Sacto 9-1-1

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

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

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

Gunshots rattled an east Sacramento neighborhood last night but nobody was injured.

The shooting occurred near 38th Street and McKinley Boulevard about 8:45 p.m. Police were told by the victim that he was seated on the porch when a sedan pulled up in front of the house.

Two people got out of the car and then got back into the vehicle. The car then pulled up a few feet and the passenger got out and began shooting at the porch-sitting victim and the house.

Neither the man on the porch nor a person inside the home were injured. The victim was not completely cooperative, police said.

In a news conference this afternoon, Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones formally introduced his new anti-gang "Impact Division," and announced preliminary results from the team's efforts.

Since the division began its work in January, gang detectives assigned to the division have seized more than 100 guns, some of which are pictured at left, and arrested nearly 125 suspects, Jones said.

In addition, deputies have seized 4.3 pounds of cocaine, 153 pounds of marijuana, 29 grams of heroin and almost a pound of methamphetamines, Jones said.

"Can I say we've beaten the gang problem? No," said Jones, flanked by commanders from partnering agencies. "We have a lot of work to do."

But Jones said he has high expectations for the division and believes it is off to a strong start.

"Hopefully it gives people optimism we are taking the youth violence problem seriously," Jones said.

Last fall, the Sheriff's Department was awarded a $11.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice's COPS Office. The money was to fund a collaborative anti-gang approach that Jones said he began crafting after he took office in 2010.

The division is made up of 31 sheriff's employees and 10 officers from outside agencies. Those partnering with the Sheriff's Department are: Police departments from Elk Grove, Citrus Heights, Rancho Cordova and Galt; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's Special Service Unit; Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and homeland security.

Jones also announced a new tipline for information about gang-related activity. The tipline is also designed for youths who want help getting out of the gang life, Jones said. That number is (855) 2NO-GANG, or (855) 266-4264.

"It's never too late to turn around," Jones said.

To those who have no interest in changing their habits, Jones had a message: "We will find you, we will identify you, and we will arrest you."

The division has a three-pronged approach: gang suppression, intelligence and youth outreach. To read more about the Impact division, go here.

Photos show some of the guns seized by members of the Sacramento County Sheriff's Impact Division. Photo by Bee staff writer Kim Minugh.

A 15-year-old juvenile offender who escaped from a South Sacramento-area hospital Wednesday night has been captured.

The state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation reports that the boy was taken into custody without incident about 2 a.m today by the department's special agents and has been returned to the N.A. Chaderjian Youth Correctional Facility in Stockton.

About 7 p.m. Wednesday, the teen struggled with staff members at Sierra Vista Hospital on Bruceville Road. He obtained keys, pushed his way past nurses and escaped from the hospital wearing only a gray hospital gown.

The youth was committed to the Division of Juvenile Justice from Kings County Juvenile Court with a conviction for first-degree burglary, according to a Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation news release. Corrections officials said he will be charged with escape.

Special agents from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation are leading a search for a 15-year-old juvenile offender who escaped from Sierra Vista Hospital in the south Sacramento area earlier this evening.

About 7 p.m., the teen struggled with a staff member, obtained keys, pushed his way past nurses and escaped from the hospital at 8001 Bruceville Road wearing only a gray hospital gown.

The youth is described as Latino, with brown hair and eyes, weighing approximately 160 pounds, and with a distinctive scar on his left shoulder.

Members of fraternities and sororities at UC Davis have signed a pledge this year designed to curb out-of-control drinking on Picnic Day this Saturday.

Among the points in the 10-point covenant signed by 51 of 75 Greek organizations are pledges not to serve alcohol before noon and refraining from drinking games.

"The covenant demonstrates that we are doing our part," said Matt Chemin, president of the Interfraternity Council.

Picnic Day typically draws 75,000 people. The on-campus open house, now in its 98th year, is a wholesome event featuring a parade, music, educational exhibits, animal events and sport.

The Sacramento County Coroner's office has released the name of the man found dead last night in an Orangevale home after an exchange of gunfire with Sacramento County sheriff's deputies serving a search warrant.

He was identified as Dennis Dean, 33, of Orangevale.

Sheriff's spokesman Deputy Jason Ramos said narcotics officers went to the house in the 9100 block of Kendrick Way, north of Madison Avenue and east of Hazel Avenue, to serve the warrant Thursday afternoon.

Officials at California State Prison, Sacramento, are investigating the stabbing of a 30-year-old inmate this afternoon.

Melvin Kibbee was found unresponsive on his cell floor about 2 p.m., minutes after a yard recall at the B Facilities Main Exercise Yard at the Folsom prison. Kibbee was taken by ambulance to an area hospital with three puncture-type wounds to the left side of his chest, according to a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation news release.

Officials said there are no suspects. Inmates assigned to the housing unit where Kibbee was found are being searched for evidence and investigators are interviewing possible witnesses.

