Sacto 9-1-1

Yolo County Animal Services officials seek the public's help in locating a dog that bit a teenager in West Sacramento.

The incident occurred about 4 p.m. Thursday at the south end of a walkway running parallel to Shasta Way between Trinity Way and Colusa Road. The 15-year-old victim was was walking on the walkway when the victim saw two small white dogs that looked lost and tired. The victim approached what appeared to be the older of the two dogs and was bitten, according to an Animal Services news release. The dogs then ran off. The victim could not say in what direction they headed and did not see anyone with the animals.

Animal Services has been unable to locate the dogs through licensing records.

Two juveniles were arrested this afternoon after they allegedly placed a homemade explosive device in a school cafeteria trash can in Woodland.

At 12:22 p.m., a Woodland Police Department school resource officer was called to investigate an explosion at Douglass Middle School at 525 Granada Drive. School officials had already detained two boys, both students at the school, who were allegedly responsible for the explosion.

Police said the students created a "works bomb" and dropped in into a trash can in the cafeteria. The device is made of common household items that are placed in a plastic container and sealed. A chemical reaction occurs that releases gases, which eventually cause the plastic container to rupture, creating a loud noise, according to a Police Department news release.

An ex-convict recently released from state prison was arrested Sunday after a dangerous flight from police, Woodland authorities said.

Police attempted to pull over Kevin Lee McClean, 26, of Woodland about 4:30 p.m. Sunday for not wearing a seatbelt, but he sped away, driving through stop signs and red lights at speeds that reached 70 mph, according to a police press release.

Eventually, McClean slowed to about 15 mph and jumped out of the Jeep Cherokee he was driving. A woman in the passenger seat also bailed.

Woodland police are searching for the assailants after two men were injured in separate incidents Thursday.

At 5:46 p.m., police officers were dispatched to the area of East Main Street and the Highway 113 overpass. Witnesses said a white man with a shaved head had kicked another man in the face at a bus stop causing serious injuries, according to a Police Department news release. The suspect fled before police arrived.

Officers found a 43-year-old man bleeding from facial injuries. He was taken to Woodland Memorial Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Woodland police chased a parolee last night, eventually taking him into custody and throwing the book at him.

The incident began about 11:15 p.m. Wednesday when police tried to pull over a driver in the 500 block of Cottonwood Street for a violation involving equipment on his vehicle. The vehicle pulled into a nearby parking lot and the driver bailed, fleeing into an apartment complex.

Officers developed information that the driver was probably Juan Mora, 26, a parolee who lived nearby. Police went to his apartment and knocked on the door but received no response.

The front door was barricaded but officers eventually entered and checked the apartment with the assistance of a police dog. Inside, they found Mora.

He was taken into custody unbitten and arrested on suspicion of possession of metal knuckles, resisting an officer, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving without a license and driving without insurance. He was also arrested on suspicion of burglary of a vehicle, a charge related to another officer's independent investigation.

A woman's cries for help last night in Woodland led police officers to the scene of an apartment house robbery.

Police said they were called to an apartment in the 1700 block of Sixth Street about 11 p.m. on a report of a woman screaming for help. When officers arrived they were told that two men came to the apartment and were allowed inside.

Once inside, the residents were robbed at gunpoint of cash, a purse and medical marijuana. The men then fled on foot.

The first suspect was described as black, about 24 years old, 5 feet 8 inches tall, 165 pounds with short hair and a tattoo on the right side of his neck. He wore a red t-shirt.

The other robber was described as black, about 27 years old, 6 feet 1 inch tall, about 200 pounds and having braided hair. He was wearing a purple and white striped collared shirt.

A cat killer is being sought in Yolo County after a second feline belonging to a Woodland woman has been found shot to death.

A cat named Soot Soot was found dead in an alley behind the 600 block of College Street in Woodland on Wednesday. The owner last saw her cat alive at 8 a.m. that day.

She then took her child to school only to return 30 minutes later to find her cat motionless. Noticing a wound, she took Soot Soot to a veterinarian who confirmed the 7-year-old Calico had been shot, according to a press release from Yolo County Animal Services.

The pet owner had another cat die from a gunshot in June 2010.

Animal Services requests the public's help in finding the person responsible for the cat's death. Call (530) 668-5287.

Yolo County Sheriff Ed Prieto and the Board of Supervisors will dedicate a street in memory of slain deputy Jose Antonio "Tony" Diaz.

"Tony Diaz Drive" will be dedicated on Tuesday in a ceremony. The address change for buildings on the access road into the sheriff's campus in Woodland will be effective July 1.

Diaz died in a June 2008 ambush when a parolee shot him with a military-type assault rifle on a dirt road near the rural town of Dunnigan. His killer was sentenced to death.

The road name change "will keep him in our thoughts," stated a press release from the sheriffs office.

Effective July 1 the Sheriff's administration building will be 140 Tony Diaz Drive, the jail will be 140A Tony Diaz Drive, the boat and evidence building 140B Tony Diaz Drive and the animal shelter will be 140C Tony Diaz Drive.

Teamwork between two officers and a police dog resulted in arrest of two men who would not surrender at gunpoint.

The incident began 5 p.m. Sunday when a Woodland police officer on routine patrol near County Road 102 and East Beamer Street spotted a Honda Accord that had been reported stolen.

The officer began following the car as other officers responded to his location. Initially, the driver stopped when the officer pulled him over. However, once the officer had the driver and passenger at gunpoint, the driver re-started the car and fled.

An man with a gun walked into the Woodland Gas Plaza on the 400 block of N. East Street in Woodland about 4:30 p.m. Saturday and robbed the clerk working at the register, authorities said today.

Witnesses described the suspect as white, in his 20s, about 5-foot-8 with thin build and a mustache, police said. He wore a grey hooded sweatshirt and a baseball cap.

Authorities said the suspect demanded money from the woman clerk and then fled the building with an unknown amount of cash, heading north on N. East Street.

By Allen Pierleoni
apierleoni@sacbee.com

Woodland police found evidence of arson when they responded Saturday morning to a report of vandalism at the Woodland City Library.

The fire damage was "contained to a specific area and was not significant," said Woodland Police Sergeant Frank Ritter in an emailed news release. "However," he added, "the crime is a felony."

On the phone, Ritter declined to give more details of the crime, saying the department "does not wish to jeopardize our investigation."

The Woodland police Department is asking anyone who has relevant information to call (530) 666-2411 or (530) 661-7800. Callers can remain anonymous.

Davis police have arrested two men in connection with an April 15 hit-and-run case in which a teenager was severely injured.

Police announced today that Devin Parsons, 19, and Luis Barajas Jr., 22, both of Woodland, were arrested earlier this week on suspicion of felony hit and run. Both were booked into Yolo County Jail.

On April 15, two vehicles engaged in a reckless exhibition of speed at Eureka Avenue and West 14th Street, doing "doughnut" type maneuvers, according to a Police Department news release. Louis Robertson, 18, a passenger in the rear seat of one of those cars, fell out and onto the pavement. The second vehicle ran over Roberts, and he suffered life-threatening injuries, police said.

A Woodland man has pleaded no contest to three felony charges involving theft from an 88-year-old disabled woman.

