Sacto 9-1-1

Sacramento police responding to a home burglary alarm were able to catch three suspects who are accused of ransacking the house.

The alarm drew the home's resident as well as police to the home in the 3300 block of 42nd Street.

Police saw a suspect inside and used a loudspeaker to direct the suspect to come out.

Police report a man entered a West El Camino Avenue pizza parlor several times Friday evening before finally jumping the counter to steal a pizza.

Sacramento police took the call just before 7:30 p.m. Friday, according to the police activity log.

The suspect, who was not identified, "was soon detained and arrested a short distance away," the report indicated.

A man armed with a handgun held up Planet Herb on Hilltop Drive in Redding Friday, escaping with an undisclosed amount of cash, police reported.

Police responded to a robbery alarm at the shop shortly after 3 p.m. Friday.

The suspect in the robbery entered the business and demanded money, escaping in a small orange or red passenger car.

He was described as an African American male, about 25 years old, 5 feet 10 inches tall and medium build.

Redding police arrested 28 people in May as a result of investigation into three storage unit burgaries in Redding and Shasta Lake, police announced Friday.

The burglaries netted a large amount of property, including 28 firearms, many of which have not been recovered.

Police arrested Edward Harsh, 37, of Redding May 2 in connection with the April 9 theft of a gun safe with 27 weapons.

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.

A suspect in an early morning string of robberies in Antelope and North Highlands was shot and killed by a veteran deputy this morning, after the suspect turned and reached for his waistband, according to Deputy Jason Ramos, spokesman for the Sacramento Sheriff's Department.

It is not yet known whether the suspect was armed, but robbery reports included information that he had simulated a weapon, Ramos said.

The incident began to unfold before 5 a.m. when officials received a report of a robbery at a 7-11 store.

By Peter Hecht

phecht@sacbee.com

Bodie, the police dog shot while trying to apprehend a suspect in Land Park this morning, faces a long recovery if he survives.

The dog, pictured at left, was reported in critical but stable condition and undergoing surgery.

Sgt. Steve Oliveira, supervisor of the canine unit for the Sacramento Police Department, said the three-year-old German Shepherd was in surgery as of 12:30 p.m., a couple of hours after he was shot by an auto theft suspect at Riverside Boulevard and Robertson Way.

The suspect died when Bodie's officer handler returned fire and a female suspect was taken into custody.

The gunshot suffered by Bodie hit the left side of the dog's face, shattering his jaw and injuring his tongue.

After he was shot, his handler-officer returned fire, killing the suspect. The officer then scooped up Bodie and transported him to a veterinary office.

Oliveira said that Bodie's jaw would either have to be wired so that the fracture can "heal in place" or put in a metal plate.

"He will be out of commission for a while," said Oliveira. "He is not out of the woods at this point. He's lost a lot of blood."

A police chaplain and the wife of the officer-handler is at the veterinary office. The dog lives with the officer's family.

Photo caption: Sacramento Police K9 officer Linda Matthew closes the door on Bodie's K9 patrol car at the VCA Sacramento Veterinary Referral Center in Sacramento on Friday, May 18, 2012. Police dog, Bodie, was shot during a pursuit of an alleged auto thief.

Video Caption:General, Orthopedic, and Neurosurgeon Dr. Robert Runyan briefs members of the press at the VCA Sacramento Veterinary Referral Center in Sacramento on Friday, May 18, 2012. "Bodie," a Sac PD Canine officer, was shot during a pursuit of a suspected criminal. The dog's handler returned fire. Bodie was said to be in critical, but stable condition.

A woman standing near a market in Oak Park had her cell phone snatched from her hand -- but police were later able to recover it.

The woman was talking on the phone in the 3400 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard about 7:45 p.m. Thursday when a man came up from behind and attempted to pull the cell phone away.

She held on to the phone in a struggle with the man who dragged her a short distance. Eventually, the phone was wrested from her grip and the suspect fled on a bicycle with the cell phone.

Later, an observant Sacramento police officer spotted a man matching the description of the cell phone thief and arrested Joseph Stanley, 37, on suspicion of possession of the stolen phone, robbery and a parole violation.

Stanley had the phone, according to police.

A homeowner stopped the burglary of his home on Thursday and called police, which eventually led to the arrest of two Truckee residents.

The homeowner arrived at his home about 8 a.m. Thursday in the Tahoe Donner subdivision to see a man and a woman removing items from his garage. The homeowner parked his vehicle as the couple got into a pickup and sped away.

The homeowner then called 911 and tried to follow but lost sight of the suspects.

Scrap metal thieves are flush with success after taking a toilet part from a fast food urinal in Roseville.

On May 10, according to a Roseville police crime report, two men entered a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant on Sunrise Avenue about 2 p.m. While one acted as a lookout, the other went into the men's restroom.

Once inside, the thief removed the control valve for a urinal. The two men then left the restaurant and rode off on bicycles.

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 suspected tagger from Citrus Heights was arrested Tuesday night for allegedly defacing freeway signs in the Oak Park-Curtis Park area.

Timothy Navarro, 20, was booked into Sacramento County jail on suspicion of felony vandalism.

At about 10:45 p.m. a citizen reported that somebody was spray painting graffiti on the freeway signs on Highway 99 near 12th Avenue. Responding California Highway Patrol officers saw fresh graffiti on northbound and southbound signs -- and a man standing on a highway sign catwalk.

The CHP requested help from the Sacramento Police Department and shortly after 11 p.m., city officers had somebody who matched the tagger's description. CHP officers responded and took the suspect, Navarro, into custody.

The CHP said in a press release that Navarro had fresh paint on his clothing and hands.

PHOTO CAPTION: Timothy Navarro

A teenager was shot Monday night during a robbery in a Sacramento Regional Transit light rail parking lot.

Sacramento police were called to the 47th Avenue station on the south line about 8 p.m. for a report of a shooting. Police were able to find out that a 16-year-old boy was walking home with friends when three males tried to take one of his friends' property.

The 16 year old tried to help his friend fend off the theft but was shot in the upper body by one of the robbers. The 16 year old was transported to the hospital with non life-threatening injuries.

An investigation is in progress, according to a police activity log.

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.

Cameras on the cars of Sacramento County probation officers have snagged another stolen vehicle - this time a 2011 Chevrolet Silverado pickup.

Cameras on two probation department cars automatically focus on license plates of cars and trucks as officers go about their regular duties on the streets of Sacramento County. More than 3,000 license plates can be scanned in an hour.

Every so often they get a hit, matching a vehicle with cars and trucks on a statewide list of stolen vehicles. Since April 2010, the department has found 193 stolen vehicles using the plate-matching technology.

A Sacramento police officer walked into a robbery at a convenience store and then had to defend himself against an attack by the perpetrator of the holdup.

In the end, the robber was booked into Sacramento County Jail. Marquiz Feagin, 36, was arrested on suspicion of robbery, resisting police and violating probation.

The incident occurred at the 7-11 store at West El Camino Avenue and Northgate Boulevard 7 a.m. Saturday. The officer, initially not knowing a robbery was taking place, quickly caught on and confronted Feagin.

Auburn police have arrested a 20-year-old man on suspicion of embezzling auto parts from his workplace.

Brennan Beeby (pictured) is accused of taking auto parts valued at approximately $3,400 and selling them on a social media website that specializes in buying and selling merchandise, according to a Police Department news release.

Auburn detectives contacted Beeby through the website advertisement and arranged to purchase some of the embezzled items at an Auburn parking lot. When Beeby arrived with the property, he was arrested without incident and booked at Placer County Jail.

Detectives recovered several other embezzled auto parts after a search of Beeby's residence, officials said.

Sacramento County sheriff's detectives seek to identify a suspect involved in a residential burglary last month.

In the early morning hours of April 22, deputies responded to a burglary in progress in the 3000 block of Tamango Way in the Rosemont area. They determined that several people from a neighboring property had burglarized the victim's residence and taken items back to their own home, according to a Sheriff's Department news release.

Tony Lewis, 35, and Kimi Crawford, 35, have been arrested in connection with the case.

Roseville police reported that two public schools were recently broken into by burglars.

Excelsior Elementary School classrooms, 2701 Eureka Road, was burglarized in the early morning hours May 2 and again on Monday. Computers and audio-visual equipment was taken.

Then, overnight today, someone broke into a classroom at George A. Buljan Middle School, 100 Hallissy Drive, taking computer and audio-visual equipment.

Sacramento County is forming a volunteer parks ranger program to help fill the enforcement gap caused by budget cutbacks to staff.

Once formed, the reserve rangers would not be paid but would perform similar duties as salaried rangers.

A county staff report notes that the number of paid rangers has been reduced from 25 to 14 positions. At the same time, the public has continued to call upon rangers for safety and enforcement needs.

Two thieves made off with thousands of dollars of sex toys, leather apparel and "very, very expensive lubes" after breaking into an adult sex shop Sunday morning, according to the store's manager.

Chris Daniel estimates that the loot stolen from Teaz N Pleaz on Sunrise Boulevard in Fair Oaks is worth at least $4,000 and as much as $10,000.

Daniel said the thieves went for the store's most expensive silicone lubricants and stole hundreds of "high-end" porn videos.

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.

A 50-year-old man who often posed a sewer worker while burglarizing homes was sentenced today to 425 years to life in prison.

A Sacramento County jury convicted Ceasar Fontillas of multiple counts of residential burglary, attempted burglary and one count of receiving stolen property. The court also found that Fontillas had previous convictions for residential burglary and arson, according to a Sacramento County District Attorney's Office news release. He was sentenced by Sacramento Superior Court Judge Steve White.

From Sept. 14, 2009, to March 8, 2010, Fontillas prowled through neighborhoods in the Pocket and Elk Grove areas looking for homes to burglarize, officials said. Once he found a target house, Fontillas knocked on the front door to determine whether anyone was home. If no one answered after a few minutes, he forced the door open and ransacked the home, taking thousands of dollars worth of jewelry and electronics.

Redding police said a man allegedly looking for a steal at a store called UnBEElievable Deals fell from the ceiling and was captured.

Officers were called to the discount store on Locust Street about 5:30 a.m. today where a burglary alarm was ringing. When officers arrived they spotted someone enter the rear of the business and close the door behind him.

Officers examined the door and noticed it had been forced open. They surrounded the area and called in a police dog named Able.

At 6 a.m. officers started to go inside, announcing their presence. Soon after, a man fell through the ceiling, hit the floor and began running toward the front door.

Able the police dog was then used to take him into custody. After treatment at the hospital, police booked Captain Cappy Ricks, 35, a homeless Redding man, on suspicion of burglary, possession of burglary tools, resisting arrest, possession of methamphetamine and committing a felony while out on bail.

Placer County sheriff's detectives seek the public's help in locating two men described as "persons of interest" in a Tahoe City jewelry store burglary.

The Blue Stone Jewelry Store at 495 N. Lake Blvd. was burglarized at 9:23 a.m. April 17. Detectives believe at least two people were responsible, according to a Sheriff's Department news release.

Investigators would like to speak to two men (pictured) who were photographed in the jewelry store earlier in the day. Officials stressed that the two are only persons of interest.

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 robbery victim ended up being arrested in Lodi after he helped police catch the culprits who he said held him up at gunpoint.

Humberto Ramos, 42, telephoned police as he followed two men who he said held him up with a firearm in the 400 block of East Locust Street. He told police that he was following the two men who were on bikes.

Police eventually made contact with him on Central Avenue. The English-speaking officers were unable to understand the Spanish-speaking Ramos until he said "Follow me."

He then made a u-turn and made his way to where Adam Ramirez, 29, and Victor Alvarado, 23, were riding down the middle of Vine Street.

It was at that point that police said Ramos used his vehicle to hit Ramirez, causing him to fall off his bike. Both suspected bike-riding robbers were taken into custody.

By Mark Glover

mglover@sacbee.com

The Sacramento Police Department is partnering with Jiffy Lube on Wednesday with a free catalytic converter etching event, where motor vehicle license plate numbers will be etched onto catalytic converters.

The "Etch & Catch" event is designed to recover stolen property. Catalytic converters are prime targets of thieves because of their high black market value, the relative ease of stealing them and their lack of identifying markings.

"Etch & Catch" will be noon to 5 p.m. at the Jiffy Lube outlet at 2900 Florin Road in Sacramento.

Officials said the event is open to city of Sacramento residents only, and space is limited. Participants, who will be required to show proof of current city residency, should bring one of the following: a driver's license, vehicle registration or a utility bill.

Reservations are required. To do that, go to www.sacpd.org and click on the "Etch & Catch Event" link. A free ticket to the event can be downloaded from the event flier page.

Call The Bee's Mark Glover, (916) 321-1184.

Roseville police report a rash of thefts from locked truck tool boxes.

Four thefts of tools have occurred over the past week from tool boxes in the beds of pickups parked overnight in the Meadow Oaks and Cirby Ranch neighborhoods.

No sign of forced entry was visible, leading police to suspect that whomever took the tools had a key or set of keys to fit the locks on the boxes.

Police recommend parking pickups in the garage if there are tools in the boxes. Or, if a garage is not available, install a hasp and use a sturdy padlock on the tool box.

Another tip from police: take especially valuable tools inside at night.

By Andy Furillo
afurillo@sacbee.com

A Sacramento Superior Court jury today convicted Robert William Durst of arson and five other felony counts for the July 5, 2010, Oak Park arson fire of his next-door neighbor's house in which four Sacramento firefighters were seriously hurt.

Jurors deliberated for less than a day before coming back with the verdict. Judge Marjorie Koller scheduled Durst's sentencing for May 24. The 46-year-old defendant is facing a maximum term of more than 20 years, his lawyer said.

After the verdict, Durst had to be restrained by bailiffs when they stood him up to handcuff him. After shouting at his attorney, Assistant Public Defender Richard Cohen, Durst said the verdict was "unfair," the product of what he characterized as "a kangaroo court."

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.

A Citrus Heights mini-mart was held up last night by robbers who got away despite a multi-agency search for the culprits.

Citrus Heights police said that about 9 p.m. Thursday, three men wearing ski masks entered the Citrus Mart, 7601 Sunrise Boulevard. At gunpoint, they demanded cash from the clerk and then fled the store with an undisclosed amount of money.

They were last seen running toward the rear of the building. Citrus Heights officers, along with a Sacramento police dog unit and the California Highway Patrol helicopter crew, searched without luck to find the robbers.

Anyone who may have information about the hold-up are encouraged to call police at (916) 727-5500.

A man who had spent three days drifting on the Sacramento River after the motor on his sailboat failed was rescued and his boat secured Tuesday after he rowed to shore in a dinghy.

West Sacramento firefighters were summoned to the riverbank across from Sacramento's Pocket area after the man reached shore, said Eric Edgar, division chief with the West Sacramento Fire Department.

Edgar said the man had been living aboard the 26-foot sailboat for about three years and usually was moored in the Discovery Park area.

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.

Six Sacramento County residents were arrested Monday on suspicion of burglarizing homes in the Placer County communities of Meadow Vista and Applegate.

