Sacto 9-1-1

A Yuba City woman died and two other people were injured this morning in a collision on Highway 20, northeast of Marysville.

Tania H. Fox, 47, was driving a 1997 Dodge Neon westbound on Highway 20, approaching Plantz Road about 7:50 a.m., when for some reason the vehicle left the roadway, according to a California Highway Patrol news release. Fox apparently overcorrected, steering her vehicle into oncoming eastbound traffic, where it was struck broadside on the passenger side by a 2002 Ford Crown Victoria driving by Robert L. Lugo, 47, also of Yuba City.

Lugo applied his brakes, but was unable to avoid hitting the Neon, which continued to travel down an embankment on the south side of Highway 20, where it came to rest facing east, according to the CHP.

A Beale Air Force Base airman who was found dead at her Penn Valley residence Monday night has been identified by as Master Sgt. Rachael Hawkins Bell.

Bell, 41, was assigned to the 9th Operations Support Squadron as the superintendent of the intelligence section, according to a news release. Her home of record was Chico.

Beale officials said the cause of death is under investigation by the Nevada County Sheriff's Office in coordination with the county coroner. They said more information will be released as it becomes available.

An unhelmeted bicyclist wearing earphones in Yuba County suffered major injuries when she turned into the path of an oncoming pickup despite the cries of her sister to watch out, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Brittany M. Bowers, 21, of Olivehurst was on a bicycle on a ride south on Garden Avenue approaching Arboga Road about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. While waiting for her sister and friend, she turned circles on the roadway, according to a CHP press release.

Bowers failed to hear her sister screaming that a truck was approaching. The driver saw the bicyclist but, as he approached, she turned into the path of his truck, according to the CHP.

Bowers suffered a broken leg, a lacerated liver and other injuries, according to the press release.

One person died this evening after a vehicle crashed west of Smartsville in Yuba County and caught fire.

Officer J. Bice of the California Highway Patrol said the single vehicle crash was reported about 6:10 p.m. on Timbuctoo Road, on the east side of the Yuba River, northeast of the Parks Bar Bridge. He said a passer-by had spotted smoke.

The vehicle was found 150 to 200 feet off the roadway on some rocks at the water's edge. Bice said it had been consumed by fire.

A 68-year-old man and 14-year-old boy died of blunt-force trauma when a car at the Marysville Raceway Park crashed into the pit area Saturday afternoon.

Yuba County Sheriff-Coroner Steve Durfor released the cause of death following autopsies performed today.

Marcus Johnson, 14, died of multiple blunt force trauma to the head, chest and abdomen, and Dale Wondergem Jr. died of multiple blunt force trauma to the head and chest, according to a Sheriff's Office news release.

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.

The two victims struck and killed by a race car at Marysville Speedway on Saturday evening have been identified as Dale Richard Wondergem Jr., 68, of Grass Valley, and Marcus Joseph Johnson, 14, of Santa Rosa. authorities said.

Both were standing near each other in the pit area of the racetrack when a car doing warmup laps careened off the track and hit them about 6 p.m., said Yuba County sheriff's deputies.

The driver of the car, Chase Domonic Johnson, 17, of Penngrove, was not injured. The younger victim was the driver's cousin and not an official member of the pit crew. His admittance to the pit area is being investigated, Yuba County sheriff's officials said.

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 spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reports that an overturned tanker truck has been safely removed and a section of HIighway 70 is reopening after a 16-hour closure.

The highway was closed between Ramirez and Magnolia roads north of Marysville following the 6:30 a.m. crash and traffic was diverted.

Firefighers stood by throughout the afternoon and evening in case of fire as a specialized crew offloaded 8,000 gallons of fuel, according to Daniel Berlant, Cal Fire spokesman.

The California Highway Patrol reported that the tanker and a pickup crashed between Ramirez and Magnolia roads about 6:30 a.m., and the pickup caught fire.

The tanker truck did not catch fire, but ended up in a ditch on its side. The tanker's load had to drained before the tanker could be righted and be towed away.

The CHP reported minor injuries to the motorists involved.

Photo courtesy California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection

Two men in an SUV led the CHP on a Dukes of Hazzard-type chase Wednesday afternoon.

A California Highway Patrol officer noticed a driver in a 1999 Dodge Durango about 4:30 p.m. with no seatbelt on Arboga Road in Linda, Yuba County. When the officer activated his emergency lights to make a stop of the SUV, the driver hit the gas.

The SUV reached speeds of 70 mph on Arboga Road, north of Furneaux Road, with the CHP in hot pursuit before turning into a driveway. From there, the driver headed toward railroad ties that were piled against a chain link fence.

The driver ran over the ties and powered through the fence.

The two men in the SUV then bolted from their disabled vehicle and ran, jumping over fences to eventually escape officers. The driver was described as white, 20 to 25 years old, 5 feet 11 inches tall and about 185 pounds.

The CHP is following up on leads to identify the driver and his passenger.

A Marysville man has been arrested on suspicion of homicide in a shooting on Sunday that left one person dead and three others injured.

Kong Meng Vue, 25, was arrested by Yuba County deputies, with the assistance of gang task force officers, about 11 a.m. Wednesday. Vue was taken into custody in the 5700 block of Park Avenue in Linda.

Vue is a suspect in an incident on Sunday night in which somebody fired several shots toward a house in the 5800 block of Poplar Avenue in Olivehurst where a family gathering was taking place.

Teng Yang, 20, of Olivehurst was pronounced dead at the scene.

The three others who were shot were a 24-year-old man, a 27-year-old man and a 19-year-old woman, all from Olivehurst. They were taken to a hospital with non life-threatening injuries.

The motive for the shooting is under investigation.

Four people were shot, one fatally, in gunfire Sunday at a house in Yuba County.

Somebody fired several shots toward a house in the 5800 block of Poplar Avenue near Almond Avenue about 10 p.m. Sunday where a family gathering was taking place.

Teng Yang, 20, of Olivehurst was pronounced dead at the scene.

The three others who were shot were a 24-year-old man, a 27-year-old man and a 19-year-old woman, all from Olivehurst. They were transported to a hospital with non life-threatening injuries.