The victim and her daughter hired Dennis Martinez , 32, to do yard work over a three-day period, according to a Yolo County District Attorney's Office news release. On the third day, the elderly woman, who is legally blind, let Martinez in the house to use the bathroom while her daughter was away. The woman later discovered that Martinez had stolen her late husband's wallet and had begun using his credit cards at different locations, authorities said.

During an investigation, the Woodland Police Department recovered video of Martinez and an accomplice using a credit card at multiple locations, according to the news release.

A Woodland man suspected of battery and elder abuse was arrested this evening after barricading himself in a bedroom and starting a fire, according to police.

Woodland officers responded to the 200 block of Abele Street at 5:20 p.m. and arrived to find an elderly man with non-life-threatening injuries. He was transported by ambulance to Woodland Memorial Hospital for medical treatment.

Officers then sought to arrest a suspect, identified as James Woodall, 47, of Woodland.

A Yolo County jury has convicted three men identified as Norteno gang members for having an assault pistol in their car and engaging in street gang activity.

Angel Palacios, Carlos Hernandez and German Martinez, all age 20 of Woodland, were each found guilty by the jury Thursday, according to a Yolo County District Attorney's Office news release.

Witnesses testified that on Aug. 17, 2010, two groups of gang members were in the area of Harris Park near Midtown Elementary School in Woodland. Just as school security personnel arrived, a rival gang member challenged Hernandez, who appeared to have an object in his hand. Police were called, and the two groups left before officers arrived.

Two men, one from Elk Grove and the other from Sacramento, have been arrested in connection with a shooting last August at a Woodland bar.

Woodland police, assisted by the Sacramento County Sheriff"s Department and Sacramento Police Department, served arrest and search warrants at two locations in Sacramento County early Thursday. Arrested were Marcus Blackmon, 34, of Elk Grove, and Jason Broadbent, 25, of Sacramento. Both wore booked in to Sacramento County Jail and are awaiting transfer to Yolo County on suspicion of attempted murder, according to a Woodland Police Department news release.

Shortly after 1 a.m. Aug. 28, 2011, Woodland police officers responded to a call of shots fired with two people wounded at Tony's Bar at 607 East St. in Woodland. The victims, a 41-year-old woman from Woodland and a 38-year-old man from Sacramento, were taken by ambulance to U.C. Davis Medical Center. The woman was treated for a single gunshot wound and the man, for multiple gunshot wounds, officials said.

Although multiple gunshots were fired during the incident, no other victims were located.

Woodland police are investigating two assaults that occurred Tuesday night.

The first was reported at 8:10 p.m. and officers were dispatched to the 2600 block of Nicholson Circle. There they found a man standing outside his residence uninjured. The victim and an adult acquaintance, later identified as a Jerry Donald Kennedy Jr., 25, a homeless man, were involved in an argument that turned into a physical fight, according to a Police Department news release.

Kennedy allegedly vandalized the victim's property before assaulting the man with a piece of broken glass. The victim was not injured, and Kennedy left the area on foot before officers arrived.

State Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today announced the arrest of several gang members and their associates in the Sacramento region.

The arrests, according to a state Department of Justice news release, highlight the Yolo Narcotic Enforcement Team's continuing efforts to combat gangs and narcotics trafficking in local communities. The team is made up of all law enforcement agencies in Yolo County and is led by the state Department of Justice.

The operation in West Sacramento was dubbed "Operation Red Sash" because of the Northern Riders and Broderick Boys criminal street gangs' affiliation with the color red and the Nortenos criminal gang, officials said.

Two men in Woodland were robbed in separate incidents by trios of men in black shirts and jeans.

The first robbery occurred about 9:45 p.m. Saturday when a 24-year-old man suffered a minor head wound when struck with an unknown object by one of three robbers. He was attacked when he went outside to move his truck.

The robbers took his wallet and fled, Woodland police said. The men were described as about 6 feet tall and wearing black t-shirts and blue jeans.

Interstate 80 from West Sacramento to Davis is now open in both directions after 6 hours of closure after a suspected gunman crashed his first carjacked pickup truck in West Sacramento.

The hunt for the suspect, who also stole a tractor and ditched a second hijacked vehicle, involved swarms of officers and continues across a wide area of Sacramento.

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Here is the story as it is unfolding:

8:26 p.m.

A man who exchanged gunfire with deputies and who may be the West Sacramento shooting suspect is dead, said Sheriff's spokesman Deputy Jason Ramos.

Firefighters said in scanner traffic that flareups in the apartment fire are continuing, but they are worried about damaging the crime scene in their efforts to extinguish it.

8:07 p.m.

Authorities are making their way into an apartment in the 1900 block of Ethan Way after Sacramento Sheriff's deputies fired on a possible suspect in today's West Sacramento shootings and carjackings.

"It's certainly very possible," it's him, said Sheriff's spokesman Deputy Jason Ramos. "We're waiting to hear if he's dead."

The suspect was outside the apartment when deputies fired on him, Ramos said. He did not know if the man had fired on deputies.

Investigators began focusing on the apartment about 6 p.m., Ramos said.

"It's a place that our investigation brought us to. I don't want to say how obviously. This place came on our radar."

A fire started inside the target apartment at some point but was under control, he said. "How that was started, we don't know yet," Ramos said.

7:46 p.m.

Police believe they may have the man wanted in connection with the West Sacramento shooting and carjackings barricaded in an Arden Arcade apartment.

That apartment on the 1900 block of Ethan Way apparently caught fire following a firefight between officers and the suspect. Sacramento sheriff's spokesman Jason Ramos said it is "certainly very possible" that the suspect is the man wanted for the day-long ordeal that started this morning in West Sacramento.

6:15 p.m.

West Sacramento police Sgt. Nathan Steele reports that police have discovered a third carjacking they believe is tied to the suspect.

Steele said he did not have much information, but that police believe the newly discovered carjacking was the first to occur, shortly after the suspect fired at employees arriving to work at a Harbor Boulevard machine shop and before he stole a pickup that he later crashed on Interstate 80's Yolo Causeway.

Meanwhile, Sacramento County sheriff's deputies are shrinking their perimeter around Lerwick Drive and might soon leave the scene altogether, without a suspect in custody.

5:14 p.m.

Sacramento County sheriff's deputies have released the man they had detained as they continue to search for the suspect associated with a stolen car found abandoned in northeastern Sacramento County.

Authorities have not identified the man who was detained.

Another Lerwick Road resident, Al Purdy, said he was handcuffed and placed in the back of a squad car after a Ford F150 pick up truck pulled up in front of his house around 11:30 a.m.

Purdy, who had taken the day off from his job at the U.S. Postal Service, said and a young man, who fit the suspect's description, got out of the truck and walked away. The truck matched the description of the pickup stolen in Yolo County.

"All of a sudden all there was police activity in front of the house. Guns were pointed at me. I was cuffed and put in the back of a squad car. They searched my house," Purdy said.

3:03 p.m.

A sheriff's helicopter is hovering over the area and through a speaker is urging the residents of 314 Lerwick Road to come out with their hands up.

2:26 p.m.

Sacramento County Sheriff's spokesman Jason Ramos said deputies have detained a white male in the area near Lerwick Road and Morse Avenue where the second carjacked vehicle was found.

