Sacto 9-1-1

The two people killed when their single-engine airplane crashed in Placer County over the weekend have been identified as a couple from Lassen County.

Bruce Albright Rhymes, 59, and his wife, Kathy Lorraine Rhymes, 58, died Sunday when their aircraft crashed near Auburn Airport, according to the Placer County Sheriff's Department.

Ian Gregor, public affairs manager for the Federal Aviation Administration, said the Cessna 170 crashed under unknown circumstances in a wooded area.

A Colfax man could face life behind bars after accepting a plea agreement Monday for the 2011 killing of his girlfriend and unborn child.

Sara Lynn Burr, 30, of Grass Valley was shot and killed following a domestic dispute with her boyfriend, Lee Martin Konnerth, 37. After an argument at Konnerth's father's Colfax residence, Burr - armed with a kitchen knife -- tried to leave the home.

Using a rifle retrieved from a closet near the front door, Konnerth shot Burr in the back, killing her and the the 5-month-old fetus.

The relationship was described as volatile before the killing, officials said. The child would have been Burr's third.

The plea agreement was taken by Placer County Superior Court Judge Colleen Nichols.

Under the plea agreement, Konnerth is facing 19 years, and eight months to life. Formal sentencing is scheduled at 1 p.m. July 17 in Dept. 4.

After a struggle, Auburn police arrested a man suspected of theft at two convenience stores last night.

Officers were first dispatched to a 11:45 p.m. Monday merchandise theft report at the 7-11 store on Sacramento street. Later, an officer noticed a man walking hear Highway 49 and Fulweiler Avenue who matched the description of the 7-11 store shoplift.

The officer turned his vehicle around in time to see the man enter a Shell station convenience market. The man entered and allegedly tried to make off with a 12-pack of beer.

The Placer County Sheriff's Department is alerting residents to a telephone scam involving callers who identify themselves as law enforcement officials.

Some residents have reported receiving phone calls from an individual claiming to be a Placer County sheriff's official. They were told they were owed money and asked to wire money to release the funds, according to a Sheriff's Department news release. The caller then gave a phone number to call to verify that the caller was a member of law enforcement. Authorities stress that any number given should always be verified through other sources, rather than taking the caller's word for it.

Detectives urge people to never give money or information over the phone to anyone they don't know, adding that a law enforcement officer would never call and ask someone to wire money.

Anyone who questions the legitimacy of someone who claims to be a deputy or a detective is advised to call the Sheriff's Department's non-emergency line , (530) 886-5375, to verify that the individual works for the Placer County Sheriff's Department.

By Ed Fletcher
efletcher@sacbee.com

Bail for a Meadow Vista man was set at $130,000 after he allegedly stole a chainsaw from a local hardware store earlier this week and evaded capture for several hours.

Tuesday morning, Placer County Sheriff's deputies say they spotted James Everett Daniel, 30, outside a Meadow Vista home and identified him as the suspect in a theft Monday of the Meadow Vista True Value Hardware store.

Before deputies could make contract with Daniel, he fled in to the nearby woods, according to a sheriff's department press release.

A man allegedly drew a gun on a towing yard employee to get his car out of storage and then went to a Roseville bar where he was arrested.

Roseville police said the man tried to pay his towing and storage fees at a Tahoe Avenue tow yard about 6:30 p.m. Friday with credit cards. However, the cards were declined.

Still wanting his car, the 21-year-old Rocklin man allegedly pointed at handgun at the towing yard employee and drove away in his vehicle.

About three hours later, Roseville police found the man in a bar on Pacific Street. He was arrested on suspicion of robbery and carjacking his own car.

Police also found the handgun believed to have been used in the crime hidden in a shed on Ash Street.

A routine traffic stop Friday evening in Auburn resulted in a foot chase and two arrests.

At 10:42 p.m. Auburn police officer Chris Forman initiated a traffic stop at the 13,000 block of Lincoln Way. While being searched, the driver identified as Lucas Ryan Strom, 33, of Auburn, began making furtive movements, pushed the officer away and fled, according to the Auburn Police Department.

Strom resisted arrest and was pepper sprayed while being taken into custody, the police said.

Officers found a sizable amount of heroin in Strom's possession. He was also wanted for burglary in Summit County, Utah. The passenger Sean Isaacks, 26, of Grass Valley, remained in the car during the attempted escape but was subsequently arrested on suspicion of possession of methamphetamine and a switchblade. A search of the vehicle also produced a digital scale.

Strom remains in custody and faces an array of charges, including possession with intent to distribute.

A man suspected of setting a fire near the American River canyon this morning was apprehended by a Placer County sheriff's helicopter crew member as the suspect tried to leave the area.

A resident of Shirland Tract Road called 911 at 11:04 a.m. to report a brush fire in a neighbor's field. The woman also reported seeing a man jumping fences in the neighborhood, according to a Sheriff's Office news release.

A sheriff's lieutenant was the first to arrive in the area and he yelled at the man to stop. The man, later identified as Luke Carter, 24, of Vacaville, refused and continued to flee from the lieutenant, sheriff's officials said.

The driver booked following a crash that claimed the life of a 69-year-old Roseville man Tuesday has been identified as an attorney and a faculty member at California State University, Sacramento.

A spokeswoman for CSUS confirmed that Jordan Tonya Louise Peters, 45, is an associate professor in the university's College of Business Administration. According the CSUS website, Peters is also a practicing attorney who represents employers in employment litigation matters.

Peters was arrested by Roseville police Tuesday and booked into Placer County Jail on suspicion of of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and driving under the influence of drugs after the vehicle she was driving allegedly triggered a chain-reaction collision in which one person was killed and three others were injured.

Police said an elderly man who told some rowdy teens to take their noisy activity elsewhere was beaten in front of his Roseville home.

At about 12:30 a.m. Tuesday, police and fire personnel responded to the assault in the 900 block of Douglas Boulevard. According to a police activity report, the 79-year-old man had exited his house to ask a group of rowdy teens to move along.

Instead, the five teens charged the man, knocking him to the ground. They allegedly kicked and hit him.

Auburn police today identified Bret Montague, 54, of Auburn as the man who died of injuries suffered when a car crashed into an Auburn restaurant Monday.

Montague, who had been pinned under the vehicle, succumbed to his injuries Tuesday night.

The crash occurred about 2:30 p.m. Monday as a 72-year-old woman was attempting to park her car in front of Tio Pepe's restaurant on Washington Street. The driver lost control of the vehicle and it entered the outdoor patio dining area of the restaurant, striking three patrons and trapping Montague under the vehicle.

Authorities say three people were injured, two seriously, when an SUV driven by a woman in her 70s plowed into a restaurant's outdoor seating area in Auburn, according to an Associated Press report.

The incident occurred around 2:30 p.m. Monday at Tio Pepe in the Placer County city.

Police told local TV stations in Sacramento one man who was eating on the patio of the Mexican restaurant became pinned under the SUV. Two other people were also injured and taken to hospitals.

Police are investigating what caused the crash.

Roseville police are trying to help a homeless woman who lost her belongings, including vital personal papers.

Police said that a homeless woman who frequents Gathering Inn overnight shelters in Roseville hid her duffle bag in a field near Pleasant Grove and Woodcreek Oaks boulevards.

Sometime between March 15 and April 5, somebody took the dark green, wheeled duffle bag. It contained a black backpack with red stripes, women's clothing, shoes, toiletries and important personal documents.

A police safety bulletin requests that if anyone comes across any of the items they would appreciate a call at (916) 774-5000.

A Roseville man is suspected of using a laser pointer to shine onto aircraft.

Roseville police said that on April 12 a commercial airliner crew reported that a high-powered laser beam was pointed at them. The beam came from somewhere in northwest Roseville.

A California Highway Patrol helicopter crew narrowed the origin of the light to the area of Pleasant Grove and Woodcreek Oaks boulevards. However, the CHP was not able to find the exact source that night.

A Fresno man who controlled marijuana growing operations in El Dorado, Placer and Tehama counties has been sentenced to more than 17 years in prison.

Uriel Ochoa-Espindola, 44, today received a 17.5-year sentence in Sacramento from U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb for his part in a marijuana trafficking conspiracy, according to a federal Department of Justice news release.

Ochoa-Espindola was the leader of a massive marijuana manufacturing operation and an interstate drug distribution ring, according to court documents. His operation was based near Delhi, but he and his partners grew tens of thousands of marijuana plants in three different counties and shipped their product across the country with the aid of commercial truckers.

Charges of filing false tax returns have been added in a federal case against three men accused of stealing more than $18 million from the United Auburn Indian Community, which owns the Thunder Valley Casino Resort in Lincoln.

The new charges against Bart Wayne Volen, 53, of San Diego and Hawaii; Greg Scott Baker, 46, of Newcastle; and Darrell Patrick Hinz, 48, of Cameron Park, are included in a superseding indictment brought today by a federal grand jury in Sacramento, according to a federal Department of Justice news release.

In August 2012, the three men were charged with conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud, and money laundering as part of a scheme to defraud the United Auburn Indian Community. Today's superseding indictment alleges that in 2006 and 2007, Volen and Hinz filed false tax returns in connection with the fraud, and Baker filed false tax returns from 2006 through 2009.

A federal grand jury has charged a Foresthill man with being a felon in possession of ammunition following an investigation into mailbox tampering in Placer County.

Richard Lee Gray, 56, also was charged today in Sacramento with access device fraud, possession of stolen U.S. mail and two counts of destruction of U.S. mail letter boxes, according to a federal Department of Justice news release. Gray is scheduled for arraignment April 17 before U.S. Magistrate Edmund F. Brennan.

According to court documents, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service received several reports of letter box tampering and destruction in the Placer County area. Gray was identified as a person of interest in the case, and authorities searched his residence April 2.

The case resulted from an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Placer County Sheriff's Department, with the assistance of the U.S. Forest Service.

Roseville police are investigating recent break-ins of cars at trailheads.

On Sunday between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. four cars parked on Orvietto Drive near the Miner's Ravine bike trail entrance were burglarized. Also on Sunday, on the 500 block of Sunrise Boulevard near the Miner's Ravine trailhead, a car was broken into by an auto burglar.

In that incident, at about 8:30 a.m., a woman placed two purses in the trunk of her car and locked the vehicle. She returned twenty minutes later to find that someone had broken the window of her car and popped open the trunk lid.