The Galt Police Department has received a $2,500 grant from state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to help prevent underage drinking.

The funds will be used to conduct minor decoy and "shoulder tap" operations, according to a Police Department news release.

The minor decoy program targets problems associated with the unlawful purchase and consumption of alcoholic beverages by youths younger than 21. The shoulder tap program is aimed at adults who furnish alcoholic beverages to minors.

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 public is invited to tour two unoccupied housing units and the visitor center at Sacramento County's Juvenile Hall.

The invitation is extended for one day only: March 10 from noon to 2 p.m. at the youth detention facility, 4136 Branch Center Road.

The event is open to all ages. County probation personnel will give the tours and demonstrate an automated license plate recognition system that helps officers recover stolen cars.

Juvenile Hall, opened in 1961, was recently renovated and 210 beds were added.

The public is asked to leave personal belongings, including cameras, locked in their vehicles. The public will not visit or see hall youth.

A 16-year-old was grazed in the head by gunfire as a result of another teen playing with a handgun, police said.

Sacramento police said the two 16-year-olds were in the backyard of a residence in the 100 block of Fairbanks Avenue in Strawberry Manor on Sunday morning when the recently acquired weapon fired.

One of the teens was "playing with the handgun" when it fired, according to a police activity log.

The injured boy was treated and released from the hospital. The 16-year-old who was handling the weapon was booked into Sacramento County Juvenile Hall for suspicion of negligent discharge of a firearm.

Sacramento police have arrested two people suspected of shooting at Bee carriers delivering newspapers in Meadowview earlier this year.

Police say they believe the suspects mistook the victims as rival gangsters because one of them was wearing a bandana across his face to shield him from the cold as he hung out the slow-moving car, tossing newspapers, said Sgt. Andrew Pettit.

Last week, police arrested the driver of the suspect vehicle, 21-year-old Xou Thao, pictured at left, Pettit said. On Tuesday night, they arrested Thao's passenger, a 17-year-old boy they suspect fired the gun, Pettit said. His name was not released because he is a juvenile.

Both suspects face two felony charges of assault with a deadly weapon, as well as a gang enhancement, Pettit said.

A 16-year-old boy suffered serious injuries when he was shot in the Florin area Tuesday evening.

His injuries initially were life-threatening, but he is now expected to survive, said Sacramento County sheriff's Deputy Jason Ramos.

The shooting occurred shortly after 5:30 p.m. Tuesday on the 8600 block of Crystal River Way, according to a Sheriff's Department report.

By Cynthia Hubert
chubert@sacbee.com

A deputy district attorney told a Sacramento Superior Court judge Thursday that the Rev. Uriel Ojeda, a Catholic priest jailed on sex abuse charges, has admitted to repeatedly molesting a teenaged parishioner.

Arguing that Ojeda's bail should remain high, Deputy DA Allison Dunham said that, based on the charges, the priest is a threat to the community and a flight risk. She said Ojeda, 32, who served at parishes in Woodland and Redding before his arrest last month, admitted to an investigator for the Sacramento Catholic Diocese that he repeatedly abused a teenaged girl, kissing her on the lips, rubbing her breasts and other inappropriate touching.

Ojeda's lawyer, Jesse Ortiz, disputed the prosecutor's account, and told Judge Marjorie Koller that the diocese is punishing Ojeda because they dislike him.

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

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

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

Sacramento police arrested a 15-year-old boy Thursday after he allegedly burglarized a home and stabbed the family's Chihuahua to death, according to authorities.

The family returned to their home on Majorca Circle about 3 p.m. and saw a young boy they recognized bolt from the garage, said police Sgt. Andrew Pettit.

As some family members chased the boy, others went inside to find the home ransacked. They also found the family's pet Chihuahua, who had been kept in a pen in the garage, stabbed to death, Pettit said.

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.

The man accused of running over Maggie the cattle dog has been sentenced.

Justin Phillip Lombardo-Barton, 19, of Camptonville, was sentenced to five years probation and time served. A Sierra County Superior Court judge gave Lombardo-Barton credit for 122 days in county jail.

Lombardo-Barton, who pled no contest to felony animal cruelty and hit and run, also will undergo counseling and faces a fine restitution hearing.

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.

A man arrested Friday morning in Roseville on suspicion of attempting to lure a child into his vehicle Thursday evening has been released without being charged.

After Roseville police interviewed the man and verified his whereabouts at the time of the incident, they determined that he was not involved.

Roseville police received a report at 5:04 p.m. Thursday that a man in a white van had tried to get a child to enter his vehicle at Catherine Gates Elementary School on Trehowell Drive. Unable to find the suspect upon arrival, police sent out a description, and people in the area identified the man. After police established probable cause, the man who was later released was taken into custody without incident.