Detectives believe the man is responsible for stealing the car, but Ramos said they are not sure the incident is connected with the carjacking in West Sacramento.

12:29 p.m.

Interstate 80 from West Sacramento to Davis is now open in both directions after 6 hours of closure.

The freeway was closed about 6:20 a.m. when the suspect crashed his initial carjacked pickup truck in West Sacramento.

A tow truck has carried away the pickup and officials said that allows for the opening of the interstate.

11:50 a.m.

The brown Ford F150 has apparently been found miles away from where it was carjacked, police said.

Authorities apparently have found the pick-up at Lerwick Road and Morse Avenue along the Capitol City Freeway in Arden Arcade.

11:40 a.m.

Police now say that an empty rifle case was found at the West Sacramento machine shop where the entire incident began this morning when the suspect shot at employees.

It is not known by police if the suspect has a rifle from the shop. During the first carjacking he was armed with a handgun.

Yolo County Animal Services officials seek the public's help in locating dogs involved in five different dog-bite incidents during the past week.

Three occurred in Davis, one in Woodland and one in West Sacramento.

The first incident occurred about 5:30 p.m. April 12 in Davis in a field near Richards Boulevard near the Royal Oaks Mobile Home Park. Officials said a woman was bitten several times by a large black dog believed to be a Labrador retriever, possibly wearing a red collar. The dog was last seen entering the mobile home park, but investigative efforts at the park failed to locate the dog.

By Denny Walsh

Police officers are seeking help in their investigation of two stabbings at a party late Friday night in the 1300 block of Leo Way in Woodland. according to a city news release.

It was initially reported that there was an altercation in the street involving 50-60 people, the release states. Later reports were that a person was stabbed and taken to Woodland Memorial Hospital. When officers arrived at the hospital, they found that 22-year-old Woodland resident Daniel Hector Ruiz had sustained multiple wounds to his torso and arm. The injuries were potentially life-threatening, and he underwent emergency surgery.

A second victim, Andres Soloria, also 22 and a Woodland resident, had a stab wound to an arm that was not life-threatening.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Woodland Police Department at 530 661-7800.

The Yolo County District Attorney's Office advises people to be alert to a scam involving phony text messages to cell phone users.

Officials cite two messages in particular. The first begins: "Dear Walmart Shopper, Congratulations you have just won a $1000 dollar Walmart Gift Card." The second begins: "Apple is looking for people to Text & Keep the New iPad 3!" Both messages ask the cell phone users to click or go to a website provided.

Authorities advise people to delete these messages.

The Rev. Uriel Ojeda, the Catholic priest accused of molesting girl when he worked at parishes in Woodland and Redding, entered a not guilty plea today in Sacramento Superior Court.

Judge John P. Winn then scheduled Ojeda's preliminary hearing for June 8. The hearing will determine whether Ojeda, 32, will stand trial on the seven molestation counts.

The complaint against Ojeda charges that he molested the girl, who was under the age of 14 at the time of all of the allegations, three times in Sacramento County and four times in Shasta County.

The alleged incidents occurred between June 29, 2007, and Aug. 30, 2009, while Ojeda was working at the Holy Rosary Parish in Woodland and at Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Redding.l

The Yolo County District Attorney's office is accepting applications for a Citizens Academy designed to acquaint people in the community with the various aspects of the criminal justice system.

Th academy, which will begin May 3, is sponsored by the District Attorney's Office in partnership with the Yolo County Sheriff's Office; Yolo County Probation Department; and the Davis, West Sacramento, Winters and Woodland police departments.

The goal of the academy is to educate the public, and to improve relationships and communication between the different communities in Yolo County and the criminal justice system, according to a District Attorney's Office news release.

Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court Tani Cantil-Sakauye will be the featured speaker later this month at the Yolo County Bar Association's Law Day event.

The theme for Law Day this year is "No Courts, No Justice, No Freedom."

The Law Day gathering is scheduled for 11:30 to 1:30 p.m. April 26 at the Woodland Community & Senior Center, 2001 East St. The bar association hopes to draw lawyers from Yolo County and neighboring counties.

Two robbers held up a video game store in Woodland Saturday night.

Woodland police responded to the Game Stop on East Main Street about 9 p.m. Saturday where two masked men had just held up the business. The robbers took cash and fled on foot.

One of the men was armed with a gun and both robbers wore masks, police said. The robbers were described as black, about 5 feet 10 inches tall, one with a thin build and the other an average build.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at (530) 661-7800.

The Yolo County coroner's office has released the name of the man whose body was found in the Sacramento River near Clarksburg on Monday.

He was identified as Kaeo D. Alexander, 36, of Sacramento.

A coroner's official said the cause of death is pending. There was no evidence of trauma or foul play.

The body washed up at Stan's Yolo Marina on South River Road, according to the harbormaster.

An arsonist appears to have set a Woodland resident's pickup on fire this morning.

Michael McDonald, 60, was sleeping at his home in the 200 block of Hays Street when he was awakened by a barking dog about 1:30 a.m. He investigated and discovered his truck, parked on the street, was on fire.

Woodland firefighters arrived and put the fire out. Police officers found a large white bottle of lighter fluid in the street in front of the truck and a blackened rag on the hood.

Evidence will be examined for fingerprints, police said.

California Highway Patrol officers arrested a woman on a variety of charges after a struggle at Woodland Memorial Hospital last night.

During the arrest of Victoria Marie Sanders, 50, of Esparto, she allegedly struggled and kicked at officers before being taken to the ground, a CHP press release said. Sanders suffered abrasions in the process.

A leg restraint was used to keep her from kicking.

The incident began about 8 p.m. when an officer was dispatched to the hospital to take a stolen vehicle report. A man said that his girlfriend, Sanders, had taken his vehicle.

The CHP said that during the interview of the man, Sanders drove up. The officer contacted Sanders and the struggle began during her arrest, according to the CHP.

She was arrested on suspicion of resisting, battery on a peace officer, driving under the influence and driving with a suspended license.

A Woodland man left broken windows in his wake as he smashed his way along a downtown street on Wednesday, police said.

Francisco Javier Alvarado, 39, was arrested on suspicion of assault, vandalism, concealment of a weapon and being under the influence of a controlled substance.

Woodland police said they responded about 3 p.m. Wednesday to reports of vandalism in the 400 block of Third Street. Dispatchers were told that a man was breaking windows out of vehicles and businesses with lawn clippers.

Alvarado was arrested near Cross and Fourth streets and booked into Yolo County Jail.

A Woodland man was suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol Saturday night after police found that he had driven his Dodge Ram pickup into a fence, then into seating outside a business at 91 West Court Street and then into a tree.

Woodland Police said Augstin Salazar, 31, was checked by emergency personnel but appeared to have sustained no injuries in the 9:30 p.m. collision. He was the only occupant of the vehicle, police said.

Salazar was booked at Yolo County Jail.

A Woodland man was sentenced today in Sacramento to six years and three months in prison for possessing child pornography.

Kenneth Albert Webb, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. He also is subject to 10 years of supervised release.

