people can provide confidential information to law enforcement by calling (800) 923-8191. Callers may remain anonymous.

For more information see the website at www.placercrimestoppers.com.

Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.

By Ed Fletcher
efletcher@sacbee.com

The attorney defending Sacramento Sheriff Deputy Monica Chavez disputed the prosecution's argument that her June fracas with another woman at a Roseville dog park was a clear-cut case of battery.

In opening statements today, defense attorney Michael Bowman did not fight the fact that Chavez struck party planner Shelly Riley in the face, but rather he suggested that Chavez acted in defense of herself and her property - two pugs named "Maggie" and "Bear."

"At the end of the day, you'll have to ask yourself whether the prosecution had proved that it wasn't self defense," Bowman said.

In addition to Roseville Police Department investigation, Bowman referenced interviews conducted by the Sacramento Sheriff's Department.

Witnessed agree that the dogs tussled and Riley acted to intervene.

The jury will have to sort of what level of force on Chavez's dogs Riley used to separate her miniature pinscher "Diesel" from the pugs - varying witnesses have told the media it was everything from a foot tug to being tossed several feet - and whether Chavez's response was a rational act of defense.

Placer County Deputy District Attorney Kate Scarborough said Chavez lost her temper.

Scarborough showed the jury pictures of bruising to Riley's face and legs and scratches to her back.

That, she said, is battery.

"This was not a case about self protection" or protection of property, Scarborough told the jury.

Call The Bee's Ed Fletcher, (916) 321-1269.

By Kim Minugh

kminugh@sacbee.com

The 22-year-old man who sheriff's deputies say jumped from a third-story window in September while trying to flee them - and their arrest warrant for murder - has recovered from the life-threatening injuries he suffered in that fall and is now in Sacramento, according to authorities.

Robert Antonio Vasquez is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday on one count of murder, according to Superior Court records.

Sacramento County sheriff's detectives accuse Vasquez of fatally shooting 49-year-old Madalene Thomas on Sept. 12 while she was driving with her nephew in Rancho Cordova.

Detectives obtained a warrant for Vasquez's arrest and said they tracked him to a motel in Redwood City two days after the homicide. When they knocked on his room door, he jumped out a window and landed on his head, suffering severe injuries, according to authorities.

Vasquez was arrested but then admitted to an area hospital for treatment. He was released this week, and transferred to the Sacramento County Main Jail on Monday, booking records show.

By Sam Stanton
sstanton@sacbee.com

Former real estate magnate Michael P. Lyon made a brief appearance in Sacramento Superior Court today at his arraignment on four felony charges, but did not enter a plea and will return to court Dec. 8.

Lyon, 54, who is accused of secretly filming sexual encounters with three prostitutes, did not speak during the brief session inside Judge Gary Ransom's second floor courtroom.

He entered the courtroom at 10:20 a.m. without speaking to the reporters and photographers gathered for his arraignment, and sat quietly in the third row with two women who accompanied him.

After about 15 minutes, Judge Ransom called the case, read the criminal charges Lyon faces and set the new hearing date.

Lyon's attorney, William Portanova, said afterward that there was nothing unusual about the fact that a plea wasn't entered today, and that it was not a sign of any plea agreement negotiation.

Portanova has previously said that Lyon will plead not guilty.

Call The Bee's Sam Stanton, (916) 321-1091.

Photo caption: Former real estate magnate Michael P. Lyon arrives at Sacramento Superior Court today. Photo by Hector Amezcua

Q: What happened to Darryl Rosen, the former police officer who was convicted of sexual assaults while on duty? Is he out of prison? - Jo, Sparks, Nev.

A: Rosen, now 35, is out of prison and living in the Sacramento area, records indicate.

On Oct. 22, 2004, a Sacramento Superior Court judge sentenced Rosen, a former Sacramento Police Department officer, to more than nine years in prison for sexually assaulting women while on duty, The Bee reported.

Rosen was convicted of 11 separate counts of sexual battery, false imprisonment and assault by a peace officer involving four women. Jurors found him not guilty on four charges relating to two of his six alleged victims.

The jury deadlocked 9-3 for conviction on the rape charge, which could have meant a lifetime in prison for Rosen, but found him guilty of both sexual batteries and a charge of intimidating a witness.

The city of Sacramento paid $390,000 to resolve federal civil rights lawsuits filed by three of the sexual assault victims.

For a complete list of questions answered by Sacto911, click here

By Bill Lindelof

blindelof@sacbee.com

Drunken drivers will be targeted at a sobriety checkpoint Friday night in Elk Grove, police said.

The Elk Grove Police department will conduct the checkpoint at undisclosed location - other than to say it is within city limits and will start at 8 p.m. and run to 3 a.m. Also, drivers will be checked to for valid licenses.

Elk Grove police say that over the past three years, 70 crashes caused by drunken drivers have killed four and injured 102 people.

Nationally, DUI deaths declined by 16 percent from 2007 to 2009. Still, deaths caused by alcohol-impaired drivers make up 31 percent of vehicle fatalities.

"If we catch you buzzed, drunk or impaired by drugs, you will go to jail," states a news release from Elk Grove police.

By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com

Four expensive road and mountain bikes were stolen from a Roseville bicycle shop early this morning.

Someone smashed through the front door of The Hub, 1010 Pleasant Grove Blvd., about 3 a.m.

The thief went for two high-priced mountain bikes with a replacement value of about $3,500 and $6,300. Then he took road bikes priced at $1,000 and $1,200.

Security video indicated that the thief had no problem taking the bikes off elevated racks, which can be awkward. Store employees are assuming that the thief has been in the store before and observed how to get the bike's down due to the ease with which they were stolen.

Store employee Andy Spurgeon said the man was masked and wore gloves.

Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.

By Chelsea Phua
cphua@sacbee.com

Campus police from California State University, Sacramento, are investigating a report of a sexual assault Monday evening.

Police said the alleged incident occurred on the top floor of the parking structure between the baseball and softball fields about 7 p.m. as the student was entering her vehicle.

The student did not see the suspect and was unable to provide a physical description to department investigators, according to a news release.

This is the fourth reported sexual assault attack on campus in recent months. Last month, a female student reported being pulled into a van and sexually assaulted in the Residence Hall parking lot.

During that same week, another student reported being raped by an acquaintance in the American River Courtyard residence hall. Prosecutors never filed charges in the case.

On Sept. 13, an assailant touched a female student "on an intimate part of her body" while she was studying near Capistrano Hall.

Anyone with information is asked 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 Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com

A Woodland church targeted by thieves and vandals in recent years has been victimized again.

Woodland police were called to the Holy Rosary Parish Office at 10 a.m. today. Staff members had arrived at the office to discover that someone had pried open a locked cabinet door and stolen the proceeds from a weekend fundraising event.

Police urge anyone with information about the crime to call the department at (530) 661-7800 or (530) 666-2411.

In November 2007, an intruder smashed a window of the mission-style church at Court and Walnut streets used a blowtorch to cut a hole in the church's safe and made off with thousands of dollars collected over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Jose Luis Rangel, 62, of Woodland was sentenced in March of this year to eight years and eight months in prison for the church burglary and a 2008 break-in involving a Woodland cash machine.

In December 2009, vandals knocked over a 5-foot-tall statue outside the church.

Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.

By Ed Fletcher
efletcher@sacbee.com

Sacramento Sheriff Deputy Monica Chavez will have to wait another day for her battery trial to begin after a juror's misstep pushed back opening statements.

Chavez, 32, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of battery after she allegedly hit another woman during a June dispute at a Roseville dog park.

The alleged incident took place June 20 at Bear Dog Park on Pleasant Grove Boulevard in Roseville.

Shelly Riley, a former online model for Playboy, said soon after pulling two pugs off of her dog, a miniature pinscher, Chavez punched her in the face.

Riley was not seriously injured.

With jury selection compete, the opening statements were expected to begin Tuesday afternoon. But after a juror fell while stepping into the jury box at the historic courthouse in Auburn, hurting her ankle, Superior Court Judge Mark Curry decided the move the trial's opening to Wednesday morning.

Call The Bee's Ed Fletcher, (916) 321-1269.

By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com

The Roseville Police Department will offer a community workshop Wednesday on safe holiday shopping.

The free workshop will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Roseville Police Department, 1051 Junction Blvd.

Police detectives and prevention staff will talk about protecting personal property and personal information, property crime trends, common identity theft scams and how to spot suspicious activity.

For more information, call the Roseville Police Department's Community Services Division at (916) 774-5050.

Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.

By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com

The Sacramento Police department has released fuzzy images of a suspect wanted for the knifepoint robbery of a bicyclist.

The victim of the robbery was riding along when two suspects began following him on foot on Nov. 2 at about 5 a.m. near Cantalier Street and Del Paso Boulevard in north Sacramento.

The robbers caught up and one of them held a knife to the bicyclist's throat. The robber then reached into the victim's pocket and took his wallet and cell phone.

The victim left his bike and ran.

The robber got on the man's bike and chased after him while security video recorded the chase.

The man was able to get away from the robber, described as a white man, about 20 years old, 5 feet 5 inches tall, 120 pounds, with short brown hair. He was wearing a black jacket with a design on the back.

The second robber was described as a white man, about 20 years old, 6 feet tall and 140 pounds.

Anyone with information about the attack is asked to call Crime Alert at (916) 443-4357.

Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.

By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com

The Sacramento Sheriff's department needs help in identifying two women suspected of stealing the wallets of teachers in the San Juan Unified School District.

The department released video and still pictures (above and below) today of the women walking around the campus of Thomas Edison Elementary School at about the time that two teachers had their wallets taken from their purses. The teachers were out of the classroom when the thefts occurred.

Later, the same two suspects used credit cards from the school at a drug store near the school, which is located at 1500 Dom Way in Arden Arcade.

The suspects are described as black, 25 to 35 years old, 5 feet 5 inches to 5 feet 8 inches tall, with medium builds. One suspect wore a pony tail and the other had short, black hair.

The suspects, when confronted by a security guard at the drug store, drove away in a full-size, blue Ford Econoline van.

Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff's department at (916) 874-5115 or Crime Alert at (916) 443-4357.

Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.

By Andy Furillo
afurillo@sacbee.com

Robert Durst told police he was "in a drunken stupor" when he turned on a gas valve in a vacant house next door and put a candle next to it. He also told police that he felt "really bad" after four Sacramento city firefighters were injured when they walked into the house and it exploded.

Durst's statement to investigators was made public today after Sacramento Superior Court Judge Greta Curtis Fall ordered him to stand trial on six felony counts in the July 5 gas explosion that sent the four firefighters to the hospital. All of them survived.

The judge scheduled Durst's trial for Jan. 13.

Detectives questioned Durst on July 20, several hours after he was arrested in the explosion at the house next door to his 25th Avenue home in Oak Park.

Defense attorney Jennifer Schiavo tried to have the statement suppressed during Durst's preliminary hearing on grounds that he allegedly was not properly advised of his rights by the detectives who questioned him. Fall turned back that motion today.

"I did it in a drunken stupor," Durst told the detectives, saying that he'd been drinking all day at the river and then came home and had three more beers and a half-pint of liquor. He said he'd been arguing with his wife and that he also was upset with the owners of the vacant house.

Testimony at trial showed he was in a dispute with them over the bill he gave them for plumbing work he had performed for them last year.

Durst said he went up onto his roof to watch fireworks the night of the Fourth of July and that he became "pissed off and irritated."

He said he then got the idea to start the fire at the neighbors' house by turning on the gas and setting his stepdaughter's decorative slow-burning candle not far from the valve.

"I was trying to cause some damage," Durst told the police, according to the transcript of his interview filed as an exhibit in the preliminary hearing.

According to the transcript, Durst said all he intended to do was "burn the roof up, burn the ceiling and burn the carpet." He said that all the windows in the house were closed and "that's where I went wrong."

It was the gas accumulation that led to the explosion that injured the firefighters when they went into the house several hours after Durst said he lit the candle.

"Like, (I) should have left the back door open or something," Durst told the police. "I just think it wouldn't have blown up, I don't know...It would have smothered out."

He admitted to taking the water heater and ceiling fan out of the house. He's alos accused of theft and receiving stolen property on those items in the criminal complaint.

Durst told the detectives he was upset when he learned that the firefighters were hurt.

"I feel really bad, I mean, I wish I could do over..., break the glass or something....Never never, never, never in a million years did I think about doing something like that."

Call The Bee's Andy Furillo, (916) 321-1141.

By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com

A woman walking in midtown last night was the victim of purse snatching at gunpoint.

Sacramento police said a woman was walking near 26th and H streets about 11:20 p.m. when she noticed two men following her. One rushed up and pushed her to the ground.

The robber then tried to pull away the woman's purse, which was slung over her shoulder, police said.

The woman, however, would not let go and was dragged several feet, according to a news release.

The robber then pointed a gun at the woman. The woman gave up the purse and the robbers ran off.

The description of the suspects is sketchy - two men in their 20s wearing dark clothing.

Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.

By Bill Lindelof and Cathy Locke
blindelof@sacbee.com

A rural Lincoln cemetery sustained heavy vandalism over the weekend.

As many as 200 granite and marble headstones, statues and benches were kicked or pushed over, said the manager for the agency that oversees the cemetery.

The vandalism occurred at the Manzanita Cemetery outside of Lincoln Saturday night. Many of the headstones are more than 150 years old.