The motive for the shooting is under investigation. Gang involvement has not been ruled out, according to a sheriff's department press release.

Three Yuba County men have been arrested on federal hate crime charges for what authorities allege was a racially motivated attack on an African American woman and a white man in Marysville in April 2011.

Billy James Hammett, 28, and Perry Sylvester Jackson, 27, both of Marysville, were arrested today and arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dale A. Drozd. Both entered not-guilty pleas, according to a federal Department of Justice news release. They are scheduled to appear before U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez on Jan. 29.

The third man, Anthony Merrell Tyler, 32, of Olivehurst, surrendered today in Sacramento and is to be arraigned Wednesday.

An Olivehurst man was arrested Tuesday night after reportedly fleeing, then fighting with Yuba County sheriff's deputies.

About 10:30 p.m., deputies attempted to contact a motorcyclist who was seen in an orchard in the area of the Peach Tree Golf and Country Club in the east Linda area. The motorcyclist drove off but was spotted again by a deputy on Simpson Lane near Simpson-Dantoni Road. When the man saw the deputy, he again tried to flee by driving over a levee, according to a Sheriff's Department news release.

As he attempted the maneuver, however, the driver and motorcycle fell. The driver then began to run from the area and fought with pursuing deputies, officials said.

Deputies eventually subdued the man, who was identified as Jason Ray Gorham, 25. He was arrested on suspicion of battery on a peace officer, resisting arrest, violation of parole, driving on the levee and other minor vehicle code violations.

A Sacramento man was arrested on suspicion of vehicle code violations and possessing marijuana after leading Yuba County Sheriff's deputies on a chase in the Olivehurst area.

About 4:30 p.m. Sunday, deputies attempted to stop the driver of a car for vehicle code violations near the intersection of Chestnut and Olivehurst avenues. But the driver failed to yield and sped away with deputies in pursuit, according to a Sheriff's Department news release.

The chase continued on Highway 70/65 to Forty Mile Road, and eventually to Pleasant Grove Road, where the suspect's vehicle was disabled by a mechanical problem.

Allegedly abandoning his crashed pickup got one young man in Linda more than a DUI.

The California Highway Patrol reported that an officer was dispatched about 3 a.m. this morning to Alicia Avenue in the Yuba County community of Linda where a Ford 150 truck had hit a power pole, knocking out electricity in the area.

The driver was nowhere to be seen. Officers eventually located the suspected driver, Aldo Ivan Marcial, 21, in an apartment not far from the crash.

He was booked into Yuba County jail on suspicion of hit and run, driving under the influence, driving without a license and delaying or obstructing an investigation.

Four Sacramento-area men were recently charged in federal indictments with receiving or sharing child pornography.

James Capalbo, 61, of Davis was charged with receipt of child pornography. The Nov. 29 indictment alleges that between March 28 and April 26, 2011, Capalbo knowingly received visual depictions of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, according to a federal Department of Justice news release.

The case resulted from an investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations.

An airman found dead in his vehicle off Highway 20 Friday was identified as Ayaz "Neil" Ali, 41, said Nevada County sheriff's officials.

Ali reportedly was stationed in Georgia and was visiting Northern California's Beale Air Force Base. Beale officials said the airman had been missing since Tuesday evening when he left the base.

The California Highway Patrol said Ali's Toyota Camry was spotted about 3:30 p.m. at Wild Turkey Lane and Highway 20 by state highway workers. A body found inside the car had been dead for at least a day, CHP said.

Nevada County sheriff's officials said it appeared Ali suffered head injuries in the single-car accident. Toxicology tests will determine if drugs or alcohol were factors in the death.

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

QUESTION: What ever happened to Thom V. Randle who pleaded guilty to embezzlement of money from a retirement home? We heard he got sent to federal prison. Was he forced to pay restitution etc., too?
Submitted by: Glenn Loughlin, Chico

ANSWER: Thom V. Randle pleaded guilty in May 2010 to computer fraud and money laundering in connection with his theft of $693,000 from the Columbian Retirement Home in Marysville.

The Yuba County Sheriff's Department is investigating a break-in of a Subway shop that included theft of the restaurant's safe.

The burglary occurred early Sunday at the sandwich shop in the 1600 block of North Beale Road in the Linda area.

Deputies are using surveillance footage in an effort to identify the suspect. The footage indicates that a male pried open the door to the business just before 6 a.m., according to a Sheriff's Department news release. The individual entered the store and stole a safe. Officials said the value of the property in the safe has not been determined.

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.

A Yuba County man has been sentenced to prison by a federal court judge in Iowa after pleading guilty to weapons charges and to possessing medical marijuana with the intent to distribute it.

Kelvin Maximillion Stanford of Olivehurst was sentenced Oct. 11 in Cedar Rapids by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade to two years in federal prison. He was stopped on Interstate 80 driving from California with nearly 3 pounds of medical marijuana, a firearm and a stun baton, according to a federal Department of Justice news release.

Stanford pleaded guilty in July to possessing with the intent to distribute less than 50 kilograms of marijuana and being an unlawful drug user in possession of a firearm.

A Linda man was arrested after a Yuba County sheriff's deputy reported finding more than an ounce of methamphetamine in his vehicle.

A deputy was on patrol in the 3200 block of Erle Road about 2 a.m. Saturday when he stopped a vehicle driven by Larry Dorsey, 47, who is on parole, a Sheriff's Department news release shows.

During a search of Dorsey's vehicle deputies located more than 37 grams of methamphetamine packaged in several different baggies. They also seized a syringe and a small amount of heroin, officials said.

Dorsey was booked into the Yuba County Jail on suspicion of possessing controlled substances for sale and transporting controlled substances.

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

QUESTION: Was anybody convicted in the murder of Fritz Bieth? I believe it happened in the mid 1980s, and what was the reason of his murder? I believe he was found shot to death in the back of his van in Yuba City.
Submitted by: Stuts, Elk Grove

ANSWER: According to court documents, Fritz Bieth, the owner of a Sacramento company, Floratech, who had developed and patented a method of raising orchids, was killed May 17, 1991 by a business partner.