A police safety report indicated that a thief had taken compact discs and the purses containing cash, jewelry, credit cards and her identification.

A break may have occurred in the trailhead case thefts the next day: A Roseville officer checking the Miner's Ravine trailhead parking lot off Sierra College Boulevard because of the recent auto burglaries, saw someone sitting in a car parked very close to an unoccupied vehicle.

The man in the car was on parole. A search of his car turned up a spool of copper wire that police suspect was stolen.

Police later connected him to two March 27 vehicle burglaries at the trailhead on Orvietto Drive. The 30-year-old Carmichael man was arrested on suspicion of burglary, possessing stolen property and other charges.

Detectives are continuing to investigate his possible connection to other trailhead car break-ins.

The Placer County Sheriff's Office is offering a free class April 25 to help business owners protect themselves and their businesses.

The class is scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Loomis Depot conference room, 5775 Horseshoe Bar Road, Loomis. Topics for discussion include identity theft and counterfeiting, dealing with transients, high-tech crimes, business security, crime reporting and arrests, internal theft, and trespassing and parking concerns.

Reservations are due by April 22. For more information or to sign up for the class, call Lynn Harrison, community services officer, at (916) 652-2419, or email lharriso@placer.ca.gov.

A Rancho Cordova man died early Sunday morning after he reportedly lost control of his car on Auburn Folsom Road in Placer County.

Matthew Bohling, 29, was driving a blue Honda Civic northbound on Auburn Folsom Road about 1:57 a.m., approaching Eagle View Lane, when he lost control of the vehicle, traveled across the southbound lanes and off the roadway, according to a California Highway Patrol news release.

After leaving the roadway, the Honda struck two concrete poles, a fire hydrant and a tree, officials said. Bohling was pronounced dead at the scene by South Placer Fire District personnel.

CHP officials said the cause of the crash is under investigation, and it has not been determined whether alcohol or drugs were factors.

Auburn police say that a motorcyclist was killed last night on Highway 49 when his vehicle hit a pickup truck.

Police responded about 7 p.m. Tuesday to Highway 49 in the American River Canyon about three-quarters of a mile south of Borland Avenue. The injured motorcyclist was flown by helicopter to Sutter Roseville Medical Center where he was later pronounced dead.

The Placer County coroner's office identified the motorcyclist as Troy Carl Arter, 45, of Auburn.

The driver of the truck was not injured. Auburn police said a preliminary investigation revealed that the motorcycle, traveling northbound, crossed over into southbound oncoming traffic.

Bee reporters answer questions about area crime news, trends and other issues.

QUESTION: What is the status of Vera Kuzmenko, who was indicted in a mortgage fraud case?
Submitted by: Edward, Sacramento

ANSWER: Vera Kuzmenko, a tax preparer, is one of more than 80 people who have been indicted in 30 cases of alleged mortgage fraud filed in U.S. District Court in Sacramento and involving members of the area's Slavic community, according to stories in The Bee.

A Sacramento man has been found guilty of conspiring to manufacture marijuana at homes in Placer County.

Tien Le, 47, was convicted following a six-day jury trial in Sacramento before U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb, according to a federal Department of Justice news release.

Evidence was presented during the trial of a conspiracy involving Le and his two brothers. Authorities said the three men purchased high-end homes in Auburn and Foresthill to house marijuana growing operations. The three homes had basements ideal for growing large amounts of marijuana.

A 76-year-old who had been reported missing from his Colfax home since Monday morning has been found safe.

The Placer County Sheriff's Department reported that Ronald Russell (pictured) was located in Grass Valley and will be reunited with his family.

Russell had been missing since about 9:30 a.m. Monday, when he left his home on Sylvan Road, in a remote area outside the city of Colfax. He was on foot, and was not carrying any identification or money, according to a Sheriff's Office news release.

A Rocklin middle school teacher pleaded not guilty Monday to supplying marijuana to minors.

Ian Runciman, 38, an eighth-grade math teacher at Granite Oaks Middle School, was booked into Placer County Jail on March 1.

Police said Runciman allegedly kept in touch with some of his former students after they transitioned to local high schools and supplied marijuana to them.

The crimes are suspected to have occurred at Runciman's Rocklin apartment and involved three to four male juveniles aged 15 to 17.

Police said there is no indication that any of his suspected crimes occurred on a school campus.

Roseville police arrested a purse snatcher who stabbed a woman on a downtown street.

Shane Michael England, 26, of Roseville was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and attempted robbery in the attack that occurred at 12:40 a.m. Saturday.

He remained in custody today in Placer County Jail today on $85,000 bail.

Last week, a Dixon girl was lauded for turning in a cash-stuffed wallet she found on the street. Also last week, in Roseville, the opposite happened when an adult pocketed somebody's dropped billfold.

Roseville police said that on March 19 at about 10 a.m. a man was washing his clothes at a coin laundry in the 400 block of Folsom Road when his wallet fell out of his pocket.

Police say that security cameras captured a woman picking up the wallet, quickly concealing it, and later leaving without returning it to the rightful owner. She was accompanied by a toddler.

An Auburn man was arrested today, accused of offenses involving sexual assault and child pornography.

Auburn police said Thomas Mitchell Hale, 53, was taken into custody following a yearlong investigation. He was arrested on suspicion of extortion by force or fear, sexual assault, sexual battery and sending child pornography. Several victims came forward during the course of the investigation, according to a Police Department news release.

After police obtained an arrest warrant, Hale turned himself in at the Auburn Police Department. He is being held in Placer County Jail in lieu of $150,000 bail.

Agents from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, in cooperation with more than 100 law enforcement agencies, conducted a record-setting statewide decoy "shoulder-tap" operation.

The task force operation was conducted Friday and resulted in 506 arrests statewide, surpassing last year's record of 435 arrests, according to a department news release. More than 400 individuals were cited for furnishing alcoholic beverages to minors, and at least 50 were arrested for other crimes such as illegal drugs, illegal gun possession, public drunkenness, parole violations and outstanding warrants, officials said.

Arrests in the Sacramento region included nine in Sacramento, four in Rancho Cordova, two in Folsom, six in Marysville, 11 in Placer County and 16 in Nevada County, according to the news release.

An Auburn man is behind bars after allegedly failing to stop at a stop sign and then running away from police.

The incident occurred on Thursday around 11:30 p.m. when driver Keith Smith failed to stop at a stop sign at the intersection of Lincoln Way and Cleveland Avenue, Auburn police said. The suspect reportedly led officers on a short chase toward Placer High School. Smith, 56, then drove his vehicle into a chain link fence, exited his car and ran away on foot, according to reports. Officer Chris Forman used a taser on Smith after he resisted arrest, police said.

Smith is being held in Placer County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail. Authorities said he was driving on a suspended license and under the influence of methamphetamine.

Due to lack of rain and unseasonably warm weather, fire season has come early this year.

Officials with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit are urging residents to use caution when burning debris. Although spring doesn't arrive until next week, the lack of moisture and the increase in temperatures in recent days have quickly dried vegetation in many parts of Northern California, according to a Cal Fire news release.

Cal Fire officials say they have responded to a large number of fires this past week that were caused by escaped debris burns.

A pedestrian walking on a Placer County road near Lincoln Thursday night was struck and killed by a car.

Candido Perez Jr., 33, of Roseville, was walking in the southbound lane of Industrial Avenue near Athens Avenue about 10:15 p.m. Thursday when he was hit by a car traveling at about 55 mph.

The driver swerved in an attempt to avoid Perez, who was walking with his back to traffic. Perez was pronounced dead at the scene.

The California Highway Patrol said it is not known why Perez was walking in the roadway.

Placer County sheriff's detectives are seeking the public's help in identifying suspects in two residential burglaries that occurred in Granite Bay late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning.

Items taken from the homes included bicycles, wallets, purses, credit cards and electronic equipment.

Early Wednesday, the suspects were captured on surveillance video at a Granite Bay store using a credit card taken in the burglary of one of the homes, according to a Sheriff's Department news release. The videos show them inside the store as well as the vehicle they were driving.

Distracted shopping has resulted in two women being relieved of their wallets at Roseville grocery stores.

In the first theft, a woman was shopping at a supermarket in the 6700 block of Stanford Ranch Road when a stranger struck up a conversation with her about food. The shopper later realized her wallet was missing from her purse.

She theorized that the stranger was likely working with another woman who took the wallet out of her purse, according to Roseville police.

More Roseville schools will have police officers on their campuses.

The Roseville City Council approved adding two more officers at last week's meeting in order to increase school security, according to a police public safety newsletter.

Already, police officers are assigned full time to Roseville, Oakmont and Woodcreek high schools. One of the new police youth service officers will be assigned to Adelante High School, and the other to the city's middle schools.

The police department hopes to have the new school officers on campus by fall.

A Placer County judge has ordered the release of the man accused of starting the 2012 Robbers Fire, the Placer County District Attorney's office confirmed today.

Bryon Mason, of Sacramento, was arrested shortly after the fire. Following a preliminary hearing, a judge on Tuesday ruled that there was insufficient evidence to hold Mason for trial and ordered his release from custody.

The fire burned 2,650 acres northeast of Foresthill and destroyed one home and four outbuildings and a firefighter was injured. Another 170 residences were threatened and many families were forced to evacuate their homes.

Mason was charged with felony arson causing bodily injury and arson of an inhabited dwelling. A weeklong preliminary hearing on the facts of the case concluded Feb. 20.

The DA's office alleged that Mason "lit and threw an illegal commercial grade display-type firework" at a swimming hole along Shirttail Creek causing the forest fire.

A man who allegedly injured and left his dog to die was charged with animal cruelty in Placer County Superior Court on Monday.

Mark Pope was assigned a public defender during his court appearance, according to Lynette Low, a spokeswoman for the Placer County District Attorney's Office.

The Auburn Journal reported that Pope allegedly shot his dog in the face with a pellet gun, broke its jaw and then tied the animal to a tree in the woods.

The dog, named Frankie, was later rescued by campers and adopted in January. Pope's next court date is scheduled for March 21 at 8:30 a.m. in Department 13.

Auburn police have released images from surveillance video showing the suspect sought in the armed robbery of a convenience store early Saturday.

A clerk at the store in the area of Auburn Ravine Road and Mikkelsen Drive called police about 5:30 a.m. and reported that a man armed with a black pistol had walked into the store and demanded cash. After the robbery, the suspect left on foot, heading west on Auburn Ravine Road.