"This is just outright desecration," said cemetery district manager Peter Barmettler.

The damage was discovered by a Lincoln resident Sunday afternoon. The resident contacted the Placer County Sheriff's department.

Barmettler said he did not know who might have committed the vandalism.

The Manzanita Cemetery, about five miles outside of town between Lincoln and Sheridan, is the oldest of four cemeteries in the Placer County Cemetery District No. 1. It was established in 1850 and contains recent burials and gravesites of Lincoln pioneers.

The cemetery area, which is patrolled by the Sheriff's Department, has only had minor vandalism in the past.

"It would be one thing if they just knocked over headstones," said Barmettler. "That's bad enough. We can repair that.

"But some of these are 10-foot-high monuments. When they hit the ground, they hit coping and other headstones, breaking into pieces. They can be repaired to an extent. But they will never be the same."

Fredric Gibbs, a cemetery district board member, said the board met Tuesday afternoon and authorized the cemetery manager to contact monument companies regarding the potential for repairing damaged headstones and monuments.

District staff members will be contacting families of those whose plots were damaged.

Although the plots and headstones are privately owned, Gibbs said the cemetery district is prepared to cover the cost of repairs.

People wishing information about the condition of a family member's plot may call the cemetery district office at (916) 645-2475 between 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.

By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com

A Sacramento man was arrested today on a federal complaint charging wire fraud.

U.S. Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced that Christopher Jackson, 43, appeared before Magistrate Judge Gregory G. Hollows and was released on pretrial conditions that include a bar on selling investments of any kind.

The complaint alleges that between 2005 and 2009, Jackson, using the corporate name Genesis Innovations, recruited people to invest in real estate. The complaint also alleges that he promised them a 14 percent return and persuaded them to entrust him with their retirement savings.

According to the complaint, Jackson received about $11 million dollars from investors but invested only abut $2.5 million in real estate. The rest of the money, the complaint alleges, was used to distribute purported investment returns and to fund Jackson's lavish lifestyle, which included a leased Lamborghini and Range Rover, a purchased BMW, frequent meals at high-end restaurants, stays at luxury hotels and jewelry.

Officials encourage anyone who invested money with Jackson in the last six months to call the FBI at (916) 481-9110.

Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.

By Matt Kawahara
mkawahara@sacbee.com

The armed, possibly suicidal Roseville man who shut himself in his car and shut down traffic on Baseline Road in Roseville for two hours this afternoon has surrendered to authorities, said Lt. Mark Reed, Placer County Sheriff's Department spokesman.

The man, a Roseville resident in his 30s, had been sitting in his vehicle with a gun near Baseline Road and Brady Lane. He had not threatened anybody other than himself, Reed said.

Sheriff's deputies had blocked off all of Brady Lane and Baseline between Foothills Boulevard and Oak Borough Avenue, Reed said. All roads are now open.

Roseville police received a call around 1:52 p.m. from somebody concerned about the man, who was known to be in the area of Baseline and Brady, said Dee Dee Gunther, Roseville police department spokeswoman.

A Placer County sheriff's deputy located the man in his vehicle around 2:40 p.m., Reed said. Sheriff's department personnel were able to communicate with the man, and he surrendered at 5 p.m., Reed said.

"We were able to communicate with him and he ended up peacefully giving himself up," Reed said.

The man is in the custody of the sheriff's department and will be taken for a medical evaluation, Reed said.

Call The Bee's Matt Kawahara, (916) 321-1015.

By Ed Fletcher
efletcher@sacbee.com

Suspected Roseville Galleria Mall arsonist Alexander Piggee was back in court Monday, but the question of whether he's mentally fit for trial still looms.

Of the five reports from hospitals that had interactions with the 23-year-old homeless man, three - Sutter Roseville Medical Center, Woodland Memorial Hospital and Mercy San Juan Medical Center - and Twin Rivers School District have submitted documents to the courts, said Piggee's attorney Johnny Griffin III. Reports from the Kaiser hospital system and a Stockton-area hospital are expected to be received this week.

Piggee is accused of walking into the GameStop at Roseville's Westfield Galleria on Oct. 21, telling the clerk he had a bomb and a gun, then setting a fire in the store.

He is charged with 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. Today's status hearing at the jail courthouse in Auburn lasted about 15 minutes.

Court officials said a doctor has been selected to do the evaluation, but he or she was not named.

The process of evaluating Piggee's mental state could take months. If he's found to be incompetent, he would be admitted to a psychiatric facility and held until he is deemed able to face trial.

Call The Bee's Ed Fletcher, (916) 321-1269.

By Matt Kawahara
mkawahara@sacbee.com

Two North Highlands elementary schools spent about 40 minutes on lockdown this afternoon after a shooting occurred nearby.

Sacramento Sheriff's Department deputies received a call at 1:10 p.m. regarding a shooting in the area of Thomas and Floral drives, said Sgt. Tim Curran, department spokesman.

Deputies responded to find a 21-year-old man with a gunshot wound to his shoulder, Curran said.

Two suspects had attempted to rob the victim and, when the victim refused, one of the suspects shot him, Curran said. The victim was transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening wounds, Curran said.

Deputies set up a perimeter in the area between Village and Larchmont elementary schools, which are less than a mile apart.

Hearing that the shooting had occurred nearby and that the suspects might still be in the neighborhood, the Twin Rivers Police Department ordered the two elementary schools placed on lockdown, said Officer William Cho, department spokesman.

Village and Larchmont elementary schools were locked down at 1:20 p.m. and released from lockdown at 2 p.m., Cho said.

The two suspects in the shooting remain at large, Curran said. The shooter is described as a black male adult, 6 feet 2 inches tall, with a medium build and wearing a black shirt and black pants.

Call The Bee's Matt Kawahara, (916) 321-1015.

By Matt Kawahara
mkawakara@sacbee.com

Auburn police have arrested a 31-year-old man who they allege tried to stab two Auburn men in their home and threatened to come back and kill others.

Javier Padilla was arrested without incident and booked into the Placer County Jail on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, terrorist threats, possession of stolen property and driving under the influence.

The suspect attacked two male occupants of a residence in the 500 block of Nevada Street with a knife, according to an Auburn police department press release. One of the victims sustained minor cuts, the release states.

According to the release, the suspect left the area in a vehicle before police got there, but a victim obtained the vehicle's license plate. Auburn Police Dispatch confirmed the car had been stolen out of Tracy, the release states.

Later, the suspect returned to the scene while police were there, according to the release. He then attempted to flee in his vehicle at a high rate of speed and crashed into an embankment on the south side of Nevada Street, coming to rest just before Palm Avenue.

The suspect fled on foot into a backyard on Palm Avenue and was found by police hiding in the grass.

Call The Bee's Matt Kawahara, (916) 321-1015.

By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com

A missing Citrus Heights man suffering from Alzheimer's disease has been found in Lincoln.

Victor Tapia, 71, left his residence on foot Saturday morning in the 7300 block of Antelope Road and was considered at risk, Citrus Heights police said.

Tapia, found Sunday in Lincoln, was taken by family members to a local hospital as a precaution. Tapia also is a diabetic, police said.

Citrus Heights police thanked the public for their help in finding Tapia.

Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.

By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com

A Caltrans employee was struck and killed by a suspected drunken driver late last night north of Chico.

He was identified as veteran Caltrans employee Gary Wayne Smith, 57, of Chico.

The California Highway Patrol arrested Russell N. Hodge, 45, of Corning on suspicion of second-degree homicide. He is suspected of driving drunk and hitting Smith, a 32-year Caltrans maintenance employee, who was helping to set up a road closure for an earlier fatal collision.

A CHP press release said that Hodge was driving his pickup northbound Highway 99 near the Hamilton-Nord-Cana Highway about 11:20 p.m. when due to his state of intoxication he failed to stop for a Caltrans road closure.

Hodge allegedly struck Smith and continued to travel northbound on Highway 99 until stopped by a CHP officer at the earlier fatal collision that was still being investigated, according to officers.

Smith died of his injuries and Hodge was booked into Butte County Jail.

Smith was a Caltrans highway maintenance lead worker, said Caltrans spokeswoman Rochelle Jenkins. She said his crew was taking the loss of their leader hard.

"His crew is devastated," said Jenkins. "One crew member witnessed the event unfold. Gary worked at the Chico yard for almost his entire career. He was a stable fixture at that yard. He was the one who taught the younger guys."

Smith was married to his wife, Sue, for 33 years and had an adult son, Jenkins said.

Smith is the 175th Caltrans employee to die in the line of duty. He was directing traffic to an established detour around an earlier fatal collision when he was struck, said Jenkins.

In the earlier accident, two adults and one child died shortly before 6 p.m. when two pickups collided on Highway 99. The CHP said a Dodge pickup traveling northbound on Highway 99 in an erratic manner hit a GMC pickup traveling in the opposite direction.

Rogelio Herrera, 29, and Saray Alvarez, 31, and an unidentified boy, 7, from Hamilton City in the GMC died. A six-year-old boy was life-flighted to UC Davis Medical Center.

The CHP said in a press release that several pounds of processed marijuana was found in the Dodge pickup. At least three people in that vehicle were arrested for transportation for sale of marijuana.

The CHP said that the identity of the driver is under investigation. Alcohol is also suspected to be a factor in this collision.

Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.

By Matt Weiser
mweiser@sacbee.com

An 18-year-old man was injured in a stabbing late today in Sacramento's Foothill Farms area of Sacramento County.

The victim was stabbed once in the upper body with a knife, county Sheriff's Sgt. Tim Curran said. The injury was considered non-life threatening. The attack happened shortly before 9 p.m. in the 6500 block of Sagebrush Way.

"The victim is being uncooperative," Curran said.

Sheriff's officials were searching for a suspect who fled the scene in a tan-colored Toyota Corolla. No suspect description was available.

Call The Bee's Matt Weiser, (916) 321-1264.

By Niesha Lofing
nlofing@sacbee.com

Two men suspected as major suppliers of OxyContin in Folsom are facing criminal charges after a year-long investigation by athe Folsom Police Department.

Sergio Rico, 25, is being held without bail in Sacramento County Main Jail on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance for sale, possession of a controlled substance while armed with a loaded handgun, possession of stolen property and conspiracy. He was arrested Wednesday and is scheduled to appear in Sacramento Superior Court on Monday.

Nicholas Vincent Bertolucci, 20, was arrested Friday on suspicion of burglary and conspiracy, but posted bail the same day.

Folsom Police began "Operation Oxy Clean" in April 2009, after finding that crimes associated with the highly addictive prescription narcotic were becoming more prevalent in the city, a police news release states.

The operation began reaching its end Wednesday, when officers served search warrants on Rico's address on Moss Creek Circle in Fair Oaks and found $565 in cash, 78 OxyContin pills, 6 1/2 methadone pills, 15 grams of cocaine, a loaded .38 caliber handgun and property allegedly stolen in residential burglaries in Folsom. Rico was taken into custody that day.

On Thursday, detectives obtained a search warrant for a storage locker linked to Rico and seized an additional 150 OxyContin pills. They also discovered that Bertolucci had allegedly tried to gain access to the storage locker to get the pills and arrested Bertolucci on Friday.

Police estimate that they seized $18,090 in drugs during the operation.

Call The Bee's Niesha Lofing, (916) 321-1270.

By Peter Hecht
phecht@sacbee.com

A man fleeing from a disturbance call in Rancho Cordova fired from his van with officers in pursuit late Saturday afternoon.

The man, who wasn't immediately identified, was taken into custody soon after the 5:28 p.m. incident, said Sacramento County Sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Tim Curran.

Curran said the man "put the gun out the window and fired a shot. It was unclear if he was firing at deputies. More than likely, he was firing into the air."

No one was injured in the incident.

Call The Bee's Peter Hecht, (9126) 326-5539.

By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com

The local community will have an opportunity to rate the Rocklin Police Department as it seeks reaccreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc.

On Dec. 4, a team of assessors from the commission will examine all aspects of the department's policies, procedures, management, operations and support services, according to a department news release.

The Rocklin Police Department was first accredited in December 2008 and verification by the team that the department meets the commission's standards is part of a voluntary process to gain reaccreditation.

As part of the on-site assessment, Police Department employees and members of the community are invited to offer comments by calling (916) 625-5469 between 1 and 3 p.m. Dec. 5. Comments will be taken by members of the assessment team.

Comments also may be made during a public information session at 6 p.m. Dec. 6 in the Rocklin Police Department's Community Room, 4080 Rocklin Road.

Telephone comments, as well as those made during the public hearing, are limited to 10 minutes and must address the agency's ability to comply with the commission's standards.

A copy of the standards is available at the Police Department. Individuals may call Sgt. Jamie Knox, accreditation manager, at (916) 625-5442, or Lt. Mike Freeman at (916) 625-5436.

Written comments may be mailed to the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Inc., 10302 Eaton Place, Suite 100, Fairfax, VA, 22030-2201.

The commission's assessment team is composed of law enforcement officials from similar, out-of-state agencies.

Assessing the Rocklin department will be Capt. John Garavaglia of the Golden Police Department in Golden, Colo., and Lt. Raymond Cornford with the Rapid City Police Department in Rapid City, S.D.

Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.

By Queenie Wong
qwong@sacbee.com

A 75-year-old Sacramento man who died yesterday after being struck by a Ford pickup truck near Pasadena Avenue and Auburn Boulevard has been identified as Rodriguez Lino, according to Sacramento County Coroner's Office online records.