A Yuba County man has been arrested following the death of a 37-year-old Stockton man, who was injured last month in a fight.

Haley Wike, 26, of Forbestown is accused of fighting with Louis Pacini IV in the Willow Glen Cafe in the early morning hours of Sept. 15. During the fight, Wike allegedly hit Pacini in the face while holding a pool cue in his hand, knocking Pacini to the ground, according to a Yuba County Sheriff's Department news release. Pacini struck his head in the fall and was taken by ambulance to Rideout Memorial Hospital, where he died Sept. 25.

Officials said an autopsy determined that Pacini died as a result of blunt force trauma to the head.

The Yuba County Sheriff's Department is investigating the report of a robbery at a marijuana garden in the community of Rackerby.

Deputies received a call about 3 a.m. Wednesday regarding a patient in the emergency room at Oroville Hospital who had suffered multiple stab wounds, according to a Sheriff's Department news release. Investigators responded and learned that a 32-year-old Grass Valley man who was watching over the marijuana garden in the 16000 block of Vierra Road had been attacked by four men. The men beat and stabbed the victim, and then stole several plants and some of the victim's property, officials said.

The victim was able to call a relative, who took him to the hospital. He suffered facial fractures, as well as multiple stab wounds to his upper torso and arms.

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.

A 53-year-old man has been arrested for investigation of manslaughter in the boating collision Saturday evening on Englebright Lake that left two people dead and two others injured, a Yuba County Sheriff's official said today.

Sheriff's Lt. Damon Gil said Jeffrey Sandow of Auburn was arrested this morning at the Yuba County Sheriff's Department.

Gil said the investigation shows Sandow was under the influence of alcohol while piloting one of the two power boats in the collision. The Sheriff's Department received a report on the crash shortly after 6:30 p.m. Saturday.

The Yuba County Sheriff's Department is investigating a report that someone shot into an occupied vehicle in the East Linda community Wednesday night.

Deputies responded to the 6000 block of Gossett Avenue just before 11 p.m. after a 28-year-old woman reported that someone had shot at her vehicle. The woman told deputies that she and her 27-year-old boyfriend were in her Ford Explorer southbound on Gossett Avenue when a northbound vehicle drove up beside them.

One of the people in the northbound vehicle got out of the car and attempted to enter the Explorer, according to a Sheriff's Department news release. The boyfriend, who was driving the Explorer, accelerated to prevent the man from getting into the vehicle. As they drove away, the occupants reported hearing what sounded like a gunshot, followed by something striking their vehicle.

The Yuba County Sheriff's Department is seeking information regarding an alleged shooting that occurred early Saturday morning.

Deputies responded to Rideout Memorial Hospital about 12:30 a.m. regarding a man who was being treated for an apparent gunshot wound to his upper arm. The man, identified as Xou Thao, 21, of Sacramento, told hospital staff members that he was shot during an altercation at the Full Stop gas station on North Beale Road in Linda, according to a Sheriff's Department news release.

Duputies searched the Full Stop and several other convenience stores and gas stations in Linda but were unable to find any evidence of the incident. Officials said Thao was unable to provide a description of the suspect.

The Yuba County Sheriff's Department is investigating a shooting in the Olivehurst area in which two teenagers were injured Tuesday night.

Deputies responded about 10:30 p.m. to the 1800 block of Baugh Avenue regarding a report that two boys had been shot. Deputies found two 17-year-old youths who had suffered gunshot wounds to the upper torso and face, according to a Sheriff's Department news release. Officials said the injuries were not life-threatening.

The victims were in a garage at a residence when an individual approached them and fired a shotgun in their direction, authorities said. The youths retreated into the house and the shooter left in an unknown direction.

The annual list of top ten stolen cars was released today by an insurance industry crime-tracking bureau.

The Hot Wheels list from the National Insurance Crime Bureau tracks all theft data, without regard to whether the stolen vehicle was insured.

A recent trend being monitored: thefts of late model vehicles that theoretically are harder to steal due to sophisticated key code technology.

NICB president Joe Wehrle said in a press release that thieves have figured out how to
get the key code for a vehicle, have a replacement key made -- and steal the vehicle within a matter of days.

Law enforcement agencies throughout the Sacramento region have launched a summer campaign to crack down on impaired drivers.

The "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" anti-DUI campaign began today and will continue through the Labor Day weekend. During that period officers in various jurisdictions will conduct sobriety and driver's license checkpoints as well as roving patrols targeting motorists driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

The statewide campaign, led by the California Office of Traffic Safety, is intended to heighten public awareness of the dangers of impaired driving and to deter people from driving under the influence.

A mother and daughter were taken into custody early this morning after a dispute among neighbors in the Yuba County community of Linda left two people with stab wounds.

Yuba County sheriff's deputies responded shortly before 12:30 a.m. to the 5500 block of South Gledhill Avenue. They arrived to find a 43-year-old woman with a stab wound to her upper left arm. She also had allegedly been hit in the head with a baseball bat, according to a Sheriff's Department news release. She was taken to Rideout Hospital for treatment.

Deputies also learned that a second possible victim had left the scene.

Two men identified by law enforcement authorities as members of the Sureno gang have been arrested in Yuba County on suspicion of illegal cultivation of marijuana.

Deputies developed information for a warrant after receiving a citizen complaint of individuals shooting on property in the 11000 block of Hill Road in Loma Rica, according to a Yuba County Sheriff's Office news release. They served the warrant about 6:30 this morning. During the search, deputies seized 494 marijuana plants, about 1 pound of processed marijuana and three firearms, officials reported.

Two men were found at the site and arrested. The Sheriff's Office identified them as David Navarro, 18, of Loma Rica and Jacob Villa, 18, of Wheatland, both validated gang members. Neither man had recommendations for medicinal marijuana, officials said.

The men were booked into the Yuba County Jail on suspicion of illegal cultivation, conspiracy and gang enhancements.

The Yuba County Sheriff's Office announced the arrest of a Penn Valley man in connection with a string of thefts in the Bullard's Bar area.