Police said the suspect (pictured) was described as a white man, about 5 feet, 8 inches tall with a medium build. He reportedly was wearing a blue and gray knit poncho, black athletic pants, black and red gloves, and a dark-colored face mask.

Police seek the public's help in identifying the man. Anyone with information about the suspect is asked to call the Auburn Police Department's Investigations Division at (530) 823-4237, ext. 207.

A masked armed robber made off with cash from an Auburn convenience store Saturday morning, according to police detectives.

The suspect is still at large, said Auburn Police Sgt. Dale Hutchins.

A clerk called police about 5:30 a.m. and reported that a man had walked into the store, displayed a black pistol and demanded cash. After the robbery, the suspect fled on foot, going westbound on Auburn Ravine Road.

Police and Placer County sheriff's deputies searched the area, turning up evidence, but the suspect eluded capture, Hutchins said. A surveillance video camera recorded the crime and was reviewed by investigators.

The suspect is described as a white male adult, about 5'8", with a medium build. He was wearing a blue and gray knit poncho, black athletic pants, black and red gloves and a dark-colored mask.

Anyone with information about the suspect or crime is asked to call Hutchins at the Auburn Police Department at (530) 823-4237, ext. 207.

By Anita Creamer
acreamer@sacbee.com

A 38-year-old Rocklin middle school teacher was arrested Friday after a parent complained to a school resource officer that the teacher had allegedly given students marijuana and alcohol, authorities said.

The teacher, Ian Runciman, works as an eighth-grade math teacher at Granite Oaks Middle School. The alleged incidents occurred both on campus and at the teacher's Roseville apartment and involved several students, according to officials.

Runciman was arrested on suspicion of supplying marijuana to a juvenile and booked into Placer County Jail today.

Rocklin police continue the investigation and request that anyone with information call the department at (916) 625-5443.

Placer County sheriff's detectives seek the public's help in identifying a burglary suspect whose image was captured on surveillance video in a Loomis barn early Saturday.

The man (pictured) is described as about 40 years old, weighing 150 to 180 pounds, with blond or gray hair. He wore black jeans, a black hooded sweatshirt with a brightly colored pattern on the front and black gloves.

He was seen on video walking through the barn on Creekside Lane in Loomis at 3:34 a.m., according to a Sheriff's Department news release.

Anyone who can identify the man is asked to call Detective Ryan West at (916) 652-2423. Those who wish to remain anonymous are asked to call Placer County Crime Stoppers at (800) 923-8191, or provide a tip online at www.placercrimestoppers.com. Information leading to an arrest could earn the tipster a cash reward of up to $1,000.

The search of a Grass Valley home led to the arrest of a man for an Auburn convenience store stick-up.

Auburn police said a masked man armed with a gun held up the Auburn Gas & Food, 1110 High St., about 7 p.m. Feb. 7. The robber escaped with cash.

During an investigation following the robbery, Detective Dave Neher was able to identify a possible suspect and recover a firearm believed to have been used in the crime.

As a result of his investigation, Neher developed probable cause for a search warrant of a home in the 1400 block of Segsworth Way in Grass Valley. A search of the home on Tuesday turned up "items associated with the robbery," according to an Auburn police press release.

Jeremiah Navratil, 24, was arrested on suspicion of armed robbery and committing a felony while out on bail.

A Grass Valley man was arrested today in connection with the armed robbery of an Auburn gas station and market earlier this month.

Auburn Gas & Food at 1110 High St. was robbed Feb. 7 by man wearing a mask who brandished a gun at a clerk and left with an undisclosed amount of cash.

Through an investigation, Detective Dave Neher was able to identify a possible suspect and recover the firearm used during the robbery, according to an Auburn Police Department news release.

Auburn police have arrested a teen for allegedly setting a grass fire at a school.

The grass fire set on September 18 also damaged some planters and a lattice structure at Skyridge School, 800 Perkins Way, police said.

A school resource officer on Monday arrested the 14-year-old boy for setting the fire. Police said the teen showed remorse and confessed to events that led up to the fire.

He was booked into Placer County Juvenile Hall on suspicion of arson and other unrelated charges.

Placer County sheriff's deputies are looking for the owners of property found during the arrest of three burglary suspects in Loomis early this morning.

About 4 p.m. Thursday, homeowners in the 7500 block of Barton Road called 911 when they saw individuals attempting to steal property in front of the home. When deputies arrived, the suspects were gone, but based on the description of the individuals and their vehicle, deputies believed they knew the suspects.

Photo lineups were conducted and the victim's recognized the suspects, according to a Sheriff's Department news release.

Folsom police were waiting when suspected car burglars tried to become home burglars.

On Feb 15, a Folsom woman parked her car in Roseville in the 1000 block of Orlando Avenue and placed her purse in the trunk. Burglars broke into the car, rummaged through her glove compartment, taking her vehicle registration, and popped the trunk lid to take her purse.

Thinking ahead, Roseville police called their colleagues in Folsom to ask that they check on the woman's home, since her address was now known by the car burglars. Folsom police watched her home and met the two suspected burglars as they arrived at the residence, according to Roseville police public safety report.

The Placer County Sheriff's Office will provide stepped-up enforcement of cell phone laws Monday through March 8.

The enforcement effort is part of a special federally funded pilot program using the region to test tactics that may be employed nationwide in the future, according to a Sheriff's Office news release.

Deputies will be out in force in Colfax, north Auburn and Loomis to issue tickets to drivers using hand-held cell phones or texting.

Placer County residents are advised that an off ramp from Highway 65 will be closed for about an hour on Thursday.

Caltrans reports that the southbound exit from Highway 65 to Ferrari Ranch Road in Lincoln is scheduled to be closed from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Thursday for electrical work. Southbound motorists will be directed by message board to the next exit, Twelve Bridges Drive.

A federal fugitive who made hoax bomb threats, claiming that letter bombs were going to be delivered to residences in Rocklin and Auburn, has been sentenced to three years and five months in prison.

Stephen J. Isoczky Jr., 60, of Los Angeles was sentenced today in federal court in Sacramento by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller for making bomb threats and lying to federal agents, according to a federal Department of Justice news release. He will be subject to three years of supervised release following his time in prison. Judge Mueller also ordered Isoczky to pay $6,890 in restitution to the United States Postal Inspection Service for the resources spent in dealing with the bomb threats.

According to court documents, on Sept. 2, 2012, Isoczky contacted the national telephone network of the U.S. Postal Inspection service, claiming to be a concerned citizen alerting authorities of impending letter bombs. He claimed the bombs were going to be delivered shortly to a residence in Rocklin.

The prep school president who was arrested last month for allegedly pinning clothes pins to the nipples of male students is in hot water again.

Police arrested Francis Amiteye Ngissah, 24, (pictured) at his Roseville home on Tuesday on suspicion of forgery and fraud. He is suspected of buying furniture for his home by fraudulent means, a police press release said.

Police allege that he defrauded a local business of about $8,000.

Auburn police are searching for a suspect who robbed a gas station and convenience store this evening.

Officers responded at 7:02 p.m. to Auburn Food and Gas, the Beacon gas station at 1110 High St. The clerk reported that he had been robbed of cash by a man who was armed with a handgun, according to a Police Department news release. The suspect reportedly left on foot, heading southbound on High Street.

Auburn officers, assisted by Placer County sheriff's deputies and the California Highway Patrol air unit, checked the area but were unable to locate any suspects.

Placer County sheriff's detectives credit a tip from the public for the arrest of a man wanted in connection with armed robberies of two businesses, in Loomis and Penryn.

Dwayne Deshawn Hargo (pictured), 30, of Penryn, was booked into Placer County Jail today on suspicion of two counts of armed robbery. His bail is set at $100,000.

Hargo is accused of robbing Star Liquor in Loomis on Jan. 16 and the Penryn Valero on Jan. 18, according to a Sheriff's Office news release.

A surveillance photo from one of the robberies that the Sheriff's Office released last week was instrumental in Hargo's arrest, officials said.

Placer County sheriff's detectives have arrested two Loomis teenagers suspected of burglarizing the Stone Tree Liquor and Deli early Sunday.

The boys, ages 15 and 17, are accused of breaking into the liquor store on Taylor Road at 1:40 a.m. The intruders were captured on videotape breaking the glass front doors, then entering the store and taking cigarettes and alcohol. A deputy who spoke with the boys in the area of the store earlier that evening recognized them in the video, according to a Sheriff's Department news release.

Detectives followed up on leads and arrested the youths, who were booked into Placer County Juvenile Hall in Auburn.

A trail of blood led Rocklin police officers to a robbery suspect at the Sunset Whitney Country Club Monday night.

Officers found smashed windows and a blood trail at the country club after receiving a call at 10:40 p.m. They followed the trail down a golf path and found the suspect under a walking bridge, according to a police report.

Travis Dandrea, 34, from Rocklin, was charged with burglary and vandalism and booked in the Placer County Jail. Dandrea had cuts on his hands when he was arrested, police said.

A suspected car thief and the subject of two intense police searches last week has been arrested thanks to a tip by a citizen.

Gary Lee Fowler, 43, was wanted for stealing six cars from a Roseville rental car agency Jan. 27. Roseville police had arrested a 31-year-old Citrus Heights woman the same day for her alleged involvement in the crime with Fowler that involved breaking into an overnight key drop box and driving off with the vehicles one-by-one.

In two extensive searches, one in Roseville and another in Antelope, police were unable to find and arrest Fowler, a parolee-at-large.

By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com

Six teens were in an SUV at the time the vehicle overturned last night, killing two girls just outside of Auburn, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The girls, ages 13 and 17, died when they were partially ejected from the sport utility vehicle at about 7:30 p.m. Sunday. The California Highway Patrol does not believe they were wearing seatbelts.

The teens were traveling southbound on Auburn Folsom Road just north of Less Lane when their sport-utility vehicle flipped, said CHP spokesman David Martinez.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of threatening a Placer County middle school principal.

Reiner Gae Poppenga, 61, (pictured) was also booked into Placer County Jail on suspicion of obstructing a public officer after he allegedly fought with deputies who tried to take him into custody.

Deputies went to Creekview Ranch Middle School in the unincorporated area of west Roseville about 3:45 p.m. Thursday where school officials reported that a man had walked onto campus and confronted the principal.