According to court documents, Webb's laptop computer was found to contain 50 video files and 21 pictures depicting the sexual exploitation of minors, some of whom were younger than 12 years old. Some of the images were produced in Germany and France, according to a federal Department of Justice news release.

The case resulted from an investigation by the Yolo County Sheriff's Department and Yolo County District Attorney's Office.

The Yolo County coroner has released the name of a man who died Wednesday night when his car failed to negotiate a curve on an Interstate 5 off ramp in Woodland and his car crashed into a tree.

He was identified as Paul William Edwardson, 85, of Redding.

Sgt. Matt Polanco of the California Highway Patrol said the crash occurred about 5:15 p.m. on the North East Street offramp from southbound I-5. There is a tight turn in the downhill ramp, and the driver lost control on the curve. The vehicle, a Buick sedan, continued into a field and struck a large tree at high speed, Polanco said.

The cause of the crash is under investigation. Polanco said investigators are trying to determine whether a medical condition, mechanical defect or the weather may have been contributing factors. A light rain was falling at the time of the crash, he said.

An elderly man died this evening in a single-vehicle accident after his car crashed into a tree as he came off an Interstate 5 offramp in Woodland.

Sgt. Matt Polanco of the California Highway Patrol said the crash occurred about 5:15 p.m. on the North East Street offramp from southbound I-5. There is a tight turn in the downhill ramp, and the driver lost control on the curve. The vehicle, a Buick sedan, continued into a field and struck a large tree at high speed, Polanco said.

The driver, the only occupant in the vehicle, died of his injuries.

A Woodland grandmother was recently bilked out of $14,000 when she fell for a well-known telephone scam.

Woodland police called attention to the swindle and released tips on how to avoid what is commonly called the "Grandparent Scam." In the most recent instance it went like this:

The woman received a call from a person claiming to be her grandson. He told her that he had been arrested in Canada following a traffic accident and needed money to fix the vehicle.

She wired $1,000.

Over the next few weeks, more phone calls were received from the phony grandson and his phony attorney. Money was needed to help defend a lawsuit stemming from the made-up car crash, the scammers said.

The Woodland grandmother kept making wire transfers and is now out $14,000, said police. Police were contacted March 7 by the woman who finally figured out she had been scammed.

Tips to avoid the scam:

- Verify the caller's identity by asking personal questions a stranger could not answer.

- Resist acting immediately

- Call someone you know to help verify the story.

- Avoid giving credit card or bank information to anyone you don't know personally.

Woodland Police asked Sunday for help in finding 23-year-old Luis Eduardo Castellanos. He was being investigated in a domestic violence case in which he allegedly chased a 34-year-old woman, hitting her with a 2 X 4 board.

Police said the attack occurred shortly after 4 a.m. on Saturday. The woman's injuries were not life-threatening. Castellanos fled before police arrived.

Police Sgt. Steve Sexton said that during a search of the home where the two reside, authorities found a marijuana growing operation.

By Loretta Kalb
lkalb@sacbee.com

Four teenagers were arrested early today and another suspect was sought in the early morning assault on a Woodland taxi cab driver.

Woodland Police said cab driver James Mooney, 46, picked up five people at 4:21 a.m. today from the 100 block of W. Elliot Street and drove them to the 2600 block of Garrett Way in Woodland.

When it came time to pay, Mooney told police, one of the five passengers grabbed a metal flashlight from the cab and struck him in the face with it. Mooney reported that all five individuals ran to a nearby residence.

A Calistoga woman has been sentenced to 16 months in prison for embezzlement, elder abuse and tax evasion in a case involving a Yolo County resident.

Denise Ann Conophy, 51, pleaded guilty in January and was sentenced today by Yolo County Superior Court Judge Janet Gaard. The court also ordered the transfer of more than $300,000 in money and property, seized from Conophy, to the victim as payment of restitution.

The victim hired Conophy to handle her bookkeeping and other financial affairs relating to a business that the victim operated in St. Helena. Over the course of her seven years of employment, Conophy transferred the victim's assets to various accounts and used them to pay for her personal bills and to start an Internet business, according to a Yolo County District Attorney's Office news release.

Vacant apartments in Woodland were flooded today when somebody stuffed rags in bathtub drains and turned the water on.

Woodland police and fire crews were called to the Redwood Manor Apartments, 132 Fifth St., about 5 a.m. after somebody noticed the flooding. It is estimated that water had been running in the tubs of two vacant ground-floor apartments for several hours.

Police said somebody had broken into the apartments to cause what they said was felony vandalism. Several apartments adjacent to the flooded vacant units also suffered water damage.

Firefighters removed about an inch of water from the apartments. A damage estimate was not immediately available, according to a press release.

Woodland police are investigating a teenager's report of an attempt to entice him into a vehicle as he walked home from school Monday.

The 15-year-old boy told officers that he was walking home from Woodland High School about 3 p.m., heading east on Beamer Street near Frost Drive, when he was approached by a four-door sedan occupied by three Latino men in their late teens or early 20s. The vehicle stopped next to the boy, who continued to walk by the vehicle.

As he did, one of the men in the vehicle got out of the passenger side of the front seat, opened the rear passenger door of the sedan and gestured for the youth to get in the back seat, according to a Police Department news release. No words were spoken, but the teenager was frightened and ran several blocks to his home, police said.

Three Woodland men were arrested on suspicion of growing marijuana and two of them were allegedly armed, including one who had an assault rifle, Woodland police said today.

Early Thursday, Woodland officers and members of the Yolo County Narcotics Enforcement Team served a search warrant at a home in the 1900 block of Hecke Drive, a police news release said.

All three suspects were booked into the Yolo County Jail.

A police dog helped apprehend a man suspected of battering a woman in a Woodland motel room, authorities said.

Police arrived about 1 a.m. today to a motel in the 1500 block of East Main Street on a domestic disturbance call in one of the rooms. Police say that Jared Lampkin, a parolee at large, fled to some weeds in a nearby industrial complex.

A police dog found him and inflicted some minor bite wounds, police said. Lampkin was treated at the hospital and then booked on various misdemeanor and felony charges.

The victim, a 27-year-old Woodland woman, was bruised, had a black eye and scratches to her left shoulder, wrist and forearm.

Witnesses have told Woodland Police that a woman involved in a single-car collision in Woodland had been drinking alcohol shortly before the crash that killed her Monday afternoon.

The driver, Vanessa Del Toro, 20, of Woodland, was driving a 1999 Range Rover through a residential area at speeds of about 80 mph, when police gave chase, authorities said.

The SUV struck a tree in front of a house in the 1600 block of College Street just after 4 p.m. Photos from the scene show the SUV partially wrapped around the large tree, its wheels lifted off the ground.

The Yolo County Coroner's office is awaiting the results of toxicology tests to determine Del Toro's blood alcohol level, police said in a news release.

Woodland police and the California Highway Patrol's Major Accident Investigation Team are investigating the accident.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Woodland Police Department at (530) 666-2411.

By Hundson Sangree
hsangree@sacbee.com

A Yolo County judge is scheduled to sentence Marco Antonio Topete this morning for the assault-rifle slaying of sheriff's Deputy Jose Antonio Diaz in June 2008.

Jurors in the case recommended that Topete receive a death sentence. Judge Paul K. Richardson will decide whether to follow that recommendation, after ruling on yet another motion for a new trial by defense attorneys.