John Schrecongost, 37, was taken into custody Monday, and officials reported the recovery of approximately $10,000 in stolen property.

The investigation began June 20 when a man reported the outboard motor was stolen from his boat in the Dark Day upper parking lot at Bullard's Bar, according to a Sheriff's Office news release. About two weeks later, a man reported that someone broke into his car and stole several items from the vehicle. Authorities received additional reports of someone stealing gas from vehicles in the parking lot.

Sixteen lightning-sparked fires have burned 78 acres in El Dorado and Amador counties.

What fire officials have dubbed the Amador Lightning Complex started at 11: 30 p.m. Sunday and was reported 20 percent contained this evening. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported that more than 1,800 lightning strikes hit the two counties in the past two days.

Cal Flre spokesman Daniel Berlant said the agency has responded to about 50 fires throughout Northern California as a result of lightning strikes Sunday and today. The largest single fire burned 75 acres near Copperopolis in Calaveras County.

Three juveniles and an adult were arrested Tuesday after what Yuba County sheriff's officials described as a gang-related fight in Olivehurst.

Deputies were called to a residence in the 1800 block of Baugh Street about 6 a.m. regarding several people fighting outside the home. Several people fled the area in a silver sedan before deputies arrived, but a deputy en route to the scene spotted a vehicle matching that description on Olivehurst Avenue. He also saw two people walking away from the vehicle who matched the description of the suspects, according to a Sheriff's Department news release.

The two people, both juveniles, fled over fences in the 4400 block of Olivehurst Avenue and were later found hiding in a nearby residence.

A two-week investigation by the Yuba County Sheriff's Department has resulted in the arrests of four people and recovery of property taken in four separate burglaries.

The suspects are believed to have committed at least four residential burglaries in Plumas Lake and another in Wheatland during the first three weeks in June, according to a Sheriff's Department news release.

Officials said the suspects approached residences during the day and knocked on the front door. If they determined no one was home, they would go to the back door and force entry to the home. Once inside, they allegedly looked for electronic devices such and computers and video game consoles.

Placer, Yuba and Nevada county residents should not worry if they see raging orange flames and plumes of smoke today as a prescribed burn that started at 10 a.m. continues through the evening.

The burn is occurring underneath the Middle Fork American River Canyon bridge, about a mile northeast of Auburn. The Lake Clementine Trail is also closed as part of the burn.

Smoke will be visible from Interstate 80, Highway 49, Auburn, Foresthill and the surrounding areas, according to Cal Fire.

The federal Bureau of Land Management announced today that fire restrictions are in effect for all public lands managed by the bureau's Mother Lode Field Office.

Included are approximately 230,000 acres of BLM-managed lands in Nevada, Yuba, Placer, El Dorado, Amador, Sacramento, Calaveras, Tuolumne, Stanislaus, Sutter and Mariposa counties. Campers are urged to familiarize themselves with special restrictions before visiting public lands in these counties.

The restrictions prohibit all open fires on public lands because of extremely dry conditions, according to a news release.

The Yuba County Sheriff's Department has recovered the body of an 18-year-old Lincoln man from the waters of Camp Far West Lake.

Sheriff's spokesman Lt. Damon Gil said a California Highway Patrol helicopter crew that had been called in to assist in the search spotted the body of Spencer Loper about 10:13 this morning in what is known as the overflow area near the lake's north shore.

Gil said Loper and friends arrived at the lake Saturday and spent the night in a campground. Friends reported seeing him about 2 a.m. Sunday, but when they awoke later that morning, he was gone. They initially thought he had left on his own, and Gil said the Sheriff's Department wasn't notified that he was missing until Tuesday.

By Darrell Smith

dvsmith@sacbee.com

The body of Sacramento firefigher William Porter was recovered this afternoon from Camp Far West Lake near Wheatland in south Yuba County, Yuba County Sheriff's officials said.

Porter's body was recovered by sheriff's searchers about 4:15 p.m. in about 100 feet of water near the center of the lake, said Yuba County Sheriff's Deputy Matt Crippen.

Porter, 58, was assigned as a fire engine driver at Station 6 in Oak Park, one of the city's busiest firehouses. He joined the department in 2002, and also played a role with an urban search and rescue team as a logistics manager and transportation specialist.

He was reported missing when he didn't return from a fishing trip at the reservoir on May 9.

The Yuba County Sheriff's Department has arrested a 27-year-old man in connection with several commercial break-ins that occurred Saturday morning in Olivehurst.

Authorities said Keith Cook, who is homeless, was taken into custody later in the day when a deputy saw him walking in East Linda. Cook was in possession of an item allegedly stolen from the Cinco de Mayo Restaurant, one of the targeted businesses, officials said.

Deputies received the first of the burglary reports just before 2 a.m. Saturday. Responding to an alarm at Hometown Burger in the 4700 block of Olivehurst Avenue, deputies found that someone had pried open a door of the business. The owner later determined that the cash register had been stolen, according to a Sheriff's Department news release.

The number of drivers cited for using their cell phones while driving in April was up over a year earlier.

The California Highway Patrol and 265 local police agencies last month handed out more than 57,000 tickets to drivers who were using a hand-held cell phone or texting. The compares to 52,000 tickets issued in April 2011.

"Unfortunately, we're seeing that the problem of cell phone use for talking and texting while driving is not going away anytime soon," said Christopher J. Murphy, director of the state Office of Traffic Safety.

His office has conducted an advertising campaign that has included the "Don't Be a Distracted Driving Zombie" television commercials that emphasize how up to 37 percent of brain power needed for driving gets switched to cell phone talking.

A daylong search of Camp Far West Lake in south Yuba County failed to locate a missing Sacramento firefighter whose kayak was found capsized in the lake.

"He is one of our employees," said Assistant Chief Niko King of the Sacramento Fire Department.

He declined to name the firefighter. He described him as a great person.

Lt. Damon Gil of the Yuba County Sheriff's Department said the search will resume early today.

Gil said the Sheriff's Department received a call about 5 a.m. Thursday from family members who reported that the man, whom Gil declined to name, had failed to call or return home the previous night. The family reported that he often fished alone at Camp Far West Lake.