California Highway Patrol officer Lizz Dutton said that a 28-year-old driver was heading northbound on Auburn Blvd. and was about to make a left turn on Pasadena Ave. when Lino walked right in front of him.

Officers arrived at the scene around 5:29 p.m.

The victim was transported to Mercy San Juan hospital where he later died.

Dutton said that no charges will be filed against the driver.

Call The Bee's Queenie Wong, (916) 321-1008.

By Kim Minugh
kminugh@sacbee.com

A bank account has been set up for the surviving Saetern children, whose father was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of killing their mother and two brothers.

The money will be used to help pay for the burial of 46-year-old Chio Chong Saechao and her sons, Jerry Wang Saetern, 22, and Vern Cheo Saetern, 19, according to a family friend. Funds also will be set aside to pay for college for the two youngest surviving daughters, who are 12 and 7 years old.

Sacramento County sheriff's detectives allege the victims were killed in their home by 47-year-old Kouei Wang Saetern after an argument late Monday night between Saetern and his wife, Saechao, that drew in the couple's two sons. Saetern is scheduled to be arraigned Monday on three charges of murder.

The two youngest daughters and their 13-year-old cousin were in the Home Country Way residence when the argument began, but fled to a neighbor's house when Saetern allegedly became violent.

The girls are being cared for by their two adult sisters.

Donations can be made at any Bank of America location. The account number is 09055-26858 and the routing number is 121000358.

Call The Bee's Kim Minugh, (916) 321-1038.

By Andy Furillo
afurillo@sacbee.com

A judge today ordered a Sacramento workers compensation doctor to stand trial for three counts of rape and 38 sexual assault-related charges over his interactions with five patients who came to him after they had been hurt on the job.

Scott Dodd Anderson, 61, remained free on $750,000 bail pending his return to court for an additional arraignment on Nov. 30.

"We have a very powerful pattern of conduct," Sacramento Superior Court Judge Peter Mering said, following the one-day preliminary hearing.

Mering said that the five women all went to authorities independent of each other, even though two of them reported Anderson's conduct to investigators after news stories had already broken that he'd been arrested.

"Did these five women conspire? I find that extremely unlikely," Mering said.

Anderson's lawyer questioned the credibility of the five alleged victims in the case, but Mering said the "unlikelihood" of their getting together provided to him the "test" of their credibility.

The judge's order came after two Sacramento sheriff's officials related the stories from the five women who told them they were sexually assaulted during their examinations by Anderson.

One of the women told a sheriff's deputy that she was raped when she saw Anderson for an on-the-job back injury.

All of the alleged assaults took place in Anderson's office at U.S. Healthworks on at 9261 Folsom Boulevard, according to sheriff's Detective Brad Jones and Deputy Juan Hidalgo, who testified about their conversations with the women.

Anderson's license has since been suspended by the California Medical Board. He is no longer working at U.S. Healthworks, a spokesman for the firm said today.

Hidalgo testified that he provided a Spanish-to-English translation for the woman who is named as the victim in the three rape counts contained in the complaint against Anderson.

The woman said in her interview with authorities that Anderson told her to unbutton her pants, then forced her underwear down and bent her over a chair, Hidalgo said.

She told investigators "he grabbed her by the hair, rolled it up, pushed her against a bed and chair" and raped her, according to the deputy's testimony.

The alleged rape took place on the woman's fourth visit to Anderson. She said he touched her inappropriately on her three previous visits with him, which are also the subject of some of the allegations in the criminal complaint.

Anderson's attorney had just begun his cross examination of Deputy Hidalgo when the preliminary hearing broke for the lunch break.

All of the other women also told investigators they continued to see Anderson after he touched and fondled them, the sheriff's officials testified.

One of the women said she continued to see Anderson because she felt "he had control over her workers' compensation case," Jones testified.

Another said she was a recovering addict with a criminal record and that Anderson said he'd ruin her life if she told anybody what happened, according to Jones' testimony.

Call The Bee's Andy Furillo, (916) 321-1141.

By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com

The Sacramento Police Department has been awarded a $621,159 traffic safety grant for a yearlong program targeting people driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

The grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety will be used for a variety of activities, including DUI checkpoints, warrant sweeps, surveillance of repeat DUI offenders, DUI saturation patrols and court sting operations, according to a Police Department news release.

The DUI Enforcement Team also will conduct special motorcycle safety enforcement operations, targeting traffic violations made by motorcyclists and other vehicle drivers that result in motorcycle collisions, injuries and deaths.

Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.

By Bee Staff

A 41-year-old Roseville man has been sent to prison for three years and four months in a 2009 drunken driving case in which his vehicle went into oncoming traffic and killed two men in another vehicle in a head-on collision, according to the Placer County District Attorney's Office.

Julian Manuel Martinez (left) pleaded no contest on Sept. 13 to two felony counts of vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated without gross negligence. He also pled no contest to a third felony charge - driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury, according to a DA's office news release.

He killed Manuel Espinoza, 65, and his son, David Espinoza, 27.

Martinez was driving with a suspended license when his vehicle drifted into oncoming traffic and collided with the Espinoza vehicle shortly after 1 a.m. Nov. 1, 2009, on Baseline Road west of Fiddyment Road near Roseville, the release states.

Manuel Espinoza was killed in the crash. His son, David, was in a hospital for three months before succumbing to his injuries, the release states. A third occupant, Manuel Espinoza's wife, Enedina, 62, was injured but survived.

"There is absolutely nothing I can say for the pain that was caused on this (victims') family," Prosecutor Jeff Moore said. "It is my hope that the defendant always remembers the devastation to this family."

Still unresolved is the amount of restitution that Martinez must pay to the victims' family.

Placer County Superior Court Judge Colleen Nichols scheduled a restitution hearing for Dec. 15.

By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com

A Willits man on the way to a hunting trip in Nevada accidentally shot himself in the groin and hand on Interstate 80 in Auburn, the California Highway Patrol said today.

The hunters were eastbound on Interstate 80 on the way to shoot grouse in Nevada on Thursday when the shooting occurred about 2:30 p.m. between Russell Road and the Foresthill exit in Auburn.

The passenger in the pickup was shot as he handled a 9 mm handgun that was owned by the driver. The driver had a concealed weapon permit to carry the handgun.

An Auburn officer was on a traffic stop just west of the Foresthill Road exit when the pickup pulled over. The pickup truck driver got out and ran to the officer for help, said Auburn police Sgt. Dale Hutchins.

Hutchins said the man who was shot was not familiar with the weapon because it belonged to the driver.

"Obviously, he was mishandling the pistol," said Hutchins.

The injured 49-year-old man was taken to Sutter Roseville Medical Center where he was reported in fair condition today.

Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.

By Bee Staff

The Sacramento County Sheriff Department's crime prevention specialists are sponsoring an e-waste recycling event on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the sheriff's Florin station, 7000 65th Street.

Acceptable items include televisions (all sizes and types), computer monitors, laptops, DVD players, computer towers, printers, VCRs, stereos/radios, telephones/cellular phones, video game, and microwave ovens.

No appliances or batteries will be accepted.

For more information, call On-Site Electronics Recycling at (209) 234-7994.

By Kim Minugh
kminugh@sacbee.com

Sacramento police have arrested four suspects in connection with the November 2009 death of 47-year-old Donald Kirby, who detectives allege was killed in a robbery gone bad, according to authorities.

This morning, police arrested Elias Garcia, 23; Christopher Merrill, 22; Roman Hooker, 24; and Calvin Holmes, 21 (from left to right below), said police Sgt. Norm Leong. They face one charge each of murder, burglary and attempted robbery, he said.

Detectives suspect the four men went to Kirby's V Street apartment on Nov. 12, 2009 to rob him of marijuana and other property, Leong said. What soured the mission is not known for sure, however detectives believe the victim resisted, prompting the shooting, Leong said.

Police have identified Garcia as the alleged gunmen, Leong said. Detectives believe at least one of the suspects had bought marijuana from Kirby before.

Garcia, Hooker and Holmes were arrested this morning without incident, Leong said. Merrill has been in custody for a parole violation since September; his new charges will be added.

Call The Bee's Kim Minugh, (916) 321-1038.

By Sam Stanton
sstanton@sacbee.com

One of the alleged victims in the Michael Lyon videotaping case advertises her services online as a 25-year-old woman who expects "to be treated with respect," and who charges $500 an hour, accepts credit cards and demands screening and references of potential clients.

The woman has not been identified in court documents that were filed Wednesday and charge Lyon with four felony counts of secretly videotaping sexual encounters with three women.

But a law enforcement source confirmed the woman is one of the three victims listed in the charging documents, and that she has told authorities she did not know she was being filmed when she spent time with Lyon.

The woman, who The Bee is not naming because she is an alleged victim, is the mother of three children and "a completely nice and normal person" who is upset at being involved in the case, the source said.

The woman hung up when called by The Bee this morning and did not respond to an email request for an interview. The other two alleged victims could not be located today.

A law enforcement source has said all three were once prostitutes who had sexual encounters with Lyon at his Arden Arcade home in 2008 or 2009. One of them since has left the business and is attending a trade school in hopes of changing her life, the source said.

Lyon, who was arrested Wednesday morning at his Carmichael home and posted $60,000 bail, intends to fight the charges, said his lawyer, who questioned the credibility of such witnesses if the case goes to trial.

"My heart goes out to anyone who's a victim of a crime," William Portanova said. "My question would be, how much more would it cost to film it? Just asking."

Portanova said Wednesday that Lyon "does not electronically eavesdrop on anybody without their permission, period, plain and simple."

Court documents filed Wednesday do not identify the alleged victims, but indicate they were shown images and asked to identify themselves engaging in sex acts with Lyon.

At one point in a video, one woman sees an object she believes to be a camera, according to an affidavit filed in support of the arrest warrant by sheriff's Sgt. Christopher T. Joachim.

"She points to the camera that is recording her and Lyon with a surprised look on her face and asks what it is," the document states. "Lyon tells her it is just equipment and it is nothing. She asks if it is a camera and Lyon told her it was not."

Portanova signaled today that he intends to hammer away at the possibility that District Attorney Jan Scully's office has agreed not to pursue any legal action against the three women in exchange for their testimony.

"My question is, how much money have you made in the past several years of your chosen profession, and how much in taxes have you paid at $500 an hour," Portanova said. "And has the government offered you immunity from prosecution for tax evasion in both state and federal court?"

The woman does not specify on her website what she offers for $500 an hour, but indicates that she is available for a 24-hour period for $5,000. "When requested to travel out of my area, I require a two-hour appointment minimum and a 25% deposit by Credit Card," her site states. "Travel expenses are not included. All rates are non-negotiable."

Her site, which includes 21 photos of her in revealing outfits, states that "I know what you desire."

"You should exhibit your professionalism and courteous manners, do not swear, discuss money or sex acts," the site states. "IF YOU INSIST ON DOING THESE THINGS I WILL HANG UP OR SIMPLY IGNORE YOUR E-MAIL!"

The site also indicates that clients should not "come to me while under the influence of alcohol or illegal substances and don't try to take anything illegal during our time together.

"Do not attempt to discuss our meeting with innuendo or talk in code words."

Call The Bee's Sam Stanton, (916) 321-1091.

Q: What happened to the man accused of murdering and raping a woman in a Folsom retirement home in 2009? - Anonymous, Folsom

A: A preliminary hearing is scheduled Jan. 25 in Sacramento Superior Court for Sylvester Griffin (left), 42, on murder, rape, robbery and burglary charges, court records show. Meanwhile, he is in the Sacramento jail on a no-bail hold.

A close friend found Alice Murphy, 64, dead inside her apartment at a senior living community on Creekside Drive just before noon on Dec. 21, The Bee reported.

Authorities obtained a warrant for Griffin's arrest after DNA taken from the crime scene was matched to Grffin's DNA profile in an FBI database, a Folsom police spokesman said.

The FBI likely had Griffin's DNA because of past criminal activity, the spokesman said.

Griffin does not have a criminal record in Sacramento County, according to court records.

Detectives said they learned that Griffin, who lived in Elk Grove at the time of Murphy's killing, had moved to Columbia, S.C., where he has family. Police arrested him there without incident June 16.

Police said they know that Griffin was working as a driver for the Rapid Response Medical Transportation service at the time of the slaying.

Though Murphy never used that service for medical appointments, others in her senior living community did, police said.

The friend who found Murphy told police the front door was open when she arrived.

Family members told The Bee that Murphy frequently left her front door open for her cat.

There were no signs of forced entry, police said, and her apartment was not ransacked.

For a complete list of questions answered by Sacto911, click here

By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com

A North Sacramento man has been sentenced to prison for a 2009 gang-related beating that left the victim with permanent injuries.

Yolo County Superior Court Judge Stephen Mock today sentenced 20-year-old Michael Rene Romero to 28 years and eight months to life in state prison. A jury convicted Romero of attempted murder with premeditation, gang enhancements and other felony charges for a 2009 street beating that occurred in West Sacramento, according to a Yolo County District Attorney's Office news release.

A concerned citizen interrupted the attack as he was driving down West Capitol Avenue about 3 a.m. The beating victim was lying in the street in a coma. Minutes after the attack, a witness saw Romero remove one of the victim's teeth from his hand.