The hearing begins at 8:30 a.m. in Dept. 4 at the Woodland courthouse.

Woodland police reported the arrest of four people after a residential burglary was interrupted Monday afternoon.

Officers were called to the 1600 block of Truckee Way about 3:30 p.m. regarding a report of a burglary in progress. When they arrived, the suspects were fleeing the area, but the first officer on scene was able to stop one suspect, Angela Zuniga, 38, of Woodland, according to a Police Department news release.

The officer was able to provide information that led to apprehension of two other suspects, Arthur Tunstall, 43, and Esteban Torres, 21, both of Woodland. The fourth individual, Jason Peck, 345, of Woodland, was taken into custody later at his home.

Two employees of a hot dog fast food restaurant were tied up by robbers on Monday, according to Woodland police.

The Wienerschnitzel restaurant clerks had freed themselves by the time officers arrived at the restaurant, 103 West Main St., about 9:30 a.m. They told officers that two men in their 20s robbed them at gun point and then fled with cash, driving away in one of the clerks' vehicles.

No customers were in the restaurant when the robbery occurred. The clerks were not harmed.

The clerk's vehicle was later found in another part of Woodland.

By Carlos Alcalá
calcala@sacbee.com

A 21-year-old man was killed when he was struck by a hit-and-run driver on Highway 113 in Woodland early today, the California Highway Patrol reported.

The man, a resident of Foster City, was walking in the northbound lanes of 113 north of County Road 29 at about 3:50 a.m.

He was hit and killed by an unknown vehicle which fled the scene and has not been located.

The incident is under investigation, and anyone with information on the hit-and-run is asked to call CHP at (530) 662-4685.

A Calistoga woman has pleaded guilty to embezzlement and elder abuse in a case involving a Yolo County resident.

Denise Ann Conophy pleaded guilty to embezzlement, elder abuse and tax evasion, and admitted that she took more than $200,000, according to a Yolo County District Attorney's Office news release. Conophy also agreed to forfeit more than $300,000 in cash and property, previously seized by the District Attorney's Office over the course of the investigation, to pay restitution to the victim.

Officials said Conophy was hired by the victim to handle bookkeeping and other financial affairs relating to a bed and breakfast business that the victim operated in St. Helena. Over the course of her seven-year employment, Conophy transferred the victim's assets to various accounts to pay her personal bills and to start an Internet business.

A large metal shop suffered major damage in an early-morning fire today on the outskirts of Woodland.

Fire companies were dispatched to 16604 County Road 98B at about 3:30 a.m. today. When firefighters first arrived on scene, the metal shop was ablaze. Fire did not spread to a nearby unoccupied residence.

Crews attacked one side of the building, first deploying 1,500 feet of fire hose to the nearest hydrant. Two water tenders were also called in to spray water on the other side of the metal shop.

In about an hour, the fire was brought under control, according to a press release from the Woodland Fire Department.

The cause and dollar loss sustained have not been determined.

A Yuba City man has pleaded guilty to attempted murder in the stabbing of a man last May.

Harjiwan Mann, 36, admitted stabbing Mohammad Bath of Yuba City numerous times in the head and neck with a screwdriver on May 3, 2011, according to a Yolo County District Attorney's Office news release.

Woodland police arrested Mann outside Woodland Memorial Hospital, and during an interview with detectives, Mann admitted that he had been thinking about stabbing Bath because he was angry with him, officials said.

By Kim Minugh
kminugh@sacbee.com

Attorneys defending convicted cop killer Marco Antonio Topete jumped on a U.S. Supreme Court ruling handed down earlier this week and submitted a second motion for a new trial just before their client was to be sentenced this morning.

In today's session, Yolo Superior Court Judge Paul K. Richardson was to hear arguments on the previous motion, submitted by attorneys Hayes H. Gable III and Dwight M. Samuel on behalf of Topete, before potentially sentencing him.

The new motion created another delay in the trial, with the next hearing scheduled for Feb. 7.

The Yolo County Coroner's office has released the name of a man killed Friday when a car overturned on a Woodland off-ramp.

The man was identified as Robert Dale Sunderland III, 25, of Woodland.

The 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse was on the off-ramp from southbound Interstate 5 to County Road 102 at about 9 p.m. when the driver, a 22-year-old man from Sacramento, lost control.

A single-car crash killed one of four people Friday after an automobile overturned on a Woodland off-ramp, California Highway Patrol officials reported.

The 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse was on the off-ramp from southbound Interstate 5 to County Road 102 at about 9 p.m. when the driver, a 22-year-old man from Sacramento, lost control.

The vehicle overturned several times and came to rest on its roof.

Yolo County animal services officers are seeking additional information about two pit bulls mix dogs that killed a cat in Woodland.

The Yolo County Sheriff's office, Animal Services Section, on Thursday impounded the two bit bulls. The dogs were running loose in the vicinity of West Woodland Avenue, North West Street, West Beamer Street and Mariposa Street.

One is a tan and white mix and the other is black and white.

Officers learned that the dogs may have hurt other victims. Anyone who may have encountered the dogs is asked to contact animal services at (530) 668-5287, Ext. 0 or email animal.bite@yolocounty.org.

Nine Central Valley residents were arrested on suspicion of passport fraud in 2011.

The accused allegedly applied for a U.S. passport using counterfeit, stolen or other unlawfully-obtained documentation, which is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, according to a press release from the Diplomatic Security Service.

"The Diplomatic Security Service is committed to investigating and pursuing anyone who applies for or obtains a United States passport using false documents," stated Dean K. Shear, special agent-in-charge of the DSS San Francisco field office.

Among those arrested:

-- Jose Concepcion Mata-Ibanez of Chico

-- Ulises Ernesto Diaz Miranda of Woodland

A toddler suffered a large gash to his forehead Wednesday in a Yolo County crash and had to be airlifted to the hospital.

Ryan Troung, 2, of Woodland suffered a 5-6 inch laceration to his head when the car in which he was riding was struck by a pickup truck on Highway 16. The pickup was pulling a trailer that was improperly loaded, causing the trailer to sway from side-to-side, the California Highway Patrol reported in a press release.

The CHP said that Placido Hernandez was driving a Ford pickup eastbound on Highway 16 just south of the Cache Creek Casino about 3 p.m. Wednesday when his trailer carrying cinder blocks began to fishtail. Hernandez was traveling about 35-40 mph, the CHP said.

Woodland police are investigating the robbery of a 63-year-old woman shortly before 9 p.m. on Christmas Eve at the local Target store.

The victim said a man approached her in the parking lot, threatened her with a knife and ordered her to turn over her purse, police said.

Her purse had her ID, credit cards and a small amount of cash, the department reported.

Police said the suspect is white or Hispanic, 20-25 years old, 5-foot-8, thin build, wearing a stocking cap, a dark coat with a belt, and dark colored pants.

-- Bee staff

Collisions that backed up traffic for several hours last night on Interstate 5 between Sacramento and Woodland resulted in injury to two motorists.

The California Highway Patrol said that a car and a mini van headed southbound on I-5 just north of County Road 4 about 5:45 p.m. collided.