The owner of an unoccupied home on Clipper Gap Road in Applegate called the Placer County Sheriff's Office at 8:50 a.m. to report that three people were on the property of the home he recently inherited. In front of the residence, deputies found a trailer that turned out to be filled with property that had been taken from the home, according to a Sheriff's Office news release.

They also saw three suspects breaking windows and sliding doors of the house with a golf club. Damage to the windows and doors was estimated at $4,000, officials said.

Folsom police need help in identifying a robber who held up a bank on East Bidwell Street.

The robber entered the El Dorado Savings Bank, 300 East Bidwell, around noon on Friday and handed the teller a note that indicated he had a gun. After he collected some loot, he left the bank and was last seen walking on Coloma Street toward the rear of the bank building.

He was described as a white man in his late 30s or early 40s, 5 feet 6 inches tall and about 140 pounds. He had short brown hair, a black mustache and a goatee.

The Grass Valley Police Department is encouraging residents to secure their property following a series of random burglaries in residential areas of the community.

In recent weeks, the police have investigated a number of thefts of property in residential areas. Many of the thefts occurred at homes where garage doors were left open or a vehicle was not secured, according to a Police Department news release.

To avoid becoming the target of criminal activity, police advise residents to secure their garage doors and vehicles when they are not at home. For anyone planning to be gone for an extended period of time, police recommend asking a trusted friend or family member to keep an on the property. They also advise residents to suspend mail and newspaper deliveries during their absence.

Anyone with information regarding a crime in the city is asked to call the Grass Valley Police Department at (530) 477-4600.

This being the week in which dispatchers are recognized for their good work, the California Highway Patrol provides these tips on calling 911:

• No matter what, stay calm.

• Be prepared to give your name, phone number, address or location and a detailed description of the incident.

Sacramento police are looking for two men who roughed up a resident this morning in Greenhaven before entering her apartment and taking possessions.

The incident began about 8 a.m. when two strangers knocked on the door of the apartment in the 7400 block of Greenhaven Drive. The resident, a woman in her 40s, had a brief conversation with the men before she began to retreat into her apartment.

The suspects then began to enter and briefly struggled with her at the doorway. She sustained minor injuries.

Elk Grove police hope that a facial tattoo will help identify a robber who held up a UPS store.

An armed man with tattooed cursive writing under his right eye entered the United Parcel Service store at 4801 Laguna Boulevard about 6 p.m. Friday and confronted a driver. He then walked the driver behind the counter and ordered another employee to open the cash register.

The employee followed orders and the robber took cash. About then, another robber entered the store before both intruders fled toward Tegan Road.

The El Dorado County Sheriff's Office has scheduled public viewings this week of more than $50,000 worth of stolen property recovered last month during searches of a home and storage container in Pollock Pines.

On March 21, sheriff's detectives and members of the sheriff's special enforcement detail served search warrants at a residence in the 4500 block of Pony Express Trail and at a storage container in the 5600 block of Pony Express Trail.

Through several months of investigation, detectives had linked the storage container to occupants of the residence.

A Sacramento County man has been arrested in connection with the March 31 burglary of a gas station convenience store in Roseville.

After Roseville police last week released surveillance video showing a suspect burglarizing the store, detectives received helpful leads, according to a Police Department news release.

As a result, Roseville police and Sacramento County sheriff's deputies on Thursday searched the home of a parolee on El Camino Avenue in Sacramento County. They reported finding empty cash registers trays, as well as illegal drugs and evidence of drug sales.

Another attempted copper theft put out the lights on Highway 160 in Sacramento last night.

Citizens heard second-hand that two men were in the area of Del Paso Boulevard and Highway 160 cutting electrical lines in order to steal the copper wire. The citizens called police who responded about 11 p.m. to find two spots where wires had been cut but not taken.

Even though the wire was not taken, electricity was cut to roadside lights in the area.

A city crew was dispatched to repair the damage.

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.

By Timothy Sandoval

tsandoval@sacbee.com

Sacramento police today said an undercover copper sting resulted in the arrest of six Sacramento recycling plant employees Wednesday.

The investigation alleges that detectives uncovered numerous violations at Tomra Recycling Network, and River City Waste Recycle in Southeast Sacramento.

Arrested and booked into Sacramento County Jail were Roman Michael Rudy, 40; Bryan Drew Wilson, 38; Luis Caro, 22; Michael John Wright, 40; Shaun Evan Kalwani, 32; and Gyan Kalwani, 60.

California Highway Patrol officers arrested a man who raised the boom on a stolen construction crane early this morning as he fled slow-speed down Jackson Road, knocking down power lines in his path.

An off-duty Sacramento County probation officer noticed the Teichert construction company crane traveling with headlights off down Jackson Road at 1 a.m.

The officer notified dispatch and CHP units found the crane traveling slowly eastbound down Jackson Road. The CHP said that the driver failed to pull over.

Roseville police have released the picture of a gas station intruder in an effort to identify the rock-throwing burglar.

The man broke into the gas station store at Sunrise Avenue and Cirby Way in the early morning hours Saturday by smashing a window of the business. He then went inside and took the cash register.

The burglary is just one of several overnight break-ins at businesses along Cirby Way, Sunrise Avenue and Douglas Boulevard, police said.

Police said the burglar appears to be Hispanic, in his 30s or 40s, with dark hair and mustache. He drove off in a 1994-97 Honda four-door sedan with a moon roof.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (916) 783-7867.

A Roseville resident was struck in the face during a burglary of his home last week.

A Roseville police advisory newsletter said the resident of Weston Way came home about 5:40 p.m. Thursday to find three people burglarizing his house. One of the burglars punched him in the face before the three intruders fled out the back door.

Officers arrived and searched the area but could not find the burglars. The resident suffered a minor injury from the punch.

Police said the burglars got into the home by breaking a window in the back of the residence. They took figurines, an iPod, a cell phone and a laptop. A Roseville officer recovered most of the items where they were tossed at a nearby greenbelt.

The burglar who assaulted the resident was described as white, about 6 feet tall with a slender build and blue eyes. He wore a black ski mask, long-sleeved brown shirt and blue jeans.

The other two burglars were only described as wearing dark clothing.

An April Fool's day trick was played on a man suspected of robbing a South Lake Tahoe bank.

Since Thursday, police had been looking for a robber who held up a Wells Fargo bank branch in a South Lake Tahoe grocery store.

Police said the young man entered the Raley's supermarket in the Heavenly Village Shopping Center and demanded money from a Wells Fargo Bank teller. The robber did not display a weapon.

Sacramento police are warning owners of Honda Civics and Accords of an increase in thefts and urge them to take measures to discourage thieves.

Police say they have seen a significant increase in thefts of Civics and Accords, specifically 1991-97 models. These are by far the most common types of vehicle stolen in the city of Sacramento, according to a Police Department news release. Although officials said they have a nearly 90 percent recovery rate, many of the cars are found stripped of their parts, leaving owners with costly repair bills.

Police recommend owners use anti-theft devices, such as a car alarm and a highly visible steering wheel lock as deterrents. They also advise people to park vehicles in the garage or a well-lighted area, and to never leave a vehicle unattended with the engine running.

A boy in East Davis had a moment right out of the movie "Home Alone" when a burglar broke into his house.

The 12-year-old was by himself when he heard someone knocking on the front door of his home on Layton Drive on Thursday, according to Davis police. He stayed quiet and didn't answer the door.

When he saw a man in his backyard, the boy ran into the bathroom at the back of the house, locked the door and called 911. The man made entry into the house and took some of the family's property before fleeing.

Responding Davis police officers arrested Kyle Frank, 37, of Placerville nearby on suspicion of burglary. Police believe that he may be connected to another burglary.

A robber held up a Wells Fargo bank branch today in a South Lake Tahoe grocery store.

Police said the young man entered the Raley's supermarket in the Heavenly Village Shopping Center and demanded money from a Wells Fargo Bank teller. He did not display a weapon.

After receiving cash the robber fled but not before his image was captured on security cameras. Police are asking for help in identifying the robber. He was described as a white man in his 20s with a mustache and goatee. The suspect wore a black hooded sweatshirt, dark pants and black shoes.

If you recognize the robber, call the South Lake Tahoe police at (530) 542-6100.

A man and a teen are suspected of breaking into a Redding store this morning to steal dozens of cans of spray paint, according to police.

Police said that somebody threw a big rock through a window at the O'Reilly Auto Parts store on Lake Boulevard about 1 a.m. The burglars then went in and took spray paint cans.

About an hour later, officers saw three people walking several blocks away. The trio ran from officers, dropping a big backpack and jacket holding 46 cans of spray paint.

After a short chase, Adrian Allen Hammons, 31, of Redding and a 17 year old were booked on suspicion of burglary and possessing stolen property. The third person got away.

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.

Police said a Redding man allegedly clobbered a newspaper carrier in the head with a fire extinguisher in the mistaken belief that he was a car burglar.

Willado Ramirez, 42, a carrier for the Record Searchlight, was delivering just before he was hit by Benjamin Wood, 36, of Redding, according to a police press release. Ramirez told police he was hit numerous times in the head while seated inside his vehicle at Hartnell and Victor avenues.

Police said Wood eventually realized that Ramirez was not responsible for activating his car burglar alarm in a suspected vehicle break-in. He then helped treat Ramirez' injuries and took him to the hospital, police said.

A 24-year-old man from Incline Village, Nev., has been arrested in connection with a commercial burglary in Truckee and is a suspect in numerous other burglaries in the Lake Tahoe area.

Truckee police reported that Matthew Joshua Stanaway was arrested Wednesday on a burglary warrant. He is accused of burglarizing Carlson's Electronics at 10607 West River St. in Truckee in the early morning of March 7.

Investigations by Truckee police and Placer County sheriff's detectives identified Stanaway as a suspect in numerous unsolved burglaries in the Lake Tahoe area, according to a Truckee Police Department news release.

Searches of two locations in El Dorado County have turned up stolen property with an estimated value of more than $50,000, according to sheriff's officials.

Sheriff's detectives and members of the sheriff's special enforcement detail on Wednesday served search warrants at two locations in Pollock Pines. One was a residence in the 4500 block of Pony Express Trail, and the other, a storage container in the 5900 block of Pony Express Trail, according to a Sheriff's Office news release.

Through several months of investigation, detectives linked the storage container to the residence's occupants, officials said. When they searched the storage container, detectives found stolen property belonging to four different victims of burglaries that occurred in the Placerville, Pollock Pines and Pleasant Valley areas. They also found approximately five pounds of dried and prepared marijuana, as well as items commonly used in methamphetamine production, according to the news release.

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.

West Sacramento police are looking for a man who fled from them this morning after driving the wrong way on Interstate 80.

Police are looking for Lino Garcia Jr., 34, on suspicion of evading police and vehicle theft. Garcia is 5 feet 5 inches tall and has a shaved head.

Police said they tried to stop Garcia for a vehicle violation about 7:45 a.m. today. He didn't stop and a one-minute pursuit was called off for public safety when police said Garcia began driving eastbound in the westbound lanes of Interstate 80.

He exited the freeway and hit another vehicle at Harbor Boulevard and West Capitol Avenue, police said. He was last seen fleeing in the 700 block of Glide Avenue.

A passenger, Christina Rangel, 30, was taken into custody.

Garcia has a felony warrant for his arrest out of Napa County, police said.

By Denny Walsh and Sam Stanton
dwalsh@sacbee.com

Federal agents are moving to seize 32 properties stretching from Sacramento to Hawaii to San Diego in an alleged kickback and money laundering scheme that they say drained $18 million from the coffers of the tribe that runs the Thunder Valley Casino in Lincoln.

Documents filed by the Internal Revenue Service in U.S. District Court in Sacramento late Tuesday allege that Sacramento developer Bart Volen and two others systematically siphoned off millions from the United Auburn Indian Community while they oversaw the construction of office buildings that now serve as the tribe's headquarters.

The IRS is seeking to seize the properties -- including condominiums in Hawaii, San Diego and South Lake Tahoe -- that the agency says were purchased with money taken from the tribe in an overbilling scheme.

A former Rio Linda post office counter clerk has pleaded guilty to stealing from the postal service.

Denis Tyannikov, 25, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty Monday to misdemeanor embezzlement in federal court in Sacramento. Court documents indicate that Tyannikov took $11,282 from the Rio Linda post office where he worked as a counter clerk.

A press release from the U.S. Attorney said that Tyannikov took small amounts from the post office cash reserve and from merchandise sales. He also falsely reported postal stamp sales and refunds.

He is scheduled to be sentenced June 25. Tyannikov faces a maximum sentence of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine.

An alert passing citizen apparently prevented yet another theft of wiring last night from a Sacramento city street light pole.

Sacramento police report that at about 11:45 p.m. Monday two men, one white, the other black, stopped their car in the 3600 block of Natoma Way in Del Paso Heights. The passenger got out of the car, put on an orange vest, and started fiddling with the light pole wiring.

A passing citizen asked them if they were working on the lights. The men replied that they were but then fled the scene in their car, a tan or gold sedan with a black right front fender.

Two women were arrested by Lodi police on suspicion of stealing from an elderly man while they posed as medical workers.

Christina Amaya, 29, and Elizabeth Marks, 46, were arrested on suspicion of burglary, elder abuse, possession of stolen property, forgery and felonious use of a credit card.

Police said the pair claimed they were nurses from "the hospital" checking on the older man's well-being when they arrived at the elderly man's home. Wearing surgical scrubs, they were invited inside.

Sacramento police arrested a man in a downtown garage last night who they say tossed away burglar's tools as he ran from them.

Police saw Felton Leon Sawyer Jr., 51, on the third level of a parking garage at 13th and I streets about 9:30 p.m. Wednesday. Officers said he was acting suspiciously and when they tried to speak with him but he began running, according to an police activity report.

As officers gave chase, Sawyer tossed two screwdrivers away, police said. Eventually, he was caught. In his possession, police said, was a narcotic smoking pipe.

Officers checked the garage for car burglaries not only because they said he tossed away the screwdrivers but because he was arrested last week for vehicle break-ins. No car break-ins had occurred in the garage.

Sawyer was booked into Sacramento County Jail on suspicion of possessing burglar's tools, resisting police and possession of narcotic paraphernalia.

A shooting in Meadowview Sunday night left two pedestrians with wounds from a pellet gun.

The couple was walking along Meadowview Road near Tamoshanter Way when someone in a Pontiac Grand Prix yelled at them.

The car then made a U-turn and at least 4 men got out, one of them armed with what turned out to be a pellet gun. They then demanded property from the couple.

One of two inmates who escaped from honor farm custody in San Joaquin County has already assaulted a person, according to sheriff's officials.

A head count at 5 a.m. Sunday revealed that inmates Adam Michael Marchand and Joshua John Anderson had walked away from a county honor camp.

About three hours later in French Camp, Marchand is said to have assaulted a farmer watering his crops. Marchand then drove off in the farmer's 1992 blue Ford 350 pickup with the California license plate number 6N64960.