West Sacramento Police arrested Romero and his accomplice, Antonio Delgado. A jury convicted Delgado of attempted murder and other charges earlier this year.

Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.

By Bee Staff

The Yolo County Sheriff's Department, Animal Services Section is trying to find a dog missing after a traffic accident Nov. 6 in the Dunnigan area.

The single-car rollover accident happened near County Line Road and Interstate 5, according to a news release.

One dog was found and was transported to the veterinarian where she is recovering from her injuries.

The missing dog is a female Pit Bull. She is reddish brown brindle in color and was wearing a red collar. She answers to the name of "Zoe," the release states.

The owner who is from Missouri is still in the hospital recovering from his injuries.

Anyone with information should call the Yolo County Sheriff's Department Animal Services Section at (530) 668-5287 extension 0.

By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com

A Woodland man convicted of the 1983 murder of his girlfriend's 22-month-old son has been deemed suitable for parole.

A panel of two Board of Parole Hearing commissioners on Monday found Christopher Fowler, 49, suitable to be released from prison into the Woodland community, according to a Yolo County District Attorney's Office news release.

In 1984, Fowler was convicted and sentenced to 15 years to life in prison with the possibility of parole for the Nov. 1, 1983 murder of his girlfriend's son.

The night before the murder, Fowler and his girlfriend were arguing at their Woodland home. Fowler didn't sleep that night, and the next day he was babysitting the toddler and the youngster's 3-year-old sister.

When the toddler would not stop crying Fowler smacked him in the face, shook him and threw him to the ground twice, officials said. The assault occurred in the presence of the 3-year-old sister.

Fowler and the baby's grandmother drove the toddler to Woodland Memorial Hospital. The youngster was transferred to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento due to life-threatening injuries. He was in a coma until Nov. 3, when he was pronounced dead as a result of fatal injuries to his brain.

Monday's parole hearing was held at California Solano State Prison in Vacaville, where Fowler was imprisoned. He has been in prison for 27 years and has had 12 previous hearings, according to the news release. Commissioners denied him parole on each occasion, the release states.

During the most recent hearing, the release states, the panel heard from the toddler's grandmother and two aunts, who asked commissioners to keep Fowler in prison.

Woodland Police Chief Dan Bellini and Yolo County Sheriff Ed Prieto sent letters to Parole Board members urging them to keep Fowler in prison, and representatives of the District Attorney's Office also appeared before the board to argue against Fowler's release.

In granting Fowler parole, the commissioners said he could move back to Woodland, but that they would like him to live in transitional housing for a few months before moving into his parents' house, according to the news release.

The Parole Board's decision could become final in 120 days after it is reviewed by the Board of Parole Hearings and then sent to the governor, who has the option of reversing the commissioners' decision.

Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.

By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com

Randy Ulibarri (left), a 30-year-veteran of the Union City Police Department, was sworn in this morning as Folsom's interim police chief.

Ulibarri will lead the department while the city pursues a national search for a permanent replacement for retired Chief Sam Spiegel. City officials said the recruitment process, which has just begun, is expected to take four to six months.

Ulibarri served as Union City's police chief from 2000 to 2006. He also was interim police chief for the city of Newman in 2007-08.

Ulibarri is a graduate of California State University, Hayward, the FBI National Academy and the Peace Officer Standards and Training Supervisory Leadership Academy, according to a city news release. He is married and has three adult sons.

The interim chief plans to establish temporary residence in Folsom.

Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.

By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com

A man wanted for murder in Mexico, but arrested in Yuba County has been turned over today to Mexican authorities by U.S. immigration officers.

David Isidoro Ramirez-Priego, 37, is wanted in the Mexican state of Hidalgo for a homicide in the town of Canali.

He is accused of shooting Rosendo Lara Oviedo in the head at point blank range in a bar after the victim refused to buy him a drink.

Ramirez was arrested Oct. 31 on suspicion of drunk driving by the California Highway Patrol. After being transported to the Yuba County jail, he was screened by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a search that revealed an outstanding murder warrant.

He told immigration officials he was living in Marysville and was working in construction. Ramirez was turned over to Mexican law enforcement at the border in San Ysidro.

Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.

By Sam Stanton, Marjie Lundstrom and Bill Lindelof
sstanton@sacbee.com

Real estate executive Michael Lyon was arrested this morning on charges that he secretly filmed sex acts with three women inside his home, at least one of them an "escort," authorities said.

Lyon, 54, faces four felony counts involving three alleged adult victims, the Sheriff's Department said.

He will be charged with surreptitious filming of sexual encounters he had with the women in 2008 and 2009. The encounters apparently occurred inside the Arden Arcade home he shared with his then-wife, some of them at Christmas time.

Lyon was released this morning from jail on $60,000 bail and exited the jail with his attorney and public relations man.

"These are all allegations and I'm intent on clearing my good name," Lyon said, declining to take questions.

He referred all questions to his attorney and left in an automobile that was parked at the curb.

Detectives arrived at Lyon's Carmichael home at 7:45 this morning and "caught him completely off guard," said sheriff's Lt. Craig Hill, who recently retired but was brought in especially for this case.

About eight detectives searched the Lyon home and a similar number searched his ex-wife's home. The family's vacation home in Homewood, near Lake Tahoe, also was searched.

Sacramento County Assistant Chief Deputy District Attorney Jeff Rose said a priority of investigators is to examine the new electronic material seized from the homes, which may shed light on Lyon's past as well as current activities.

Authorities already have reviewed recordings turned over by Lyon's ex-wife, Kimarie "Kim" Lyon, and a former girlfriend.

"Now we have three sets of data," said Rose.

However, the "voluminous" amount of material that Kim Lyon placed into storage in 2006 falls beyond the statute of limitations for prosecution, he said.

For the alleged crimes, prosecutors have a three-year window in which to bring charges from the date of the incidents.

Rose said the older material could be used at trial, though, to demonstrate a pattern of conduct and an intent to secretly record houseguests, he said. Lyon told an investigator last year that his surveillance equipment was for security purposes.

During the investigation, the three women were shown images and asked to identify themselves engaging in sex acts with Lyon, according to the affidavit in support of the arrest warrant. At one point in a video, one woman sees an object she believes to be a camera.

"She points to the camera that is recording her and Lyon with a surprised look on her face and asks what it is," the document states. "Lyon tells her it is just equipment and it is nothing. She asks if it is a camera and Lyon told her it was not."

At the beginning of longer videos of a second woman, Lyon is seen adjusting the camera, the affidavit states. That woman had placed an ad for services as an "escort" on an Internet site.

A third woman is depicted in at least six video files. At one point, Lyon can again be seen adjusting the camera, the document states.

"Therefore he is clearly aware the video camera is present," the affidavit reads.

Lyon's GMC Yukon, with its distinctive FLYON HI license plate, was parked in front of the house this morning.

Hill said Lyon appeared to have just awakened when investigators arrived. Lyon had a female house guest who is not involved in the case and was released, Hill said.

Detectives searched the home for computers and other electronic storage devices that may contain evidence in the case, Hill said. Authorities are investigating whether Lyon's alleged taping activities continued even after he learned he was under investigation, Hill said.

Lyon's attorney, William Portanova, questioned the strength of a case built on testimony from the women.

"That's the allegation," Portanova said of the claim that Lyon secretly filmed the women, "although, frankly, the credibility of the complaining witnesses in this case is suspect."

"These are women who were paid for their time, and now they're being paid for their testimony," he said, adding that he believes the women will be promised immunity from prosecution in exchange for testimony.

Although Lyon stepped down as CEO of Lyon Real Estate shortly after the scandal erupted in late August, the arrest poses fresh public-relations problems for the firm.

"As it relates to the company, clearly there are challenges," said Doug Elmets, a spokesman for the firm, which is the largest in the area. "But it is a strong brand. It is important that it is a company that is well known throughout this region with 60 years of success...The company and the brand will stay the course."

More than 30 agents have jumped to rival firms in the past few weeks, according to Department of Real Estate records. But Elmets said the Lyon firm has hired roughly as many as have quit, although they haven't shown up on the state agency's records yet. He said the firm employs about 950 agents and brokers.

A felony conviction could cost Lyon his real estate license. The Department of Real Estate has the authority to suspend or revoke a license if the holder is found guilty of a felony or a crime "substantially related" to real estate work.

In this case, where the alleged acts are not directly related, the department would not enter into any investigation until the case is concluded and meets those parameters, said Joe Carrillo, spokesman for the Department of Real Estate.

"Nothing's automatic. Everything would be reviewed," he said.

The state's real estate commissioner has ultimate authority over whether to suspend or revoke a license.

Bee staff writer Dale Kasler contributed to this report. Call The Bee's Sam Stanton, (916) 321-1091.

By Bee Staff

A 38-year-old Roseville man faces a stipulated sentence of 19 years and four months in a state prison for incidents in 2009 that included an assault with a firearm and making a terrorist threat, according to the Placer County District Attorney's Office.

Mathew C. Hubbard (left) of Roseville pleaded guilty Monday in Placer County Superior Court to the two felony counts and also admitted to allegations of committing a hate crime in the assault case and to having been convicted of previous felonies, according to a news release from the DA's Office.

Prosecutor Stephanie Macumber said the defendant entered the pleas and admitted the special allegations on the day his case was scheduled to begin trial.

In one of the incidents in July 2009, Hubbard threatened another person with a knife. In a separate case a month later, Hubbard pointed a rifle at an African American man and made racial taunts.

Superior Court Judge Mark S. Curry set the sentencing for Dec. 17.

Q: In the 1990s, Tessie Ford, who was eight months pregnant, along with her young son were murdered in their Sacramento home by her husband. Where is he now? - Anonymous, Sacramento

A: Mariet Timothy Ford (left in a 1998 photo), now 49, is in prison, records show.

A Sacramento Superior Court judge sentenced Ford - a former University of California, Berkeley, football star - in 1998 to 45 years to life in prison for murdering his pregnant wife, 3-year-old boy and unborn son, The Bee reported.

Ford won't be eligible for parole until 2028, The Bee reported at the time of his sentencing.

He was convicted of three counts of second-degree murder and arson for beating his son, 3-year-old Mariet Jr., and Teresita "Tessie" Ford, his pregnant wife, to death, then using gasoline to torch their bodies as they lay on the dining room floor of their new Laguna Creek home in January 1997.

Ford, who also played in the Canadian Football League, was arrested six months later.

During the month-long trial, the prosecution portrayed Ford as an unfaithful husband, stressed out by financial problems and resentful about his wife's unplanned pregnancy.

In testimony, Ford denied the killings by telling jurors he loved his family and was a successful salesman for a telecommunications firm. He said the real killer was probably a burglar.

For a complete list of questions answered by Sacto911, click here

By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com

Woodland police are reporting a rash of catalytic converter thefts from pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles.

The 11 catalytic converter thefts occurred during the early morning hours on Tuesday in the southern part of the city. The exhaust system car parts were all taken off Toyota SUVs or pickup trucks.

The high-profile Toyota vehicles allow easy access for thieves to slide underneath and remove the catalytic converters, police said.

The converters are prized for the small amounts of precious metals that they contain. The converters contain a few grams of platinum, rhodium or palladium.

No suspects have been identified in the thefts. Tipsters may call Woodland police at (530) 661-7800 with any information about the thefts.

Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.

By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com

A man accused of putting a knife to his girlfriend's neck and raping her in front of her 2-year-old child has been convicted by a Sacramento Superior Court jury.

Vernon Medler, 20, today was found guilty of two counts of rape, domestic violence, criminal threats, false imprisonment and child endangerment.

Medler and the victim were boyfriend and girlfriend, and got into and argument after Medler found a Valentine's day card that was sent to the victim by an ex-boyfriend, according to a Sacramento County District Attorney's Office news release.

Believing that the relationship was going to end, Medler raped the victim while her family was in the home, telling her that if she screamed he would kill her and her family, officials said. The victim did not immediately tell her family about the rape because she feared for her safety and theirs.

Less than 24 hours after the first rape, Medler raped the victim a second time, putting a knife to her neck and saying he would kill her. These acts were committed in front of her child.

After the second incident, the victim told her mother about the rapes and law enforcement officials were notified.

"Rape is an illegal under any circumstance, even if a victim is in a relationship with the attacker at the time of the crime," Deputy District Attorney Carlton Davis said in a written statement. "I commend this victim for not remaining silent and thank the district attorney victim advocates for their hard work in these cases."

Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.

By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com

A Sacramento man is among three men named in an indictment unsealed today charging them in a scheme to defraud mortgage lenders.

The 13-count indictment names Douglas Heald of Sacramento, Brian Hanley of Redding and Jerad Maggi, according to a federal Department of Justice news release.

The indictment alleges that in 2005 and 2006, the men altered appraisal documents and title reports to obtain $5 million in mortgage loans with $1.5 million in "cash out" loans that would not have been made but for their fraud. Nine of the mortgaged properties were in Redding and one was in Lodi.

Officials said Heald and Hanley turned themselves in to authorities today and were arraigned before U.S. District Magistrate Judge Gregory G. Hollows. They pleaded not guilty and are to appear before U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb on Dec. 1. Maggi is sought by the FBI.

Officials said the case stems from the successful prosecution of Joshua Gervolstad, a Redding mortgage broker who was sentenced on July 12 to three years in prison and ordered to pay $1.4 million in restitution.

Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.