The car then went through the grass center divider and into the path of a northbound big rig.

The car collided with the big rig. The truck then went through the center divider and into the southbound lanes, traveled off the roadway and came to rest, partially on a golf course.

Two males in the car that hit the truck, one 16 and the other 18 years old, both from Chico, suffered moderate injuries, according to a CHP report.

A Woodland man has been convicted of molesting the 6-year-old daughter of a couple with whom he was sharing a home.

After a four-day trial, a Yolo County jury deliberated a half-day before finding Efrain Amed Vasquez Martinez, 29, guilty Friday of four of six charges of child molestation that occurred in two separate incidents.

About 4 a.m. on April 24, one of Vasquez's housemates awoke to sounds in the home that raised suspicion, and she sent her husband to investigate. The husband opened the door to the children's bedroom, where he found a 4-year-old boy asleep and the 6-year-old girl pulling the covers over her, as Vasquez, wearing only his underwear, attempted to hide in the closet, according to a Yolo County District Attorney's Office news release.

A bail review motion scheduled for today on a Catholic priest accused of child molestation was put off until Jan. 5 amid suggestions he may be a flight risk.

The Rev. Uriel Ojeda, 32, who served in parishes in Woodland and Redding, is accused in seven counts of molesting a girl under the age of 14. The criminal complaint filed against him said the acts took place between June 28, 2007, and Aug. 30, 2009.

Ojeda's attorney, Jesse Ortiz, asked for the delay in order to obtain his client's personnel records from the Sacramento archdiocese.

Woodland Police say an occupied home in the 300 block of Lincoln Avenue was struck by shotgun pellets, shattering the front window and the front doorway.

Polices reported on Saturday that three adults and four minor children were in the home when the shooting occurred shortly after 11 p.m. the previous evening.

No injuries were reported.

An 18-year-old man was arrested this afternoon on suspicion of burglary after he was chased down by a witness.

Woodland police responded at 1:53 p.m. to 83 Utah Ave. to a report of an interrupted residential burglary. When officers arrived, they learned that a witness to the burglary had chased three suspects toward Mariposa Street, according to a Police Department news release. The witness caught and detained one suspect, Louie Brown, whom police described as a local transient. Brown was found on a pathway between Utah Avenue and Mariposa Street.

Police said all the property reported stolen in the burglary was recovered in the area where Brown was detained by the witness.

A Catholic priest beloved by churchgoers in Woodland was arraigned this afternoon in Sacramento on seven counts of child molestation.

PHOTO GALLERY: Priest's supporters at arraignment

The Rev. Uriel Ojeda, who was assigned to a church in Woodland before being transferred to Redding, did not enter a plea in the brief proceeding in Sacramento Superior Court. He spoke only to confirm his name, and to confirm that he knew the identity of his accuser, whose name has been sealed.

About a dozen supporters showed up on Ojeda's behalf. They could be heard whimpering quietly as Ojeda entered the locked cell in the courtroom.

A Yolo County Sheriff's Department deputy did not suffer injury when he rolled his car near Dunnigan early this morning, according to the CHP.

The California Highway Patrol said the deputy overturned his car into a ditch near County Road 7A and County Road 89. The deputy was taken to the hospital as a precaution.

A man suffered a collapsed lung when he was stabbed on his way to a grocery store in Woodland on Monday night.

Robert Felix, 30, of Woodland told police that he was walking to the store when two men in a car pulled up at Elliot and West streets and started yelling at him about 8:45 p.m. Monday. They also threw a glass bottle at Felix, he told officers later at the hospital.

Felix ran and the two men got out of their car and gave chase. They eventually caught up with Felix and stabbed him twice in the torso.

After they fled, Felix used his cellphone to call his girlfriend who took him to the hospital. Felix could not provide a description of either the men or their car to Woodland Police officers.

A youngster playing with matches is being blamed for a fire that displaced a family from their Woodland home.

The American Red Cross is providing emergency lodging for the family of two adults and a child after the fire at a home in the 1300 block of Oak Avenue Tuesday.

Woodland Fire Department firefighters responded to the single-story structure about 4:30 p.m. When they arrived, heavy smoke was billowing from the rear of the home.

Crews attacked the blaze and ventilated the attic, bringing the fire under control. Fire damage was contained to a small portion of the attic and a back exterior wall where the fire originated.

No injuries were reported.

Woodland police responded to an armed robbery at a Dollar Tree store this evening, according to authorities.

The robbery at the Pioneer Avenue store occurred just before 7:30 p.m., according to a Woodland police press release. After using a firearm to steal an undisclosed amount of cash, the suspect ran to a late 80s, gray or light blue Toyota pickup with an extended cab, the release states.

The suspect fled northbound on Pioneer. Officers attempted to find him but were unsuccessful, according to the release.

Police say they suspect alcohol played a role Sunday night when an SUV ran into a mobile home in Woodland.

The crash occurred about 10 p.m. when the sport utility vehicle struck the mobile home in the 900 block of Bourn Drive. The SUV also appeared to have hit the south sound wall along East Gum Avenue.

Nobody inside the home was hurt. However, the SUV's driver and her passenger suffered cuts and bruises.

The accident is under investigation.

A 19-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted homicide in what Woodland police characterized as a gang-related assault.

Officers were dispatched at 2:14 p.m. Thursday to the county Department of Employment and Social Services at 25 N. Cottonwood St. regarding a report that a man was being assaulted by several people.

Police found the victim, a Woodland resident, inside the building. Medical personnel transported the man to Woodland Memorial Hospital, where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Four people have been arrested in connection with what Woodland police said appeared to be a gang-related drive-by shooting.

Officers were dispatched about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday regarding a report of shots fired in the 1300 block of Donnelly Circle. When they arrived, police found a white, four-door vehicle that had crashed into Gonzales Park.

Witnesses told officers that the car had been driven by a residence on Donnelly Circle and several male passengers leaned out and fired multiple gunshots at two male victims. Police said the rounds penetrated an occupied residence, but no one was injured.

Two men were arrested Sunday night on suspicion of drug and parole violations after leading Woodland police on a pursuit that covered more than six miles.

The incident began about 6:42 p.m. when officers were dispatched to the 700 block of Sixth Street regarding a report that an individual with a gun was fleeing the area in a vehicle following an argument.

Upon arrival, a police K-9 officer spotted a vehicle quickly leaving the area and attempted to stop it on Fifth Street, between Pendegast and Cross streets, according to a Police Department news release. The driver led officers southwest through town on residential streets. Near the intersection of Pendegast and West streets, the occupants threw from the car items that officers later discovered were illegal drugs, officials said.

By Hudson Sangree
hsangree@sacbee.com

A Yolo Superior Court judge today dismissed a juror from death penalty deliberations in a cop-killing trial because he found her language skills to be lacking.

The woman was one of 12 jurors who last month swiflty convicted defendant Marco Antonio Topete of the first-degree murder of Yolo Sheriff's Deputy Jose Antonio Diaz in June 2008.

On Thursday, the woman, identified only as juror number 11 sent a note to Judge Paul Richardson saying she had been raised in a foreign country and was unable to see the death penalty phase from an American perspective. She worried she was "dragging others juries down." She asked to be replaced with an alternate juror.