Rocklin police executed search warrants over the weekend that resulted in the arrests of two teenagers for burglary.

Officers served the warrants at two residences in the city on Saturday. The warrants stemmed from an investigation that began Feb. 26 when a home was burglarized on Ashland Court.

Both boys, ages 13 and 15, were booked into Placer County Juvenile Hall on suspicion of burglary and conspiracy. Officers recovered electronic items during the searches.

The investigation continues for more suspects and stolen property.

The Sutter County Sheriff's Department is sending out a posse to look for metal thieves.

Beginning Saturday, members of Sutter County Sheriff's Posse will be out on horseback in rural areas of the county, keeping an eye out for metal thieves, according to a Sheriff's Department news release. If posse members observe something suspicious, they will radio field deputies, who will respond to investigate.

"We have seen a marked uptick in metal thefts, everything from aluminum sprinkler pipe to copper wire stolen from farm irrigation pumps," Sheriff J. Paul Parker said in a written statement. "We want to bring whatever forces to bear on this problem, and one way is to get the posse out there to act as our eyes and ears in the rural areas."

An Elk Grove man is being sued by Oakland for damages incurred during an Occupy demonstration.

Cesar Aguirre, 24, was arrested by officers who saw him smashing windows of a public building in Oakland's City Hall plaza in the early morning hours of Nov. 3, according to a press release.

Aguirre is accused of swinging a metal folding chair several times, breaking windows. He then used the same chair to smash the glass door of the building, according to the lawsuit.

The complaint seeks $6,654 in damages to cover the cost of the repair, plus other costs expended to secure the building. The city also is entitled to punitive damages, according to City Attorney Barbara Parker.

"The City of Oakland is not a wealthy municipal government," said Parker. "Not only does this behavior show profound disrespect for local businesses and residents who suffer when the city has to expend scarce resources to repair vandalized property, it shows real disdain for out city's long tradition of peaceful protest."

The press release said that in recent years, peaceful protest has been marred by small groups who vandalize, set fires and damage businesses.

The Sacramento County coroner's office today released the name of the suspected bank robber shot by Citrus Heights police.

He was identified as Jeffrey James Gonzales, 51, of Citrus Heights.

Police said that Gonzalez claimed to have an explosive device when he held up the bank Wednesday afternoon.

Police said that at about 4:15 p.m., police received a call of a crime in progress at Union Bank, 5748 Sunrise Blvd. The robber claimed to have a gun and an explosive device.

Officers surrounded the bank before the man came out of the building. Feeling threatened, police fired at the man, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

Because of the report of an explosive device, police cleared the area and called in the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department bomb squad. After 7 p.m., it was determined there wasn't an explosive device at the bank.

Police then began processing the scene and interviewing bank employees and customers.

Thefts of copper and other metals have increased 81 percent, driven by rising prices for the stolen recyclables, according to an insurance industry report released today.

A total of 25,083 claims of theft of copper, bronze, brass and aluminum were submitted in the three years ending Dec. 31, 2011. Ninety-six percent of the thefts were copper.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau notes that thefts of metals can be personal: a catalytic converter taken from a person's pickup parked in the driveway -- or strike at government.

In January, thieves broke into lighting towers around the Modesto Airport, stealing copper wire, and causing three of the four approach lighting systems to malfunction.

The thefts can also prove deadly: In 2011, a 39-year-old man was electrocuted when police said he was trying to steal copper wire at Harry Renfree baseball field near Auburn Boulevard and Watt Avenue in Sacramento.

Some incidents of theft may not generate an insurance claim.

The top five states generating the most metal theft claims:

Ohio

Texas

Georgia

California

Illinois

Sacramento police said that a man was assaulted when he made a nighttime withdrawal from an ATM.

Police said the man was at a cash machine about 9:15 p.m. at the Bank of America in Oak Park on Broadway when he was approached by three men. He was assaulted and his money taken, according to a police activity log.

He suffered minor injury to his face.

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.

The former postmaster of the Lassen County community of Bieber has admitted to embezzling postal funds.

Kristina Michelle Morris, 38, of Bieber pleaded guilty today in federal court in Sacramento to embezzling money from the Bieber Post Office, according to a federal Department of Justice news release.

According to court documents, between Oct. 1, 2010, and May 11, 2011, Morris stole approximately $23,554 from the Bieber Post Office while employed as the postmaster. She took small amounts from the post office's cash and issued postal money orders for amounts greater that what she actually paid for them, using them to pay for her personal expenses, officials said.

A man went on a rampage last night causing damage to the Capitol, a nearby state office building and Sacramento City Hall, according the California Highway Patrol.

CHP officer Rich Wetzel said that about 9:30 p.m. Sunday a young man broke out glass and damaged the wood frames of doors on the west, south and north sides of the Capitol. The man tossed concrete or rocks at windows and doors.

The man then went across 10th Street to the Jesse Unruh Building, home of the state treasurer, at 915 Capitol Mall, and did more damage, Wetzel said.

A nanny surprised a burglar when she arrived at her employer's Folsom home early this afternoon.

When the nanny entered the house on Fratis Street in Folsom's Prairie Oaks neighborhood, she heard a noise in the back of the residence, according to a Folsom Police Department news release. She called out to her employer, but received no answer.

A short time later, the employer arrived home, and after the nanny told him about the noise, he began checking the house. Just as the homeowner realized he had been burglarized, he and the nanny encountered a man, who fled out the sliding door at the rear of the home.

A shoplifting suspect had the book thrown at him after he allegedly bit a Sacramento County Sheriff's deputy.

Deputies were called to the Walmart store in the 5800 block of Antelope Road about 7 p.m. Tuesday where store security officers were detaining Breyon D. Wilson, 20, a shoplifting suspect.

When deputies arrived to take Wilson into custody, he tried to run, according to a sheriff's department press release. A struggle began and Wilson bit one of the deputies on the arm.

Eventually, he was subdued and placed under arrest. He was later booked on suspicion of mayhem, battery on a peace officer, resisting an executive officer, committing a crime while out on bail and theft.

The deputy went to a hospital for evaluation but did not sustain any significant injury, according to the department.

A group that provides train rides to boys and girls has had a vintage tractor stolen that was essential to keeping their Rancho Cordova excursion railroad in good running order.

The Sacramento Valley Live Steamers, a nonprofit organization runs a scale-model steam train in Hagan Community Park, has been delighting children since the early 1970s with train rides through the trees with glimpses of American River.

The railroad line has endured vandalism and the theft of tools and track before, but never something like what happened last week when somebody took their vintage tractor.

A week ago, somebody broke into a locked shipping container and took the group's red-orange 1951 Ferguson farm tractor with a front loader. The tractor is used for a variety of tasks, including carrying gravel ballast that is used under the tracks.

The group is in the process of replacing track. That's when the sturdy workhorse comes in handy.

But now it is gone, apparently driven away down the bike trail.

"I'm told that the transmission is worth $1,000 on its own," said Bill Yoder, president of the Live Steamers. "As heavy as that thing is, they will probably chop it up and sell it for scrap."

Yoder wanted help in making the public aware of the theft in hope that somebody spots the hard-to-hide tractor. The group has offered a $1,000 reward for its return in good condition.

Any information about the stolen tractor should be provided to Rancho Cordova Police, Yoder said.

Starting in March, the group plans to start excursion runs again. Yoder will use his small tractor to move gravel.

PHOTO CAPTION: The stolen vintage tractor. Sacramento Valley Live Steamers

By Carlos Alcalá

calcala@sacbee.com

A Yuba City plumbing and pipefitters union treasurer and his wife pleaded guilty Friday to misappropriating at least $120,000 for personal use, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's office.

Robert L. Carr, 57, was secretary-treasurer and business manager for Local 228, and his wife Theresa Ann Carr, 54, was an employee of the union.

They wrote checks for unauthorized salary advances, bonuses and reimbursements, according to court documents cited by the news release.

By Carlos Alcalá

calcala@sacbee.com

Sacramento police arrested a pair of juvenile burglary suspects Friday, after a 12-year-old girl called 911 and hid in a closet while on the phone with the dispatcher.

The girl called police around 11 a.m., reporting that someone had broken into her home on Candela Circle through a back window.

She then ran upstairs and hid in her bedroom closet.

A reward is being offered for the return of a designer snake stolen from an Elk Grove store.

The $500 Bumblebee ball python was stolen about 11:30 a.m. on Valentine's Day from The Serpentarium, 9160 East Stockton Blvd.

Store security video shows a man and a woman looking at snakes in the showroom. At one point the man removes a lock from a terrarium and eventually pocketing the snake, according to Robert Coral, owner of The Serpentarium.

Coral said a Bumblebee is created by cross-breeding a Spider ball python with a Pastel ball python. A very low percentage of the off-spring will be Bumblebee pythons, which have a brilliant color.

"It looks like a pastel, brightly-colored Spider ball python," said Coral.

Since they are less common, they go for more money. Coral has offered a $100 cash reward or $150 store gift certificate for a return of the reptile.

This is not the first snake stolen. Before he had good surveillance in the store, a $125 boa was stolen from the store three months ago.

The snake was born at the Serpentarium in Lodi. The Lodi breeding facility has been in existence for 23 years, while the Elk Grove store opened just 8 months ago.
Anyone with information about the theft is asked to call the Elk Grove store at (916) 686-1447.

PHOTO CAPTION: A bumblebee ball python was stolen from The Serpentarium in Elk Grove.

Roseville police have arrested two men they suspect are responsible for burglaries in the same neighborhood.

The first man, Daniel Richard Emard, 28, of Roseville, is suspected of burglarizing a home on Milstead Way Monday morning. A resident about 5 a.m. noticed a sport utility vehicle parked the wrong way on Milstead Way and a man going up to a home.

The neighbor called police who arrived at the residence near Secret Ravine Parkway and Sierra College Boulevard and took Emard into custody for suspicion of burglary.

A few hours later, a resident on nearby Stone Canyon Drive found a burglar holding her jewelry box in her living room. She tried to grab it away, but the burglar fled with the jewelry box.

An investigation led to officers searching a home in Rocklin and the recovery of stolen property. They also arrested Alexander Michael Souron, 21, of Rocklin, on suspicion of robbery and burglary.

A 12-year-old Davis boy was credited with thwarting a burglary by keeping his cool and phoning 911 as a stranger attempted to enter his house this morning.

Abut 8:45 a.m., Davis police received an emergency call from the boy, who reported a burglary in progress in east Davis. The youth was home alone when a stranger appeared at the front door. When the boy didn't answer, the man went to the back door and tried to force his way into the house, according to a Police Department news release.

The boy immediately called 911 while hiding in the bathroom. Police said the youth stayed on the phone, providing valuable information to the dispatcher as officers rushed to the home with emergency lights and sirens.

One man is in custody and warrants have been issued for two other suspects in connection with recent burglaries in El Dorado Hills and neighboring communities.

El Dorado County sheriff's deputies stopped a suspicious black Mercedes sedan about 10:45 p.m. Jan. 27 because it was being slowly driven through neighborhoods in the area of Mormon Island and Lake Ridge Oaks in El Dorado Hills, according to an El Dorado County Sheriff's Department news release.

Deputies determined that three men inside the vehicle were either on parole or probation. They were identified as Jacob Scott Mack and Mark Jon Williams, both 21, and Jason Earl Rogers, 30.

A man suspected of committing numerous residential burglaries in Granite Bay over the past few months has been arrested.

Jason Earl Rogers (pictured), 30, of Citrus Heights, was booked into Placer County Jail today on suspicion of residential burglary and possession of stolen property. He was originally arrested by El Dorado County sheriff's detectives, who discovered a large amount of stolen property during a search of his home Feb. 2, according to a Placer County Sheriff's Office news release.

The El Dorado County detectives were looking for a a burglar who had kicked in the front doors of dozens of homes and stolen jewelry. Placer County detectives joined the search of Rogers' home and found property belonging to Granite Bay victims.

Because of the large number of cases in Placer County, Rogers was extradited today, officials said. He is being held on a no-bail parole hold.

A thorough Sacramento police officer followed up on a good eyewitness description and netted a strong-arm robbery suspect Thursday.

A couple staying in a motel near East Sacramento was robbed at a store on 30th Street around 7:30 p.m., when the husband was pushed to the ground by an assailant, said Sgt. Andrew Pettit.

The husband gave the responding officer a thorough description, including that the culprit had a "lazy eye."

California Highway Patrol officers have arrested three suspects parked in an area near Cisco Grove that had been the site of wire thefts and equipment vandalism.

The suspects, all from North Highlands, were in possession of stolen copper wire and tools used for taking the wire.

Officers Schuyler Bell and Chris Crabtree found the trio early Tuesday morning in an area where several Caltrans electrical boxes for message signs had been vandalized.

An observant resident is credited with alerting Rancho Cordova police to suspicious activity that led to the arrest two juveniles and the recovery of stolen property.

Police were dispatched to the area of Cregan Court and Pericles Drive shortly after 1 p.m. Monday after a citizen reported seeing to males enter a residence through the back yard and later leave through the garage. The caller reported that the two were pulling a wagon with a safe inside as they left the area.

As officers responded, a burglary alarm call also was pending for a residence on Pericles Drive. On of the officers called the homeowner and verified that a safe was inside the residence, according to a Police Department news release.

A bank robber arrested Tuesday led Roseville police to himself unintentionally, officials said today.

Ogan Gencer, 20, is suspected of holding up a Wells Fargo bank branch on Sierra College Boulevard at 10:10 a.m. Tuesday.

However, he is also accused of calling 911 to report a fake emergency miles away 15 minutes before the holdup, during which the robber gave a teller a note indicating he had a gun.

In making a call to distract police, Gencer forgot a few things, according to Dee Dee Gunther, spokeswoman for the department.

Sacramento police arrested a 17-year-old burglary suspect Tuesday after a pair of alert witnesses called in reports of suspicious behavior.

Police first took a call from the 2500 block of Marty Way in Land Park around 1:45 p.m.

The caller reported suspects running from a home, carrying electronic equipment.

A Lincoln man was arrested today in connection with the theft and destruction of a historical marker from the Placer County community of Ophir.

Anthony James Karas (pictured), 47, was taken into custody and booked into the Placer County Jail on suspicion of grand theft and possession of stolen property, according to a Placer County Sheriff's Department news release.

The California Registered Historical Landmark plaque was reported stolen in January. It had been found at Lozanos and Bald Hill roads. Sheriff's detectives said it was valued at $951.

Last week, deputies found the sawed-up marker (pictured) dumped along Fiddyment Road and were able to trace it back to Karas, officials said. The marker had been cut into many pieces and all of the writing was ground from the solid brass piece.

By Denny Walsh
dwalsh@sacbee.com

Mark C. Anderson, the man who burned up hundreds-of-millions of dollars worth of fine wine in a failed attempt to cover-up his theft of wine, was sentenced Tuesday in Sacramento federal court to 27 years in prison.