A daylong search of Camp Far West Lake in south Yuba County failed to locate a missing fisherman whose kayak was found capsized in the lake.

Lt. Damon Gil of the Yuba County Sheriff's Department said the search will resume early Friday.

Gil said the Sheriff's Department received a call about 5 a.m. today from family members who reported that the man, who Gil declined to name, had failed to call or return home the previous night. The family reported that he often fished alone at Camp Far West Lake.

California Highway Patrol officers said the same man ran the same stop sign at the same intersection and again ended up in a ditch both times - the copycat crashes coming within a week of each other.

In addition, he was suspected by officers of driving under the influence on each occasion.

On May 2 about 2 a.m., according to a CHP press release, Marc M. Riendeau, 30, of Plumas Lake, was driving a Buick south on Griffith Avenue when he failed to stop at a stop sign at the T intersection of Erle Road. Riendeau continued through the intersection and hit a ditch, overturned and landed in a rice field.

May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, and law enforcement agencies throughout the Sacramento region urge drivers to look twice for motorcyclists so all motorists can safely share the road.

California is home to more than 1 million licensed motorcycle riders, according to a California Highway Patrol news release.

"Whether a driver is at an intersection or changing lanes, they should always keep an eye out for motorcyclists," CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow said in a written statement. "Because motorcycles have a much smaller profile than other vehicles, it can be difficult for drivers to judge the distance and speed of an approaching motorcycle."

In 2010, the most recent year for which data is available from the Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System, 361 people died in California and nearly 11,000 others were injured as a result of a crash involving a motorcycle.

In addition to using safety equipment and riding gear, motorcyclists are encouraged to seek professional training before beginning to ride.

The CHP-administered California Motorcyclist Safety Program offers rider courses for beginning motorcyclists and for riders interested in improving their skills. The program operates more than 120 training sites statewide and expects to train 65,000 motorcyclists this year. For course information and locations, see the the website at http://www.ca-msp.org/.

A 52-year-old Pride Industries transit bus driver was arrested this morning on suspicion of driving under the influence of a prescription drug after the vehicle she was driving ran off the highway in Olivehurst.

Ellen Kay Enright of Olivehurst was northbound on Highway 65 at northbound Highway 70 at 7:45 a.m. transporting a passenger who uses a wheelchair. Because of her alleged altered level of consciousness, Enright allowed the bus to weave back and forth on the roadway, according to a California Highway Patrol news release. The bus left the pavement and struck a roadway sign on the right dirt shoulder, officials said. The vehicle then glanced off a tree and continued short distance before Enright brought it to a stop.

Neither Enright nor her passenger, a 24-year-old woman from Wheatland, was injured.

A Linda man has been booked into Yuba County jail on suspicion of sexual assault after allegedly assaulting a woman for three days.

Tyrone L. Dyson, 38, of Linda was arrested by Yuba County Sheriff's deputies on Saturday on several charges including suspicion of rape and false imprisonment.

Deputies were called Saturday morning by a woman who lived with Dyson after she was able to get out of their home in east Linda.

A Sacramento man is headed to prison for his role in a multistate drug conspiracy.

U.S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. today sentenced Son Nguyen, 41, in federal court in Sacramento to 15 years and 8 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine and MDMA, or Ecstasy.

Nguyen was one of 51 defendants charged in nine related indictments stemming from a 13-month federal investigation with connections to six states -- Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Alaska, Georgia and California. Drug seizures occurred in California, Alaska, Illinois and Georgia, according to a federal Department of Justice news release.

A 16-year-old Olivehurst boy was killed early today when the car in which he was a passenger overturned after going off the road in West Linda, striking a pole and a parked vehicle, the California Highway Patrol reported.

The car's driver, another 16-year-old, from Marysville, was arrested in connection with the crash.

No identities were released because of their ages.

The Yuba County Sheriff's Department is investigating a weekend thrift-store burglary that included the theft of a go-cart and cash register.

A store employee discovered the break-in at the Thrift, Bargain and More Store in the 1400 block of North Beale Road upon opening the store about 6 a.m. Sunday. Several items, including the go-cart and cash register, were reported missing. Evidence indicated that the burglars entered the store through the roof, according to a Sheriff's Office news release.

Deputies had located the stolen go-cart about 2 a.m. Sunday near the levee at the north end of Park Avenue. They seized the vehicle, although at the time it could not be traced to the store, officials said.

A Marysville man was arraigned today in Sacramento following his arrest on federal drug charges.

Bryce Wayne Nicholes, 23, was indicted by a federal grand jury April 5. He delayed entering a plea until Friday, according to a federal Department of Justice news release.

The indictment alleges that on March 1, Nicholes possessed methamphetamine and crack cocaine, and intended to distribute them in Yuba County.

The case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force, the Yuba Sutter Narcotic Enforcement Team - Net 5 and the Yuba City Police Department.

A 3-year-old boy died when he was accidentally run over by his teen brother in the Yuba County town of Linda.

The California Highway Patrol said that at about 3 p.m. Monday the little boy was playing in the parking lot in front of his residence in the 6000 block of Alpine Way. His 19-year-old brother was stopped in his pickup and speaking with their mother who was outside the vehicle.

When the older sibling ended his conversation with his mother, the teen pulled his pickup forward to leave the parking lot.

At that point, the driver could feel "an impact at the rear of his vehicle," according to a CHP report. The 3-year-old, who was transported to Rideout Memorial Hospital, died of his injuries.

The California Highway Patrol alleges that a Hayward woman just wouldn't slow down after twice being stopped for going over 100 mph.

Officers stopped Lynne Kathleen Cahill-Gomez three times Saturday night on Highway 70 in Sutter and Yuba counties. She was clocked on radar going 103 mph, 105 mph and finally 76 mph in a 55 mph-zone, officers said.

The three traffic stops all occurred within an hour starting at 8:10 p.m. at northbound Highway 70 near Kempton Road.

One person died and three others were injured in a two-vehicle crash on Highway 49 near Marysville Road in Yuba County this evening.

Officer Jeff Pingree of the California Highway Patrol said investigators were still on the scene and few details were available.