Sacramento coroner identifies victims in triple homicide

By Kim Minugh and Bill Lindelof
kminugh@sacbee.com

The Sacramento County Coroner's Office has identified the victims of Monday night's triple homicide in south Sacramento as Chio Chong Saechao, 46; Jerry Wang Saetern, 22; and Vern Cheo Saeteurn, 19. Coroner's and sheriff's officials could not explain the difference in the spelling of Vern Cheo Saeteurn's last name.

The mother and her two sons were shot to death in their residence on Home Country Way about 11 p.m. Monday. Sheriff's detectives allege they died at the hands of 47-year-old Kouei Wang Saetern (left), Chio Saechao's husband and the father of the couple's adult sons.

Kouei Saetern was booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail early this morning on suspicion of three counts of murder. From there, he declined an interview with The Bee this afternoon.

A fight broke out between husband and wife, said sheriff's Sgt. Tim Curran. The fight escalated, and the adult sons tried to intervene on behalf of their mother, Curran said. (An earlier report that the fight started over what to watch on television has been discounted, investigators said late today.)

Kouei Saetern retrieved a rifle and came back to shoot the victims, Curran said.

The couple's young daughters, 12 and 7 years old, and a nephew had fled the house when the argument escalated and sought refuge at a neighbor's house, Curran said. They were not harmed.

Deputies arrived to find the three victims dead inside the home, each with one gunshot wound. They found Kouei Saetern in the garage and took him into custody for questioning.

Three rifles were taken from the home, including the one detectives believe was used in the attack.

Call The Bee's Kim Minugh, (916) 321-1038.

By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com

A former child protective services worker from Yuba County is scheduled for sentencing later this month after a Placer County jury found her guilty of 16 felony offenses, including check fraud, forgery, attempted extortion and accepting a bribe.

Yolanda Perez Fryson (left), 43, deposited checks with no funds to back them up so she could take money from her personal bank accounts in Placer and Yuba counties, according to a Placer County District Attorney's Office news release.

Officials said she also falsified documents to cover up the crimes and, while on administrative leave from her CPS job, used a missing badge from her office to misrepresent herself in an extortion attempt.

The jury returned guilty verdicts on all 16 counts Nov. 1, after deliberating for two days.

Placer County Superior Court Judge Joseph O'Flaherty, who presided over the three-week trial, scheduled sentencing for Nov. 29.

Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.

By Bill Lindelof and Cathy Locke
blindelof@sacbee.com

A 55-year-old Wilton man died this morning when the motorcycle he was riding was involved in a collision on northbound Highway 99 north of 47th Avenue.

The Sacramento County Coroner's website identified him James Walter Murphy.

The accident occurred about 9:55 a.m. when a Mercury Sable driven by a 17-year-old boy swerved out of control into the center median, according to the California Highway Patrol. The driver overcorrected, causing the vehicle to travel back into the northbound lanes, where it collided with a Harley Davidson motorcycle, propelling the rider from the motorcycle.

The motorcycle then collided with a third vehicle, causing minor damage, and the Mercury continued off the roadway and stopped against the sound wall. The teenage driver ran south on 47th Avenue, the CHP said.

Murphy was taken to UC Davis Medical Center with major head injuries and died about 11:30 a.m.

Portions of northbound Highway 99 remained closed until 11:25 a.m.

During a follow-up investigation, CHP officers went to the youth's home in unincorporated Sacramento County and took the teenager to the Highway Patrol office for questioning, according to a CHP news release. He later was released to his sister. The youth's name has not been released because of his age.

Officials said the youth was not injured, and neither alcohol nor drugs appeared to be a factor in the collision. They said charges against the teenager are pending, but may include felony hit and run causing injury, and vehicular manslaughter.

The collision remains under investigation, and anyone with information is asked to call the South Sacramento CHP Office at (916) 681-2300, or CHP dispatch at (916) 861-1300.

Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.

By Andy Furillo
afurillo@sacbee.com

A woman whose shooting of two people in a south Sacramento apartment last year set the stage for her boyfriend's double-murder of two witnesses was convicted Monday for her end of the deal.

Bryanna Nadine Warren, 22, was found guilty by a Sacramento Superior Court jury on one count of attempted murder and another of assault with a deadly weapon.

She is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 9 by Judge Roland L. Candee.

Her boyfriend, George Ellis Wallace, 38, was convicted Sept. 30 of two counts of murder in the Dec. 15 shooting deaths of Clifford Eugene Brown, 54, and James Edward Turner, 60.

Wallace's sentencing has been rescheduled to Dec. 10.

Wallace killed the two men Dec. 15 because they were witnesses against Warren in a nonfatal shooting in an 18th Avenue apartment, the prosecution previously stated in a court brief. Turner witnessed Warren's shooting the previous month of the 54-year-old Brown and a woman friend of his, the brief states.

Call The Bee's Andy Furillo, (916) 321-1141.

By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com

The Sacramento County Coroner's department has released the name of a pedestrian fatally injured over the weekend.

The man was identified as David Scott Amend, 52, of Sacramento.

The accident occurred about 7 p.m. Saturday on Florin Road east of Power Inn Road.

A car was traveling eastbound on Florin Road when the vehicle struck Amend who was not in a crosswalk, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The driver was not cited.

Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.

By Bill Lindelof
blindleof@sacbee.com

Sacramento police said today that the woman whose body was discovered in a burning car in the South Land Park area of Sacramento possibly committed suicide, police officials said.

Sacramento Fire Department personnel responded to a report of a vehicle fire just before 7 p.m. Monday in the parking lot of the Holiday Villa restaurant at South Land Park Drive and 58th Avenue, said Sacramento Police Officer Konrad von Schoech.

When firefighters arrived, they discovered a woman inside a Honda Accord. They tried to pull the woman out but couldn't, von Schoech said. The body was burned beyond recognition, he said.

Officials said they don't know how the fire started or if the woman died before the fire started or because of the fire.

John Thomas, 19, who lives in the nearby Land Park Villa apartment complex, said after the fire started, "The flames were way too high. You couldn't get near the car."

Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.

By Chelsea Phua
cphua@sacbee.com

A body was discovered in a burning car Monday night in the South Land Park area of Sacramento, police officials said.

Sacramento Fire Department personnel responded to a report of a vehicle fire just before 7 p.m. in the parking lot of the Holiday Villa restaurant at South Land Park Drive and 58th Avenue, said Sacramento Police Officer Konrad von Schoech. When firefighters arrived, they discovered someone inside a Honda Accord. They tried to pull the person out but couldn't, von Schoech said. The body was burned beyond recognition, he said.

Officials said they don't know how the fire started or if the person died before the fire started or because of the fire.

John Thomas, 19, who lives in the nearby Land Park Villa apartment complex, said after the fire started, "The flames were way too high. You couldn't get near the car."

Arson investigators and homicide investigators are trying to determine the circumstances that led to the fire and the person's death.

Call The Bee's Chelsea Phua, (916) 321-1132.

By Andy Furillo
afurillo@sacbee.com

A Sacramento jury returned a first-degree murder conviction today against a woman who set up what turned out to be the gruesome stabbing death last year of a young artist in his mother's midtown home.

Nadine Danielle Klein faces a likely life prison term with no chance of parole when she is sentenced on Dec. 10 by Superior Court Judge Steve White.

Klein, 21, was convicted of burglary along with murder in the June 3, 2009, killing of Jim Arthur, 23, a special-circumstance allegation the jury found to be true that qualifies her for the no-parole sentence.

The verdict came in Klein's retrial after jurors split 9-3 in favor of her guilt earlier this year but could not reach a unanimous decision.

Jurors convicted Klein's two co-defendants in the first trial, Johnathan Allen Baker and Jeremy Dale Ackerman. Both were sentenced to life in prison without parole.

According to testimony in the two trials, Klein helped Baker and Ackerman slip into Arthur's house for the purpose of robbery and burglary. She was convicted under the theory that she aided and abetted a felony that turned into a murder.

Baker initiated the fatal knife attack on Arthur when he learned that the victim was gay, authorities said. Ackerman also admitted to stabbing Arthur in the course of the assault. Arthur was stabbed a total of 176 times during the attack, Deputy District Attorney Eric Kindall said in his closing argument last week.

Call The Bee's Andy Furillo, (916) 321-1141.

By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com

A Roseville man has been arrested on suspicion of impersonating a police officer and a firefighter.

Richard Wayne Berrera, 51, was arrested on suspicion of being an ex-felon in possession of a weapon and impersonating a peace officer and a firefighter.

He was allegedly spotted by a Roseville Fire Department captain Wednesday morning when an engine company was on a routine medical aid call at a care center in the 1100 block of Cirby Way.

The engine captain noticed a man in the parking lot wearing a firefighter baseball cap and t-shirt and a badge on his belt. The man then ducked behind a pickup truck when he saw the Roseville fire crew, according to a police department press release.

The fire captain, aware that someone has been falsely posing as a fire investigator, called Roseville police.

Roseville police found that Berrera's pickup had a red, dashboard-mounted emergency light. Inside, police said, they found numerous police- and fire department-type badges and identification cards.

When officers searched Berrera, they said they found that he was carrying a collapsible baton.

Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.

By Loretta Kalb
lkalb@sacbee.com

The incident began with an argument between a man and a woman.

It evolved into a whole lot more than that, Sacramento city police say.

And it was just one of a number of incidents that kept police busy over the weekend.

Police said the couple's argument was reported at 1:30 a.m. outside a business on Stockton Boulevard south of Mack Road.

It turned ugly, police said, when the man jumped into his car and drove toward the woman. He missed hitting her. Instead, he drove through the front window of the business, causing substantial damage, police said.

He fled the scene, police said, but was stopped by a member of the Sacramento Sheriff's Department near Power Inn Road and Haystack Drive.

Ethan Tsubasa Thao, 32, was booked into the Sacramento County Jail for investigation of felony assault with a deadly weapon and for misdemeanor driving under the influence of alcohol.

Police said they investigated a carjacking that was reported shortly before 6 p.m. Saturday near Gateway Oaks Drive and Weald Way in the north area.

The victim told officers he pulled his car off the road because it was making strange noises. Three men walked up to him and asked to use his phone.

Then two pulled out pistols and demanded the man's car before driving way.

Officers called to the site checked the area and found the vehicle less than a mile away at Venture Oaks and Gateway, unoccupied.

No word on whether the car had quit running.

At about the same time Saturday, a man confronted a parking control officer after his car was being ticketed for a parking violation in a lot in the 1500 block of West El Camino Avenue. Police said the man asked the amount of the fine, and when didn't like what he heard, he threw a soda at the officer and left the area, police said.

Meanwhile, other officers got into a chase shortly before midnight after an officer tried to stop a motorist speeding at Western and Butterword avenues in the north area. The driver initially pulled over, but then sped away, police said. The pursuit ended shortly when the driver stopped his car in front of his residence. Police said the suspect was on parole. He was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Property crimes were investigated, too. Burglaries were reported at multiple locations during the weekend, including a partially abandoned warehouse in the 4600 block of Raley Boulevard near McClellan Park early today and at a residence in the 500 block of Hartnell Place southeast of Fair Oaks Boulevard mid-morning Saturday.

In the warehouse burglary, four individuals were seen fleeing the area on bicycles. Security officers apprehended one of the riders. The building had been forcibly entered, and multiple cooling units with copper wire were found at the rear of the warehouse and at an adjacent complex. Police took the bike rider into custody.

In the residential burglary, the victim came home after being gone for a few days and found her home ransacked.

Another burglary reported shortly before 4 a.m. today in the 4600 block of Freeport Boulevard resulted in the arrest of a suspect, 41-year-old Robert Whalen, for investigation of burglary.

Officers who responded to a ringing alarm found Whalen loitering in an adjacent parking lot and reported that they had connected him to the crime. The business had a broken front window and a cinder block stepping stone near the broken glass.

Call The Bee's Loretta Kalb, (916) 321-1073.

By Loretta Kalb
lkalb@sacbee.com

A 20-year-old motorcyclist who died in a head-on collision on Ione Road in Sloughhouse has been identified as Brandon James Gross of Ione, the Sacramento County Coroner's office reported.

The collision Friday occurred north of Claypit Road along a stretch of Ione Road where the road curves to the right for northbound travelers. The California Highway Patrol reported that the rider apparently failed to follow the curve in the road, crossed the double-yellow center lines and entered the southbound lanes.

The motorcycle, traveling at an estimated 35 mph to 40 mph, collided head-on with a 2000 Isuzu Rodeo. The driver of the Isuzu suffered minor injuries.

Gross, although wearing a helmet, suffered fatal injuries and died at the scene, the CHP said.

Call The Bee's Loretta Kalb, (916) 321-1073.

By Loretta Kalb
lkalb@sacbee.com

A routine police stop for a traffic violation netted a driver's arrest and the confiscation of 4.25 pounds of marijuana shortly after 9 p.m. Saturday, Rocklin police said today.

Police said that a veteran Rocklin officer stopped a pickup truck following a traffic violation and issued the driver, Brian Kirk, a notice advising that his driver's license was suspended.

Kirk was asked to leave the vehicle and not to drive. The officer then arranged for help monitoring the site to ensure Kirk did not resume driving.

Soon after, Kirk climbed into the truck and drove away, police said.

The second time police stopped Kirk, he was arrested for driving on a suspended license.

A vehicle search yielded a suitcase and glass jars full of marijuana, or about 4.25 pounds of the weed, police said.