Roseville police said in a news release that they have received several reports of strangers talking to children or offering them rides in the vicinity of schools the past few weeks. The descriptions of the strangers and their vehicles has varied widely. The department asks that parents remain vigilant over their children as they continue to investigate the reports.

A student brought an unloaded gun onto a Greenhaven neighborhood school campus on Tuesday, police said.

The 9-year-old brought the gun to Sol Aureus College Preparatory School on Gloria Drive in a backpack and had shown the weapon to a classmate, police said. Staff was alerted to the presence of the gun and confiscated the weapon.

An investigation into how the student got the gun revealed that it was obtained from the home of a relative of the student. It was determined that neither the parents nor the relative were negligent, police said in an activity log.

Six students face arrest and a school staff member suffered a minor injury after a fight occurred this morning just before class started at Valley High School.

The fight broke out about 7:55 a.m. in the front parking lot at the school, 6300 Ehrhardt Ave., said Elizabeth Graswich, spokeswoman for the Elk Grove Unified School District. The fight involved four 16 year old and two 15 year old boys.

The fighting stemmed from an on-going dispute in the community that until this morning had not cropped up on campus. Officials did not release the cause of the dispute.

A Roseville woman was knocked to the ground, hit with a soda bottle and her necklace stolen by two males who attacked her from behind.

The young woman, who was having trouble sleeping, went for a walk in the 1800 block of Eureka Road about 1 a.m. Tuesday. She was knocked down and her silver necklace ripped away.

The victim was able to run from her attackers and call police. She was treated for scratches and abrasions at the hospital.

Accused child molester Robert B. Adams, left, appears in court Friday morning with his attorney, Linda Parisi. He did not enter a plea. Photo by Renee C. Byer

By Sam Stanton
sstanton@sacbee.com

With his family in tears sitting behind him, accused child molester Robert B. Adams made his first court appearance this morning but did not enter a plea and his case was set to Oct. 7.

After the brief appearance, his attorney, Linda Parisi, said she was shocked and saddened that charges had been filed against the former principal of Creative Frontiers School in Citrus Heights.

Sacramento police arrested a 17-year-old boy this afternoon after he brought a loaded handgun on to the American Legion High School campus, according to authorities.

The handgun was spotted in the boy's waistband and later confiscated, said police Sgt. Andrew Pettit. Nobody was injured.

The incident began when a school administrator tried to break up a group of teens loitering on campus, Pettit said. When one student "mouthed off" to the administrator, the administrator ordered him to the office, the sergeant said.

The student instead started walking away, and that's when the administrator saw the gun's handle in the student's waistband. The administrator brought the student back to the office, where a School Resource Officer met them, confiscated the gun and arrested the student, Pettit said.

By Sam Stanton
sstanton@sacbee.com

Robert B. Adams remains hospitalized today, one day after his arrest on charges he molested students while serving as principal at his private Citrus Heights school.

Adams, 60, complained of chest pains when police arrived at his Folsom home to arrest him on six felony counts and one misdemeanor and was taken to a hospital.

After a monitored bait car was stolen around 11:30 a.m. Friday, a Sacramento police officer saw someone driving the vehicle near Tamoshanter Way and Matson Drive.

The officer observed the driver, a 10-year-old girl, try to run away.

"It was a bad judgment call on her end," said Sgt. Andrew Pettit, spokesman for the Sacramento Police Department.

The girl, who was not identified, was returned to her parents.

Sacramento police said Wednesday that the man who allegedly fired at an officer after the officer tried to stop him, thinking he fit the description of a recent armed robbery suspect, was not in fact the man wanted for the robbery.

But police also said the man, 20-year-old Devonte Fields, was a validated gangster and felony probationer armed with a handgun - suggesting why he likely fled from police.

Officers arrested Fields Tuesday night at the conclusion of a three-hour standoff at a Valley Hi Drive apartment complex, which law enforcement officers from across the county had surrounded.

A patrol officer had attempted to contact Fields in the area of Valley Hi Drive and Bamford Drive, thinking the man matched the description of a suspect wanted in a recent armed robbery, according to police. Fields fled, and as the officer gave chase on foot, Fields allegedly fired at the officer, police said. The officer was not hit, and Fields disappeared into the apartment complex.

Sacramento police responded to nine calls involving guns over the weekend, and recovered a gun during a tenth, according to police reports.

One person was injured by gunfire, and multiple people were arrested, the reports state.

Here's a recap of the incidents, beginning Friday morning and ending Sunday night, as relayed in police reports:

By Kim Minugh
kminugh@sacbee.com

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

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

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

Sacramento police are on the lookout for three juveniles suspected of carrying out a series of armed robberies between 2 and 4:30 a.m. today.

In one of the robberies a victim was shot in the eye. In another, two female victims were forced to disrobe and then were touched sexually, police said today.

The robbery spree centered in the Oak Park area and extended into a neighborhood a short distance to the south.