Anderson, 63, of Sausalito, was also ordered to pay clients of his wine storage business $70.3 million in restitution. Each victim suffered losses ranging from tens-of-thousands to hundreds-of-thousands of dollars.

As part of a guilty plea he later repudiated and tried unsuccessfully to withdraw, Anderson admitted torching the Wines Central warehouse in Vallejo on Oct. 12, 2005. The wine Anderson stored there for his clients was a small part of the inventory.

Sacramento police arrested a suspected bicycle thief Monday, after he was chased by the bicycle's owner.

Police were alerted at 8:57 a.m. that the white bicycle had been stolen from the vicinity of 17th Street and Markham Way in Land Park.

Having seen the thief taking his bicycle, the victim jumped in his van and followed, honking his horn and yelling for people to stop the culprit.

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.

By Carlos Alcala and Kim Minugh
calcala@sacbee.com

Sacramento police have found no bombs despite threats from a man arrested after he allegedly robbed a Wells Fargo branch this afternoon.

Instead, they found stolen cash, a few of the suspect's personal belongings and a couple apple pies from McDonald's, according to police.

Sgt. Andrew Pettit, police spokesman, identified the suspect as 33-year-old Daniel Hegwood, who was a parolee at large at the time of his arrest.

According to Pettit, Hegwood went inside the bank, at Capitol Avenue and Alhambra Boulevard, early this afternoon and demanded cash, threatening that he had a bomb inside a package that he placed in front of the teller.

He fled on foot with a "substantial" amount of cash as people in the bank called police. Arriving officers quickly found the suspect hiding in a nearby parking garage, Pettit said.

Sacramento police responding to an alarm call at a bicycle store on H Street at 3 a.m. this morning saw a man walking in the vicinity, wearing a bike helmet.

The man, who police said had cuts on his arms, was detained while officers checked the business.

Police found the front window of the store was broken.

It also appeared that a helmet was missing, according to the Sacramento Police activity log.

Police arrested Nicholas Velieux, 30.

An Elk Grove running store was burglarized early this morning in the second break-in since November, a co-owner said.

Elk Grove police responded to an alarm at about 1:15 a.m. at The Running Zone, 8470 Elk Grove Blvd., Officer Christopher Trim said. Police found the front glass door smashed by a rock and the cash register stolen, he said.

"It appears to be a smash-and-go," Trim said.

The register had "less than $100," store co-owner Mimi Veiga said. Nothing else was taken, she added.

The Running Zone, at 8470 Elk Grove Blvd., suffered a similar burglary in late November, Veiga said. Owners plan to install video surveillance equipment, she added.

By Robert D. Dávila
bdavila@sacbee.com

The driver of a stolen commercial van was booked into Yolo County Jail after leading law enforcement officials on a highway chase from West Sacramento to the Tracy area, officials said.

Jeremy Allan Pratt of West Sacramento was arrested Tuesday night on suspicion of several felonies, including possessing stolen property and evading arrest, California Highway Patrol Officer Adrian Quintero said Wednesday.

Officials said the chase began around 5:45 p.m. Tuesday when an officer from the CHP's auto theft unit saw Pratt get behind the wheel of the parked commercial truck on Jefferson Boulevard in West Sacramento. The officer was investigating cases involving stolen commercial vehicles in West Sacramento when he spotted the van and found it was reported stolen.

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.

Racist graffiti was sprayed on a sign and other objects at a new park near 65th Street and Highway 50 during the weekend.

"KKK" was spray painted on the Mae Fong Park monument sign at the front of the community park, 3004 Redding Ave. Also, racist epithets and Nazi insignia were scrawled in other parts of the park.

"They are the most hateful of hateful signs you can imagine at a kids' playground," said City Councilman Kevin McCarty.

Sacramento police arrested two men this morning suspected of stealing 300 feet of copper wire in Natomas.

Officers were told at roll call to watch out for copper thieves who had hit the Westshore neighborhood last week.

About 12:30 a.m. officers patrolling near Natomas Central Drive and Hovnanian Drive stopped a man standing near a U-Haul truck. The 39-year-old man ran but was caught.

Stolen copper wire pulled from in-ground utility boxes was found in the U-Haul. The truck was being used as a shield to carry out the theft, said Lt. Norm Leong.

Officers also learned that the man had a suspected accomplice, also 39, who was arrested at his home. He is known to officers from "prior copper theft contacts," Leong said.

City crews estimated cost of damage from the theft at $2,000. The copper wire often carries electricity for street lights.

By Carlos Alcalá
calcala@sacbee.com

A suspected burglar shot Friday by a Sacramento County Sheriff's deputy is expected to survive, an official said Saturday.

The man will not be identified until he is released from the hospital and booked by the Sheriff's Department, according to Deputy Jason Ramos, spokesman for the department.

The incident took place around 2 a.m. Friday, when deputies were summoned to a burglary alarm call at It's a Grind coffeehouse on Twin Cities Road in Galt.

Officers had entered the business to investigate, and the burglar was shot in the store while running toward the door where a deputy was standing, law enforcement officials told reporters.

He was believed to be armed with a hammer and did not respond to shouts to show his hands, according to the officials.

Gunfire struck the suspect in his upper and lower body.

A second suspect, George Jett, 22, was arrested after he was found hiding under a recreational vehicle in the area.

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

Rocklin police have arrested a Sacramento man in connection with a December home burglary.

The break-in at a residence in the El Don Estates area was reported Dec. 9. Officers found several items of physical evidence that the department's evidence lab technicians tied to David Alan Foster (pictured), 24. He was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of burglary as well as a Plumas County warrant for violation of probation, according to a Police Department news release.

Foster is being held in Placer County Jail on $30,000 bail.

A suspected burglar was shot this morning by a sheriff's deputy in Galt, law enforcement officials said.

The suspect, shot twice, was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries. A sheriff's spokesman said the deputy was forced to shoot because the man was running in the direction of another officer with what the deputy believed was a hammer in his hand.

About 2 a.m., Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were called to assist Galt police on a burglary alarm call at "It's a Grind" coffee house on Twin Cities Road, just off Highway 99.

Three deputies responded. The last deputy who responded saw someone running away from the coffee shop.

The first two officers noticed that a car was idling and backed up to the business. The front door to the business was smashed.

Deputies thought they saw someone moving around inside the shop. Cautiously, the two deputies entered the building to see a man run from behind the counter.

The deputies shouted for the man to stop and also commanded him to "Show us your hands."

One of the deputies believed that the suspect was armed with a hammer as he ran toward the front door where his fellow officer was standing.

"He is yelling stop, show us your hands," said sheriff's department spokesman Deputy Jason Ramos. "The suspect is still running and the officer thinks he has a hammer in his hand. He shoots at the suspect, striking him twice."

A hammer later was recovered from the scene, authorities said.

After being hit by the gunfire once in the upper body and once in the lower body, the suspected burglar continues to run out of the shop. The deputies chased him and detained him just outside the business.

He was transported to the hospital where he was in surgery this morning. His wounds were possibly life-threatening, Ramos said.

About 3:15 a.m. a second suspect, presumably the man who ran from the business earlier, was found hiding nearby beneath a recreational vehicle. He was taken to the hospital with bite wounds inflicted by a police dog.

This post was updated by Bee staff writer Kim Minugh.

Folsom police apprehended two men for allegedly stealing copper piping from air conditioning units atop Riley Street businesses.

Police received a call about 5 a.m. Thursday that two people were seen climbing from the rooftop of a business complex at 1151 Riley Street near Wales Drive.

Officer Jason Browning said that the suspects left the area on bicycles but were caught by Folsom police. James Andrew Mackenzie, 25, and Jared Wayne Adams, 31, both of Folsom, were booked into Sacramento County Jail on multiple charges, including vandalism, grand theft and possession of burglar's tools.

Browing said the men had 40-50 pounds of air conditioning copper pipes and burglar's tools when stopped. A check of the building revealed that 16 air condition units sustained major damage.

Sheriff's detectives need help in identifying a robber who shot a pizza shop employee.

A video of the robbery attempt at Domino's Pizza in Carmichael earlier this week shows the man shooting at the clerk and then fleeing. However, it is difficult to tell who the suspect is because the robber is masked.

The crime occurred at 8:40 p.m. Monday when a man walked into the pizza shop in the 7000 block of Fair Oaks Blvd. The robber then demanded money from the employee.

The impatient robber shot at the clerk when the employee could not open the cash register quickly enough. The suspect stepped back and shot the employee once in the upper body before fleeing without any cash.

The clerk was treated for a non life-threatening injury and is expected to recover. The suspect is described as a thin white man, 20-25 years old, about 6 feet tall.

He wore a black ski mask and black hood jacket.

Anyone having information is asked to call the sheriff's robbery bureau at (916) 874-5051 or Crime Alert at (916) 443-4357. Callers to Crime Alert may remain anonymous and could be eligible for a reward up to $1,000.

A native of Mexico, deported 5 times before, has been convicted of two counts of illegal re-entry by a federal jury in Sacramento.

Roberto Solis-Cabralles has repeatedly illegally returned to this country, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's office. He has felony convictions in Sacramento that include drug-trafficking and liquor store robbery.

Solis-Cabralles, convicted on Wednesday, is scheduled to be sentenced April 9 by U.S. District Judge William S. Shubb. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, however, his sentence will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of sentencing guidelines.

Sacramento police say that the KISS bandit is actually more of an Evil Clown robber - and he's struck again.

And now, thanks to a tough store clerk in his 70s, the clown mask is in police evidence. The robber has been unmasked by a grandfather.

The Sacramento Police Department is asking the public's help in identifying the masked individual sought in connection with the armed robberies of three businesses. In all cases, police say, the robber wore a white clown mask.

He was initially dubbed the Kiss Mask Robber because the mask he wore was similar to the make-up worn by the KISS rock band.

However, police today said he wore a mask that could more accurately be described as an "Evil Clown."

The first robbery occurred about 8:45 p.m. Thursday in the 4200 block of Norwood Avenue, in the Robla area. The robber climbed over the counter, fired two shots close to store employees, took money from the register and left on foot, according to a Police Department news release.

Less than an our later, about 9:28 p.m., an individual wearing the same mask and clothing, entered a liquor store in the 2900 block of Del Paso Boulevard. Police said he fired a single shot inside the store, robbed employees at gunpoint, then fled to a waiting blue or black four-door sedan. A witness tried to write down the vehicle's license plate number, but the suspect fired a shot in the witness' direction.

Then, on Saturday, about 8:15 p.m., the man in the signature mask struck again, entering a small neighborhood market in the 4000 block of 12th Avenue armed with a gun.

He pointed the weapon at the store owner's grandfather but the man would have none of it.

He grabbed the gun of the Evil Clown robber and a struggle began. The mask was pulled off in the alteracation and is being held by the police.

The suspect fled in a light blue sedan.

Anyone with information about the robberies is asked to call Crime Alert at (916) 443-4357, or text a tip to 274637. Enter SACTIP followed by the tip information. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

PHOTO CAPTION: Thanks to a tough store clerk in his 70s, the clown mask is in police evidence. Sacramento Police Department

In response to a rash of catalytic converter thefts in south Placer County, the Rocklin Police Department, in cooperation with local businesses and organizations, has scheduled a free catalytic converter etching event Feb. 11.

In the first three weeks of this year, Rocklin police received 29 reports of catalytic converter thefts. Although some arrests have been made, such thefts continue to occur, according to a Police Department news release.

Catalytic converters, along with copper and other metals, have become a hot commodity among thieves. The catalytic converters are targeted because of their value, the relative ease of stealing them and their lack of identifying markings, police said. The lack of identification makes it difficult to identify victims and to successfully apprehend and prosecute criminals.

A vehicle sale on Craigslist that went bad prompted the seller to take matters into his own hands last night in Sacramento.

The suspects and the seller met about 9:30 p.m. Monday at 29th Street and Meadowview Road to show the vehicle. The alleged buyer arrived in what police later said was a stolen car with stolen license plates.

The seller allowed the female "buyer" to test drive the vehicle while the man waited with the victim.

However, as soon as the woman drove away, the man ran to his stolen car with the stolen plates and took off. The seller chased in his pickup, eventually running the "buyer" off the road.

At that point the two men began to fight and the woman and Sacramento police officers arrived. Both the man and woman were arrested, according to a police activity log.

By Carlos Alcalá
calcala@sacbee.com

Sacramento police officers arrested two suspected burglars Friday, after victims in two separate incidents interrupted home burglaries.

In the first case, a male and female reportedly broke into a car on West El Camino Avenue and used a garage door opener to open the victim's garage around 9 a.m.

The victim confronted them as they were in the process of taking items from the garage.

The suspects fled, but police captured and arrested the male, who was not identified in the report from the police activity log.

In the second incident, officers were flagged down near the 2300 block of Fairfield Avenue where a burglary had just occurred.

The victim told police he had arrived home to find someone burglarizing the residence.

Police searched and found a suspect, Jerry Adams, 51, in hiding. Police allege that Adams was in possession of items belonging to burglary victim. He was arrested on suspicion of burglary and parole violation.

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

Two men were arrested in Elk Grove after police reported finding a stolen catalytic converter and a backpack containing cutting-type tools in the suspects' vehicle.

Officers stopped a vehicle driven by Tou Vang, 20, for a vehicle code violation about 3:34 a.m. Wednesday, and a records check revealed that his passenger, Neng Vang, 25, was on probation, according to an Elk Grove Police Department activity summary.

During a search of the vehicle, officers found the cutting tools, catalytic converter and several "shaved keys." Police also reported finding a controlled substance in Tou Vang's wallet.

Sacramento Police have arrested a man suspected of robbing or attempting to rob four businesses in the last two days.

Police spokesman Sgt. Andrew Pettit said the man, described as white and in his 30s, was taken to police headquarters for questioning. Detectives are withholding his name while they conduct their investigation, Pettit said.

Pettit said the man went to the Rite Aid store at 2211 F St. about 11:20 a.m. today and presented a note to a clerk. The note stated that there were people who were going to hurt his family if he didn't give them money.

A Sacramento man and two juveniles have been arrested in connection with an El Dorado Hills burglary.

El Dorado County sheriff's deputies were called to the Bridlewood subdivision at 4:40 p.m. Jan. 11 regarding a report of several individuals jumping over the fences of residences.

Residents in the area told deputies that three males wearing dark clothing and gloves were roaming the area. When residents approached the suspicious-looking individuals and told them they were going to call the Sheriff's Office, the three ran from the area, according to a Sheriff's Office news release.

By Denny Walsh
dwalsh@sacbee.com

A parolee led officers from three police agencies on a high-speed chase this morning that ended in Sacramento when the suspected carjacker pulled over and surrendered on eastbound Interstate 80 at El Camino Avenue, according to Fairfield Police Officer Cleo Mayoral.

Jamaal Storms approached a parked car occupied by three young women about 7:45 a.m. in a commercial strip on North Texas Street in Fairfield, pounded on the driver's window and yelled at the women to get out of the car, Mayoral said.