An 18-year-old man has been arrested after gunshots were fired at a home in the 900 block of Lincoln Avenue in Woodland on Thursday night.

Woodland police responded about 10:30 p.m. to a report of shots fired and discovered that several gunshots had been fired at an occupied residence. The occupants, all adults, were not injured.

Detectives arrived at the residence about 12:30 a.m. to assist in the investigation and learned that the suspects in the shooting were driving a white minivan with brown trim, according to a Police Department news release. While officers and detectives were still at the scene, a van matching the description drove by the residence.

A man convicted of the 1983 murder of his girlfriend's 22-month-old son will stay in prison for at least three more years.

The Yolo County District Attorney's Office announced that a panel of two Board of Parole Hearing commissioners made the decision Tuesday.

Last year, the board granted Christopher Fowler parole but was reversed by Gov. Jerry Brown on April 7 of this year. Tuesday's parole hearing took place at California Training Facility in Soledad, where Fowler is in prison.

A dispute over payment for a business transaction led to a chase and collisions that closed a portion of southbound Interstate 5 for about four hours early Monday, according to the California Highway Patrol.

At 2:53 a.m., the CHP's Woodland-area office received a report of a traffic collision on southbound I-5 just south of County Road 102 involving a 2011 Nissan Juke and a 2012 Ford Focus.

Following an investigation, CHP officers determined that the collision was the culmination of a dispute that began when a 30-year-old Stockton man answered and online escort advertisement posted by Martin Andrade, 21, of Sacramento. The Stockton man drove to Andrade's residence, where the business transaction took place. Leaving an undisclosed amount of money, the Stockton man then left the residence.

Southbound Interstate 5 has reopened to traffic in Woodland after a hit-and-run collision forced its closure, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Traffic was being diverted at Main Street and County Road 102 this morning because of a collision south of County Road 102.

It reopened shortly before 7 a.m.

The collision occurred shortly before 3 a.m. and involved three vehicles, according to the CHP. Nobody was injured.

By Hudson Sangree
hsangree@sacbee.com

In an effort to spare her husband from the death penalty, Angelique Topete took the stand in Yolo Superior Court this morning and told jurors of her love for Marco Antonio Topete.

"The first day I met him, I told my friend that was my husband," she said. The meeting had taken place behind the walls of Pelican Bay State Prison in Crescent City. What attracted, asked defense attorney Dwight Samuel. "His strength. I think he's a strong person," she said.

Angelique Topete was among the first witnesses called by defense lawyers today as they opened their case in the penalty phase of the capital murder trial of Topete for killing Yolo County Sheriff's Deputy Jose Antonio Diaz in June 2008. Jurors earlier this month convicted Topete on all counts of of first- degree murder with special circumstances.

By Cynthia Hubert
chubert@sacbee.com

A Woodland woman escaped her burning home without injury Saturday afternoon, fire officials said.

Firefighters arrived to find flames shooting from a rear bedroom in a home on Grand Avenue. One person was home at the time of the fire, but managed to get out safely.

Three fire engines and one ladder truck were used to battle the blaze, which caused about $100,000 in damage, officials said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Two Sacramento County residents were arrested in Woodland, suspected of stealing vehicle batteries.

At 9:40 p.m. Tuesday, Woodland police officers were called to the Target Warehouse, 2050 E. Beamer St., regarding a report that two people had been seen in a restricted area taking batteries out of construction vehicles.

Officers arriving at the scene established a perimeter and immediately detained a woman identified as Ana Tomak, 18, of Rancho Cordova, according to a Police Department news release. A second suspect ran off into an adjacent thistle field.

Two Sacramento man have been arrested in connection with Sunday's armed robbery at a Woodland recycling center.

Woodland police, assisted by the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department and Sacramento Police Department, served search warrants today that resulted in the arrests of Jose Villegas, 24, and Marlon Chavarin, 23.

Chavarin is suspected of robbing Solorzano Recycle in the 300 block of West Main Street about 11 a.m. Sunday, according to a Woodland Police Department news release. Villegas is accused of being the get-away driver.

A robber hit a recycling employee in the nose with his gun in Woodland on Sunday.

Jose Hernandes, 36, was working at Solorzano Recycle in the 300 block of West Main Street about 11 a.m. Sunday when a robber with a black, semi-automatic handgun stuck up the place.

Cash was handed over to the robber, police said. Also, the butt of the weapon was used to hit Hernandes in the nose, leaving him with a minor injury requiring first-aid.

The robber fled northbound on foot.

Woodland police said they arrested a man who allegedly carried a knife onto an elementary school campus on Tuesday.

Officers arrived at Freeman Elementary School, 126 N. West St., at 2:53 p.m. Tuesday regarding a report of a man with a knife on campus. School had been dismissed at 2:39 p.m., but some students were still on campus for after-hour activities.

Police said they found a man, later identified as Juan Ayala Perez, 26, of Woodland, outside the school administration office. A knife was allegedly visible in his possession, poking out of his pants, police said.

A motorist was severely injured early today in a single-car crash after his Honda hit a raised center median on East Gibson Road in Woodland and then struck a large oak tree before crossing traffic lanes to stop on a sidewalk, police said.

Alcohol may have played a role in the crash, which occurred shortly before 2 a.m. in the eastbound lanes of East Gibson between Matmor Road and Washington Drive, Woodland Police spokesman Sgt. Don Beal reported. East Gibson Road was closed for more than two hours during the subsequent the investigation.

The identity of the driver was not immediately available. Beal said the motorist was unconscious and bleeding and had what appeared to be life-threatening injuries. He was taken by ambulance to UC Davis Medical Center.

Woodland police said that a suspected drunken driver allegedly tried to drive away after hitting a parked pickup last night.

Police said that about 10 p.m. they were called to the 200 block of Muir Street where a car had hit a parked, unoccupied pickup. Police said that it was reported that the driver of the car had attempted to leave the scene prior to the arrival of officers.

When police arrived, they found the car was able to travel just a short distance because of damage sustained in the crash. Officers arrested Jessica Maria Chavarin, 22, on suspicion of "probable cause" involving felony drunken driving and felony hit and run, according to a department press release.

A passenger in the car driven by Chavarin was hurt and was transported to the hospital with non life-threatening injuries, police said.

A Sacramento man was arrested in Woodland early Saturday morning after allegedly running his car into a power pole, rolling his vehicle, and knocking power out of a portion of Woodland.

Ralph Soto, 69, was reportedly driving under the influence when he ran in to the power pole at County Road 98 and W. Beamer Street at around 1:19 a.m, injuring a 29-year-old passenger.

PG&E arrived at the scene to handle the live wires that were down, and public works crewsclosed County Road 98 at west Kentucky Avenue and west Main Street to all but emergency vehicles. Roads were closed for about seven hours.

The passenger was taken to the UC Davis Medical Center for non-life-threatening injuries.

Woodland police said a referee was punched after he gave a red card to a soccer player.

Officers were called about 7:45 p.m. Sunday to the soccer field at the Woodland Community Center, 2001 East St., where it was reported that the referee had been struck.

When they arrived, the referee, Juan Manuel Garcia, 33, of Woodland was still present, but the player, who is suspected of striking him in the neck, had fled. Garcia suffered a minor injury from the punch.