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

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

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

By Melody Gutierrez
mgutierrez@sacbee.com

Hundreds of teens from area high schools are set to stage a peace rally Friday at Cesar Chavez Park on 10th and J streets.

Various campuses throughout Sacramento have hosted peace-related events all week to raise awareness about gang violence and in teen crime victims.

The event is hosted by the Sacramento Youth Commission and will begin at noon on Friday.

Students from Hiram Johnson, McClatchy, Grant, Luther Burbank and St. Francis will be participating with County Supervisor Phil Serna.

Call The Bee's Melody Gutierrez, (916) 326-5521. Follow her on Twitter @MelodyGutierrez.

By Brad Branan
bbranan@sacbee.com

Woodland police have arrested three juveniles on suspicion of attempted residential burglary this morning.

Police saw the juveniles near the home when they were responding to an attempted burglary call from the residence, according to news release from Woodland police. The suspects, who removed window screens and tried to open doors to the home, were identified by a witness, police said.

The suspects, who weren't identified in the news release because of their ages, were brought to Yolo County Juvenile Hall and booked on charges of attempted burglary and conspiracy to commit burglary. The three juveniles are Woodland residents.

Call The Bee's Brad Branan, (916) 321-1065.

By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com

Two Roseville teenagers have been arrested after allegedly offering a fellow student money to kill a probation officer.

The two, a 16-year-old girl and 14-year-old boy, are students at the Youth Resource Center school, a community school on Sundown Way operated by the Placer County Probation Department.

Roseville police were notified Tuesday morning of the students' alleged attempt to hire another student to kill one of the probation officers at the school. The two were upset with the probation officer because he had told them not to associate with each other, according to Police Department spokeswoman Dee Dee Gunther.

Police said no assault occurred and no weapons were found on campus.

The two teenagers were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy and soliciting another to commit murder, and taken to Placer County Juvenile Hall. Their names were not released because they are juveniles.

Officers also conducted a probation search of a Roseville house in connection with the incident and recovered a stolen, loaded handgun. A adult at the residence, 37-year-old Shavel Leveron Pope of Roseville, was arrested on suspicion of being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of stolen property. He was booked at Roseville City Jail and released after posting a $45,000 bail bond.

Gunther said Pope is not accused of involvement in the plot with the two juveniles, and is suspected of only the illegal weapon and stolen property offenses.

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

By Robert Lewis
rlewis@sacbee.com

Sacramento County is cracking down on underage drinking and will begin punishing adults who host or provide a setting for minors to drink.

The Board of Supervisors on Wednesday voted unanimously for an ordinance that will allow the county to fine adults who let minors drink in their home. State law only prohibits underage drinking in public. The new ordinance is aimed at those adults who let minors have parties with alcohol.

"Young people report they get alcohol primarily from family and friends, and indicate they can often get alcohol at private parties," according to a report county officials prepared for Wednesday's hearing. "The ordinance helps a community promote a clear and consistent message that alcohol use under the age of 21 is illegal, dangerous, and unacceptable. Under the ordinance parents and adults can be held accountable for their role in knowingly permitting or hosting unsupervised parties where alcohol is served to, or consumed by minors."

Violating the Social Host Ordinance will lead to fines between $100 and $500. Landlords, property management companies and other owner agents are excluded.

Several advocacy groups including Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the Sacramento Youth and Alcohol Coalition supported the ordinance.

"It creates a valuable tool to making sure adults consider carefully their actions before making alcohol available or knowing alcohol will be available in their residence to those who are underage," Supervisor Roger Dickinson said.

Call The Bee's Robert Lewis, (916) 321-1061.

By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com

A teenager has been arrested in Elk Grove on suspicion of setting five fires in two days last week.

The 13-year-old boy is suspected of starting two fires at the Spaghetti Factory restaurant on Laguna Boulevard on May 4. The following day, he is suspected of setting a grass fire on the west side of Camden Lake and fires at Joseph Kerr Middle School on Elk Grove Boulevard and Kohl's department store on Calvine Road.

No injuries were reported. Damage to structures was not extensive, fire officials said.

Cosumnes Community Services District Fire Department investigators took the Elk Grove teen into custody Thursday. He was taken to Sacramento County Juvenile Hall.

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

From Bill Lindelof:

Folsom police say a juvenile who wanted to make a new start in 2010 gave himself up in a dramatic way on Sunday.

Police say the young man, a suspect in a car theft who they believe evaded arrest a few days earlier, gave himself up in the middle of a park soccer field.

The suspect "dramatically waited for officers to arrive by standing dead center of a soccer field in the park," a Folsom police news release stated.

The incident started Wednesday when officers tried to pull over a stolen red Honda near Willowmere Drive and Montrose Drive. However, the car drove away and then pulled into a school parking lot.

Both the driver and passenger fled on foot in Ed Mitchell Park, leading to an unsuccessful search of the area.