Kirk was booked in the Placer County Jail for investigation of marijuana transportation and possession.

Call The Bee's Loretta Kalb, (916) 321-1073.

Bee staff

An Auburn man accidentally discharged a pistol into his own calf at his home in the 100 block of Pacific Avenue shortly before 9 p.m. Saturday, police said today.

Kevin Epsley was taken by ambulance to Sutter Roseville Hospital, where he underwent surgery and was said to be recovering today.

A police spokesman said the case is under investigation for possible weapons violations.

By Darrell Smith
dvsmith@sacbee.com

California Highway Patrol officers are at the scene of a fatal traffic accident on Florin Road east of Power Inn Road in south Sacramento this evening, according to CHP reports.

Officers were notified of the single-car wreck involving a Toyota Corolla about 7:10 p.m.

According to reports, the Corolla was headed west on Florin when the crash occurred.

No further details were available.

Call The Bee's Darrell Smith, (916) 321-1040.

By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com

The Folsom Police Department will expand its traffic enforcement with special operations, thanks to a $148,000 grant recently awarded by the California Office of Traffic Safety.

The Selective Traffic Enforcement Program grant is to assist in dealing with traffic safety problems and to reduce the number of people killed and injured in traffic collisions, according to a Police Department news release.

The grant activities will specifically target motorcycle safety, DUI offenders, drivers with suspended or revoked licenses, red light running, speeding and seatbelt violations. Officials said this will be done through DUI/driver's license checkpoints and special enforcement operations.

The grant also provides funds to purchase a radar message board, radar feedback signs, DUI checkpoint supplies and overtime for officers to conduct special enforcement activities.

For the second year, the Folsom Police Department will participate in four special motorcycle safety enforcement operations. Extra officers will be on duty, patrolling areas frequented by motorcyclists. Officers will crack down on traffic violations by motorcyclists and other vehicle drivers in an effort to prevent motorcycle collisions, injuries and deaths.

Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.

By Chelsea Phua
cphua@sacbee.com

Sacramento Kings player Antoine Wright (left) was arrested in Rocklin early today on suspicion of driving under the influence, police and his team said.

"I'm sorry for having gotten myself into this situation," the 26-year-old forward said in a statement. "I sincerely apologize to my teammates and coaches, the Sacramento Kings Organization, the Sacramento community and my fans and my family."

Rocklin police acting Sgt. Rich Cabana said that about 1:30 a.m., his department received a transfer call from the California Highway Patrol that a resident was following a possible drunken driver on westbound Interstate 80 near Rocklin Road.

The resident followed the suspected drunken driver off the exit to a Tesoro gas and food market on Rocklin Road, where the driver stopped in front of a gas pump, Cabana said.

When Rocklin police officers arrived, they identified the suspected drunken driver as Wright, and booked him into the Placer County jail, Cabana said, adding that he did not have information on Wright's blood alcohol level.

Wright's lawyer, Bill Portanova, said in the statement that "we are working closely with the Rocklin Police and cooperating fully in their investigation."

Wright has appeared in two of Sacramento's five games, and the Kings have a home game against Memphis on Saturday.

The statement did not say if Wright would face a suspension.

But Geoff Petrie, the Kings' president of basketball operations, said in the statement that "we are extremely disappointed in the situation Antoine has created for himself and the organization. There certainly has been no shortage of education and/or resources made available to our players in regard to these types of dangerous behaviors.

"We will, however, respect his right of due process at this time."

Team spokesman Troy Hanson said players can call team security at any hour if they need a ride. Players are also provided the phone number to an outside service for rides.

Wright's arrest is the latest in a string of run-ins with the law that Kings players, a coach and an owner have had in the past few years.

Last month, George Maloof Jr., the Kings' minority owner, was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving in Las Vegas, where he is also the owner of the Palms Casino Resort. Maloof registered a 0.086 blood-alcohol level.

NBA Rookie of the Year Tyreke Evans pleaded no contest in July to driving recklessly on May 31 when a CHP plane spotted him driving at nearly 130 mph on Interstate 80 in northern Sacramento.

Kings forward Andres Nocioni pleaded no contest earlier this year to a November 2009 drunken driving incident in downtown Sacramento. He was arrested after attending a nightclub and registering a 0.12 blood-alcohol level.

He was sentenced to three years of informal probation that included two days in jail to be served on the sheriff's work project, a three-month class and fines totaling about $2,500.

In March 2007, former Kings forward Ron Artest was arrested and charged with four counts of misdemeanor domestic violence. He pleaded no contest and was sentenced to 100 hours of community service.

In October 2006, then-Kings head coach Eric Musselman was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving following an exhibition win over the Utah Jazz. Musselman pleaded no contest and was sentenced to 48 hours on a work project, three years of informal probation and a $580 fine.

The league suspended Musselman for two games and he was fired when the Kings failed to reach the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons.

The Associated Press, Bee staff writer Jason Jones and Deputy Sports Editor Victor Contreras contributed to this report.

Call The Bee's Chelsea Phua, (916) 321-1132.

By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com

A man with a history of predatory sexual offenses dating back more than three decades has been ordered committed to the custody of the California Department of Mental Health for treatment and confinement.

A Sacramento jury today found true the allegation that John Rainwater, 46, is a sexually violent predator under provisions of the Welfare and Institutions Code.

Superior Court Judge Robert M. Twiss immediately ordered Rainwater committed to the custody of the Department of Mental Health, according to a Sacramento County District Attorney's Office news release.

Officials said Rainwater has a criminal history of predatory sexual offenses dating back to 1977. In 1981, within 24 hours of escaping from the California Youth Authority where he was serving a sentence for sexual assault of a 7-year-old boy, Rainwater committed forcible sexual assaults upon two additional youths who were strangers.

Rainwater was tried as an adult and sentenced to 25 years in prison. He was released on parole and assigned to a high-risk sex offender parole supervision unit. He violated his parole on several occasions and was returned to prison.

In 1997, after serving time for the parole violations, his first sexually violent predator petition was filed against him.

"The purpose of the law is to remove from our streets mentally disordered sexual offenders who are likely to re-offend in a sexually violent and predatory fashion and have them confined in our state hospital to receive intensive sex offender treatment," Deputy District Attorney Donna Gissing said in a written statement.

Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.

By Chelsea Phua
cphua@sacbee.com

The Sacramento County Sheriff's Department is offering amnesty for the people who failed to complete work projects as part of their court-ordered commitment, if they show up on Nov. 20 between 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Work Project office.

Sheriff's officials said the pre-holiday amnesty program allows those with an active sheriff's order of commitment warrant to spend the holidays with their families instead of risking arrest and incarceration.

It's a one-time weekend amnesty offered to those who stopped attending or never reported to their work projects.

The Work Project office is at 700 North 5th St. in Sacramento.

Sheriff's officials are encouraging anyone with an active warrant to sign up before the holiday season. Eligible individuals returning to their work projects will have a chance to make payment arrangements with the department's collections specialists.

For more information, contact the Sheriff's Work Project at 916-874-1402, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Friday.

Call The Bee's Chelsea Phua, (916) 321-1132.

By Andy Furillo
afurillo@sacbee.com

A Sacramento man convicted of voluntary manslaughter in a fatal, gang-related shooting in the north area three years ago was sentenced today to eight years in prison.

Jurors last month returned the voluntary manslaughter verdict on David Moses Ballesteros, 23, in the death of Stephen Matthew "Bo" Clay, 25.

Sacramento Superior Court Judge Greta Curtis Fall rescheduled to Nov. 19 the sentencings on three men convicted of first-degree murder in the Aug. 19, 2007, shooting in the 700 block of Eleanor Avenue.

Call The Bee's Andy Furillo, (916) 321-1141.

By Andy Furillo
afurillo@sacbee.com

Glenn Wade Jennings was sentenced to death today for the June 2, 2004, robbery murder of liquor store owner Kulwant Sufi, a 61-year-old immigrant from India who was stabbed 11 times by by the parolee who had just gotten out of prison two months earlier.

"Mrs. Sufi, at 5-foot-3, never had a chance against the bigger, stronger, laser-focused defendant," Sacramento Superior Court Judge Maryanne G. Gilliard said from the bench before imposing the death term on Jennings.

Jennings had previously served two prison terms for robbery, including his most recent 16-count case for which he had been behind bars for 23 years.

Sufi's son and husband testified at the sentencing hearing that their lives have been devastated by her death and absence.

"You can't even talk about it, it's so unbelievable," said her son, Gurminderajit Sufi, a Sacramento dentist.

The burly, 6-foot, 240-pound Jennings, 57, submitted a six-page, single-spaced statement for the sentencing in which he said he was innocent. He described himself in the statement as "the lamb led to the slaughter."

Deputy District Attorney Rick Miller countered that "I disagree with I would say about 99 percent of the statements" in Jennings' letter to the court.

Jennings was captured on videotape assaulting and stabbing the victim, then stealing the cash register from behind the counter of DK Discount Liquor on Florin Road. The register was later recovered from a vacant lot near Jennings' Oak Park home. A steak knife recovered from the store matched a set found in his house and fiber evidence recovered from his car matched items found at the crime scene.

When Jennings is transferred to San Quentin Prison, he will be the 714th condemned California inmate to take up residence on death row.

Call The Bee's Andy Furillo, (916) 321-1141.

By Andy Furillo
afurillo@sacbee.com

Manuel Alvarado-Guerre was sentenced to 26 years to life in prison today for the Oct. 8, 2008, stabbing murder of Rodolfo Nunez in a North Highlands strip-mall parking lot.

Sacramento Superior Court Judge Michael P. Kenny imposed the term after a jury convicted the defendant last month.

Authorities said the dispute between Alvarado-Guerre and Nunez resulted from an argument over a cell phone. Both the victim and the defendant had been drinking before the stabbing.

Call The Bee's Andy Furillo, (916) 321-1141.

A fire at a vacant Rancho Cordova motel on Folsom Boulevard has been brought under control.

Firefighters were in the mop up stage of the blaze an hour after the 10 a.m. fire broke out at the abandoned 1st Value Inn near Mather Field Road.

The fire struck several units on the second floor of the structure.

By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com

A medicinal marijuana seller in Sacramento thinks his business may have been burglarized this morning because of opposition to the recently failed Proposition 19.

Don Johnson, director of the Unity Non Profit Collective, 1832 Tribute Road, said that about 3:20 a.m. two men smashed the front window of the business near Cal Expo.

The thieves made off with $2,500 in marijuana products and $1,500 in donations and toys meant for the Sacramento Food bank.

The intruders entered the dispensary area by coming in through the ceiling from another part of the business.

The business has video tape of the burglars and their vehicle. Sacramento police will review the video, Johnson said.

Johnson thinks he knows why Unity was targeted:

"I have my suspicions," he said. "There is a list on the web calling for people to boycott businesses that were against Proposition 19 and to cause harm to them. Coincidentally, our name found its way onto that list just yesterday."

Johnson said some of the damage done by the burglars was not simply done in the course of a break-in. He called it vindictive vandalism.

"The stealing of our signs, the smashing of our business license, the pulling down of stuff from the walls," he said. "If you are here to rob something, you are not going to take the time to pull things off walls or smash my business license. You are going to be worried about stealing and leaving."

Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.

By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com

A portion of Ione Road in rural eastern Sacramento County is closed in both directions because of a traffic fatality.

Details of the crash are not immediately available. However, the California Highway Patrol reports that a motorcyclist was killed in a collision with another vehicle.

The collision on Ione Road between Jackson Highway and Meiss Road was reported to the CHP at 5:18 a.m.

Sacramento County Coroner's deputies are responding.

Ione Road is expected to be closed until 7:30 a.m.

Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.

By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com

The Sacramento Police Department is investigating two bank robberies in which the perpetrators wore safety vests during the robberies.

The most recent incident occurred at 9:15 a.m. Thursday (left). Officers responded to a report of a bank robbery in the 300 block of Howe Avenue. Two men entered the bank, hit an employee and stole money before fleeing, according to a Police Department news release.

The men were described as African American, in their 20s, wearing yellow neon safety vests and masks to cover their mouths. No weapon was seen during the robbery.

The previous incident occurred at 9:08 a.m. Sept. 9, in the 3600 block of North Freeway Boulevard in the Natomas area. In that robbery, three men entered the bank and one held employees at gun point while the other two stole money, according to police. The men were described as African American, in their 20s and wearing orange safety vests and dust masks to cover the mouths.

Detectives are investigating whether the two incidents are connected.

Anyone with information about the robberies is asked to call Crime Alert at (916) 443-4357, or text a tip to 274637. Enter SACTIP followed by the tip information. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

(The photo below is from a Nov. 4 robbery.)

Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.

By Sam Stanton
sstanton@sacbee.com

A judge today said he would hold a mental competency hearing in March for Phillip Garrido, the accused kidnapper of Jaycee Lee Dugard, and agreed to allow media groups to argue in favor of unsealing records in the case, including Garrido's psychiatric reports and grand jury transcripts of Dugard testifying in September.

The decisions by El Dorado Superior Court Judge Douglas Phimister came during a brief hearing in Placerville, where the judge said The Bee and other media organizations could argue at a Dec. 2 hearing over why dozens of records in the matter should be unsealed.

Primary among them is the approximately 160 pages of grand jury transcripts that include Dugard's testimony about her 18 years of captivity that ended when she was found alive in August 2009.