The man, later identified as Poppenga, allegedly pointed an object that he held like a handgun and threatened to kill the principal, according to a sheriff's department press release.

The principal directed staff to place the school in a lockdown. School had already ended for the day but there were children on campus participating in activities.

Poppenga, who is homeless, was found in a nearby creek bed. Deputies said he fought with them before he was taken into custody.

The Placer County Sheriff's office is asking the public's help in finding two men who lugged a safe out of a Loomis liquor store early Saturday morning.

At 4:20 a.m. Saturday two men were seen on the store video surveillance camera forcing entry into the Stone Tree Liquor & Food on Taylor Road.

The first suspect is described as being approximately 6 feet tall, weighing about 250 pounds and wearing a sweatshirt with "SKIN" written on the front in white lettering. The second man carrying out the safe was wearing a hooded sweatshirt with the work "Champion" in red lettering on the back.

Roseville residents are asked to be on the look-out for a man who is suspected of stealing a half dozen cars over the weekend.

Gary Lee Fowler, 43, (pictured) may be armed with a handgun, Roseville police said. If anyone sees Fowler, who police said has a history of drug use and violence toward officers, do not try to approach or detain him.

Instead, police said, call 911 immediately.

A parking lot mechanic in Auburn was booked into jail after being caught trying to fix a stolen Jeep Cherokee.

Auburn police officer Stan Hamelin was patrolling Old Town Auburn in the early morning hours on Tuesday when he saw Peter Paul Cassidy, 65, (pictured) working on a 1987 Jeep Cherokee in a parking lot.

Hamelin conducted a records check on the vehicle and discovered it was reported stolen from an owner in Nevada. Cassidy was arrested on suspicion of vehicle theft.

A search also turned up credit cards belonging to the registered owner of the Cherokee and a phony $100 bill. Cassidy was also booked for being in possession of stolen credit cards and forgery.

Security camera photos released to the media last week have led to a tip and then arrest of a man suspected of robbing two banks.

Last week, two U.S. Bank branches inside Safeway supermarkets were robbed. In both cases, the robber presented a note demanding money. He left with cash in both instances.

The robberies occurred Jan. 22 at the Safeway, 989 Sunrise Ave., and three days later at the Safeway at 9045 Woodcreek Oaks Blvd.

Placer County sheriff's deputies need help in identifying a man sought in connection with robberies at two Loomis businesses.

On Jan. 16, at about 11:30 a.m., the man held up the Star Liquor Store on Taylor Road. Two days later, the same man held up the Valero gas station on Penryn Road about noon.

A handgun was used in both robberies.

He is described as about 5 feet 7 inches tall and in his mid-20s. In one robbery he wore a black hooded sweatshirt and a black knit cap.

Roseville police have made arrests in two vandalism incidents, one involving graffiti and the other "donuts" at a city park.

About 5 p.m. Wednesday, an officer driving on Roseville Parkway noticed two teens drop a backpack on a bike trail and then walk away.

The officer found 38 cans of spray paint in the backpack and the vehicle of the 17 year olds from Rocklin, according to a public safety newsletter. The boys were arrested.

A woman found dead inside a tent in Auburn on Friday has been identified by police as Shelly Jump, 45.

Auburn police announced today that an autopsy has been performed and, at this time, Jump's death does not appear to have resulted from foul play.

At 12:51 p.m. Friday, officers responded to 300 block of Auburn Ravine Road to an area commonly referred to as the West America Bank Trail, regarding a report of deceased person in a tent. Police said the tent was in an area where transients are known to camp.

Auburn police have arrested a man for allegedly threatening a supermarket employee.

Devin Eugene Baker, 20, (pictured) was booked into Placer County Jail on suspicion of making "homicidal threats" to a Save Mart employee, according to a police press release.

Police were called to the Auburn Town shopping center at about 6:45 p.m. Sunday to quell a disturbance. The officer spoke with Baker, but he was not arrested.

About an hour later, officers returned to the shopping center. Officers were told that Baker had made criminal threats to employees at Save Mart.

He was arrested and remains in jail today ineligible for bail, according to online booking records.

Auburn police are investigating the death of a woman whose body was found in a tent in an area frequented by homeless people.

Officers responded at 12:51 p.m. today to the 300 block of Auburn Ravine Road to an area commonly referred to as the West America Bank Trail, regarding a report of a deceased person in a tent. There they found the body of an unidentified woman, who appeared to be in her 40s, according to a Police Department news release.

Officials said the tent was in an area where transients are known to camp.

Anyone with information regarding the case is asked to call the Auburn Police Department at (530) 823-4237.

A Placer County teacher has been arrested on suspicion of having sex with a former student.

Jennifer Lynn Woods, 35, (pictured) was booked a week ago into jail on suspicion of having sex with a minor. The 17-year-old boy she allegedly had sex with was her former student.

An employee with the Placer County Office of Education contacted the sheriff's office when education officials received information that Woods was suspected of having an inappropriate relationship with a former student.

Woods, a Granite Bay resident, is listed on the Placer County Office of Education website as being an employee in the Emotionally Disturbed Program.

The sheriff's department said in a press release that Woods met the boy when he was her student two years ago. He has since transferred to another school.

The relationship lasted for one year, according to deputies, while the boy was 16 or 17 years old.

The next time a thief slides under a Toyota truck in Roseville to cut off a catalytic converter, police hope he or she gets one look at the brightly painted emission control device and slides back out.

Last year, in Roseville alone, about 180 catalytic converters were stolen. Thieves especially love to steal the emission control devices from Toyota Sequoias and Tundras, but also are drawn to other high-off-the-ground trucks and SUVs from other carmakers.

"It's the pits," said Dominic Campanelli, parts and service director for Sullivan Auto Group, the owner of Roseville Toyota. "It's a huge inconvenience for customers. It's raising everyone's insurance rates."

An Auburn man is in jail accused of threatening his neighbor, then fighting police officers.

Auburn police responded to the 100 block of Pine Street about 12:20 p.m. Monday regarding a report of a disturbance at an apartment complex. They were told that the suspect, John Hurd, 47, had threatened a woman who is his neighbor.

As officers were about to contact Hurd at his apartment, they heard the sound of a pump-action shotgun from his apartment.

Placer County residents can sign up to receive online notification of crimes that have occurred in their neighborhood.

By going to the Sheriff's Office's website at www.placer.ca.gov\sheriff, and following the link to Crimemapping.com, residents can sign up to receive alerts, allowing them to keep track of crimes that occur within a 2-mile radius of their homes.

Through Crimemapping.com, the Sheriff's Office provides public access to crime information for unincorporated Placer County, the city of Colfax and the town of Loomis. It is regularly updated with information about certain types of crime reports. People also can search for an address and select the types of crimes and date range they wish to see, or view all crimes in the jurisdiction.

The Placer District Attorney's Office declined to offer any new details today related to the two Rocklin teen-age girls who were arrested on suspicion of drugging one of the girl's parents with a sleeping aid to gain access to the Internet.

"Because this is a juvenile matter, it would be inappropriate for us to comment at this time," Jeff Wilson, assistant district attorney, said via email.

The teens were booked into Placer County Juvenile Hall on New Year's Eve after the parents, reeling from unexplained hangover symptoms, first took a drug test, then called police, said Lt. Lon Milka, a spokesman for the Rocklin Police Department.

Rocklin police arrested four Stockton men on suspicion of stealing catalytic converters Sunday evening.

A victim leaving a movie at Century Theaters in Rocklin called 911 after seeing people run out from under his car in the theater parking lot as he started his car remotely.

The suspects fled in a vehicle that police pulled over on Highway 65. Officers found "burglary tools" and "about a dozen catalytic converters" in the car, according to a police news release.

South Lake Tahoe Police and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration are warning the public that criminals posing as DEA agents are trying to extort money from people who have purchased prescription drugs via the internet.

Police officials reported late Saturday that a resident of South Lake Tahoe resident called police after a man called him professing to be a DEA agent and warning that the resident would be arrested on criminal charges for buying an illegal prescription via the intent unless he wired $1,000 to the caller.

The resident did not pay and reported the call to police.

The Placer County Sheriff's Office today announced the arrest of four people in connection with recent robberies and thefts In Incline Village and Kings Beach.

Placer County deputies, along with the Washoe County Sheriff's Office and the California Highway Patrol have been investigating several related crimes, officials said.

On Dec. 29, an attempted armed robbery was reported at the Kings Beach Liquor Store, and on Jan. 2, an armed robbery occurred at the Incline Village Chevron station, according to a Sheriff's Office news release. Shortly after the Chevron robbery, a vehicle was stolen in Incline Village, and on Jan. 5, that vehicle was involved in an accident in Tahoe Vista.

Thursday, a 17-year-old was arrested in Tahoe City in connection with the vehicle theft. Shortly afterward, search warrants were served in both California and Nevada, leading to the arrest of Jorge Miranda Rivas (left photo), whose age was not given, and another 17-year-old boy from Incline Village.

Today, two more search warrants were served in Kings Beach, and Jorge Torres (right photo), 18, of Kings Beach was arrested on suspicion of vehicle theft. Authorities said Torres is also a suspect in the Incline Village robbery.

A 74-year-old man, dubbed the "fedora bandit" by law enforcement agents, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Sacramento to three counts of armed bank robbery.

David Griffith Osborne, formerly of Carson City, pleaded guilty to robbing the American River Bank, 9750 Business Park Drive, in Rancho Cordova on June 3, 2010, as well as the Bank of the West in Gridley on April 26, 2010, and the Chase Bank in Paradise on June 29, 2010, according to a federal Department of Justice news release.

Osborne also admitted to four other bank robberies at Bank of the West branches in Grass Valley, Dec. 22, 2009, and March 31, 2010; South Lake Tahoe, Feb. 18, 2010; Kings Beach, March 9, 2010.

Roseville police say that male students attending a prep school for basketball players allegedly were subjected to cruel punishment, including having clothes pins attached to their nipples.

Detectives arrested Francis Amiteye Ngissah, 24, (pictured) of Roseville on suspicion of inflicting corporal punishment on three teenagers and one young adult. The youths reported the punishment to Roseville police on Tuesday.

The students said they had been subjected to physical punishment, including being required to stand in the corner while restrained by zip ties and being pinched with the clothes pins.