Storms kicked in the window and reached in and unlocked the door while the three women were jumping out of the vehicle through the right rear door, the officer said. Storms then drove the white 2005 Toyota Carolla north on North Texas, and a bulletin was broadcast on the vehicle.

The El Dorado County Sheriff's Department is asking the public's help in identifying a "person of interest" sought in connection with several burglaries and attempted burglaries that have occurred over the past 45 days in the Rescue area, near Starbuck Road.

Homes typically have been entered during the daytime by forced entry or other means, according to a Sheriff's Department news release. Items stolen have included jewelry, money, cell phones and appliances.

Photos (above) from a residential surveillance system shows a man who appears to be white, in his 20s with short hair. In the photos, he is wearing a green "matrix" logo shirt, black pants and black shoes. Sheriff's officials said a white vehicle shown in one of the photos is not related to the subject.

Roseville police credit an a alert resident and quick response by law enforcement officers with the arrest of four men suspected of stealing catalytic converters.

At 3:42 this morning, a resident of the Crocker Ranch/Diamond Creek area called police after seeing two men working under a vehicle near her home. Numerous officers converged on the area and took three suspects into custody, according to a Police Department news release. A fourth got away but was later arrested in Sacramento.

Inside the suspects' van, officers found several catalytic converters believed to have been stolen during the night from the Roseville and Rocklin areas.

Police in Rocklin and Folsom are warning residents to take steps to protect their vehicles following a rash of catalytic converter thefts in recent days.

Rocklin police reported that at least 10 Toyota owners were victimized Tuesday night or early this morning. Hardest hit was the Pinnacles Drive area near South Whitney Boulevard, according to a Police Department news release.

In Folsom, police reported that 13 catalytic converters were stolen throughout the city Friday morning. All the targeted vehicles were Toyota trucks or sport utility vehicles.

A 21-year-old man has pleaded no contest to five counts of vandalism for tagging property in downtown and midtown Sacramento with graffiti.

From May to July 2011, Nicholas Larson vandalized downtown and midtown walls, signs, sidewalks, poles, trash bins and other property with graffiti tags under the moniker "Reid" and "Reidel", according to a Sacramento County District Attorney's Office news release.

An investigation by Sacramento police and code enforcement officers, and the District Attorney's Office led to service of a search warrant at Larson's home. During the search, officers found a variety of graffiti tools and controlled substances.

When a Citrus Heights resident opened her door last night, she was confronted by a parolee who robbed her at gunpoint, police said.

The female resident in the 6000 block of Dewey Drive opened her front door to investigate some sort of commotion outside about 9 p.m. Tuesday. Police said she was then confronted by Charvelle Clark, 38, a parolee with a handgun.

Police allege that Clark ordered the female resident, two children and an older woman to the floor. Clark then stole items from the home and fled.

Citrus Heights police responded, along with the Sacramento County Sheriff's department helicopter. The chopper crew used an infrared camera to find Clark, who was arrested by officers on the ground.

He was booked on suspicion of robbery and a parole violation.

PHOTO CAPTION: Gary Hendricks. Citrus Heights Police

A 37-year-old man was arrested last week after he allegedly broke into a Rancho Cordova business and, while being apprehended, tried to choke a police dog, according to authorities.

Officers were responding to a suspicious subject call the night of Jan. 5 when they received additional information that the subject was breaking into the Weight Watchers at 3231 Zinfandel Drive, according to a Sacramento County Sheriff's Department report.

(The Sheriff's Department provides police services to the city of Rancho Cordova through contract.)

Roseville police said DNA evidence has led to the arrest a man on suspicion of burglarizing Oakmont High School more than a year ago.

About 13 months ago, somebody broke into the high school's cafeteria during the night, entered an office and removed a safe that had been bolted to the floor.

Detectives had no leads at the time. However, crime scene technicians collected evidence at the scene and submitted it to the state Department of Justice crime lab for a DNA analysis.

DOJ officials recently notified Roseville police that they had a match.

On Jan. 5, detectives arrested a 29-year-old Carmichael man on suspicion of burglary, according to a police department police log.

Sacramento County sheriff's deputies have arrested a man after finding several thousand dollars worth of stolen copper wiring in the vehicle he was driving.

About 1:30 this morning, deputies stopped a vehicle driven by Jeffery Wadleigh (pictured), 48, near Bradshaw and Goethe roads. A search of the vehicle turned up copper wiring that, on further investigation, was determined to have been stolen from a local construction business over the weekend, according to a Sheriff's Department news release.

In addition to the value of the wire, damage to the business property was estimated at several thousand dollars, officials said.

Wadleigh was booked into Sacramento County Jail on suspicion of possession of stolen property and a parole violation. His bail was set at $200,000.

A man was able to retrieve his stolen cellphone thanks to a GPS tracking feature.

Sacramento police said that the cellphone was taken when the man's car was broken into Sunday in the unincorporated part of the county.

He completed an online crime report with the sheriff's department and contacted his cellphone service provider.

Between them, two men are suspected of committing a wide variety of crimes on Sunday, Rocklin police said.

Included in the crimes the pair are suspected of committing: possible shoplifting, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a sawed-off shotgun and the theft of a classic car.

Police said the arrests began with a simple shoplifting call about 3 p.m. Sunday at the Kmart store, 5615 Pacific Street. The man suspected by store security had fled when officers arrived.

Rocklin police have issued a residential burglary alert, citing 60 residential burglaries in the city during the 120-day period from Sept. 1 through Dec. 31.

Neighboring communities of Granite Bay and Loomis, as well as the cities of Folsom and Citrus Heights, also have seen an increase in burglaries involving similar methods such a as front doors kicked open and smashed rear sliding doors. In Granite Bay, 28 door-kick entries are being investigated, according to a Rocklin Police Department news release.

Officials urge residents to be alert to suspicious people and vehicles in neighborhoods. Anyone who observes suspicious activity of a crime in progress is advised to immediately call 911 or the Police Department's non-emergency line, (916) 625-5400.

Anyone with information about the burglaries or other crimes may call Michael Nottoli at (916) 625-5416. To remain anonymous, call the Placer County Crime Stoppers hotline at (800) 923-8191, or access the Tip 411 Program by logging onto www.rocklinpd.com and clicking on "Submit a Tip." Tipsters also may text the keyword ROCKLIN, followed by the tip information to 847411.

Elk Grove police said a man with two felony warrants is wanted for the robbery of gas station cashier at gunpoint.

Police said Hou Lee, 32, should be considered armed and dangerous. They are asking for the public's help in locating Lee.

Detectives believe that Lee is the man who held up a Shell gas station at Harbour Point Drive near Interstate 5 on Dec. 1. Police said Lee selected a soda and then approached a cashier.

A man whose temper got the best of him kicked out a police car window when he couldn't find his shoe.

Police struggled with the man who was involved in a domestic violence incident shortly after midnight today in a neighborhood near El Camino Avenue and the Capital City freeway.

Finally able to get him into a police squad car, the man became irate because he only had one shoe, he told officers.

According to a police activity log he proceeded to kick out a patrol car window. He then apologized when he realized his missing shoe was on the floorboard of the car all the time, according to police.

The man was charged with vandalism to a police car.

Two suspects wielding a rock held up an ice cream truck Friday, Sacramento police reported.

Two suspects approached the truck owner in south Sacramento holding what was described as a large rock.

They demanded money from the truck owner, according to the Sacramento Police Department activity log.

The suspects threw the rock at the victim and escaped with a small amount of money.

The victim was able to indicate where the suspects went and one suspect was arrested.

Sheriff's detectives have arrested a man in connection with the theft of five plaques from the Wall of Honor in Patriots Park.

Casey Ryan Alger, 37, was booked into Sacramento County Jail Thursday on suspicion of petty theft and receiving stolen property.

Carmichael Parks and Recreation District staff discovered on Dec. 19 that five memorial wall plaques had been removed from the wall, at 6827 Palm Ave.

A man was arrested after he allegedly spent the night drinking in an Old Sacramento bar and restaurant after everyone had gone home, police said.

Calvin Hubbard, 34, was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of burglary by Sacramento police. Police reports indicate that Hubbard hid in the women's bathroom and waited for the Coconut Grove Sports Bar and Grill to close.

Police said that after closing time Hubbard helped himself to alcohol from the bar, drinking heavily. In the morning he stumbled around and set off a motion detector, police said.

Officers arrived and arrested him.

A plaque stolen from an Arden Arcade church has been recovered.

A thief on Christmas Eve stole the bronze plaque from the Northminster Presbyterian Church's cornerstone.

The Rev. Jeanie Shaw of Northminster Presbyterian Church said the plaque was ripped off the wall of the church, 3235 Pope Ave. It marked the construction of the church's sanctuary in 1965.

A 42-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of taking part in a home-invasion robbery in the Arden-Arcade area earlier this month that ended with a maintenance man being shot in the face and hand.

Tammy Marie Ochoa is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. in Dept. 62. Sacramento Sheriff's deputies booked her Dec. 21 on charges of robbery, false imprisonment, assault with a deadly weapon and elder abuse.

Detectives are continuing to investigate the case to find Ochoa's alleged accomplices, including the suspected shooter, said Sheriff's spokesman Deputy Jason Ramos.

An alert Citrus Heights police officer arrested a man after first running a check on a model of car that is often stolen.

The officer was on patrol near Antelope Road and Lauppe Lane this morning when he noticed a 2000 Honda Civic, one of the top cars stolen by thieves. The Honda was stolen Christmas Day from its owner in Dixon.

When Citrus Heights officers tried to stop the Honda, the driver attempted to flee, according to a department press release. After a short pursuit, the driver stopped near Auburn Boulevard and Sylvan Road.

There, the driver, Chadwick Heath Greylock, 32, a wanted parolee at large, was taken into custody. Police said they found car theft tools inside the Honda.

By Diana Lambert

dlambert@sacbee.com

A 47-year-old man was arrested after he tripped an alarm at a storage building in the 8100 block of Fruitridge Road just before 10 a.m. today.

Officers arriving at the warehouse saw that someone had forced his way into the building and left a bicycle outside, said officer Laura Peck, a spokeswoman for the Sacramento Police Department.

She said a K-9 team searched the building and located the suspect, who surrendered without incident.

Peck said the man was likely trying to steal copper pipes from an old heating unit.

The police department has not released the identity of the suspect. Peck said they want to ensure that the man is not linked to any other cases.

By David Siders
dsiders@sacbee.com

A thief on Christmas Eve stole the bronze plaque from a church's cornerstone, the church's pastor said Sunday.

The Rev. Jeanie Shaw of Northminster Presbyterian Church said the plaque was ripped off the wall of the church, near Del Paso Country Club, sometime Saturday. It marked the construction of the church's sanctuary in 1965.

"It's a very sad thing on Christmas Eve to lose the physical cornerstone of our church," she said.

Increasing demand and rising prices have led to spate of thefts of copper, bronze and other metals, authorities say.

Roseville police recently arrested two people as part of an effort to put the pressure on scrap metal dealers who police say are creating a market for thieves, according to authorities.

Like many other law enforcement agencies, Roseville police say they have seen a deluge of metal theft, with 65 reports of stolen catalytic converters alone in the last month and a half, according to a news release. To help stem that trend, police are cracking down on dealers in the region who are illegally buying large qualities of sawed-off catalytic converters, copper wire and other "obviously stolen metal items," police said.

"The recyclers need to follow the law," said Sgt. Cal Walstad. "That's why the laws are set up the way they are."

A woman's vehicle was stolen this morning as she was delivering newspapers, according to Sacramento police.

The woman stepped out of her SUV on Dorset Way in South Land Park when an unknown man passing by on a bicycle jumped in and drove away, according to police radio traffic.

The vehicle, a red 2006 Toyota Highlander, was last seen heading toward Riverside Boulevard.

The man was described as wearing a mask.

Two men were arrested early Saturday morning after an officer caught them trying to steal ornaments off the Capitol Christmas tree, according to authorities.

It was not clear whether the hearts of these Grinches were two sizes too small. But they did break several of the ornaments they allegedly were trying to snag - some of them made by special education students.

A California Highway Patrol officer passing by the 48-foot tree, located on the west end of the Capitol, pulled over about 2 a.m. when he noticed the branches moving, said Officer Sean Kennedy, a CHP spokesman.

An inmate walked away from a conservation camp in Tehama County this morning.

Arthur Turner, 31, serving a sentence for second degree robbery out of Stanislaus County, walked away from the Ishi Conservation Camp in Paynes Creek at about 9:45 a.m. Tuesday. Turner has been in the state prison system since Feb. 28, 2003.

He is described as black, 6 feet tall and about 185 pounds. He has dark eyes and black hair cut short.

The California Conservation Center in Susanville has sent a team to the area to aid in the search for Turner. The California Highway Patrol will also help try to find the inmate.

The Ishi Conservation Camp was opened in 1961. It is operated by the California Department of Corrections and the California Department of Forestry.

The camp's main mission is to supply fire crews, according to a state prison website. Inmate hand crews also undertake conservation and community service projects.

One night last week more than a dozen catalytic converters were stolen from Roseville residents.

Roseville police reported that last Tuesday night and Wednesday morning at least 14 of the emission control devices were taken from vehicles, mostly Toyota pickups and SUVs.

The rash of thefts occurred in the Foothills/Junction, Vineyard and Woodcreek neighborhoods. The converters, mounted underneath vehicles, are sold to metal recyclers.

Roseville police note that the devices contain valuable metals. To replace a converter costs $500-$1,000, police said.

While some motorists don't have garages, police say that's the best spot to keep a vehicle, especially a pickup or SUV with plenty of space underneath for a thief to cut away a catalytic converter.

The Sacramento County Probation Department announced that it has recovered 100 vehicles since equipping two department vehicles with Automated License Plate Reader technology in April 2010.

The 100th car, a 1995 Honda Accord, was reported stolen on Dec. 1 in North Sacramento, and it was recovered less than two miles from where it was taken, according to a Probation Department news release.

In an effort to enhance victim restoration, the department equipped two vehicles with the Automated License Plate Reader technology, which uses cameras mounted on patrol cars to automatically scan and cross-match license plates against a statewide list of stolen vehicles.

The Sacramento County Sheriff's Department seeks information regarding the theft this past weekend of several memorial wall plaques from the Wall of Honor at Carmichael Park.

The plaques are memorial tributes to former Carmichael residents who were first-responders in the law enforcement or medical professions, or members of the military, and who sacrificed their lives while working in those professions, according to a Sheriff's Department news release.

The plaques were removed sometime over the weekend. Officials said it appears thieves attempted to take other plaques from the wall as well.

By Carlos Alcala

calcala@sacbee.com

This time of year, hands are often covered for the cold and screwdrivers are often used to put toys together, but police arrested two people in North Natomas Friday morning, thinking they had something else in mind.

Police reported that an unspecified number of subjects, including at least one juvenile, were seen ringing doorbells in the area of Duckhorn and Saintsbury drives.

The subjects had socks on their hands and screwdrivers in their pockets, according to police.

One adult and one juvenile were arrested on suspicion of prowling and possession of burglary tools.