He said the crash occurred about 6:15 p.m., and the person who died was an Idaho resident.

Yuba County authorities report that a man sought in connection with a March 4 shooting that left a Linda man critically injured is in custody in Nevada.

Useph Thao, 30, of Linda was one of four people arrested by the Nevada State Highway Patrol last week in connection with about a half-pound of methamphetamine found in a vehicle near Elko, according to a Yuba County Sheriff's Department news release. Officials said Thao tried to give relatives' names to authorities, but he was positively identified through fingerprints.

Yuba County investigators had obtained a warrant for Thao's arrest in connection with the shooting of Jason Webster, 32, of Linda. They said the shooting is believed to have resulted from a dispute between the two men.

Officials said Webster remains hospitalized in critical condition.

By Mark Glover

mglover@sacbee.com

The Yuba County Sheriff's Department is investigating the early Sunday afternoon shooting of an unidentified male in the community of Linda.

Deputies responded to a call at around 1 p.m. in the 5000 block of Woodland Drive, finding the victim on the roadway and suffering from a gunshot wound.

The victim was transported to Rideout Memorial Hospital in Marysville. His condition is unknown at this time.

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.

Yuba County sheriff's officials say a man whose body was found beside Union Pacific Railroad tracks near Plumas Lake on Monday was likely the victim of a homicide.

The Sheriff's Department today identified the man as Kevin Cody Stratton, 25, who was a transient.

Union Pacific employees found the body about 7 a.m. Monday.

One man was arrested and two others are being sought in connection a domestic dispute in the Yuba County community of Linda that officials said turned into an rock- and brick-throwing confrontation.

Deputies responded to the 5700 block of Riverside Drive shortly before 6 p.m. Monday regarding a large fight. An investigation revealed that Marcelino Sumait, 31, of Linda had gone to the Riverside residence with a few of his friends to confront his ex-girlfriend, according to a Yuba County Sheriff's Department news release.The men allegedly began breaking out the windows of the home using a stick, bricks and rocks.

During the disturbance, one of the men, later identified as James T. Mims, 19, of Linda, allegedly threw a brick through one of the windows, striking a 14-year-old boy inside the house in the arm. The boy was not injured.

The Yuba County Sheriff's Department is working to identify the body of a man found Monday morning beside the Union Pacific Railroad tracks near Plumas Lake.

Union Pacific employees found the body about 7 a.m., according to a Sheriff's Department news release.

Investigators are waiting for the results of an autopsy, scheduled for Wednesday, to determine the cause of death.

A bicyclist wearing no helmet and without proper lighting on his bike suffered major injury last night when he was broadsided by a Jeep in Linda, Yuba County, according to the CHP.

The bicyclist, Laurence R. Kundert, 53, of Marysville was riding a mountain bike northbound on North Beale Road just east of the intersection of Hammonton-Smartville Road about 8 p.m. Monday.

The California Highway Patrol said that he was wearing dark clothing, was helmetless, was without proper bike lighting and may have been wearing headphones when he was hit by a vehicle eastbound on North Beale Lane.

The driver of the Jeep Cherokee that hit Kundert had a green light and suddenly saw the bike rider in front of her, according to a CHP press release. She applied her brakes but still struck the bike, causing major head trauma and body fractures to Kundert.

A 22-year-old woman delivering pizza in the Yuba County community of Linda fought off two men who allegedly tried to rob her Tuesday night.

According to the Yuba County Sheriff's Department, the woman was delivering pizza to an apartment in the 6000 block of Alberta Avenue about 9 p.m. when she was accosted by two men.

When the woman refused a demand for money, one of the men shoved her and again demanded money. The woman instead punched the man in the face, knocking him to the ground, according to a Sheriff's Department news release.

The woman ran as the second man chased her. She was able to reach her vehicle, drive away and call authorities.

A volunteer Oregon House fireman was credited with apprehending a man suspected of arson in Yuba County.

Volunteer firefighter Michael Bernardis was driving on Marysville Road, north of Highway 20, just after 6 p.m. Monday when he saw a man who appeared to be starting grass fires in the area, according to a Yuba County Sheriff's Department news release.

Bernardis approached the man, who swung at Bernardis with a cloth bag that contained several full beer cans. The two fought, but Bernardis was able to subdue the man and make a radio call for assistance, officials said.

A Washington woman led a CHP officer on a wild ride last night before her vehicle's oil-starved engine blew up between Marysville and Sacramento.

The motorist, Jennifer Nicole Curry, 27, of Waterville, Wash., was clocked at 93 mph on radar by a California Highway Patrol officer at Highway 70 and Plumas Lake Drive about 5:15 p.m. Monday, according to a CHP news release.

The officer tried to pull her over but the motorist instead sped away at over 100 mph, according to the CHP. The officer followed as the vehicle exited Highway 70 at McGowan Parkway and Curry slammed on her brakes, stated the press release.

That caused at least one of her tires to deflate and the vehicle's oil pan to rupture. The driver continued onto northbound Highway 70 before turning down an embankment to go southbound.

The CHP said Curry traveled the wrong way on the freeway for about 100 yards before driving through the center divider and then continuing southbound at speeds of more than 110 mph.

The motorist exited at Plumas Lake Drive and drove in a reckless manner, according to the press release. Eventually, the vehicle's engine blew up and stopped on Plumas School Road.

Officers took the driver into custody after a brief struggle. The CHP press release notes that alcohol and prescription medications are suspected to be contributing factors in the pursuit.

Curry was arrested on suspicion of felony evading police and driving under the influence, according to the CHP.

The suspected gunman in the fatal shooting of a Marysville man on Saturday was arrested this afternoon.

Marysville Police Chief Wallace Fullerton said Marcus Nelson Hume, 32, of Marysville was taken into custody without incident shortly after 4 p.m. at a house in the 6000 block of Dunning Avenue in unincorporated Yuba County. Wallace said Hume surrendered after officers surrounded the house.

Five others were arrested Saturday and early Sunday in connection with the shooting of 38-year-old Steven Andrew Moore in a residential neighborhood in east Marysville. Wallace said the motive for the shooting has not been determined and the investigation continues.