Two people were in stable condition in the UC Davis Medical Center today after they were shot about 1 a.m. at Tony's Bar in the 600 block of East Street in Woodland, police said.

Sgt. Tom Davis, spokesman for the Woodland Police Department, said multiple gunshots were fired, striking 41-year-old Dawn Milliken of Woodland and 38-year-old Tony Mares. No other victims were found.

The suspect was described as a black or dark-skinned Hispanic man, 5-foot-7, 300 pounds, wearing a white T-shirt and armed with a semi-automatic handgun. He fled the scene, traveling east on Alice Street, in a silver Dodge Charger or similar vehicle, police said.

A 48-year-old Woodland man was assaulted in his motel room early Saturday when a man pushed open the door of the room and robbed him at gunpoint, Woodland police said today.

A department spokesman said Jesus Lopez was staying in the Budget Inn on the 1000 block of Main Street in Woodland when the assault occurred about 12:30 a.m.

Lopez was punched and hit with a handgun, police said, and the suspect took his wallet, which contained about $400.

Woodland police are investigating the baseball bat beating of a San Jose man early this morning.

Officers were called about 2 a.m. to the 1200 block of Alice Street where they found Bong Kim, 43, of San Jose sitting in the passenger seat of his vehicle. Bong, who was bleeding, was transported to the hospital for non life-threatening injuries.

By Hudson Sangree
hsangree@sacbee.com

A video of a Yolo County sheriff's deputy being gunned down in June 2008 prompted loud sobs and wailing from the victim's family in a Woodland courtroom this morning.

The emotional outburst prompted lawyers for defendant Marco Antonio Topete to move for a mistrial. Veteran defense attorney Dwight Samuel called it the worst outcry he had seen.

Judge Paul Richardson said he would take up the issue later today. He told jurors to ignore the outbursts and focus only on the evidence.

Two Sacramento region CHP airborne officers have been recognized for outstanding work.

Pilot Jeff Barbao and flight officer Jonathon Pierce have won the fixed wing operator of the year award sponsored by aircraft-maker GippsAero for the impact of their work.

Barbao and Pierce are assigned to the CHP Valley Division air unit based in Auburn. The division covers an area 160 miles in length and 130 miles wide, including Sacramento, Stockton and South Lake Tahoe.

Woodland police arrested three juveniles in connection with the mutilation and poisoning of 31 fish at Woodland High School over the weekend, according to a police department news release.

The suspects -- all boys and Woodland residents, ages 14, 12 and 11 -- were cited on suspicion of cruelty to animals, burglary and conspiracy, and were released to their parents, according to the police department release.

The killing of the 31 catfish, which were being raised by Future Farmers of America students for showing at the Yolo County Fair, was discovered by a student at about 11 a.m. Sunday in the school's agricultural area.

Woodland police today arrested two people in connection with the burglary of a residence Wednesday afternoon.

A resident returning to her home at 1618 Carnelian Court at 12:37 p.m. Wednesday interrupted the burglars. The intruders fled the home, discarding stolen property as they ran, according to a Woodland Police Department news release.

A witness gave chase and caught one of the suspects. Another suspect in a vehicle attempted to run over the witness. The witness then let go of the suspect he had detained, and the suspects got into the vehicle and headed northbound on Camino Way.

Woodland police say a man who suffered a head injury in an attack near his home is holding his own in intensive care.

Police are also asking for help in finding the assailant who badly injured Pascual Lopez, 74, on Wednesday.

Police said that Lopez was found unconscious in a pool of blood about 11:30 a.m. Wednesday in the 400 block of Academy Lane. Lopez was taken to UC Davis Medical Center.

By Hudson Sangree

hsangree@sacbee.com

After a series of unusual delays, the trial of accused cop killer Marco Antonio Topete is scheduled to start next week in Yolo Superior Court.

A jury selection process involving more than 1,000 potential jurors is slated to wrap up Monday and opening statements are planned for Tuesday, court officials said.

A judicial gag order prevents lawyers from talking about the case.

Two cats died in a trailer fire in Woodland this morning.

The residents of the double-wide mobile home at 907 Bourn Drive were able to escaped before the fire swept through their home att about 4 a.m. However, Woodland firefighters were not able to save two cats who died.

The cause of the fire, which caused extensive damage, is under investigation.

An initial investigation has revealed that the wreck Monday afternoon on Interstate 5 that left three dead may have started with a truck that was traveling at unsafe speed when approaching traffic slowed by lane closures.

Six vehicles were involved in the crash. Two adults and a child died in the fiery crash on southbound I-5 in the Woodland area Monday afternoon.

Seven other people were injured. Their conditions and the names of the dead were not yet available today.

A Yolo County jury has convicted two men in the armed robbery of a Woodland fast-food restaurant.

Aaron Dufour, 25, of Woodland, and Nathan Espinoza, 24, of Sacramento, were convicted of the Dec. 9, 2009 robbery of the Woodland Taco Bell. The jury also convicted Dufour of robberies of two other Woodland businesses in November 2009, Little Caesar's Pizza restaurant and an AM/PM gas station, according to a Yolo County District Attorney's Office news release.

Officials said that Dufour -- wearing a dark mask, dark gloves and dark hooded sweatshirt -- entered all three businesses, indicated that he had a gun and demanded money. Espinoza drove the car that witnesses saw leaving the Taco Bell robbery, and led police on a high-speed chase from Woodland to Davis, eventually crashing the car.

Dufour and Espinoza are to be sentenced Aug. 28 by Yolo County Superior Court Judge Stephen Mock.

The Yolo County Coroner's office has released the name of a driver killed on a dirt road when his truck rolled.

He was identified as Adam J. Connolly, 25, of Clear Lake.

Connolly was driving his pickup south on a dirt road off of County Road 40 west of Rumsey at a high speed about 6 p.m. Friday when he lost control. The pickup overturned and ejected Connolly, the truck ending up on top of him.

A public briefing regarding a two-day sex-offender sweep will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Yolo County District Attorney's Office, 301 Second St., Woodland.

District Attorney Jeff Reisig, along with other county, local and state law enforcement officials, will discuss the results of "Operation Vigilance," a compliance and enforcement check of Yolo County's registered sex offenders.

During the past two days, 130 law enforcement officers from agencies in Yolo County - as well as the FBI, California Highway Patrol and State Parole - conducted sex offender compliance checks in Davis, Woodland, West Sacramento, Winters, Capay, Esparto and Dunnigan, according to a District Attorney's Office news release. Officials said 436 registered sex offenders live in Yolo County. Most were convicted of rape, child molestation or possession of child pornography.

Seven Sacramento-area real estate professionals have been charged with committing mortgage fraud with losses totaling $4 million.

Moctezuma Tovar, 42, owned and operated Delta Homes and Lending, Inc., where Sacramento residents Manuel Herrera, 31, Ruben Rodriguez, 34, and Jaime Mayorga, 32, worked as licensed real estate agents.

A former loan officer, Sandra Hermosillo, 49, of Woodland, along with former loan processors and Jun Michael Dirian, 38, of Antelope and Christian Parada Renteria, 35, of Sacramento also worked for Tovar at Delta Homes.