On Sunday, officers were dispatched back to Ed Mitchell Park.

"It appeared that guilt had set in, and the juvenile perpetrator decided the right way to start the New Year would be to admit last year's misgivings," the press release stated. "He was forthright with officers regarding his crime and associated vehicle burglaries he used the stolen vehicle to commit."

The young man was arrested on suspicion of auto theft and multiple counts of vehicle burglary.

From Kim Minugh:

The 15-year-old boy accused of assaulting the River City High School principal in October has turned himself in to West Sacramento police, according to authorities.

Earlier this month, authorities issued an arrest warrant for the 15-year-old, who is not being identified because he is a juvenile. The boy found out about the warrant, turned himself in Wednesday night and was booked into the Yolo County Juvenile Hall on a felony charge of battery with serious bodily injury, said West Sacramento police Lt. Tod Sockman.

Police say the boy was one of a number of students involved in fights Oct. 28 on the River City High campus. As Principal Stuart McKay tried to intervene, the boy punched McKay in the back of the head, and the principal fell to the ground, according to police.

McKay sustained serious head, neck and neurological injuries as a result of the assault, police said.

Multiple students were suspended because of the fights; the 15-year-old boy was expelled and has since moved, according to authorities.

From Bill Lindelof:

Prosecutors filed a motion today to try 14-year-old Tylar Marie Witt as an adult in the homicide of her mother in El Dorado County.

"We have filed a fitness petition for her to be deemed not fit for juvenile court," said El Dorado Chief Assistant District Attorney Bill Clark.

The motion on whether she will be tried as an adult or a juvenile is scheduled to be heard Aug. 24. The juvenile court appearance in Placerville by Witt today took only about 15 minutes.

Witt and her 19-year-old boyfriend, Steven Paul Colver, are suspects in the killing of Joanne M. Witt.

From Bill Lindelof:

A judge granted early furloughs Friday to 48 of the 63 wards of the Warren E. Thornton Youth Center as the juvenile lock-up closes after four decades, the victim of county budget cuts.

Another 15 youths were ordered house at Juvenile Hall, pending further hearings to determine their next commitment, said Probation Department spokeswoman Erin Treadwell. She said those hearings will be next week.

The wards granted furloughs must adhere to the conditions of furlough and will be supervised by Juvenile Field Probation Officers, Treadwell said. They will also continue to receive treatment services in the community, she said.

But the center will be missed, Treadwell said. "It has been very valuable."

During protracted budget wrangling, the county probation department was able to keep open the Boys Ranch but couldn't salvage the Thornton Center, which houses younger, less sophisticated offenders.

The average age of wards at Thornton was 13 to 16 years old for boys and up to 18 for girls.

On Friday, a courtroom was set up at the center so that the 65 young people wouldn't have to be transferred to juvenile court.

Cases came before the court where a public defender, deputy district attorney, probation officials, the judge and parents were present.

Best options were be explored for each ward, Treadwell said.

The building will be closed Tuesday, but the county needed a few days to prepare the facility for final closure so the youth were being transferred on Friday.

The facility is not far from Juvenile Hall on Branch Center Road near Bradshaw Road and Highway 50. Offenders at the center were typically incarcerated for robbery, drug offenses, auto theft and assault.

Treadwell said closing Thornton posed less of a public-safety risk from the facility's wards than would arise from closing Boys Ranch.

Working with the wards at a young age at the center gave probation a good chance to put them on the right path, Treadwell said.

While at Thornton Center, young offenders got treatment for mental health, anger management and drug addiction.

The youths also attended school. And if they progressed well through the program, they could go home on weekends.

The Thornton Center operated with locked doors but Boys Ranch and Juvenile Hall have higher security precautions.

The county must keep Juvenile Hall open since it is where youthful offenders who've committed the most serious criminal acts are incarcerated.

Closing the 110-bed Thornton facility, which has been in service 41 years, will save $8.9 million.

From Kim Minugh:

Sacramento police arrested a 16-year-old boy this weekend for allegedly having two loaded handguns in his car - a discovery made after the boy had blown several stop signs and crashed into several cars, according to a police report.

Just before midnight Friday, an officer saw a car speed through several stop signs in the area of 21st Avenue and 73rd Street, according to the report. The officer estimated the car was going 80 miles per hour, and turned on his lights and sirens to pursue the car.

The officer temporarily lost sight of the vehicle - until it had crashed into five cars in the area of Toronto Way and 79th Street, in the Colonial Village neighborhood, the report states. The officer located a 16-year-old boy walking away from the car, and found two loaded handguns inside the vehicle, according to the report.

The boy was booked into juvenile hall on two weapons-related charges and one charge related to his driver's license, the report states.

From Niesha Lofing:

Suspected gang activity disrupted a Galt neighborhood Thursday evening, leading to the arrest of three boys.