Sacramento police today released the picture of a man who attacked a taxi driver and then took his cab.

The cabbie was driving a customer about 1:15 a.m. Saturday when the two began to argue. The driver pulled into a gas station at 16th and W streets where he asked the customer to get out.

At that point, the customer attacked the driver and drove away in the cab. The taxi was later found at Fifth Street and Seavey Circle. Police need help in identifying the suspect.

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

Two men were arrested for stealing presents from a residence in the McKinley Park neighborhood this morning.

The suspected burglars broke into a vacant apartment residence around 5:30 a.m. in the 3000 block of D Street that was being used to wrap presents, a police spokeswoman said. On a table was wrapping paper and other items needed to wrap gifts.

Police were called and the burglars fled from the back of the building. Presents were dropped as the burglars ran.

A police dog was called in to catch one of suspected burglars. Names of the suspects were not immediately available.

Sacramento police returned the presents to the owner instead of taking it to a police evidence storage locker.

"Stolen items that are recovered are typically booked as evidence," said police spokeswoman Officer Laura Peck. "But in this case they were not. The victim was able to respond out there and identify his property. We took pictures of the evidence. And then we field-evidence released the presents so that he could get them to the appropriate people on Christmas Day."

Sacramento Police Department officers have arrested a man suspected of stealing toys from a donation bin and then trying to pass himself off as a police officer.

Keith Napier, 49, is accused of going into a Stockton Boulevard business Tuesday and taking a book and toy out of a Toys 4 Tots bin.

When confronted, the suspect identified himself as a Suisun City police officer and then fled in his car.

Sacramento police, working with Suisun City police, located Napier in the 1500 block of Howe Avenue Wednesday and arrested him, finding one of the stolen items in the same area.

Photo Caption: Keith Napier booking photo

Three men were arrested this morning when they were noticed siphoning gas from a stolen car, Sacramento police said.

Police said that about 4:30 a.m. security guards noticed the tree men taking gas from the 1989 Toyota at a Pocket neighborhood apartment complex.

Security called police, thinking they had a simple case of gas theft. When police arrived, officers determined that the car had been stolen from the 7400 block of South Land Park Drive and driven to Rush River Drive in the Pocket.

Police allege that Sin Ly, 50, and Rouderick Ngaw, 28, and Kinh Nguyen, 40, drove to South Land Park Drive to steal a car. From there, they followed Nguyen to Rush River Drive where they siphoned gas from the stolen car to Ly's car.

Two Roseville residents were arrested on suspicion of debit card theft, allegedly using a stolen card to shop at several Auburn area supermarkets.
Wesley Hinkley, 32, and Elsa Sheets, 34, were arrested this week by Auburn police.
Auburn Police officer Chris Forman received a report on Sunday that an EBT/debit card was stolen from an Auburn resident. The card was then used at Grocery Outlet, Raley's, Save Mart and Safeway.
Forman learned that Hinkley and Sheets were suspects in the card theft, according to a police department press release. Forman arrested Hinkley on Monday and booked him into Placer County Jail.
The next day, Sheets was interviewed by Forman and also arrested and booked.

Citrus Heights police are looking for the driver of a stolen vehicle that crashed after leading an officer on a chase early this morning.

Police officers have been conducting targeted patrols in the area of Westboork and Halifax streets in an effort to locate criminals responsible for recent automobile thefts and other vehicle-related thefts in the neighborhood, according to a Police Department news release.

About 2:20 this morning, an officer patrolling in the neighborhood noticed that a lone vehicle that passed him in the opposite direction was traveling at a very slow speed. When the officer turned around to investigate, the vehicle, a stolen 1997 Honda Accord, was driven away at a high speed in an apparent attempt evade the officer.

A pursuit, covering less than a mile, ended when the Honda struck a fire hydrant near Halifax and Auburn Boulevard. The driver, the only occupant of the vehicle, ran from the scene.

Congregants at a Buddhist temple in Arden Arcade are saddened by the theft of a large copper incense holder, which had spiritual and cultural significance.

"This is a unique item, only one of them in the world," said Simone Brinkmann-Robinson, a member of Kim Quang Buddhist Temple on Alta Arden Expressway.

The incense holder was stolen in pieces recently. Thieves came on three separate occasions, taking parts off the religious artifact, estimated to weigh half a ton.

First they came to the grounds of the gated and fenced temple and took the lid and the base. The second time they took the handles that resembled dragons. Finally, last week, either Wednesday night or early Thursday morning, thieves took the heavy bowl.

It appears that to take the bowl they used a small temple wagon to take it to a fence that was broken. From there, it was transferred on the other side of the broken fence to another wheeled conveyance before taking it away, Brinkmann-Robinson said.

"The material worth is about $15,000," she said. "But it is really priceless because of its history. It was imported from Viet Nam."

Originally, the incense burner was made for a festival staged by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization, (UNESCO), she said. The holder is from Hue.

"It is supposed to be a museum piece but the temple decided to purchase it because the temple is mainly Vietnamese so it is a cultural connection," she said. "Apart from the Buddhist practices we use it for, it is also an emotional piece for a lot of people."

Members of the temple come from the Bay area and the Sacramento region.

"We are afraid they are going to come back," said Brinkman-Robinson, who said the monks on the property did not hear the burglars take the incense burner.

She said the incense burner was purchased by the members of the temple.

"When something like this is taken, it affects everybody," she said.

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 cat burglar entered a home and took the possessions of sleeping Rocklin residents this morning.

The burglar removed a screen and opened a window at the rear of a house in the 5200 block of Water Lily Lane between 12:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. today. Once inside, the burglar took several items while residents slept and then the thief left without being detected.

The thief may have entered the back yard by climbing a fence, Rocklin police said. The burglary was the second in the area since late November of an occupied dwelling, police said.

Four people were arrested of on suspicion of attempting to steal a dozen 55-gallon plastic drums filled with gas using a card belonging to the City of Auburn.

The Placer County Sheriff's Department said they were alerted about 1:45 a.m. Monday that somebody was stealing gas from a Dawson Oil card lock station on Bowman Road in Auburn.

When deputies arrived, they saw two pickups, one of them sagging under the weight of full barrels of gas. Deputies also allege that they saw Raymond E. Farmer, 54, in the process of filling a barrel in the back of another truck belonging to him.

Farmer and the man in the other truck, John Patrick Steel, 47, both had outstanding warrants. Farmer said he bought the gas using a Dawson Oil credit card but did not know who owned the card.

A Dawson Oil employee who arrived at the scene of the fill-up station determined the card belonged to the City of Auburn. Neither Farmer nor Steel work for the city.

Farmer, according to a sheriff's department press release, said he took the barrels from a Sacramento business but could provide the name of the business.

Farmer, Steel and passengers in the trucks, Dawn Marie Darnell, 47, and Ranae Lynn Miller, 40, were charged on suspicion of grand theft, possession of stolen property and theft by credit card.

Dawson Oil could not re-use the gasoline worth $2,600 due to "potential contamination," according to the sheriff's department press release.

PHOTO CREDIT: Clockwise from top left: Miller, Steel, Farmer and Darnell

Roseville police are warning residents to not leave purses and wallets in vehicles because they are prime targets for opportunistic thieves.

In the past week or so, there have been four instances of thieves entering cars and making off with purses:

-- Last Thursday an off-duty Roseville police officer spotted a stolen car. The man driving the stolen car was arrested and inside the vehicle was a purse stolen from an unlocked vehicle in Rocklin.

-- On Saturday, during daylight hours, a purse was stolen from an unlocked vehicle in the 100 block of Riverside Avenue in central Roseville.

-- On Sunday, about 1 p.m., somebody entered an unlocked car parked on Verbena Court and got into a purse left on the front seat, taking credit cards. The thief promptly used the credit cards in Sacramento.

-- On Monday, someone broke into a vehicle parked at a fitness center in the 300 block of North Sunrise and took a purse stowed in the trunk. Police suspect the thief watched the woman place the purse in the trunk at the fitness center.

Roseville police say that thieves are partial to breaking into vehicles at fitness centers because they know the victims will be working out and away from their cars for about an hour.

Roseville police need the public's help in identifying a bank robber.
The man is suspected of holding up the Chase Bank, 1800 Douglas Blvd., at about 3:45 p.m. Monday. The robber entered the bank, gave the teller a note demanding money and left the bank with cash.
He was described by police as a white man in his 20s, 6 feet 2 inches tall with blond hair. He was wearing a black and red baseball hat, gray sweatshirt and black shoes.
Anyone with information is asked to call Roseville Crime Stoppers at (916) 783-7867.

PHOTO CREDIT: A suspect in the robbery of Chase Bank on Douglas Boulevard

Two men have been arrested for allegedly stealing street light wire in Natomas while riding around on bicycles.

Officers were alerted that two men on bikes were stealing copper wiring near Interstate 80 and West El Camino Avenue about 2 a.m. today.

When police got to the area, they noticed street lights were not lit in then neighborhood southwest of West El Camino and Orchard Lane.

An attempted robbery was thwarted by a woman who fended off the would-be thief with a shoe.

The woman was approached at an ATM in the 3100 block of Broadway in Oak Park by a man who pointed a fake gun at 7:45 a.m. today. He demanded money, but she was not frightened by the phony weapon.

The woman fought back, including swatting him in the head with her shoe. The suspect tried to hit her with the fake handgun, however, in the process, dropped it and then fled.

The suspect was described in a police activity log as a thin, clean-shaven black man in his late 30s or early 40s, 5 feet 11 inches tall. He was wearing a blue knit cap, a hooded sweatshirt, dark pants and shiny shoes.

The third time was not a charm for alleged copper thieves who victimized Carmichael Bible Church.

After being targeted overnight Tuesday and Wednesday, three volunteers at the church at 7100 Fair Oaks Blvd., in Carmichael set up a stakeout late Thursday night and early this morning, catching the alleged thieves apparently coming back for a third time.

The stakeout team, which had set up a video surveillance system, caught the intruders in the act and called Sacramento County sheriff's officials, who arrived on the scene around 4:30 a.m. and arrested two people - believed to be a man and a woman.

Sheriff's officials identified the suspects as Curtis Darnell (left photo), 36, and Howard Sanders (right photo), 26. Both were arrested on suspicion of vandalism, grand theft and criminal conspiracy.

Teaching Pastor Curt Pearson said he first noticed damage in the church air conditioning/heating units area when he showed up at 7 a.m. two days ago.

"It looks like they were just doing prep work. They had removed all the screws and panels ... and drained the Freon," Pearson said. "They knew what they were doing. They'd shut off the electricity."

On Thursday morning, Pearson said he showed up to find the cooling/heating area heavily damaged, and copper wiring and tubing had been taken from the scene.

The church, now without heat and facing estimated repair costs of more than $50,000, conferred with sheriff's officials and considered the possibility that the thieves might make one more run to obtain materials from the air conditioning/heating units area.

Pearson noted that church Pastor Matt Potratz was a key figure in consultations with authorities.

On Thursday night, church volunteers set up their video surveillance sting.

"They took turns watching, and sure enough, two people showed up early this morning, and (the volunteers) called the sheriff," Pearson said. "The sheriff came with lights and they arrested them.

"(The volunteers) have gone home to bed ... to get some sleep."

Pearson said the immediate challenge now is restoring heat to the church and making a plan to repair the damage. He added, however, that the church plans to hold services on Sunday.

"Oh yes, we'll be here. It's not the end of the world. We'll work something out," he said.

A 27-year-old man suspected of stealing copper wire was arrested today after Sacramento police responded to an activated alarm in the 3500 block of Auburn Boulevard.

The incident occurred at 6:41 a.m. and when officers arrived, they discovered that a burglary had occurred. The perpetrator had left, but police found a backpack at the scene which they traced to Steven Trotter.

Officers contacted Trotter at his residence, where they found tools used in removing and stripping wire, according to a Police Department news release.

Trotter was arrested without incident.

Two women had their belongings snatched away from them in separate incidents overnight in midtown Sacramento.

The first incident occurred in the 1800 block of Broadway about 9:15 p.m. when a woman noticed a man near her car, perhaps pretending to talk on his cellphone. The woman placed her purse on the driver's side floorboard when the suspect ran toward her car, according to a police activity log.

The man then reached into the car and grabbed the purse. In defense, the woman threw her bag of food and hot soup at him.

Catalytic converter thefts continue to be committed in Roseville.

Police put out a warning earlier this month that thieves were sliding under Toyota trucks and SUVs and cutting free the expensive emission control devices. Catalytic converters contain metals that are recycled by thieves.

The theft of the devices continues with three reported stolen during the nighttime hours from Toyota 4Runners:

-- Nov. 24-25, from a 4Runner in an apartment complex lot in the 2800 block of Quail Ridge West.

-- Nov. 26, from a 4Runner in the 1400 block of Valley Glen Drive.

-- Nov. 25-26 from a 4Runner in the 2100 block of Dorrington Drive.

-- Just before 2 a.m. Nov. 25, a patrol officer checking a stopped minivan on Lucian Court found a man hiding in the back seat. Also in the van, pipe-cutting tools and a hacksaw -- implements that could be used to steal catalytic converters. The 33-year-old Sacramento man was booked on suspicion of possessing burglary tools.

The safest place to park Toyota pickups and 4Runners is in a locked garage, say police.

PHOTO CREDIT: A catalytic converter awaits installation at Muffler Tech in Sacramento. Hector Amezcua/Sacramento Bee

Redding police say someone attempting to steal copper pipe and wiring caused natural gas and water leaks in a vacant building early this morning.

A citizen flagged down a police officer about 4:16 a.m. to report a large amount of water leaking from the former Ace Automotive building at 2150 East Street in downtown Redding.

The officer found the front glass door of the business was broken out and a strong odor of natural gas was coming from inside the building.

Burglars were allowed to walk off with a Sacramento business' equipment Friday afternoon, after employees thought they worked there, police reported.

Two men walked into the business in the 1100 block of Second Street through a back gate, according to a report in the Sacramento Police Department log.

The men walked out with equipment from the business and employees told police they thought the suspects were additional employees.

The suspects were described as white males in their mid-20s, about 6 feet tall and 180 lbs.

No additional details were available.

Rocklin police are trying to determine whether a man arrested earlier this week is connected with recent burglaries in the area.

On Monday, Rocklin detectives, with the assistance of the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department, arrested Tomas Gabriel Rios (pictured), 23, of Sacramento following a vehicle stop in Sacramento County.

Detectives recently had contacted Rios and found him to possess several items of suspected stolen property. An ongoing investigation led to the identification of several pieces of stolen property, including a police Taser and items from two residential burglaries in Sacramento and Placer counties, according to a Rocklin Police Department news release. Several dozen pieces of jewelry suspected of being stolen also were found in Rios' possession, police said.

Elk Grove police plan increased patrols in the city's shopping centers beginning Friday and continuing through Christmas Eve.

The shopping centers have historically been the site of increased criminal activity during the holiday season, police said.

Police offer these tips for shoppers:

• Keep packages and other valuables in the car trunk.