They were boarding with Ngissah at his home on Woodleaf Circle in Roseville at the time of the alleged abuse.

After an investigation, Ngissah, listed as CCSE Preparatory Academy's president on its website, was booked on suspicion of child abuse involving cruel corporal punishment and willful cruelty, battery and false imprisonment.

CCSE Prep is described as a private college preparatory school for basketball athletes. According to CCSE Prep's website, the school's "intent is on developing the values, attitudes and skills of 21st century student athletes so that they can effectively take their place as future professional basketball leaders and contributors to their community and global society as a whole."

Three of those who complained to authorities about their treatment are from foreign countries. Ngissah has been released from jail after posting $100,000 bail.

The three teens were placed with child protective authorities. The young adult is living with someone other than Ngissah.

A Roseville resident who left his car to warm up was fortunate to get it back after it was driven off by a thief earlier this week.

However, recovery in that kind of situation is not always the case, police report.

Roseville police remind residents not to leave vehicles running for an opportunistic car thief. It only takes a moment for a thief to jump in and drive away.

That's what happened about 6:30 a.m. Monday on Callawassie Way in west Roseville when a resident started his car to warm it up and then went back into the house for a moment.

When he came back out of his home, the car was gone. Officers searched the area, soon finding it parked near 6th Street, according to a police safety newsletter.

A 27-year-old Citrus Heights woman and a 32-year-old Roseville man were arrested on suspicion of auto theft, drug possession and other charges. Officers searched the residence where they were staying, reportedly finding heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

"We know we've had some cold mornings, but please don't warm up your car for a thief," states the police safety reminder.

The Elk Grove Police Department and Placer County Sheriff's Office are accepting applications for citizens academies.

The programs are designed to provide residents with an inside look at their local law enforcement agency.

Elk Grove's 13-week Citizens' Academy will begin Feb. 12. Sessions will cover procedures for patrol and investigations, vehicle operations, arrest and control techniques, 911 communications, code enforcement and animal control.

By Barbara Barte Osborn
Bee Correspondent

NORTH LAKE TAHOE - The Placer County Sheriff's Department is seeking the public's help in apprehending a suspect who attempted one, and possibly two, recent armed robberies in north Lake Tahoe.

The suspect is male, approximately 6 feet tall and about 180 pounds. He was wearing dark clothing and wielding a handgun, possibly a revolver, in an attempted Dec. 30 robbery in Kings Beach.

He also might have been involved in a similar Jan. 2 robbery in Incline Village, Nev., a Sheriff's Department news release states.

Placer County Sheriff's deputies said an Auburn resident committed suicide after he shot a man who then drove himself to the hospital.

Deputies found a man dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in the head at his home on Bald Hill Road about 4 a.m. Sunday. Several callers reported hearing gunshots in the vicinity.

The man found dead on Bald Hill Road is believed to have shot another man while the victim was sitting in a car, according to a sheriff's department press release.

Auburn police said that a traffic stop last night for an alleged vehicle equipment violation turned into a drug bust.

About 11:30 p.m. an officer pulled over Joseph Upchurch, 21, and developed probable cause to search his vehicle, according to an Auburn police press release. During the search, the illegal drug Ecstasy was found, in addition to edible marijuana and prescription narcotics for which Upchurch did not have a prescription, police said.

Upchurch was arrested on suspicion of possession of controlled substances.

PHOTO CAPTION: Joseph Upchurch

Two burglary suspects were arrested early Wednesday evening after authorities say they were caught red handed in a foreclosed Loomis home.

Daniel Loredo, 37, and Rose Herzog, 53, both of Sacramento, were arrested as they attempted to make off with plumbing fittings from the home.

The incident began with a tip about a suspicious vehicle parked in front of a vacant Old Moss Road residence, which previously had been vandalized.

Two teenage girls in Placer County are in legal trouble after they allegedly used a drugged milkshake to knock out one of the girls' parents so they could access the Internet, Rocklin police said.

The teens were booked into Placer County Juvenile Hall on New Year's Eve after the parents, reeling from unexplained hangover symptoms, first took a drug test, then called police, said Lt. Lon Milka, a spokesman for the Rocklin Police Department.

The alleged drugging took place Friday evening at the home of a 15-year-old girl, Milka said. They believe her friend, a 16-year-old from Roseville, provided a prescription sleep aid.

Auburn police said a man punched two people when he tried to take their sleeping bags.

Bashay Edward Jorgenson, 32, described by police as a transient, was arrested on battery and attempted robbery charges in connection with the incident that sent a woman to the hospital.

Police said they responded to the area of 390 Grass Valley Highway about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday on a report of a fight. The injured woman and a man said that Jorgenson punched them when he tried to steal their sleeping bags.

By Brad Branan
bbranan@sacbee.com

An Auburn man tried to hit his son and a woman with his vehicle on Christmas Eve, police said.

Michael Anthony Hernandez, 63, was involved in a domestic dispute at his home with a woman who received injuries in various areas of her body, according to a news release from the Auburn Police Department.

The victim attempted to call authorities when Hernandez pulled the phone from the wall, police said. The woman later escaped the home, and was attempting to drive away when Hernandez tried to hit her vehicle with his vehicle but missed.

Hernandez's son was in the area and noticed the commotion. Hernandez unsuccessfully tried to hit his son, who was on foot, police said.

Hernandez was driving under the influence, police said. He was booked into the Placer County Jail and held on $50,000 bond.

The former caregiver arrested last week on suspicion of raping a Placer County disabled woman entered a no-contest plea today.

Marquise Montgomery, 22, of Sacramento, is expected to be given the maximum sentence of 13 years when he is formally sentenced, the Placer County District Attorney's office said.

Montgomery was charged with one count of rape of an incompetent victim and one count of causing great bodily harm during the sexual assault.

Freezing conditions this morning have caused traffic accidents when vehicles slid out of control on black ice.

"It's all over the foothills," said California Highway Patrol officer Rich Wetzel. "We had two crashes on Bass Lake Road north of Highway 50. No injuries. Both are off the road."

Also this morning, around 7 a.m., north of Newcastle in Placer County, water run-off from a tree farm caused ice to form on Highway 193 near Gold Hill Road, according to a CHP traffic website.

The Placer County Sheriff's Office wants people traveling to Lake Tahoe over the holidays to be aware of parking restrictions.

Drivers are reminded that no parking is allowed on county roadways or shoulders of roadways from Nov. 1 through May 1. The restriction includes roads in the Squaw Valley, Alpine Meadows, Northstar and Homewood ski areas. The roadways must remain clear for operation of snow-removal equipment, according to a Sheriff's Office news release.

Vehicles parked in these areas will be ticketed and may be towed. A ticket costs $55.

Police arrested two men in separate incidents who were allegedly naked in public places over the weekend - on a downtown Sacramento street and along Interstate 80 in Rocklin.

In the first incident, Sacramento police officers arrested David Brook, 44, (pictured at left) about 4 p.m. Saturday. Police said he was spotted near 8th and H streets with no clothes on.

According to a police activity log, he fled on foot. After he was caught, Brook struggled with officers but eventually was taken into custody, police said.

Placer County sheriff's detectives relied on DNA evidence to arrest an ex-employee of a care home suspected of impregnating a severely mentally disabled woman.

Sheriff's officials said that they arrested Marquise X. Montgomery, 22, in Elverta on Wednesday night, booking him into the Placer County Jail on suspicion of rape of a person unable to give consent.

Montgomery is suspected of sexually assaulting a woman in a Penryn care home where he was once employed. The 34-year-old woman was discovered a year ago to be about six months pregnant.

An arrest in Placer County has led to the recovery of numerous items reported stolen from vehicles in Truckee over the Thanksgiving weekend.

Truckee police took several theft reports over the Thanksgiving weekend involving the theft of items from unlocked vehicles. The items included electronics and other personal property, according to a Police Department news release.

On Monday, Placer County sheriff's deputies arrested Wiley Washam of Truckee in an unrelated matter. During the investigation, a detective noticed that Washam had a distinctive item in his possession. The detective notified Truckee police detectives, who confirmed that the item was recently stolen in Truckee.

Along with the usual catalytic converter thefts and burglaries in the Roseville police public safety newsletter this week is a rather Grinch-like report:

"At about 1:30 a.m. December 6, someone was seen stomping on and damaging Christmas decorations in the front yard of a house in the 1700 block of Santa Ines St. The unknown suspect, who looked like a white male teenager, got into a light-colored four-door sedan, similar to a full-size Toyota or Lexus, with a spoiler and sunroof."

Anyone with information about the incident can call Roseville Crime Stoppers at (916) 783-7867.

A Roseville man was arrested after he allegedly rammed a vehicle during a dispute with another motorist on Highway 49 near Auburn.

Auburn police reported that their dispatch center received multiple calls about the incident, which occurred shortly before 3:30 p.m. Monday on Highway 49 near Borland Avenue. Mark Mickle, 56, is accused of ramming the back of another vehicle after the other vehicle passed him in a passing area south of the Auburn city limits. Two occupants of that vehicle complained of minor injuries consisting of a sore neck and back from the rear-end impact, according to a Police Department news release.

Mickle left the area before law enforcement officers arrived, but Roseville police later found him at his home. An Auburn officer subsequently contacted Mickle at the residence and arrested him on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon.

Mickle was booked into Placer County Jail. Police said he was released on $25,000 bail.

In the past five months, Placer County police and sheriff's department personnel have used a state grant to crack down on underage drinking.

A total of 27 citations have been issued for selling booze to minors. In addition, 15 people have been cited for buying alcohol for a minor.

The concerted effort to stem underage drinking was funded with a grant of about $100,000 from the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

The primary objective was to reduce youth access to alcohol, statistics showing that minors generally have a higher rate of drunken driving crashes than adults, stated an ABC press release.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of robbing a Folsom resident of his iPhone during a meeting arranged through Craigslist.

Dominique Albert Holmes, 23, of Vacaville was arrested on a warrant charging him with robbery, using a firearm in commission of a felony and additional charges.

Roseville police said that at 10:45 p.m. July 29 officers responded to a gas station at Sunrise Avenue and Cirby Way where a Folsom man said he was robbed of his cell phone.

In the category of "if it isn't nailed down, somebody's going to take it" here's three recent thefts in Roseville.

• A thief smashed the window of a car parked at a care facility in the 1100 block of Cirby Way on Nov. 29 and took a Bible.