Officers were called about 6:42 p.m. to the 200 block of 2nd Street on a report of possible shots fired, a police news release states.

Witnesses provided suspect descriptions, and Galt police searched the area and found three juveniles about a half-mile away on Spruce Avenue. The boys fled when officers approach but were caught and taken into custody.

Two of the boys had no-bail juvenile warrants, and the third allegedly possessed a loaded firearm, the release states. All three were booked into the Sacramento County Juvenile Detention Center.

Police say they believe the incident is gang-related. An investigation continues.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Galt police at (209) 366-7000.

From Sandy Louey:

Elk Grove police arrested a 13-year-old boy Tuesday in connection with a robbery.

The incident took place Thursday when a 13-year-old boy was walking home from school in the 9900 block of Sorentino Drive. Another boy walked up behind him and pulled his backpack, forcing him to fall to the ground, according to a report from the Elk Grove Police Department.

The boy grabbed the victim's MP3 player and left. Investigative efforts identified the boy as being the one responsible. He was arrested on suspicion of robbery and was taken to juvenile hall, police said.

From Sandy Louey:

Elk Grove police arrested two 15-year-old Sacramento boys Monday after a short pursuit.

The incident occurred at 3:45 p.m. in the 8200 block of Crichton Way when an officer saw the boys in a reported stolen vehicle, according to a report from the Elk Grove Police Department.

When the officer tried to conduct an enforcement stop, the pursuit ensued. Both boys abandoned the vehicle and left on foot, police said.

After a brief search, both boys were found and taken to juvenile hall. Both were arrested on suspicion of resisting arrest and receiving stolen property. The driver was also arrested on suspicion of driving a stolen vehicle, evading an officer and driving without a license, police said.

From Sandy Louey:

Elk Grove police arrested two 16-year-old boys, one of whom was spotted driving recklessly on Interstate 5 Friday night.

A witness saw a vehicle southbound on Interstate 5 near Laguna Boulevard near midnight. The person followed the vehicle and called police, according to a police report.

A computer check revealed it was a reported stolen vehicle. Officers located it in the parking lot of Strikes Family Entertainment Center, at 3443 Laguna Blvd., police said.

The boys, who were in the vehicle, were arrested on suspicion of vehicle theft and receiving stolen property. They were taken to juvenile hall.

From Sandy Louey:

The Yolo County Juvenile Detention Center will hold an open house in February.

The open house is scheduled from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Feb. 9 at the facility, 2880 East Gibson Road in Woodland.

Staff from the facility and the Yolo County Office of Education and volunteer groups will provide information about what they do to rehabilitate youth.

There will also be guided tours. Check in for the tours will start at 5 p.m.

From Sandy Louey:

Elk Grove police have arrested a 16-year-old boy who allegedly pulled a boy off his bicycle and stole his cell phone.

The incident occurred at 4:38 p.m. Tuesday at Sheldon Creek Drive and Silvery Blue Way. A 12-year-old boy was riding his bicycle on a trail when the teen ran up to him and pulled him off the bicycle, according to report from the Elk Grove Police Department.

Police said the teen, who wore a beanie cap and a bandana covering the lower part of his face, held the boy down and searched his pockets. He verbally threatened to harm him before stealing his phone.

After the victim told his parents what happened, they drove around looking for the teen. Police were called and the teen, who was hiding in a nearby home, was taken into custody after the boy identified him as the robber, police said.

The 16-year-old was arrested on suspicion of robbery and taken to juvenile hall.

From Hudson Sangree:

Yolo County jurors returned guilty verdicts Thursday against four young men accused of attacking an Amtrak engineer last year in West Sacramento.

Three of the defendants - Pauliton Nunes, 20, Austen Nunes, 18, and Orlando Javier Ramos, 16 - were convicted of attempted voluntary manslaughter.

A fourth defendant - Daniel Bonge, 18 - was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon.

Jurors found all four were members of the Broderick Boys street gang.

A fifth defendant, Robert Reynolds, 17, was acquitted on all charges.

Jurors rejected attempted murder charges against all of the defendants.

The five were accused of severely beating engineer Jacob Keating, including hitting him on the head with a vodka bottle and a fire extinguisher.

Keating testified he stopped the Capitol Corridor train on the night of April 16, 2007, after the group of teens threw rocks at the train as it slowed near the I Street Bridge.

The engineer admitted he threw the first punch, but said the group attack that followed left him begging for his life.

From David Richie:

A reported sexual assault in a Sheldon High School restroom and two other recent on-campus episodes were "isolated incidents" and safety at the school is still strong, law enforcement and school district officials said this week.

The most serious incident occurred about 11 a.m. Oct. 2 when a 15-year-old boy reportedly forced a 15-year-old girl into a restroom stall and sexually assaulted her. An incident summary released recently by the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department indicates that the girl tried to fight back and told the boy several times to stop what he was doing.