• Avoid carrying a lot of cash.

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

• Place wallets in the inside pocket of jacket or front pants pocket.

• Be watchful of surroundings.

• After dark, shop with a friend.

• Try to park in well-lit areas.

• Check the car interior before getting inside.

• Lock car doors and windows even if you are only planning to be out of the vehicle for a few minutes.

Authorities are asking neighbors to watch out for vandals, thieves and arsonists on school campuses during the Thanksgiving break, which for many schools begins today and continues all week.

"Most of our schools are surrounded by homes, and we need those neighbors to join us in protecting these valuable and sometimes vulnerable community centers," said Sacramento Police Lt. Katherine Lester, head of the Sacramento City Unified School District's security services.

The district notes that theft of copper from heating and cooling systems is especially costly to school districts.

Sacramento City Unified security can be called 24 hours a day at (916) 643-7444.

By Whitney Mountain
wmountain@sacbee.com

Four people were arrested near Redding on Sunday morning after one man allegedly stole a firefighter's vehicle from a fire station.

Sgt. Mike Thomas of the Redding Police Department said police have already linked the suspects to more than a dozen crimes.

"They were on quite the crime spree," he said.

The suspects were nabbed in a joint operation between Anderson and Redding police.

A taxi driver trying to collect his fare was assaulted by a passenger Friday afternoon, but managed to avoid having the attacker take his wallet, according to the Sacramento Police Department activity log.

The passenger took the cab to the 5500 block of Mack Road at about 3:20 p.m.

On arrival, he got out and attempted to walk away without paying.

A pizza driver delivering to Del Paso Heights was assaulted and robbed at about 2 a.m. this morning.

Police were called to the 3700 block of Clay Street after the driver was held up at gunpoint by multiple assailants.

Suspects not only took the victim's money, but escaped in his car after taking his keys and the pizza, as well.

Sacramento police are looking for a pair of suspects who they believe robbed three people at gunpoint in two incidents Friday.

In the first incident, a man and woman were walking near 59th Street and Broadway at about 6 p.m. when two men robbed them.

The assailants then fled in a dark-colored sedan.

Attention Toyota owners: Roseville police say there has been a rash of catalytic converter thefts -- including a few at the mall.

The expensive emission control devices are being stolen from under Toyota pickups and sport utility vehicles. Among the recent thefts:

-- At the Galleria Mall, catalytic converter thefts were stolen from a few vehicles parked near Nordstrom about 5 p.m. Saturday. A man in an older red pickup truck was seen near one of the thefts.

-- In the 7600 block of Malta Drive in northern Roseville between midnight and 6 a.m. on Friday someone took the converter from a 1998 Toyota Tacoma pickup parked on the street.

-- At the Martha Riley Community Library on Pleasant Grove Boulevard in western Roseville between around 8 p.m. on Nov. 9 a thief removed a converter from a 1989 Toyota pickup.

Police advise parking high-profile Toyotas in the garage. If someone is spotted suspiciously looking at the undercarriage of a vehicle, call 911, police said.

Auburn police arrested a man in a grocery store suspected of breaking in and illegally shopping after-hours.
Police said they responded overnight to a burglar alarm call at a small grocery in the 600 block of Auburn Folsom Road. They found the front door of the business ajar and a security gate open.
While officers checked around the building, they spotted a man inside gathering items and carrying them around the store. Officers confronted and arrested him.
Kevin Scott Stovall Jr., 31, of Auburn was booked into Placer County Jail on suspicion of burglary.

PHOTO CREDIT: Kevin Scott Stovall/Auburn police

The City of Folsom is offering a $500 bounty to catch thieves who steal copper and other city property.

"Copper wire theft from light poles cost the city about $110,000 in the past two years," said Lorraine Poggione, municipal landscape services manager.

In addition, she said, replacing brass drain covers, brass sign lettering, whole signs, plaques and art has cost nearly $30,000 during the same time period.

Other theft of city property has included playground equipment, tools and vehicle parts.

That car doing 100 mph on the Capital City freeway Monday afternoon was full of suspected burglars and their loot, according to sheriff's deputies.

Two young men and two 16 year olds inside the car were eventually taken into custody after the driver lost control with a deputy in hot pursuit. In the car, deputies found two televisions, a guitar and other items taken in residential burglaries.

The incident began about 1:30 p.m. Monday when the sheriff's department got a call about a home burglary in the 3800 block of Dell Road. The burglars were said to have left the scene in a blue Toyota sedan, a car similar to one used by burglars in another break-in earlier Monday.

A Sacramento man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Fresno to conspiring to sell counterfeit music and movie CDs and DVDs.

Eleazar Gomez Ortiz, also known as Eleazar Ortiz Gomez, 28, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement and traffic in counterfeit labels, illicit labels and counterfeit documentation and packaging, according to a federal Department of Justice news release.

According to the plea agreement, from January to November 2010, Gomez procured several thousand counterfeit music CDs and motion picture DVDs on a regular basis from a warehouse in San Jose. Gomez, along with co-conspirators, then sold the counterfeit CDs and DVDs to the public at the Galt Market, a flea market in Galt, and other flea markets in the Sacramento area.

A 23-year-old man was arrested Sunday afternoon after he was found hiding on the grounds of an Auburn church, where he allegedly had stashed an AK-47 rifle and other items stolen from a nearby home.

A resident of Bridle Court in Auburn called the Placer County Sheriff's dispatch center shortly after 4 p.m. to report that a friend who had previously stayed in the home had returned without permission and stolen an AK-47 rifle, cash, medical marijuana and electronics, according to a Sheriff's Department news release. Witnesses reported seeing the suspect, Ryan Thomas Bailey (pictured), leaving the residence minutes earlier, carrying a bag and other items.

The Bridle Court home is close to St. Teresa of Avila church on Atwood Road. Several deputies responded to the area of the church, where approximately 50 people were attending mass. A church official was contacted, and the church was placed in lockdown.

A peregrine falcon stolen in Rancho Cordova has been recovered in good condition.

The bird - in need of antibiotics because of recent foot surgery - had been taken from a car that was parked overnight Thursday while the falcon's owner waited for freeways to clear so he could drive back home to Reno.

It was in a pet carrier, hooded and with its feet wrapped.

A Sacramento man was arrested by Placer County sheriff's deputies after he was found passed out in a car that was full of stolen property, illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia.

Deputies were called to the Walgreen's parking lot on Douglas Boulevard in Granite Bay about 11:40 a.m. Thursday. When they arrived, they found Yevgeniy Gorlachev, 24, slumped over in the driver's seat with the engine running. He woke up when deputies asked him if he was OK, according to a Sheriff's Department news release.

Officials said a search of the vehicle turned up heroin, a syringe, a glass pipe with methamphetamine inside, and marijuana and a pipe stashed in the fuse box.

Three Placer County men were arrested Thursday after they were found stripping copper wiring in a field west of Roseville.

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. workers called the Placer County Sheriff's dispatch center at 9:43 a.m. to report that three men were loading copper wire into the trunk of a car in a field off Dyer Lane. The men did not see the first deputy drive into the field until the deputy was about 200 yards away, according to a Sheriff's Department news release.

The suspects were identified as Shane Michael Quinlan (left photo), 20, of Auburn, and Denis Michael O'Brien (center photo), 48, and Joseph Michael Taylor (right photo), 27, both of Colfax. They initially told deputies that they were just looking for a place hang out. But items around the car included knives, numerous bundles and rolls of stripped copper wire, and gloves, according to the news release.

Redding police have arrested two suspected burglars after a resident came home and struggled with one of the intruders.

Police originally received the report as a fight in the 3400 block of Panorama Drive.

It turned out that Angel Urban, 23, had come home around 10 p.m. with his girlfriend and found two men in the residence.

One of the suspects threw a bag of items at the victim and fled.

Two Sacramento men were arrested today in connection with the theft of a catalytic converter from a disabled vehicle left on Highway 99.

According to the California Highway Patrol, Officer Scott Pierson, at the beginning of his shift, observed a disabled and abandoned Volkswagen Cabriolet on northbound Highway 99 south of 47th Avenue. He stopped to check the vehicle, noticed a flat tire on the left side and left a freeway warning tag on the car.

About 11:15 a.m., he observed that someone had worked on the vehicle, with the right side of the car raised in the air. Because the flat tire was on the left side, this seemed unusual.

Woodland Police arrested three men today after an auto burglary victim tried to detain a man stealing his stereo equipment.

Police went to the 1400 block of Towse Drive at 1:40 a.m. after receiving a report of a vehicle burglary.

Two people whose car was stopped for vehicle code violations in Rocklin early Saturday morning ended up being arrested in connection with a vehicle burglary that occurred a few days earlier.

A Rocklin police officer on routine patrol about 4:30 a.m. stopped a sedan after observing several vehicle code violations. The officer found a driver's license and credit card inside the driver's purse that did not match the name of the driver, according to a Police Department news release. The officer determined that the license and credit card had been stolen earlier in the week from a car in the parking lot of California Family Fitness in Rocklin.

Ryann Michele Heasley, 28, of Roseville, and Robert Paul Mehall, 43, of Auburn, were arrested on suspicion of possessing stolen property, possessing burglary tools and conspiracy. Both were booked into Placer County Jail.

It wasn't the decision of the 43-year-old man to climb into a Sacramento Metropolitan Fire Truck in Carmichael and turn on the siren that got him into trouble.

But, of course, that didn't help.

What got him into hot water was allegedly breaking into the U.S. post office in the 6900 block of Fair Oaks Boulevard in Carmichael shortly before 6 a.m. today, a spokesman for the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department said.

A Sacramento woman is headed to prison for mail theft.

U.S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. today sentenced Jennifer Lynn Murphy-Oliver, 45, to five years and three months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of stolen mail and possession of 15 or more unauthorized access devices.

According to court documents, Murphy-Oliver possessed more than 200 pieces of stolen mail and more than 15 unauthorized access devices, such as credit and debit cards. The total loss attributable to the stolen mail is more than $70,000, according to a federal Department of Justice news release.

The case resulted from an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Sacramento Police Department.

Auburn police are asking the public's help in locating a man who borrowed a woman's car, then sold it on Craigslist.

Police said the 55-year-old woman on Oct. 6 loaned her car to an acquaintance who said his name was Jeff Keller (pictured) or Kellar.

When Keller did not return the car by the agreed upon time, the woman filed a stolen vehicle report with the Auburn Police Department.

Davis police detectives arrested two men suspected of knocking out and robbing a man who met their female friend online.

Police said that the 20-year-old man, staying with friends and family in Davis, met the woman online and invited her to visit him. When the two were walking near Covell Boulevard and Highway 113 on Tuesday the man was attacked and robbed.

The two robbers chased him into an apartment complex in the 1500 block of Shasta Drive where they struck him over the head with a "club-like" weapon, rendering him unconscious, a police press release said.

Sacramento County officials are mailing notices to neighborhoods where street lights have been targeted by copper thieves.

The rate of theft has accelerated in recent weeks resulting in more than 1,000 street lights out of service, according to a county news release. Officials say the county Department of Transportation has spent more than $160,000 since January making repairs in vandalized areas.

Even though wiring is replaced, thieves are returning to the fixtures to strike again. The damage is extensive, officials said, and affects the wiring in the pole as well as the underground conduit.

A police search of Curtis Park Monday night resulted in the arrest of a suspected burglar.

Sacramento police said they arrested Joshua Smith, 35, on suspicion of burglary and violation of parole.

By Carlos Alcalá
calcala@sacbee.com

Witnesses to a burglary Friday formed an impromptu posse - including one member on horseback - to trap three suspects until police arrived.

The incident began when the witnesses saw three people leave a neighbor's backyard in the Hagginwood area of Sacramento.

A South Lake Tahoe investment broker has pleaded guilty to stealing from clients' investment and retirement accounts.

Lori Zoval, 46, pleaded guilty today to one count of wire fraud for embezzling client money while employed as an independent contractor with a brokerage firm in Folsom. As part of the plea agreement, Zoval agreed to pay restitution, according to a federal Department of Justice news release.

According to court documents, Zoval used her position of trust to embezzle at least $24,939 from the investment and retirement accounts of her clients between October 2005 and April 2006. She admitted to stealing funds by telling her clients that she was setting up tax shelters that required her to transfer funds into the names of third parties that she called "provisional employees." To facilitate the fund transfer, she fraudulently created documents making it appear that her clients authorized the money transfers.

A police dog helped track down a suspect accused of using a gun to rob a taxi driver late Thursday, Elk Grove police reported today.

The suspect, Jeremy Kekahuna, 31, took a National Cab from Strikes to near Frye Creek Drive and Lodestar Way after 11 p.m., according to the police incident report.

Upon arrival, he offered a $100 bill to pay, but when the driver began to provide change, the passenger showed a handgun and grabbed all the money.

Two men held up a customer at Chase Bank on El Camino today, escaping on foot, Sacramento Sheriff's officials report.

The men, described as male Latinos in their 20s, fled on foot and evaded officers who arrived to look for them around 7 a.m.

The suspects were described as armed and wearing black jackets and black pants.

Elk Grove police need help in identifying two suspects who tried to hold up a Subway sandwich shop.

The two young men entered the Subway, 8145 Elk Grove Blvd., shortly after 9 p.m. Friday. One vaulted the front counter, while the other ordered the two employees to open the safe.

The employees said they had no way of opening the safe, prompting one of the suspects to try to tie up an employee. Not long after that, a customer entered the restaurant, scaring the robbers out the back door of the business.
No weapon was seen by employees, police said..

Both suspects were described as 16-19 years old, white and male. One was 5 feet 8 inches tall, 160 pounds and was wearing a green cap, a white, long-sleeved shirt with red stripes, blue jeans, gray running shoes and black gloves. The other suspect was 5 feet 6 inches tall, 140 pounds, and was wearing a blue cap, a white hooded jacket with blue and red stripes, black jeans, white athletic shoes and gloves.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Elk Grove police detectives at (916) 478-8060.

PHOTO CREDIT: The two suspects in attempted robbery of Elk Grove Subway shop.

Roseville police hope they have stopped a series of snack shack burglaries with the arrest of suspects at Woodcreek High School.

Officers responded to a burglary in progress at the school at 2:15 a.m. Saturday. Four weekend burglaries or attempted break-ins had occurred at the snack shack since Sept. 3.

Two men were arrested for burglary of a cell phone business this morning in Citrus Heights.

Timofey Dalekorey and Angel Sanchez, both 20-year-old Rancho Cordova residents, were arrested on suspicion of burglary and possession of stolen property, police said.

Citrus Heights police were brought to a business in the 7200 block of Greenback Lane shortly before 1 a.m. today by a tripped burglar alarm. Officers saw that a window was broken and conducted a search.

Roseville police say that robbers tied up employees of a Outback Steakhouse and smashed cellphones before making off with money from the safe.

The restaurant robbery occurred around midnight Saturday as the employees were closing up the steakhouse at 181 North Sunrise Avenue. The robbers, one who was armed, were described as two white men with stockings over their faces. One of the robbers appeared to have facial hair and wore a tan jacket.