By Bob Shallit

bshallit@sacbee.com

Police are searching for the alleged triggerman in the fatal shooting of a Marysville man Saturday.

Five others were arrested Saturday and early Sunday in connection with the shooting of 38-year-old Steven Andrew Moore in a residential neighborhood in east Marysville.

No motive has yet been determined for the shooting, which occurred on the 1100 block of Arthur Street at about 3 p.m. on Saturday.

"Both agencies are currently investigating that," said Sgt. Jason Garringer of the Marysville Police Department, which is being assisted in the case by the Yuba County Sheriff's Department.

Still being sought is the alleged shooter, 32-year-old Marcus Nelson Hume of Marysville. He was described as a parolee and police said he should be considered "armed and dangerous."

"We're getting multiple phone calls from people who have seen him," Garringer said.

Shortly after the shooting, police arrested William Vincent Silliman Jr., 21, for conspiracy to commit homicide.

Later, four others were arrested on the same charge. They are Kari Felicia Mulkey, 21; David Leslie Eneix, 27, both of Marysville; and two male juveniles, ages 16 and 17.

A Yuba County man reported missing last week has been found safe.

Leslie Scott Jones, 44, of Browns Valley was located by the Sacramento Police Department early Monday afternoon, according to a Yuba County Sheriff's Office news release. Officials said arrangements were made to transport him back to Yuba County.

Jones was reported missing Dec. 22. He had last been seen about a week earlier when he left his home on foot and was believed heading for Marysville. Sheriff's officials said he frequently hitchhikes in the Yuba-Sutter area. They said no foul play was suspected in his disappearance.

Highway 70 north of Marysville was closed today after a suspected drunk driver knocked down telephone poles into the roadway.

The driver of a pickup truck ran into a telephone pole around 4 a.m., according to the California Highway Patrol. That crash pulled down 7 poles, shutting down Highway 70 from Laurellen Road to 6 miles west of the Yuba-Butte county line at Woodruff Lane.

Alternating one-way traffic is now being allowed past the site.

The Yuba County Sheriff's Department seeks the public's help in finding a foothills resident who has been missing for nearly a week.

Leslie Scott Jones, 44, of Browns Valley was last seen leaving his home on foot about 2 p.m. Friday. He was believed to be heading to the city of Marysville, according to a Sheriff's Department news release. Officials said he frequently hitchhikes in the Yuba-Sutter area.

Jones is described as white, about 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighing 160 pounds. He has straight, collar-length blond hair, a thin mustache and a goatee.

Anyone with information regarding Jones or his whereabouts is asked to call the Yuba County Sheriff's Department at (530) 749-7777.

By Ed Fletcher
efletcher@sacbee.com

Sometime being kind to strangers can backfire.

That's the unfortunate lesson two Placer County women learned in April, when a homeless Auburn man stole their cars after asking for help.

The three-day crime spree by James McMahon, 22, concluded with the attempted murder of an 81-year-old man with a tire iron and a high-speed car chase through Yuba County, said Dave Tellman, Placer County's supervising deputy district attorney.

Convicted mass murderer Juan V. Corona was denied parole today, the Sutter County district attorney's office reports.

Corona, 77, was making his bid for parole from Corcoran State Prison where he is serving 25 concurrent prison terms of 25 years to life for the murders of 25 transient farmworkers in 1971.

"This was one of the first time he discussed the murders," said Jana McClung, assistant district attorney for Sutter County, who spoke at the prison against Corona's parole bid.

Police will respond if you report a possible DUI - at least, they did in Marysville, police reported Wednesday.

Marysville Police reported getting a call around 7 p.m. Tuesday from a citizen worried about a small, brown car with Nevada license plates driving erratically.

An officer found the car a few minutes later and stopped the driver for a sobriety check.

Three people were arrested in recent sting operations conducted by the Marysville Police Department and state Alcoholic Beverage Control investigators targeting people who sell or furnish alcohol to minors.

The operations, conducted Thursday, consisted of "shoulder tap" and "minor decoy" stings. Shoulder tap stings target people who purchase alcohol for underage drinkers, whereas minor decoy stings target store or restaurant personnel who sell alcohol to minors.

During the minor decoy operation, six Marysville establishments licensed by the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control were checked. One sold alcohol to the minor decoy, according to a Police Department news release.

A Linda man was arrested today in connection with what sheriff's officials described as a gang-related shooting incident Thursday.

Yuba County sheriff's deputies were called to the 1700 block of Hammonton-Smartsville Road shortly after 6 p.m. Thursday regarding a report of shots fired. They found an individual who reported being shot at by a person walking past the area, according to a Sheriff's Office news release. The victim was not hit.

Investigators were called to the scene and determined that the incident was gang related. The suspect was identified as Patrick O'Day, 20, of Linda.

With the destruction of a marijuana garden on private property near the Butte County line earlier this week, the Yuba County Sheriff's Department reports that more than 25,000 marijuana plants have been eradicated in the county this year.

The department's Marijuana Eradication Team disposed of nearly 2,000 marijuana plants from a grow near Rackerby on Monday, according to a Sheriff's Department news release.

The illegal garden, believed to belong to a drug trafficking organization, was located about a half-mile from the Butte County line. Officials said it was on private property, several hundred feet from Bureau of Land Management property.

By Tony Bizjak
tbizjak@sacbee.com

California Highway Patrol officials say they believe their two-year motorcycle safety campaign, now ending, has helped reduce injury and fatality rates. The federally funded campaign, "Look Twice, Save a Life," was designed to increase drivers' awareness of motorcyclists on the road.

Preliminary 2010 CHP statistics show the number of people killed in motorcycle-involved collisions was down 9 percent from the previous year. The number of injuries was down 8.5 percent.

"Although this campaign is coming to a close, we're pleased with the encouraging results," said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. "There is still more work to be done, and our efforts to raise awareness through education and enforcement will continue."

The Yuba County Sheriff's Department is investigating a report of a possible shooting Saturday night in Olivehurst.