• Someone broke into a vacant house on Duncan Way between Nov. 24 and 26 and hauled off a clothes dryer.

• A thief took a package delivered to a front porch in the 1400 block of Dallen Way on Nov. 15. Inside the parcel was a lacrosse helmet.

A handful of Placer County minimum-security inmates are hoping to brighten the lives of area children through a new holiday toy-making operation.

Two inmates crafted some 300 wooden patrol cars, ducks and boats. The toys were then painted by another inmate. They are to be distributed to Toys for Tots, Child Protective Services and the Children's Receiving Home, department officials said.

Materials were either surplus, donated or purchased by jail staff. The pilot program was headed by Sgt. Rebecca Lyke and corrections officer Felix Sanchez.

Photos provided by Placer County Sheriff's Department

Several members of the Placer County law enforcement community conducted a funeral service Wednesday for a newborn boy found in a trash bag over the summer.

The mother of the child has not been found despite efforts by the Placer County Sheriff's office. The body was found June 21 along a Newcastle roadway.

Sheriff's department staff and the county chaplaincy said they wanted to give the child a decent burial despite the circumstances of his death. He was buried in the baby section of the New Auburn Cemetery.

Harding Boulevard in Roseville is open again after being closed for five hours last night after a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle.

Roseville police spokeswoman Dee Dee Gunther said a man in his 40s was crossing southbound Harding Boulevard in the 200 block at 5:57 p.m. and walked into the path of a Toyota Prius. The driver was unable to stop in time and the vehicle hit the man.

The pedestrian was taken by ambulance to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. His condition this morning was upgraded to serious.

Gunther said the accident occurred during rainy conditions, and the man was crossing in mid-block, not in a crosswalk.

Harding Boulevard remain closed until 11 p.m. Thursday while police investigators examined the scene.

An Alta man has been arrested following a seven-month investigation into burglaries of businesses at the Auburn Airport.

Donald Verbrugge (pictured), 50, was arrested today on suspicion of burglary and grand theft.

Auburn police initially had little information or evidence to go on, but through subsequent investigative work, Verbrugge was identified as a suspect, according to Police Department news release.

Officials have reported that a fourth person has died from a mushroom poisoning incident at a Loomis senior care facility.

Placer County Sheriff's officials were notified by a mortuary Tuesday morning about the latest fatality. Sheriff's officials have identified the victim as Dorothy Mary Hart, 92.

Three others, Frank Warren Blodgett, 90, Teresa Olesniewicz, 73, and Barbara Lopes, 86, died earlier this month after consuming soup made from wild mushrooms collected by a caregiver at Gold Age Villa.

Several others, including the caregiver, were hospitalized after eating the soup. The incident is being investigated by the California Department of Social Services.

A Black Friday fight at the Westfield Galleria in Roseville resulted in the arrest of four people suspected of taking revenge on one of the combatants by trashing his family's car.

Roseville police said that Friday morning two groups who knew each other got into a fight at the mall. Two males began bumping into each other and trading insults, some of the comments gang-related.

The fight eventually erupted when the insults moved to the second floor of the mall in front of a shoe store. Police were notified of the fight at 12:23 p.m. and by the time officers got to the area of the ruckus, all fighters had dispersed.

Bee reporters answer questions about area crime news, trends and other issues.

QUESTION: Twenty years ago or more Rich Turner was shot six times with his own revolver and killed by a woman that came with him here from Oklahoma. He was in his trailer house on 10 acres in Placer County a few miles from Sierra College Boulevard and 193 north of Lincoln Newcastle Highway. Was she ever caught and what happened to her?
Submitted by: Goldwyn, Orangevale

ANSWER: Susan Michelle Greenberg pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the May 1987 shooting of 40-year-old Richard Turner.

Roseville police report that residents are leaving cell phones, laptops and other devices in their vehicles, making them easy pickings for car burglars. Sometimes, the vehicles are left unlocked.

Here's recent thefts from the Roseville police public safety newsletter:

• Someone broke the windows of two pickups in the parking lot in the 700 block of Sunrise Avenue on Nov. 13. A laptop was taken.

Roseville police report two cars left running by their owners were recently stolen.

The first theft occurred Nov. 8 when a resident in north central Roseville left his 2003 Dodge Ram pickup warming up in his drive way about 6 a.m. A big guy in a hooded sweatshirt jumped in and drove off in the truck.

It hasn't been seen since.

California Highway Patrol officers have arrested the motorist they suspect was driving drunk when he caused a head-on collision near Lincoln that killed a man.

The suspected drunken driver has been identified as Andrey Yushchuk, 43, of Lincoln. He was arrested at the hospital where was treated for his injuries.

The dead man has been identified by the Placer County Sheriff's Department as Gabriel Rodriguez, 53, of Live Oak.

A federal fugitive who had claimed that bombs were sent to residences in Rocklin and Auburn has pleaded guilty to making hoax bomb threats.

Stephen J. Isoczky Jr., 60, of Los Angeles pleaded guilty today in federal court in Sacramento to two counts of making bomb threats and a single count of lying to federal agents, according to a Department of Justice news release.

According to court documents, on Sept. 2, Isoczky contacted the national telephone network of the United States Postal Inspection Service claiming to be a concerned citizen alerting authorities to impending letter bombs. Isoczky claimed the bombs were going to be delivered shortly to a residence in Rocklin.

A small plane landed in the center divider of Highway 65 in Placer County today, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Nobody was injured when the plane landed about 10:30 a.m. along the lanes of Highway 65 just north of Blue Oaks Boulevard near Roseville.

Photo caption: John Mares of Redonda Beach landed his Beach Debonair on the northbound lane of Highway 65 near Sunset Blvd. in Placer Co. Wednesday morning. He said he had a problem with a fuel line and lost fuel to the engine. Photo by Lezlie Sterling / lsterling@sacbee.com

The driver who died this morning in a head-on collision near Lincoln has been identified by the Placer County Sheriff's Department as Gabriel Rodriguez, 53, of Live Oak.

The collision was caused by a suspected drunken driver, who suffered major injuries, according to the California Highway Patrol.

CHP officers were called to the crash on Sierra College Boulevard near Twelve Bridges Drive about 6:20 a.m. The CHP reported that the crash involved two minivans and a truck.

A 15-year-old Granite Bay boy has been arrested on suspicion of four counts of attempted homicide in the Wednesday night firebombing of an occupied residence.

The youth was taken into custody Thursday by Placer County sheriff's deputies. He is being held in Placer County Juvenile Hall in Auburn.

The boy, a sophomore at Granite Bay High School, went to the home in the 4800 block of Bentwood Way in Granite Bay about 11:30 p.m., according to a Placer County Sheriff's Department news release. He allegedly threw a large rock through a window at the front of the house, and then threw a bottle containing a flammable liquid at the same window, which started a fire.

Thieves have targeted shoppers at Roseville grocery stores.

A Roseville police public safety release notes two instances of thefts from shoppers last week in which thieves grabbed items out of shoppers' purses.

The first occurred Oct. 30 at a grocery store in Roseville Square when someone took items from a purse in a shopping cart. The thief reached into the purse and took a wallet, cash, ID and credit cards.

A second theft occurred Nov. 1 when police said two men worked together to distract and then steal from shoppers at a grocery store on Pleasant Grove Boulevard. One of the men engaged women in conversation about shopping, while the other tried to reach into purses.

During the Nov. 1 incident, a security officer detained one of the men when he saw him take a cell phone from a woman's purse. The 29-year-old Fair Oaks man was arrested on suspicion of robbery and committing a felony while out of jail on bail for another felony.

His alleged accomplice fled from the store.

Police advise shoppers to keep purses closed and keep an eye or hand on them while shopping or loading groceries into a car.

A Rocklin man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Sacramento to possessing child pornography.

John Patrick Frost Jr., 28, admitted to one count of possessing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, according to a federal Department of Justice news release.

On March 12, 2009, a photo-sharing website reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Cybertipline that a user had posted child pornography to their page, according to court documents. Further investigation led to a Placer County residence where Frost spent time.

By Ed Fletcher
efletcher@sacbee.com

The shirtless man tackled after interrupting the football game between Colfax and Placer high schools Friday night has been identified as Patrick Hurley.

The man who tacked him - applying the "Hit of the Year" - Troy Minton-Sander is an off duty Placer Sheriff's Department lieutenant. He is a former player for Placer High and is the he father of a current team member, Stone Sander.

"He was there off duty watching his son play football," explained Lt. Mark Reed, a spokesman for the Placer Sheriff's office.

Roseville police say that two teenage girls missing since Thursday have returned home, and their earlier story of being held against their will does not check out.

A police spokeswoman said the two are safe at home in Roseville. Officers have spoken to the girls at length today and determined that they left last week on their own.

Both girls sent text messages to their fathers Thursday night saying they were with males who wouldn't let them leave.

A Sacramento man was arrested on suspicion of attempted carjacking and child endangerment in Rocklin Monday afternoon, after leaving a baby in a stalled vehicle in traffic on Sierra College Boulevard.

Alan W. Rose, 26, was booked into Placer County Jail. He reportedly was a passenger in a sedan at Sierra College and Ridge Park Drive, when he grabbed the keys from the ignition, causing the car to stall, and exited the car.

He left behind his girlfriend, the driver of the car, and their infant inside the car, according to Rocklin Police Lt. Lon Milka. Milka said the speed limit along that stretch is 50 miles per hour.

By Barbara Barte Osborn
Bee Correspondent

TRUCKEE -- A 64-year-old Meadow Vista man died Saturday after his car left Highway 89 about 10 miles north of Truckee, struck a tree and burst into flames.

Passing motorists quickly put out the fire, but the driver, Steven Metzgar, sustained fatal injuries in the crash, according to the California Highway Patrol report.

The accident occurred at 1:50 p.m. north of Hobart Mills Road.

According to the report, Metzgar was driving a Lexus southbound on Highway 89 at a high rate of speed when it ran off the right side of the road and collided with a large tree.

The CHP is investigating the accident and asks that any witnesses contact Officer J. J. Varanini at (530) 582-7570.

The California Highway Patrol is reminding school bus riders and motorists to pay attention to each other to ensure safety.

"I see the driver -- the driver sees me" is the theme of this year's National School Bus Safety Week, Oct. 22-26.