Eventually the boy departed and school officials found the girl during a routine bathroom check, said Elizabeth Graswich, spokeswoman for the Elk Grove Unified School District. Sheriff's investigators were called in and the boy was arrested later that day. A letter was sent home with all students informing parents about the incident, Graswich said.

The boy acted alone and did not present a danger to the rest of the student body, Sgt. Tim Curran, spokesman for the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department, said Tuesday.

"The girl was targeted. They were former girlfriend and boyfriend, so it was not a random incident," Curran said.

Curran and Graswich did not know if the boy was still in juvenile hall or if he had been released to his parents.

Graswich described an incident about 9:35 a.m. Oct. 1 as a fight between two groups of boys.

The sheriff's description of the incident indicates that three 17-year-olds and one 16-year-old attacked two other boys of similar age and at least one of the four was armed. All four were arrested and booked on multiple charges including suspicion of battery, conspiracy and participation in a criminal street gang. All the individuals involved were Vietnamese.

The weapon was a belt buckle. The two boys suffered cuts and refused medical attention, Graswich said.

The third incident, about 10:20 a.m. Sept. 30 involved a 15-year-old boy who reportedly brought a folding knife to school. Another student spotted the weapon and informed school officials. A vice principal started looking for the boy with the knife and during the course of that investigation, he was threatened by another boy, age 16. Both boys were eventually taken into custody.

No letters were sent home informing parents about the Oct. 1 and Sept. 30 occurrences.

"Realize that all three of these were isolated incidents," Graswich said.

The school district contracts with the Sheriff's Department for a deputy who serves as a school resource officer at Sheldon High School. That relationship also gives the district access to other sheriff's services when they are needed.

The district also employs school monitors at Sheldon High, and the principal walks around the school regularly. Officials do not see any need to further tighten campus control measures.

"Security is already fairly high," Graswich said.

From Stan Oklobdzija:

Police officers arrested an alleged gang member with a gun at the Fruitridge light-rail station Friday night after he threatened others on the train with it, police said.

Officers received a call from a passenger on the southbound Blue-Line train about 8:40 p.m. saying two groups of youths were arguing at the Broadway station, said Sgt. Jim Hose. One brandished a handgun, Hose said.

Police and county sheriff's officers waited for the group at the Fruitridge light-rail station and started searching passengers as they left the train, Hose said.

Hose said the youth with the gun was arrested.

Hose said witnesses reported the group was claiming to belong to the Fourth-Avenue Blood t gang, based in Oak Park, as they entered the train.

From Niesha Lofing:

Three teenagers were arrested Tuesday night after allegedly beating and stabbing a 13-year-old in a Woodland neighborhood.

Woodland police received a call of shots fired at 7:30 p.m. in the area of Lemen Avenue and Donnelly Circle, a police news release said. They found the victim had been beaten and stabbed in the upper torso.

Witnesses reported seeing a dark-colored sport utility vehicle leaving the scene.

The victim was taken to UC Davis Medical Center for treatment.

About two hours later, police returned to the neighborhood on a report of a dark-colored SUV and red Chrysler 300 driving recklessly.

An officer stopped the SUV, and a witness identified the occupants of the vehicle - two 15-year-olds and Milton Escobedo, 18 - and said they were at the scene of the stabbing, police said.

The witness told police Escobedo beat the victim with a baseball bat and that one of the 15-year-olds stabbed the victim.

The three teens were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy. One 15-year-old also was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. Escobedo was arrested on suspicion of assault.

Police also received a call from Woodland Memorial Hospital that a 15-year-old with a stab wound to the neck had arrived there, but it is unknown whether the two stabbings are related.

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

From Niesha Lofing:

Galt police seek information about a gang-related fight that injured two people and led to a teenage boy's arrest.

Police received several 911 calls at about 5:36 p.m. Wednesday reporting that about 10 people were fighting in the 200 block of McFarland Street, a police news release states.

Police found two injured people at the location, one who had been stabbed in the shoulder and had to be taken to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento.

Another person's arm had been cut by a thrown object, but he refused medical treatment, the release states.

Police, who determined that the fight was gang-related, arrested a teenage boy on an outstanding no-bail warrant after talking to him during the investigation, the release states.

The investigation continues, and anyone with information about the fight is asked to call police at (209) 366-7000.

From Sandy Louey:

Elk Grove police arrested a 17-year-old boy Wednesday for allegedly breaking a man's car window and threatening him.

At 1 p.m., a man was stopped at Laguna Boulevard and Harbour Point Drive when the boy got out of a nearby vehicle, according to a police report.

The boy broke out the man's driver-side window with his fist, threatened him and tried to grab him. The man left in the vehicle and called police, the report said.

Police Spokesman Christopher Trim said the incident wasn't a random act and that the boy believed the man was responsible for an altercation last week involving someone he knew.