Deputies responded to the 1800 block of 11th Avenue just before 8 p.m. after receiving calls about a shooting. When they arrived, deputies were unable to locate anyone involved in the incident. They spoke to several witnesses, however, who reported an argument between a pedestrian and occupants of a passing vehicle. The confrontation led to a possible exchange of gunfire, according to a Sheriff's Department news release.

Witnesses told deputies that the vehicle drove away from the area, but they were unsure where the pedestrian went.

A pedestrian suffered major injuries when he was struck by a car last night on Pleasant Grove Road just north of Rio Linda.

Ernesto Beltran, 64, of Pleasant Grove, was reported in critical condition last night with major injuries to his head and chest, according to a California Highway Patrol press release.

Beltran was trying to cross Pleasant Grove Road just south of Sankey Road when he was struck by a car driven by a 49-year-old motorist from Antelope at about 5:45 p.m. The roadway was closed for about 40 minutes while medical workers stabilized Beltran's condition before taking him to the hospital.

Any witnesses to the crash are asked to contact the CHP at (530) 674-5141. Alcohol was not a factor, the CHP said.

Automobile travel is expected to be up slightly this Labor Day weekend -- and the California Highway Patrol will be ready to pull over any drunken drivers.

The American Automobile Association estimates that 27.3 million people plan to travel on the nation's roadways, a 0.5 percent increase from last year. Overall, travel is expected to dip due in part to higher air fare costs.

A DUI checkpoint in Marysville found only one suspected drunk driver, but netted more than a dozen motorists for other alleged offenses.

Marysville police screened 1,165 vehicles last night for intoxicated or unlicensed drivers. One 25-year-old man from Rocklin was arrested for driving under the influence.

The Marysville Police Department reported that a number of DUI warrants were cleared during a DUI Task Force warrant sweep Tuesday.

Police and California Highway Patrol officers fanned out into Yuba, Sutter and Butte counties to serve warrants on individuals who violated court orders, terms of their DUI probation or failed to appear in court for their DUI arrest.

During the seven-hour operation, officers attempted service on 40 warrants. Four of the subjects were found, arrested and booked into jail, according to a Police Department news release.

The Yuba County Sheriff's Department seeks the public's help in locating a suspect in a case of animal cruelty that left a dog badly injured earlier this month.

Just before 7 p.m. Aug. 2, several residents of the 1800 block of Seventh Avenue in Olivehurst saw a dog suspended from the bed of a pickup truck as it drove east on Seventh Avenue. The dog, a female American bulldog, appeared to have been attached to a rope in the bed of the truck, according to a Sheriff's Department news release.

The dog came loose from the rope and fell to the roadway, where it may have been run over by a rear tire of the truck. The driver stopped the vehicle, then allegedly backed up, running over the dog again before driving away.

A 34-year-old Yuba County woman was arrested Monday night in the fatal stabbing of her boyfriend.

Yuba County sheriff's deputies were called to the East Linda Garden Apartments in the 6000 block of College View Drive about 8:30 p.m. regarding a report that a stabbing had occurred in one of the apartments. They found Jarrett Reynolds, 38, lying on the floor of his apartment. He appeared to have been stabbed in the upper body, according to a Sheriff's Department news release.

Rescue personnel attempted CPR, but Reynolds died at the scene.

Firefighters are battling wildland fire that has burned about 100 acres in the area of Smartsville in Yuba County.

Chelsea Fox, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said the fire, which is 70 percent contained, is in a sparsely populated area of Chuck Yeager and Waldo roads. She described the terrain as grasslands and rolling hills.

Some road closures are in effect in the area, but no residences are threatened.

Fox said approximately 100 firefighters are on scene, along with five air tankers and two helicopters.

Two men were arrested today in Yuba County in connection with the burglary of a barn in Smartsville.

A deputy was called to the 8100 block of Thousand Oakes Trail shortly after 6 a.m. after a resident discovered that someone had broken into a barn on the property during the night and stolen several items.

The deputy also received information that some of the stolen property might be in the 8400 block of Blue Gravel Road, according to a Yuba County Sheriff's Department news release.

Detectives joined the investigation, which led to searches of residences in the area of Blue Gravel Road.

The Yuba County Sheriff's Department is trying to determine whether an assault on a teenage girl Tuesday night in East Linda is related to an April assault on a woman in the same area.

About 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, deputies responded to the Casa Del Este Apartments, 2273 North Beale Road, after a 15-year-old girl reported that she had been accosted by a man she did not know. The girl was sitting on the sidewalk in front of the apartments when she was approached from behind. The man grabbed one of her arms, but she was able to quickly twist away and run for help, according to a Sheriff's Department news release. The girl was not injured.

The man was described as Hispanic or light-skinned African American of medium height with a slender build, and approximately 25 to 30 years old. He was reported to be wearing dark clothing.

By Kim Minugh
kminugh@sacbee.com

The California Highway Patrol is urging residents to sign up for a service that sends Amber Alerts to cell phones via text message - one more way residents can help authorities find missing children fast.

The service, which is free regardless of your wireless plan, sends alerts tailored to your area based on the zip code that you provide. You can provide up to five zip codes, and authorities recommend you at least add the zip codes in which you live and work.

To sign up, visit www.wirelessamberalerts.org. Alerts can also be sent in Spanish.

Two people were arrested and cited Monday night in Marysville in sting operations aimed at people who furnish alcohol to minors.

From 7 to 11 p.m., Marysville police officers working with Alcoholic Beverage Control investigators conducted undercover operations in the city, targeting people who agree to purchase or furnish alcohol to minors and stores that sell alcohol to minors.

The operation consisted of "shoulder tap" and "minor decoy" stings, according to a Police Department news release. Shoulder tap stings target people who purchase alcohol for underage drinkers, and minor decoy stings target store or restaurant employees who sell alcohol to minors.

A 24-year-old man was arrested Monday night in connection with multiple metal thefts in Yuba County.

Yuba County Sheriff's deputies responded to the area of Dantoni Road and Simpson-Dantoni Road in Browns Valley after a property owner located a person who appeared to be trying to steal scrap metal from his orchard, according to a Sheriff's Department news release.

Deputies located the suspect vehicle after the driver dumped the metal and tried to leave the area.