Studies show that the most dangerous part of the school bus ride for children is when they get on and off the bus, according to a CHP news release. Motorists are urged to pay close attention to school buses on local roads and to be aware of their flashing lights. In California, flashing yellow lights on a school bus are a warning to slow down and prepare to stop, while flashing red lights require all motorists to stop.

The Rocklin Police Department and Sierra College Auto Club will team up to offer free catalytic converter etching Nov. 3.

The event will be held from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the auto shop on the Sierra College campus, 5000 Rocklin Road, Rocklin.

Participants' vehicle license plate number will be etched on the converter and the etching painted for easy recognition. Each vehicle also will receive a small window decal indicating "This vehicle's catalytic converter has been etched by Rocklin PD" This can deter criminals and provide police with investigative tools to identify victims and arrest thieves, according to a Police Department news release.

A Roseville family is asking the public's help in locating a red 1965 Mustang GT Fastback (pictured) that was stolen Tuesday from the parking lot at Woodcreek High School.

Kim Frkovich said the classic car had been passed down through three generations. Her father restored it in 1984 and gave it to her as a college graduation gift. It was one of four '65 Mustang Fastbacks that he restored, with one for himself and one for each of his three daughters.

Frkovich said her car hadn't been driven for 20 years when her father and a friend decided to "re-restore" it. Her son, Tanner, started driving it to school in January.

The City of Roseville is asking local businesses to join in painting certain oft-stolen brass plumbing devices a shade of green.

The city's utility department is painting city-owned backflow prevention devices green in hopes that they can easily be identified as coming from Roseville. The brass backflow valves, installed as part of fresh water systems, are taken by thieves who sell them for scrap.

When thieves cut them from piping, water service is interrupted and repairs are costly, according to a Roseville police e-newsletter.

"Our goal is to clearly mark these devices coming from Roseville so that if they are found in the possession of a suspected thief or at a scrap yard, we'll be able to more easily identify them as stolen property," the newsletter stated.

The city is also encouraging private businesses to paint their backflow devices "Roseville green."

A homeless man armed with a mallet recently chased after a Roseville woman, prompting police to warn residents about late-night walks alone.

Police said the incident happened about 11 p.m. Oct. 3 when a woman walking her small dogs behind an office complex in the 1300 block of Blue Oaks Boulevard was frightened by a man who jumped out of a sleeping bag.

The man, who brandished a mallet, screamed threats before chasing after the woman.

A man whose body was found off a roadway in Auburn on Monday morning has been identified by police as Larry Colvin, 33, of San Francisco.

Detective Dustin McLaughlin said Colvin died of a single gunshot wound to the chest, and the case is being investigated as a homicide. Police have not determined why Colvin was in Auburn.

McLaughlin said few details are currently being released because of the continuing investigation.

A federal grand jury today returned a superseding indictment charging a Granite Bay man with conspiracy to commit fraud involving aircraft parts.

According to court documents, William Hugh Weygandt, 63, is the former owner and president of WECO Aeropsace Systems Inc., a Federal Aviation Administration-certified aircraft repair station based in Lincoln, which was purchased n 2007 by Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.

Former WECO executives -- Jerry Edward Kuwata, 60 of Granite Bay; Michael Dennis Maupin, 58, of Arbuckle; Scott Hamilton Durham, 39, of Roseville; Christopher Warren MacQueen, 53, of Lincoln; Douglas Arthur Johnson 52, of Granite Bay; and Anthony Vincent Zito, 47 of Saugus -- were previously indicted by the grand jury in September 2011 for conspiracy and fraud involving airplane parts, and mail fraud. Kuwata, Durham, MacQueen and Johnson are also charged in the superseding indictment. Maupin and Zito have pleaded guilty to federal offenses and await sentencing, according to a federal Department of Justice news release.

The Placer County Sheriff's Department is investigating after would-be thieves reportedly raided an outdoor marijuana garden in Loomis this morning.

A Loomis man called the Sheriff's Department at 4:53 a.m. and said that several men wearing masks raided his garden as he slept outside to guard his 100 plants. The men did not take any pot, but they fired two shots at the house as they fled, according to a Sheriff's Department news release.

The man told sheriff's dispatchers that two or three individuals entered his back yard in the 9100 block of King Road. The man ran into his home to tell his roommate what was happening, and the would-be thieves ran back to their vehicle. As they headed east on King Road, the intruders fired two rounds into the house. No one in the residence was injured.

Although the case in still under investigation, sheriff's officials said it appears that the marijuana was being illegally grown. All 100 plants, which were 5 to 6 feet tall, were uprooted and removed from the property. Authorities said the owner of the plants could face criminal charges.

Auburn police are investigating a possible homicide after a man's body was found this morning off a roadway in the city.

Sgt. Dale Hutchins said police received a call about 9:20 a.m. from a resident who reported seeing what appeared to be body off to the side of the road in the 100 block of Park Street.

"There's a strong likelihood of homicide," Hutchins said.

A South Lake Tahoe man was being held on $1 million bail after he was arrested in connection with a trailer fire last night.

Firefighters responded to the fire at the trailer park on James Avenue in South Lake Tahoe about 11:20 p.m. Thursday. As firefighters extinguished the flames in one trailer, police officers evacuated neighboring units.

A resident of the burning trailer stated she was awakened by heavy smoke and was able to exit before the fire spread to the front door. She told police she didn't know if her roommate, Eric Almdale, was able to save himself.

Auburn police report the arrest of two men in recent days, one suspected of burglarizing a local business and the other of attempted auto theft.

James Wisecarver, 29, was taken into custody about 3:20 a.m. Sunday after police responded to a report of two men pulling on the doors of closed businesses in the area of Lincoln Way and Cherry Avenue. They found Wisecarver and arrested him on suspicion of public intoxication. Officers took his backpack and its contents to store for safekeeping until he could be released from jail, according to a Police Department news release.

About 2:15 Sunday afternoon, officers investigated a burglary at Uptown Properties in the 100 block of Magnolia Avenue. The suspect apparently had climbed through a window and stolen items from the business. Officers subsequently discovered that Wisecarver's backpack contained some of the property stolen from Uptown Properties.

An in-home care provider has been arrested for using stolen bank cards.

Farrah Fawcett Lavulo, 34, was arrested Wednesday by Roseville police for using the bank cards without permission of a woman for which she was rendering care. She was booked in jail on suspicion of identity theft and defrauding an elder or dependent adult.

Lavulo is suspected of using the bank cards to make unauthorized purchases and withdrawals totaling more than $1,000 -- obtaining cash, meals and prepaid jail telephone credits for her incarcerated boyfriend.

Lavulo had cared for a 69-year-old Roseville woman who was recovering from surgery. The woman contacted police when she found unauthorized transactions on her debit and credit cards.

South Lake Tahoe police say that an explosion during drug-making burned a man.

Barek Madden, 23, was flown to UC Davis Medical Center with third-degree burns to his face, arms and upper body. His friend, Schuyler Van Fleet, was not injured, but the explosion singed the hair on his head, eyebrows and beard.

Van Fleet was arrested on suspicion of causing a fire and operating a drug lab. Madden may also face charges, police said.

Police said the explosion and resulting fire occurred about 3 p.m. Wednesday at an apartment complex at 3754 Forest Ave.

Is a thief shadowing parcel delivery trucks in Roseville and then pilfering the packages from porches?

Roseville police report that On Sept. 26 someone took a package that contained a tent from the porch at a residence in the 1400 block of Dorchester Drive.

The theft occurred despite the best efforts of the resident who received an e-mail notification from United Parcel Service that the package had been delivered at 2:09 p.m. The resident promptly called a friend to pick it up.

Gasoline thieves are on the prowl in Roseville, according to police.

Roseville police say that on September 25 someone damaged a gas pump at a Roseville Square gas station during a try at stealing gas.

Then, during the night between September 26 and September 28, someone pumped large amounts of gas without paying from another gas station in the same vicinity. A Roseville police public safety log notes that the thief might have used a fraudulent gas card or other device to steal the fuel.

The gas was pumped into storage containers in the rear of a black, four-door Toyota pickup. In the first theft, a dark colored pickup and a Ford Expedition were spotted at the station.

A Craigslist sale turned into a scam when a woman tried to sell her gift cards for traveler's checks.

The seller agreed to meet the buyer in Roseville, exchanging her gift cards for traveler's checks from the buyer. Soon, however, the seller discovered the traveler's checks were fraudulent, according to Roseville police.

A police investigation revealed that within 20 minutes of the sale, the buyer had spent the seller's gift cards at a Roseville store. The officer identified those involved in the scam, arresting a 33-year-old Rocklin man and his alleged accomplice, a 32-year-old Carmichael woman on suspicion of forgery.

Also seized were the purchases from the gift cards, fake driver's licenses and credit cards.

An Orangevale man was sentenced today in federal court in Sacramento to 21 months in prison for conspiring to distribute hydrocodone.

According to court documents, Brandon Savaloja, 27, conspired with Raymond Reyes, 20, of Lincoln and others to distribute the drug in Placer, Sonoma, San Joaquin and Yuba counties. Hydrocodone is an opiate pain reliever found in such common medications as Vicodin, Norco and Lortab.

Savaloja was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez. Reyes was sentenced March 28 by Judge Mendez to four years and nine months in prison for conspiring to distribute hydrocodone and aggravated theft.

Two Roseville residents were arrested today in connection with a loan modification and foreclosure rescue scheme.

Martin Wayne Flanders, 48, and Ligia Sandoval Spafford, 46, were arrested on a federal complaint charging them with conspiracy to commit bankruptcy fraud for filing sham bankruptcy petitions as part of the scheme, according to a federal Department of Justice news release. The complaint was filed in Sacramento on Friday and unsealed today after the couple's arrest.

According to court documents, Flanders charged clients advance fees in exchange for a number of financial services, including loan modifications, mortgage loan audits, credit repair, debt relief, bankruptcy filings and a program to sell homes to "investors" with a rent-to-own option.

The Placer County Sheriff's Department today released photographs of two men suspected of home break-ins in the Gold Run area.

Images of the two suspects were captured by security cameras during a recent residential burglary. The pair has taken snowboards, generators and clothing.

Anyone who can identify the men (shown below) is asked to contact Detective Matt Hardcastle at (530) 889-7873. Tipsters who wishes to remain anonymous and possibly qualify for a reward of up $1,000 may call Placer County Crime Stoppers at (800) 923-8191.