A robbery at 4:30 a.m. today may be related to the steakhouse stick-up, police said. Just as employees arrived at the McDonald's at 120 Harding Blvd., they were confronted by an armed man demanding money from the safe. He disabled a telephone before leaving.

By Carlos Alcalá
calcala@sacbee.com

Sacramento police investigating a burglary nabbed three juvenile suspects Friday, but also recorded a bonus arrest unrelated to the break-in.

The investigation began before 11 p.m. when a resident in the 7500 block of Balfour Way in Meadoview reported hearing glass break and thought there was an intruder in the house.

By Carlos Alcalá
calcala@sacbee.com

The Sacramento Police Department reported two incidents Saturday that occurred in or near vacant homes, the number of which has grown during the region's economic downturn.

In the first, a resident of 75th Street's 6400 block reported on Friday that squatters were tapping his electricity for a neighboring house that was supposed to be vacant.

The Sutter County Sheriff's Office seeks the public's help in identifying a large amount of metal believed to have been stolen from various farms in surrounding counties.

On Thursday, deputies responded to a call of a burglary in progress in the 3100 block of Tierra Buena Road. They arrived to find a 20-year-old man and a 16-year-old girl getting into a maroon Ford F150 extended cab pickup, which was parked on the shoulder of the roadway.

The homeowner told deputies that the two were inside her camp trailer, removing property, when she arrived at her residence. When the homeowner called 911, the two suspects ran from the trailer toward their pickup. As the girl ran, she threw her purse into nearby bushes. The purse was found to contain drug paraphernalia, marijuana and prescription medication, according to a Sheriff's Office news release.

The Davis Police Department is warning residents to be alert to thieves who have been stealing tires and wheels from vehicles in the city.

Lt. Paul Doroshov said 20 such incidents have been reported since late January, including five this month.

The latest theft was reported Monday. Police said the owner of an Infiniti sedan had parked the vehicle in the lot of his apartment complex at 955 Cranbrook Court. When he returned to the car at 9:50 a.m., he discovered all four wheels missing and the vehicle on blocks.

A rash of burglaries hit the west side of Roseville on Tuesday, prompting police to ask for help in catching the thieves.

Between 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. four homes were hit in Roseville -- three in Sun City and one in the Longmeadow Village area north of Blue Oaks Boulevard, according to a press release from the Roseville police department.

It's costume season, and someone in Sacramento treated themselves to an early trick: stealing the "Quackals" mascot costume for the Quick Quack Car Wash franchise.

The "duck suit" was taken from the mascot performer's white minivan, which was broken into at around 6 p.m. Saturday near Front and O streets, according to city police.

The car wash company, which has six locations in the area, is offering anyone with information leading to the return of the costume a $1,000 reward.

"This is a sad day for us. It's hard to believe that someone would steal our beloved duck. We are assuming that it was just a prank by someone desperate for a Halloween costume," said Quick Quack President Jason Johnson. "We have no desire to press charges if we can just get him back."

Quick Quack is asking anyone with information regarding "Quackals" to contact the company at 916-971-3274, info@dontdrivedirty.com, or any Quick Quack location.

--Whitney Mountain

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.

The Elk Grove Police Department seeks the public's help identifying two suspects involved in an armed bank robbery Wednesday morning.

A security guard fired at robbers as they fled the Chase Bank in the 8700 block of Elk Grove Boulevard. It is not known whether he hit either of the men or their car as they sped away about 9:30 a.m. According to witnesses, both men were armed with handguns, police said.

Upon entering the bank, one robber ordered customers to get on the floor, while the other vaulted the teller counter. A security guard inside the bank confronted the robber who had ordered patrons to the floor and a physical struggle occurred, said Officer Christopher Trim, police spokesman.

The suspect was able to disarm the security guard. But as the suspects left the bank, the one who had disarmed the security guard ejected the magazine from the guard's firearm and threw both parts of the gun across the room, according to a Police Department news release. The suspects then left the bank and ran into the parking lot.

The security guard was able to recover and load his weapon, and fire four rounds at the suspect's vehicle as it was driven away. The vehicle was described as a white Honda or Toyota sedan. It was driven behind a nearby restaurant and last seen traveling west on Elk Grove Boulevard.

One suspect was described as black, 30 to 40 years old, 5 feet 8 inches tall with a large build. He was wearing a black baseball hat, dark sunglasses, black jacket with a white shirt underneath, blue jeans, white athletic shoes and gloves. The other man was described as black, 20 to 30 years old, 6 feet tall, with a thin build. He was wearing a black knit cap, dark sunglasses, a black hooded sweatshirt, dark pants with black athletic shoes and blue gloves.

After canvassing the area, investigators recovered several pieces of clothing believed to have been worn by the suspects behind a nearby business. Officers also recovered a handgun that had been discarded along Highway 99 just north of the Elk Grove Boulevard onramp. Police said a records check revealed the automatic firearm had been reported stolen.

Anyone with information regarding the robbery is asked to call the Elk Grove Police Department Detective Bureau at (916) 478-8060 or Crime Alert at (916) 443-4357. Callers to Crime Alert can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000. Tips can also be sent via SMS text message by entering 274637 on a cell phone, followed by Tip732 and the message.

Bee staff writer Cathy Locke contributed to this report.

A Sacramento police "hot spot" study has revealed that highly visible focusing on an area by officers reduces crime.

The 90-day study was conducted in East Sacramento and downtown beginning Feb. 8. Police identified 42 hot spots where high amounts of calls for service -- often involving violent crime -- were reported.

By Anita Creamer
acreamer@sacbee.com

Rocklin police arrested four people this morning in connection with a string of thefts at the California Family Fitness on Sunset Boulevard in Rocklin.

Three of the suspects were arrested in a car in the gym's parking lot, authorities said. The fourth fled but was arrested after a foot chase.

Arrested were Tiffany Bruner, 20, of Sacramento, Diana Melnichuk, 19, of Sacramento, Maksim Mshchenko, 21, of Sacramento and Sergey Stepanyuk, 23, of Rancho Cordova.

Officers recovered a number of stolen items as well as narcotics, police officials said.

A Sacramento man was arrested in West Sacramento early today after allegedly attempting to steal tubing from a local beverage company.

Police received a call from the employees of the 24-hour operated Nor-Cal Beverages plant at 1955 Cebrian Ave. about 12:30 a.m. that a man had driven onto the property and started loading the back of his pickup truck with tubing from the site.

When the Comse Aldaco, 33, saw police arriving, he got in his truck and drove through a gate that employees had closed to keep him on the property, said Lt. Tod Sockman, West Sacramento Police Department spokesman.

Liquor-related arrests were up, drug arrests were down and assaults pretty much held steady last year on UC Davis property compared to the previous year, according a press release from the university.

The annual statistics were prepared for the federal Clery Act.

"UC Davis is a relatively safe campus, but no community of our size is crime-free," said campus Police Chief Annette Spicuzza.

Comparisons between 2010 and 2009:

It will cost $26,000 to replace copper wire stolen from soccer field lights in Roseville. A reward was offered Friday to find the thief.

Someone stripped the copper wire from light poles at Maidu Regional Park soccer fields during the night of Sept. 22 or early morning of Sept 23. It is estimated that it will take two to four weeks to repair the lights.

Another instance of violence has occurred in connection with a marijuana grow -- this time in Rancho Cordova.

Rancho Cordova police said that just before 11 p.m. a Sacramento County Sheriff's deputy heard gunshots ring out near Coloma Road and Ranchito Court. While deputies searched for the source of the gunshots, they were waved down by a man with a bleeding hand.

A Sacramento woman has been sentenced to two years in prison after pleading no contest to grand theft charges.

Linda Marie Wells, 50, was sentenced Wednesday by Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Gary Ransom.

Wells was employed as an office manager by Norwood and Associates, a lobbying firm. From 2004 through August 2010, she increased her salary by more than $95,000, according to a Sacramento County District Attorney's Office news release.

A tussle over bread and beer at a Sacramento supermarket ended with an arrest.

Sacramento police were called to market in the 5000 block of Franklin Boulevard shortly before 1 p.m. Wednesday where they found James Young, 22, and store employees. Police were told that Young entered the store and concealed beers in the pockets of his cargo pants, according to a police activity log.

When he approached the register to pay for a loaf of bread, a clerk confronted him regarding the beer, police said. Young then punched the clerk in the face, according to police.

The Davis Police Department is seeking the public's help in identifying a man in a surveillance video collected the afternoon before two suspects attempted to steal a Target Store's ATM last May.

At 3 a.m. May 22, two men drove a Dodge pickup through the glass doors of a Davis Target, attached a cable to the ATM and attempted to drag it out of the building.

The suspects were unable to dislodge the machine and fled the scene, leaving behind the truck that was later found to have been stolen from a landfill north of Sacramento. Damage to the store cost more than $100,000 in repairs.

A boy who had his bike taken at gunpoint got it back when his mother confronted the thief.

The boy had his bike taken in the South Area about 5:30 p.m. Sunday by the armed robber. The robber rode off westbound on Mack Road and the boy called his parents.

His parents found the suspect near Mack Road and Franklin Boulevard. That's when the mother yelled at the suspect to give the bike back.

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.

By Carlos Alcalá
calcala@sacbee.com

A Sacramento Police Department patrol car crashed into the side of a house at the end of a vehicle pursuit earlier today.

No injuries were reported.

By Carlos Alcalá
calcala@sacbee.com

Redding police have arrested three, including two juveniles, in connection with a string of crimes that came to an end with a stolen vehicle chase Thursday.

The incidents connected to the suspects began Aug. 2, when police interviewed a cab driver who was lured from his cab and attacked with tree stakes, according to a police press release.

A police chase of a stolen car suspect was punctuated by a homeowner firing at the fleeing man, police said.

Sacramento police said about 10 a.m. today one of their officers pursued the suspect from Sacramento to the vicinity of Auburn Boulevard and the Capital City Freeway. Near there, the suspect exited the vehicle, a pickup truck, and began to run through the neighborhood.

An American flag belonging to a Vietnam veteran was splattered with a black fluid this week in Placer County.

Lonnie Brooks, 64, said on Wednesday he found that the large flag had been desecrated with a black substance.

By Andy Furillo
afurillo@sacbee.com

An Elk Grove woman who stole more than 29,000 identifies from Kaiser Permanente employees and ran up bills of more than $1 million on their accounts was sentenced today to 12 years and four months in state prison.

Mia Garza (photo right), 31, obtained the names through her clerk's position with the Service Employees International Union, officials said. Garza had first been arrested in San Ramon, but she bailed out and was placed on electronic monitoring before she went on another spending spree that resulted in her arrest in Elk Grove -- while she was about to undergo liposuction surgery on a credit card account she had fraudulently opened, according to court officials.

Hundreds of feet of wire were stolen from a Fair Oaks school this morning.

Two suspects are under arrest in connection with the theft from Harry Dewey Fundamental School, 7025 Falcon Road.

The suspects were arrested at an apartment complex in the 3500 block of Mission Avenue, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department. A neighbor saw the suspects unloading the copper wiring.

A custodian arriving at the school this morning discovered the wire with copper had been pulled from the multi-purpose room. The multi-purpose room was without electricity after the theft but the remainder of the campus still has power.

An estimated 400-feet of large gauge wire and 120-feet of small gauge wire was taken, according to a San Juan Unified School Distict spokesman.

Sacramento State's acres of parking have been the site of several catalytic converter thefts this semester.

Thieves are primarily sliding under high-profile Toyota pickups and Toyota sport utility vehicles to steal the air pollution control devices. The converters, which contain valuable metals, are sold for their recycling value by thieves.

Sacramento State police provides a few tips so that converters are still attached when students return from class:

A dog door in a garage was just big enough for a burglar to squeeze through into a Roseville home.

Roseville police said that during the daylight hours on Friday a burglar went to a home in the 1600 block of Roadrunner Drive, first breaking a lock on the side gate to the backyard. The burglar then entered the garage through a large dog door before prying open the human door into the house.

Once inside the home near Junction Boulevard and Baseline Road, the burglar took video game consoles, video games, a laptop and other electronic items.

By Ed Fletcher
efletcher@sacbee.com

Rocklin Police announced Monday three suspects believed to be involved in knocking out 20 city light poles are in custody.

Darrell Allen Cooper, 41, and Justin Bryan Liddell, 32, both from Roseville, were arrested Sunday by Placer County sheriff deputies. The deputies noticed the men had a large amount of copper wiring in the bed of their pickup truck and notified surrounding agencies, including the Rocklin police.

Vandals broke windows and dented nearly two dozen vehicles overnight at a Roseville used car lot.

Police were dispatched to the car sales lot in the 300 block of Riverside about 3 a.m. Sunday on a report that vandalism had just occurred. A witness said that four or five males in dark clothing were hitting cars with sticks or bats.

The suspects were last seen running north on Riverside Avenue, but police were not able to find them.

In all, police counted 21 vehicles with broken windows or dents. Police have no motive for the damage.

By Carlos Alcalá
calcala@sacbee.com

Sacramento police have arrested a man who started a small fire inside a police station Friday evening.

The man is also suspected of holding up a nearby gas station just before the arson incident.

By Carlos Alcalá
calcala@sacbee.com

A Sacramento police officer arrested a woman carrying a plant with its roots exposed in the pre-dawn hours today, after it was determined that she took it from a nearby school.

Police confronted the woman carrying the large plant in the 4900 block of 58th Street, not far from Mark Twain Elementary School and West Campus High School.

By Carlos Alcalá
calcala@sacbee.com

Redding police say a robbery at a marijuana collective this week could be related to a string of others in the city.

The latest hold-up took place Thursday at about 6:45 p.m. at the Trusted Friends marijuana collective on Pine Street.

Residents of Campus Commons awoke late Wednesday night to discover a burglar in their home.

Sacramento police were contacted at 10:39 p.m. by a resident of the 700 block of Commons Drive who said he was awakened by a noise and when he went to investigate he saw a man standing in his dining room. The intruder cursed at the resident then left with a purse belonging to a woman who lived in the home.

Officers were unable to locate a suspect, but determined that the burglar entered the home through an unlocked sliding door, according to the Police Department's daily activity log.

The suspect was described a white, about 6 feet, 2 inches tall, with unkempt short hair and wearing a bulky dark jacket.

By Denny Walsh
dwalsh@sacbee.com

U.S. District Judge Lawrence K. Karlton on Thursday rejected the effort of Mark Christian Anderson to withdraw his plea of guilty to torching a Vallejo wine warehouse six years ago.

The arson, allegedly meant to cover up Anderson's embezzlement of wine he was storing for its owners, destroyed more than $200 million of California's best.

In denying Anderson's motion, the judge indicated the evidence that his former attorney's incompetence led to the guilty plea is weak to nonexistent.

Karlton set Dec. 6 for sentencing of Anderson, 62.

Elk Grove police need help in identifying a man in a Yankees baseball cap who they said held up a gas station.