The boy, who was found at his home, was arrested on suspicion of threatening to commit a crime. He was taken to juvenile hall, police said.

From Art Campos:

Two 13-year-old girls were arrested during the weekend for allegedly shoplifting clothing and accessory items from at least eight stores at the Galleria at Roseville, police reported.

The reported crime spree ended at 4:25 p.m. Saturday when security officers at one of the stores apprehended and held them for police, who booked them on suspicion of burglary and conspiracy at the Placer County Juvenile Detection Center in Auburn, said Roseville Police Department spokeswoman Dee Dee Gunther.

One of the girls is from Roseville and the other is from Citrus Heights, she said.

"Often, teenagers think that shoplifting is easy, that they are not likely to get caught and that there are no serious consequences," Gunther said. "In fact, shoplifting is a serious crime. Stores certainly take it seriously and have sophisticated security systems in place to detect and apprehend shoplifters."

Gunther said Roseville police arrested 689 shoplifters in 2007 and that many were prosecuted on charges of petty theft, burglary or robbery.

She noted that if someone enters a business with the intent to steal, a misdemeanor petty theft could be upgraded to burglary, which is a felony. If shoplifters resist or fight with store personnel or anyone trying to detain them, the crime is upgraded to robbery, a serious violent felony, she said.

A Fountain Valley, Calif., teenage boy accused of making violent threats against two teachers at his high school told investigators the e-mails were meant as a joke, police said.

Police have asked the Orange County district attorney to file criminal charges against the 16-year-old boy who was arrested at Fountain Valley High School on May 23 on suspicion of making criminal threats, said Lt. Paul McInnis. He was later released to his parents.

"I think that people think they can hide behind the veil of anonymity when they are online," said Chris Herzfeld, Fountain Valley High School principal. "Any threats like that, we get the police department involved."

Here's the Associated Press story.

A physical education teacher at Del Oro High School in Loomis recently noticed that some girls in her class were acting strangely.

She suspected they might be slightly intoxicated, according to a report taken May 22 by the Placer County Sheriff's Department.

The teacher called the vice principal, who checked through one of the students' backpacks and discovered a water bottle containing a mix of vodka and cranberry juice, the report said.

The 15-year-old student was cited by a sheriff's officer for being a minor in possession of an alcoholic beverage and was released into the custody of her parents.

-- Art Campos

A 13-year-old student at Sylvan Middle School was booked into juvenile hall Thursday after she posted threats against another student on MySpace.com, officials said.

Earlier, the girl had threatened the other student with a piece of glass she picked up in the schoolyard, Citrus Heights police officials said. But taking the dispute into cyberspace is what really got her in trouble.

The girl was charged with a felony count of making terrorist threats. An arrest summary also indicates a misdemeanor charge of brandishing a weapon.

The incident is another local example of Internet-related crime that law enforcement officials are dealing with nationwide.

On Friday, Ann Marie Linscott pleaded guilty Friday to federal charges stemming from a Craigslist ad soliciting the murder of an Oroville woman who is the wife of Linscott's former lover. Here's Denny Walsh's story about that case.

More on Thursday's incident from David Richie:

From Ryan Lillis:

Four juveniles -- apparently too cool for school -- were nabbed after allegedly committing a pair of home burglaries in Sacramento's Pocket area midday Monday, police said.

Even more troubling was the fact that police believe the crew took handguns in both break-ins and may be responsible for several more burglaries in the area.

More story:

Three teenagers have been arrested for suspicion of spitting on a 2-year-old boy and the child's mother in a Woodland park. The mother was also allegedly kicked and bitten.

Here's the rest of Bill Lindelof's update:

Three teenagers attacked a 22-year-old woman in a Woodland park Monday evening, after she suspected them of spitting at her 2-year-old boy, police said.

Sgt. Dan Letamendi said the mother and toddler were at the play structure at Ferns Park at about 7 p.m. when they met their attackers, two boys and a girl, who were between 17 to 19 years old.

More details from Chelsea Phua:

From David Richie and Stan Oklobdzija:

Two teenagers ran afoul of Citrus Heights police Wednesday evening after spiking their spring break with vodka and cough syrup, officers say.

The concoction sounds like one of the many variations referred to on the Internet as "purple drank" or "sizzurp." It is also called "lean," possibly because that's what people do when they drink it - just before they fall down. It might also be called "lethal." It is suspected as a contributing factor in the deaths of several hip hop artists.

Police say that when they arrived at the home near San Juan Park, one of the boys, age 14, flew into a rage. The boy tried to kick one officer and spit at two other officers.

An arrest summary released Monday alleges that the boy continued to spit at police officers and hospital staff members after being transported by paramedics to Mercy San Juan Medical Center in Carmichael.

He was subsequently transported to juvenile hall and booked on suspicion of battery on a police officer and disorderly conduct.

The other boy was cooperative during the whole encounter. He was released to his parents after being treated at the hospital.