Roseville gardeners continue to be the target of thieves who rip them off while they are busy performing lawn maintenance.

Thieves are taking commercial-grade lawn mowers, leaf-blowers and other landscaping equipment from the pickups and trailers of working gardeners. Police have created a flyer in English and Spanish warning gardeners of the spate of thefts.

Recent thefts:

 A chain that secured a lawn mower in a gardener's trailer was cut while the crew was working near Douglas Boulevard and Professional Way on Friday. The stolen mower was later found by the gardener in a nearby dumpster. Police believe the mower was stashed there to be retrieved later by the thief.

Truckee police said they arrested a man who allegedly turned his three-bedroom home into a marijuana growing operation.

Police had been monitoring the home in the Glenshire subdivision on Saxon Way for some time for what they termed "suspicious activity."

Last Thursday morning, detectives detained a person at the residence and went inside the house. There, according to a police press release, they found that the interior had been converted for marijuana growing.

Detectives found about 40 marijuana plants in various stages of growth, with about 20 ready for harvest.

Michael Morrow, 25, of Truckee, was arrested on suspicion of illegal cultivation of marijuana. Police said Morrow was on probation for a previous conviction for the same offense.

By Ed Fletcher
efletcher@sacbee.com

Auburn police officers arrested a local man after authorities found him early Tuesday in an industrial complex near a stolen Placer County fleet truck possessing the vehicle's key.

The truck and the key were previously reported stolen to the California Highway Patrol, said Sgt. Victor Pecoraro of the Auburn Police Department.

Pecoraro said an officer noticed the stolen truck at the Auburn Airport industrial complex at 12:53 a.m. Tuesday. Officers then located Stephen Michael Eaton, 45, of Auburn, and a woman in the area.

"We suspect that he has knowledge or was involved in the theft," Pecoraro said. "He had trouble explaining why he had (the key)."

Eaton was arrested on suspicion of possessing stolen property and booked into Placer County jail in lieu of $30,000.

A Colfax man shot by a Placer County deputy over the weekend faces charges after he is released from the hospital.

Shaun Rainsbarges, 40, was shot once in the torso by a deputy about 7:30 p.m. Sunday after he refused deputies' demands that he drop a knife, according to a press release from the sheriff's department.

Deputies were called to his home in the 24000 block of Tokayana Way for a report of domestic violence Sunday night. When deputies arrived, Rainsbarges was in front of the house with a knife.

Roseville police have released the name of a man shot by an officer during a struggle Saturday night.

He was identified as Paul Lawson Storey, 35, of Roseville.

A Roseville police officer Saturday shot and killed Storey who authorities said was resisting arrest and fighting with a fellow officer.

A Roseville police officer last night shot and killed a suspect who was resisting arrest and fighting with a fellow officer, the department said in a news release today.

According to police spokeswoman Dee Dee Gunther, the incident began shortly before 11 p.m. Sautrday in the 1600 block of Sierra Gardens Drive.

Officers were investigating reports that a "very intoxicated" man who was armed with a baseball bat had pushed a woman in a domestic disturbance. The suspect ran off when police arrived.

A man who had to be rescued from a perilously bending branch of a tall pine tree after parachuting from the Foresthill Bridge claims to be a veteran BASE jumper, authorities said today.

Rescuers early this morning were able to free Raymond Arrieta (left), 26, who became stuck in the tree below the Foresthill Bridge in Auburn. He was cited for being in the park after hours and participating in an unsafe activity, both misdemeanors.

The BASE jumper leapt from the bridge just before 9 p.m. but became caught in a Ponderosa Pine tree on his way down. The jumper was stuck in the tree about 100 feet above ground.

CalFire, Placer County Sheriff's deputies and California State Parks crews responded to the scene and figured how best to bring the base jumper to safety.

Responders called upon a Pacific Gas & Electric boom truck to pluck the jumper from the tree about 2:15 a.m. Arrieta was transported to the hospital with minor injuries.

By Darrell Smith
dvsmsith@sacbee.com

Rescuers are working tonight to free an injured base jumper stuck in a tree under the Foresthill Bridge in Auburn.

The base jumper leapt from the bridge just before 9 p.m. but became caught in a tree on his way down, said CalFire spokesman Daniel Berlant. The jumper remains about 100 feet above ground, Berlant said.

CalFire, Placer County and California State Parks crews have converged on the scene and are figuring how best to bring the base jumper to safety.

A 33-year-old high school teacher was arrested by the Rocklin Police Department on Monday and is being held on suspicion of having an "unlawful intimate relationship" with a 17-year-old female student.

Matthew Yamamoto, a Whitney High School physics teacher, remain in Placer County jail pending $100,000 bail, said Lt. Lon Milka, a spokesman for the department.

He faces charges for child molestation and for arranging for a meeting with a minor for purposes of committing a lewd act.

Milka said the department received a call from a parent suspecting an inappropriate relationship on Saturday. Detectives were able to confirm enough facts to make an arrest, Milka said. He said the relationship was sexual in nature and had been going on for a couple months.

Milka said they are looking into whether there are any other victims.

Yamamoto lives in Rocklin.

Eight teenagers were injured this afternoon in a collision between an SUV and a tractor-trailer truck on Interstate 80 in Auburn.

The crash occurred about 12: 50 p.m. According to the California Highway Patrol, a 2013 Freightliner tractor-trailer rig was traveling eastbound on I-80 near Highway 49 in the right lane when a 2004 green Chevrolet Trailblazer driven by a 17-year-old Auburn girl entered the freeway from northbound Highway 49.

The SUV driver lost control of her vehicle and collided with the right side of the tractor-trailer, according to a CHP news release. The SUV also struck a guardrail and overturned, coming to rest in the roadway.

An Auburn man allegedly chased his roommate through their home while wielding a chainsaw, according to the Auburn Police Department.

Officers responded to a call near Gold and Virginia streets at 12:15 a.m. Thursday. Marvin Daniels, 63, had reportedly chased his roommate down a hallway and into a bedroom armed with a running chainsaw, police said.

Daniels' roommate stayed in the bedroom until Daniels went outside the home and took the screen off the window to the room in which the roommate was staying, according to a police. Daniels then held his revved-up chainsaw through the open window, police said in a press release.

Bee reporters answer questions about area crime news, trends and other issues.

QUESTION: What became of the two people arrested in Lincoln for possession of multiple firearms and hand grenades. One of them was a woman, the other a man. Have they gone to court yet? What was the outcome?
Submitted by: Jim, Boston

ANSWER: Eric William Smith and Jennifer Mulhern, both of Lincoln, were arrested in January 2011 following a drug and gang investigation by the Roseville Police Department's Crime Suppression Unit.

Cynthia Lynn Van Holland was sentenced to 10 years in prison today for 21 bank robberies, a Department of Justice press release said. Van Holland must also pay more than $33,000 in restitution, according to United States District Judge Kimberly J. Miller's sentence.

Van Holland, 48, is described as a "transient" from the states of Idaho and Washington. Van Holland robbed banks across California, Washington, Oregon and Montana. The last bank she robbed was a Bank of the West branch in Auburn on Aug. 15, after which a witness saw her flee and reported her license plate number.

During the bank robberies Van Holland wore a variety of "unusual wigs and disguises" the release said, resulting in her 'Bad Hair Bandit' title.

PHOTO CAPTION: Cynthia Van Holland

A Carmichael man suspected of selling drugs in Roseville and other communities throughout the region has been arrested by Roseville police.

Detectives from the department's vice and narcotics enforcement team arrested Michael Ramborger (pictured), 45, last week in the 2500 block of Marconi Avenue in Sacramento County's Arden Arcade area. During the arrest, detectives seized six ounces of methamphetamine and a quarter-ounce of heroin, according to a Police Department news release. Authorities said both drugs were packaged for sale. Also seized were a loaded handgun with its serial number removed and other illegal items.

Ramborger was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of drug an weapons offenses and is being held in Sacramento County Jail in lieu of $290,000.

He also is being held without bail on a "flash incarceration" on suspicion of violating the terms of his post release community supervision. Authorities said Ramborger is a state prison parolee classified under AB109 as a "nonviolent, non-serious, non-sex-offender." Post release community supervision offenders are supervised by county probation and local law enforcement officers, rather than state parole officers.

Two Folsom residents have been arrested in connection with a bank robbery Monday afternoon in Roseville.

Officers responded at 12:59 p.m. to a robbery that had just occurred at the Bank of America in Roseville Square.

A man armed with a butcher knife approached a clerk and presented a note demanding money, according to a Roseville Police Department news release. The clerk gave the man an undisclosed amount of cash, and he left the bank. No injuries were reported.

Two men were arrested after law enforcement officers found a cache of firearms and an estimated $2.5 million worth of marijuana plants in a Placer County home.

Detectives from the Sacramento County sheriff's special enforcement detail on Thursday served a search warrant at a home in the 10800 block of Browning Street in western Placer County. The operation was conducted with the Placer County Sheriff's Department and was based on information developed by the Sacramento Sheriff's Department suggesting that firearms were being sold from the residence, Sacramento County sheriff's officials said.

Deputies seized 118 guns, including a number of stolen firearms, from the home, along with 520 marijuana plants that were being illegally grown, according to a Sacramento County Sheriff's Department news release. Authorities said the street value of marijuana was approximately $2.5 million.

A woman died this morning in a head-on collision on Highway 49 in Placer County.

The crash occurred about 8:15 a.m. south of Cramer Road near Meadow Vista. The woman was driving a 2003 green Subaru Outback station wagon northbound on Highway 49 when, witnesses said, she appeared to lose control of the vehicle. The vehicle began to whip back and forth, crossed the center divider lane and traveled into the southbound lanes and oncoming traffic, according to a California Highway Patrol news release.

The Subaru collided head-on with a 99 Freightliner truck traveling in the opposite direction and driven by a 59-year-old Grass Valley man.

Rocklin police today announced two more arrests in last week's armed robbery of a Dollar Tree store.

Tanya Starks, 31, was arrested at her Del Paso Heights home and Tisha Prout, 32, of Roseville, was arrested in Wyoming.

Authorities said Prout left California shortly after the robbery and was arrested after stepping off a Greyhound bus in Newcastle, Wyo. Police said she is in custody in Wyoming awaiting extradition to Placer County.