Phillip and Nancy Garrido are accused of abducting her in 1991 when she was 11, and Nancy Garrido's lawyer insisted after the hearing that there was no reason to unseal the transcripts.

"This stuff is evil," Stephen Tapson said of the descriptions contained in the transcripts. "Obviously, I would assume that Jaycee doesn't want this stuff out there."

The prosecution also has opposed releasing the transcripts, but media attorney Karl Olson said the law gives the public the right to see such materials and that hearings in the case should be open. He cited one decision involving Theodore Kaczynski, the so-called Unabomer, that allowed release of his psychiatric records.

As Olson spoke to reporters this afternoon following the brief open hearing, the judge was holding another closed hearing in the matter.

Phimister indicated he would allow arguments on the issue Dec. 2, and he said he was inclined to keep Garrido's competency hearing open in March.

That session is expected to determine whether he is able to stand trial or must be sent to a mental hospital until he is found to be able to face trial.

Garrido sat in court quietly today sporting a gray beard while his wife sat nearby. Both are being held in the El Dorado County Jail.

Call The Bee's Sam Stanton, (916) 321-1091.

By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com

A Folsom Prison correctional officer is suspected of buying a drug with a phony doctor's prescription.

Billy Joe Humphries, 37, was arrested Tuesday afternoon by Folsom Police. Police said he tried to use a prescription slip with a forged doctor's signature for OxyContin at a pharmacy on East Bidwell Street in Folsom.

The pharmacist alerted police who took arrested Humphries into custody outside the store when he exited.

OxyContin is a highly addictive narcotic that doctors prescribe to treat chronic pain.

Humphries told investigators he became addicted to the drug after it was prescribed for a work-related injury, police said.

Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.

By Bee Staff

A cadet at the California Highway Patrol at the agency's academy in West Sacramento died today, the CHP said.

The CHP said Randy Atchison, 24, of Ceres, died at Sutter Memorial Hospital in Sacramento.

Atchison was transported by ambulance to Sutter General Hospital Oct. 29 for an unknown illness after completing a regularly scheduled physical training session, according to a CHP release.

The cadet was transferred on Oct. 31 to Sutter Memorial Hospital, where he died at 1:29 a.m. today, the release states.

"On behalf of the CHP family, I extend my heartfelt sympathy to Cadet Atchison's family, friends and fellow Academy classmates," said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. "Cadet Atchison was just beginning the road to becoming a CHP officer, which was his lifelong dream. He had a life full of promise ahead that was tragically cut short."

Atchison was among a 124-member class that began the 27-week training on Oct. 25.

Atchison is survived by his parents, James and Andrea; brothers, Zachary and Chad; a sister, Alissa; his girlfriend, Kimberlee Andrada; and a 1-month-old daughter, Kaylee Atchison.

The CHP is working with Atchison's family on funeral arrangements.

It is believed Atchison's death is the second cadet death in the CHP's 81-year history, the release states.

It is the first since the academy in West Sacramento opened in 1976 that a member of the cadet class died while enrolled in the program (a cadet died in 1951 during a motorcycle training exercise when the academy was located on Meadowview Road in Sacramento), the release states.

By Sam Stanton
sstanton@sacbee.com

In the strongest possible terms, Nancy Garrido's attorney is arguing against release of grand jury transcripts involving the kidnapping of Jaycee Lee Dugard, saying they contain such "evil" that his client could never get a fair trial if they are made public.

Stephen Tapson, arguing against an effort by The Bee and other media organizations to force release of documents that have been sealed in the case, filed papers in El Dorado Superior Court saying he and Nancy Garrido oppose the release of any sealed documents.

The issue is scheduled to be argued in a court hearing in Placerville on Thursday, and Tapson left no doubts in his court declaration that the case against Nancy and Phillip Garrido could be severely damaged by release of transcripts from a grand jury session held in secret in September.

"I have received calls from Australia; Rome, Italy, and London, England, from people who have seen my visage on television," Tapson wrote. "I have examined hundreds of transcripts that vividly describe murder, rape, pillage, but nowhere in my experience have I seen a transcript that describes evil, as is contained in the grand jury transcript in People v. Garrido.

"I believe that any person who reads the grand jury transcript in this case would be adversely affected to the point they would be agreeing to the guilt of the defendant prior to the trial beginning."

Dugard was 11 when she was kidnapped in 1991 from outside her home near South Lake Tahoe. Authorities say the Garridos pulled her into a car and spirited her away to their Antioch-area home, where she was held captive for 18 years in sheds and tents in their backyard and forced to bear two daughters to Phillip Garrido, who was on parole at the time of the abduction for kidnap and rape.

She was found alive in August 2009 and the Garridos have been in custody in the El Dorado County Jail since then awaiting trial.

Both have pleaded not guilty to rape, kidnap and other charges that could send them to prison for life.

But, after a year of legal wrangling, prosecutors secretly convened a grand jury to issue new charges in the case, a move that allowed Dugard to testify privately and not face questioning from defense attorneys before the case goes to trial.

By Bee Staff

A Yolo Superior Court Jury has found two men guilty in connection with a methamphetamine trafficking operation, the district attorney said in a news release.

DA Jeff Reisig said the specific convictions were:

- Thomas Leroy Kemnitz, 50, of Woodland for possessing, sales and transportation of methamphetamine.

- Pedro Omar Delatorre, 33, of Dixon for possession of methamphetamine for sale and being armed with a firearm.

The drug operation operated between Woodland and Dixon from April of 2009 through August 2009, Reisig said.

During a four month investigation conducted by the Yolo Narcotic Enforcement Team Kemnitz sold more than a quarter pound of methamphetamine.

On Aug 13, agents searched four locations in Yolo and Solano Counties and found Delatorre in possession of almost a half pound of methamphetamine and two firearms at his home in Dixon. Kemnitz was found with one ounce of methamphetamine in his vehicle, and one-quarter of an ounce of methamphetamine at his home in Woodland, Reisig said.

The investigation involved more than 30 officers from multiple agencies including the California Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement, the Dixon Police Department, the Solano County Sheriff's Department, and agents from the Solano County drug task force.

Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 17.

Kemnitz faces a potential sentence of 17 years eight months in state prison. Delatorre faces a potential sentence of eight years in prison.

By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com

A missing 81-year-old Sacramento County man was found safe near Santa Barbara today, said sheriff's department spokesman Sgt. Tim Curran.

The man, who he has been diagnosed with dementia and has the beginning stages of Alzheimer's disease, was found safe.

He was last seen driving away from the New Testament Baptist Church Monday night at 6746 34th St. in a black 2003 Cadillac Escalade.

Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.

By Cathy Locke

clocke@sacbee.com

U.S. Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner has announced that an indictment was unsealed charging three men with offenses involving sex trafficking of minors.

A federal grand jury on Oct. 27 returned the indictment against Paul "Yoshi" Moore, 49, and Kevin "Ket" Hawkins, 45, both of Sacramento, and Timothy Lee, 44, formerly of Sacramento, Wagner said in a news release.

The indictment was sealed until federal agents arrested Hawkins and Moore on Tuesday morning. Lee is in custody in New Mexico, facing federal charges of sex trafficking of minors in Colorado, the release states.

The indictment alleges that Moore produced sexually explicit images of three minors in 2006. He also is accused of recruiting, enticing, harboring, transporting and maintaining the three minors, identified as T.T., T.B. and A.B., knowing that they were under 18 years of age and would be caused to engage in a commercial sex act, the release states.

Moore also is charged with possession of matter containing visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct on Feb. 22, 2007, the release states.

Kevin Hawkins was charged with aiding and abetting the production of sexually explicit images of the minor A.B. and with aiding and abetting the sex trafficking of A.B., according to Wagner.

Timothy Lee was charged with aiding and abetting production of sexually explicit images of the minor T.T. and with sex trafficking of T.T., the release states.

Hawkins was arraigned on the indictment Tuesday and detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for Thursday. Moore is to be arraigned today.

By Kim Minugh

kminugh@sacbee.com

Sacramento County sheriff's deputies are investigating the shooting of two people in the Fruitridge area this morning, according to authorities.

The two victims, both 19-year-old men, suffered non-life-threatening wounds to their legs, said sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Tim Curran.

The shooting was reported about 11 a.m. in the 5100 block of Thurman Way, near Fruitridge Road and Stockton Boulevard.

No one is in custody, authorities have no suspect descriptions and the motive is unknown. The victims are being uncooperative with deputies, Curran said.

Q: What happened to Bruce Clotfelter, the child molester, who was found posing as a Top Gun Fighter pilot at schools in Roseville in 1994 or 1995? Has he been released and is he back in the Sacramento area? - Anonymous, Roseville

A: Bruce Lee Clotfelter, now 50, is living in Napa, according to the Megan's Law sexual offender registry.

Clotfelter (left) was released from prison in 2003, records show.

He apparently voluntarily underwent surgical castration in hopes the procedure would control his urges to molest young boys, The Bee reported.

In 1996, Clotfelter, a convicted child molester, was sentenced to 14 months in federal prison Thursday for posing as a Navy "Top Gun" pilot in January on visits to Roseville elementary schools and a Navy recruiting station.

Clotfelter pleaded guilty to four counts of impersonating a military officer.

Clotfelter, then on parole from his molestation conviction, wore a flight suit when he visited schools.

He told officials he was Cmdr. Talon Fox and was scouting campuses for his children in anticipation of relocating to the Sacramento area, according to federal prosecutors.

Clotfelter was given tours of several schools, spoke to students about his purported career and signed Navy posters for the children.

In fact, Clotfelter was not married, had never held a job for more than six months, and lived with his parents in Citrus Heights.

Clotfelter was imprisoned for child molestation in 1989, when he was a church youth group leader in Oroville. He was arrested on charges of lewd and lascivious behavior with five boys ages 9 to 13.

He pleaded guilty in Butte County to three of the counts involving three boys. In return, authorities dropped the other charges.

Clotfelter was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He was paroled in April 1994 after serving four years and eight months.

For a complete list of questions answered by Sacto911, click here

By Bee Staff

A man who strangled his pregnant girlfriend and dumped her body in a Sacramento County creek is due a parole hearing.

A jury convicted Richard Edward Duncan, now 58, of the March 1972 murder of Anita Mattson, 24. A judge sentenced Duncan to the then maximum sentence for second-degree murder - five years to life in prison, The Bee reported.

Mattson's body, clad only in panties, was found in a pool of water under a bridge off East Levee Road, a mile north of Elkhorn Boulevard.

Duncan apparently killed Mattson at a Marconi Avenue apartment, which they shared.

A witness, Duncan's brother, testified that Duncan talked about chopping up the body and sending the head to Mattson's mother.

Duncan's hearing will be Nov. 17 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

By Bill Lindelof and Chelsea Phua
blindelof@sacbee.com

Sheriff's homicide detectives have arrested a 36-year-old man in connection with the stabbing of an acquaintance at a Fair Oaks apartment complex.

James Edward Jones (photo right) was booked into Sacramento County Main Jail shortly after 8 p.m. Tuesday on a count of murder. He was arrested earlier in the day by detectives in the 7800 block of Sunset Boulevard.

The body of Victor Manuel Vega, 39, was found early Tuesday morning on a second-story landing between two apartments at the complex in the 4800 block of Sunset Terrace.

Vega, who lived at the complex, is suspected to have gotten into a fight with Jones, who fled the scene, according to deputies. Vega suffered significant blood loss and was pronounced dead at the scene.

It is not known what led to the fight between the two men, sheriff's deputies said.

Vega's death was preceded by a call to the department about 2:45 a.m. from apartment complex security guards about a man causing a disturbance.

Guards said that a man, apparently Vega, was wandering through the complex "being loud and obnoxious."

Deputies were not able to find the man who was earlier causing the disturbance.

However, they returned about 45 minutes later to the same complex on a call to dispatchers about the sounds of a fight. They discovered Vega's body on the landing.

Anyone with information is asked to call detectives at (916) 874-5115 or Crime Alert at (916) 443-4357.

Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.

Previous story:

Bloodied body found at Fair Oaks apartment complex - Nov. 2, 2010

By Bee Staff

A woman who helped Roseville police catch a man responsible for a drive-by shooting was among eight people honored today by the Placer County district attorney for helping law enforcement or assisting a crime victim.

The honorees received plaques at a ceremony at the Placer County Board of Supervisors after being named recipients of the Placer County District Attorney's 13th annual Citizen Recognition Awards.

According to a news release from the DA's office, the honorees were:

-Kimberly Trotter of Citrus Heights, who assisted Roseville police in the capture of a drive-by shooting suspect who wounded a 16-year-old boy near the intersection of Sierra College and Douglas boulevards on Nov. 5, 2008.

Trotter witnessed the shooting as she drove behind the suspect's vehicle, called 911 on her cell phone and followed the car for several blocks while she provided the car's description and its path to the dispatcher. The shooter, Justin Wittkop, was convicted in a jury trial in February and is now serving multiple life sentences.

- Irene Rios, who was the manager of Supercuts in Lincoln on Feb. 27, when a 13-year-old Sacramento County girl entered the hair salon and asked to use the phone to call for a taxi cab. Rios was suspicious because the girl said her parents had left her alone in Lincoln.

Rios called Lincoln police, who interviewed the girl and learned that she had been taken to a hotel by a part-time Sacramento County sheriff's deputy and engaged in sex with him. The defendant, Eric Cephus, later pleaded out to sexual molestation charges and to an allegation of kidnapping. He was sentenced to 18 years in state prison.

-Two security employees in Truckee for their roles in the conviction of a woman who allowed her Down Syndrome child, 7, to wander away at a shopping center on March 29, 2009, and put himself in danger.

Peter Leibrock, supervisor of a security firm, found the boy running around in the underground parking garage at Village at Northstar in Lake Tahoe. The firm's dispatcher, Leesa Robb-Knudson, comforted and fed the boy as employees tried to identify him and find the parents.

The child's mother, who had a history of letting the boy wander away, was found guilty of felony child endangerment in a jury trial in October 2009. She was given a two-month jail sentence and placed on probation for four years.

-Three Sierra College students for their actions in a March 24, 2009, attack in which a man was stabbed repeatedly by a student on the Rocklin campus.

Cameron Gilbert of Newcastle pushed the attacker off the victim, stopping the attack and likely saving the victim's life.

Kimberly Black of Roseville and Bethany Lilly of Orangevale, two students, ran to the victim's aid and tried to stop the bleeding until emergency personnel arrived.

The three students testified at the trial of Paul Thomas Heintz, who was convicted of attempted first-degree murder on Sept. 30, 2010. Heintz's sentencing is pending.

-Colfax High School music teacher Todd Wilkinson, who organized a music concert to raise money for Jose Palomera, a motorist who was seriously injured by a rock thrown from an overpass by three teenagers on July 26, 2010.

The rock crashed through the windshield of Palomera's vehicle and struck him in the face, causing injuries to his mouth and jaw. The three teens pled to felony assault and conspiracy charges in adult court on Oct. 14 and were sentenced to the Juvenile Detention Center and placed on probation.

Wilkinson put together a concert featuring the high school's band and choir. The event drew about 400 people and raised more than $2,100 for Palomera

Senior Deputy District Attorney Garen Horst, who has organized all 13 of the Citizen Recognition Award programs, credited District Attorney Brad Fenocchio for his leadership in the program.

"Since its inception, we have honored over 250 individuals, many of whom have appeared before this board," Horst told the supervisors. "Our DA has been a tireless advocate of justice for this county, and he recognizes that fighting crime cannot be done just by the police or the DA, but at times must necessarily involve members of the community who decide to do the right thing."

Kirk Uhler, chairman of the Board of Supervisors, told the award winners that Placer County's law enforcement agencies are aided by involved citizens.

"Thank you for helping Placer County be a better place for all of us," Uhler said.

By Andy Furillo
afurillo@sacbee.com

A fired former Sacramento sheriff's deputy pleaded no contest today to misdemeanor theft and forgery charges.

Michael Patrick Leary, left, who also is a former Elk Grove City Council member, entered his plea just as a jury was about to be empanelled for his scheduled trial on six felony counts in Sacramento Superior Court.

Leary faced five years and four months in prison if he would have been convicted on all counts. Under the terms of his plea deal, Leary was sentenced by Judge Ben Davidian to 180 days in county jail - to be served on home detention - and three years informal probation. (An earlier version of this story erroneously stated Leary's maximum prison exposure if he had been convicted.)

Prosecutors charged in the case that Leary had defrauded a former girlfriend in a real estate transaction that involved a home they bought together in Elk Grove.

Call The Bee's Andy Furillo, (916) 321-1141.

By Andy Furillo
afurillo@sacbee.com

A Sacramento Superior Court jury convicted a father of first-degree murder Monday in the stabbing death last year of his son.

Jerry Valencia Villa will be sentenced Dec. 3 by Judge Timothy M. Frawley.

Villa, 51, had claimed self-defense in the April 4, 2009, killing of his 26-year-old son, Alexander, saying that the victim showed up at his Pasadena Avenue doorstep near Renfree Park and threatened him after a dispute between the two that had begun to rage the previous day.

Prosecutors said Villa had been drinking most of the day at the time of the stabbing that took place around 10:50 p.m.

According to court papers, the elder Villa got angry at his son at a wedding party a day earlier when Alexander Villa had roughly handled the defendant's teacup Chihuahuas.

Call The Bee's Andy Furillo, (916) 321-1141.

What happened to the guy who is suspected of punching Satender Singh and causing his death? - Gretchen, Sacramento

Andrey Vusik, 32, the man suspected of throwing the fatal punch that caused the death of Satender Singh, may be in Moscow, other parts of Russia or the Ukraine, the FBI told The Bee.

A Sacramento County District Attorney's spokeswoman confirmed that there is an active warrant outstanding for Vusik (left).

A jury convicted Aleksandr Shevchenko, 22, of disturbing the peace and simple assault in the death of Singh, both misdemeanors. He was sentenced to 150 days in jail.

The jury acquitted Shevchenko of a hate crime charge.

Singh was among a group of people drinking and dancing to Indian music by Natoma Lake in July 2007. Singh was the only one without a date and was seen hugging and dancing with other men, according to witnesses.

Shevchenko was also with a group of people, who allegedly aimed racial and homophobic slurs at Singh's group.

Witnesses testified that a group with Singh also provoked Shevchenko and his friends with racial slurs and lewd dancing, Shevchenko's attorney said.

Singh was punched more than three hours after the confrontation began. He fell and struck his head. Singh died four days later, authorities said.

For a complete list of questions answered by Sacto911, click here

By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com

Sheriff's homicide detectives are investigating the killing of a man whose bloodied body was found today at a Fair Oaks apartment complex.

The body of the man, whose name has not been released, was found on a second-story landing between two apartments at the complex in the 4800 block of Sunset Terrace.

The man, described as being 30 to 40 years old, is believed to have gotten into a fight with an unknown suspect who fled the scene. He had suffered significant blood loss and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators have not spoken to anyone who witnessed the fight, according to a news release from the Sheriff's Department.

The victim's death was preceded by a call to the department about 2:45 a.m. from apartment complex security guards about a man causing a disturbance.

Guards said that a man, apparently the homicide victim, was wandering through the complex "being loud and obnoxious."

Deputies were not able to find the man who was earlier causing the disturbance.

However, they returned about 45 minutes later to the same complex on a call to dispatchers about the sounds of a fight. They discovered the body on the landing.

Anyone with information is asked to call detectives at (916) 874-5115 or Crime Alert at (916) 443-4357.

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Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.

By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is seeking the public's help in locating a husband and wife wanted in connection with an alleged Ponzi scheme.

FBI officials said recent information indicates that Perry and Rachelle Griggs may be in the Sacramento area.

The two were indicted by a federal grand jury in Honolulu last week on 13 counts of wire and mail fraud related to a Ponzi scheme they allegedly operated from 2005 through 2009, primarily targeting Hawaii residents.

According to the indictment, the Griggses operated Aloha Trading, a company purporting to be in the business of commodities trading on behalf of clients. The indictment alleges that the Aloha Trading investment program was a Ponzi scheme in which investors' returns were derived from their own principal investments and money from later investors.

At the time the alleged scheme was active, Rachelle Griggs lived in Las Vegas and Perry Griggs was incarcerated in prisons in Nevada, Texas and California. FBI officials said Griggs was serving time in federal prison for running a Ponzi scheme when he allegedly conducted the Ponzi scheme for which he is currently charged.

While in prison in Nevada, Perry Griggs was housed with a large number of inmates from Hawaii, according to an FBI news release. The indictment alleges that the Griggses marketed the Aloha Trading investment program to inmates and their families.

According to the indictment, investors obtained mortgage loans, or liquidated their retirement and personal savings to invest in the Aloha Trading program. Between September 2005 and June 2009, Aloha Trading allegedly received approximately $3 million from 12 separate investors, nine of whom lived in Hawaii.

In September 2008, Perry Griggs was released from federal prison and lived in Las Vegas with Rachelle Griggs until they both disappeared in January 2010.

FBI officials said they consider this to be a national fugitive manhunt with primary focus on the states of Nevada, Washington and California. The Griggses are from the Everett/Maryville, Wash., area and lived in Santa Ana through the 1990s, according to the FBI.

Perry Griggs, 49, is described as 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighing 180 ponds, with gray hair and blue eyes. He is known to have expensive tastes in sports cars, high-end clothing, cigars and golf, according to the news release.

Rachelle Louise Griggs, also known as Rachelle Rutledge, is 42, 5 feet 4 inches tall, weighing 150 pounds with blond hair and green eyes.

Anyone who recognizes the couple or has information about their current location is asked to call the Honolulu FBI at (808) 566-4300.

Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.

By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com

Sacramento police officers searched an area in the 4000 block of Broadway this afternoon in an effort to locate a parolee.

Police Department spokesman Konrad Von Schoech said an officer spotted a known parolee in the area about 1:30 p.m. When the officer stopped to contact the man, he went into his house. Police set up a perimeter and attempted to make contact with the man. They eventually entered the house, but the parolee was gone.

Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.

By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com

A Sacramento man has been sentenced to prison for stealing $17,000 from an elderly Davis woman.

Yolo County Superior Court Judge Kathleen White last week sentenced Willie Vains Jr., 42, to six years in prison.

Vains and a partner had charged an elderly woman in Davis more than $17,000 for supposed "handyman work." Most of the work was never done, and work that was completed was valued at little more than $1,000, according to a news release from the Yolo County District Attorney's Office.

Vains and his partner also physically intimidated the woman to get her to pay them the money.

Officials said Vains was involved in a similar scam in the 1990s, involving three elderly victims.

White denied a motion to dismiss a prior "strike" offense against Vains.

Vains' partner, Claude Gaither, was sentenced earlier this year to four year in prison for his role in the theft.

District Attorney Jeff Reisig credited vigilant friends and neighbors who discovered that the Davis woman was being scammed, and Davis Police Department detectives who spent months working on the case.

Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.

By Kim Minugh
kminugh@sacbee.com

Sacramento County sheriff's deputies arrested two people this weekend that they suspect are responsible for a series of recent burglaries in the area, including along the American River Parkway, according to authorities.

Deputies arrested 34-year-old Lonnie Flashman and 21-year-old Amy Hoffman-Draper on Saturday after finding a large stash of stolen property in their Arden Way motel room, sheriff's Sgt. Tim Curran said.

Investigators believe they have recovered the property of at least 40 victims. Among the stolen property were purses, backpacks, driver's licenses, credit cards, a handgun and a rifle, Curran said.

Deputies suspect the stolen property was collected in a series of burglaries in and around Sacramento County, including some that have been reported at the William Pond access point along the American River Parkway, Curran said.

Park rangers there reported a significant increase in car break-ins in October.

Detectives are identifying the victims and returning their property, Curran said.

Flashman remains at the Sacramento County Main Jail, where he is being held in lieu of $80,000 bail.

He is being held on suspicion of burglary, being an ex-felon or addict in possession of a firearm, receiving stolen property, possessing narcotics and violating the terms of his probation, according to booking records.

Hoffman-Draper is being held in lieu of $50,000 after she was booked on suspicion of child endangerment, records show.

Curran said deputies found a child in the couple's hotel room as well as drugs.

A charge of possessing stolen property will be added later, Curran said.

According to Sacramento Superior Court records, Flashman has a criminal record, including a conviction for auto theft, possession of burglar's tools and driving under the influence. Hoffman-Draper has no record in the county.

Call The Bee's Kim Minugh, (916) 321-1038.

By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com

A crash left four people dead in Butte County on Sunday despite the best efforts of passersby and California Highway Patrol officers.

The accident occurred around 6 a.m. Sunday at highways 99 and 162 west of Oroville and involved two pickups and a sport-utility vehicle.

The California Highway Patrol reported that a Dodge pickup traveling south on 99 veered into the opposite lane for unknown reasons and collided with a Ford Explorer driven by 41-year-old Rodrigo Ramirez, who carried five passengers.

Moments later a Ford Superduty pickup right behind the SUV clipped the Explorer, causing the truck to spin out off the roadway.

Within seconds of the collision, William Hague III and Thomas Crossin, who were headed from Chico to Sacramento International Airport, came upon the scene, the CHP said.

The two men went to the Dodge pickup, which was almost fully engulfed in flames and pulled the injured driver, Ryan Finnerty, 21, of Roseville, out of his truck.

Hague then went to the passenger side of the SUV and with the help of Richard Martinez, the uninjured driver of the Ford Superduty, pulled an 11-year-old boy and a 35-year-old man from the Explorer.

Crossin suffered burns to his left hand and Hague was cut on his wrist during the rescues, but both men declined medical aid.

CHP units then arrived at the scene and tried to help. CHP officer Todd Irvin and an unnamed person first pulled Finnerty a greater distance from his burning pickup.

When CHP officer Troy Thompson arrived he immediately attempted to push at the back of the Explorer to get it away from the burning Dodge pickup, using push bumpers on his patrol car.

However, he could not move the Explorer. He then tried to push at the front of the Explorer, but was still unable to budge the SUV.

Thompson was forced to retreat when the fuel tank of the Dodge pickup ruptured, spilling gasoline onto the roadway and under the SUV. The gasoline was ignited by flames from the Dodge pickup and the SUV was enguled in flames withing seconds, the CHP said.

When CalFire arrived, officers discovered the four bodies inside the SUV after firefighters put out the flames.

The CHP said the dead were all from Live Oak and identified them as Ramirez, 41, Gustavo Martinez, Rigoberto Martinez, and Gabriella Rosas. Three people were also hospitalized.

Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.