Teens face robbery charges

Two teenagers are facing robbery charges after a shoplifting at a Turlock grocery store went awry.

Second downtown bank robbed

For the second time in a week, a downtown Turlock bank has been robbed and a suspect has gotten away with an undisclosed amount of cash.

Robber strikes Turlock bank

Police are seeking clues to the identity of the man who robbed a downtown Turlock bank Thursday afternoon.

Downtown bank robbed

The West America Bank at 241 West Main St., was robbed Thursday afternoon. The police were still on scene at 3:20 p.m., conducting the investigation and scouring the area for the suspect. The suspect was described as a black male adult about 6 feet tall with a mustache. He was wearing a blue striped shirt, black pants, a baseball cap and dark sunglasses. More details to follow as they become available.

Fraud seminar for nonprofits

The Turlock Police Department will be providing fraud prevention training for local nonprofit organizations at 6 p.m. tonight in the Yosemite Room at Turlock City Hall at 156 S. Broadway.

Woman robbed, beaten outside home

A woman unloading groceries in front of her home was pushed, kicked, and robbed by a young woman.

Balmy burglar bungles break-in

An overly fragrant thief alerted a Turlock woman to a burglary in her house, which ultimately led to the arrest of a 19-year-old man.

Public squabble leads to Ballico meth lab

Three Ballico residents were taken into custody Sunday afternoon by the Merced County Sheriff's Department on various charges stemming from the discovery of a methamphetamine lab.

Home invaders attack Denair men

Three men were bound, beaten, and robbed during a home invasion robbery in Denair Monday morning.

Turlock woman dies in Fresno crash

A Turlock woman was killed early Sunday morning in an auto accident on Highway 99 in Fresno that also injured three others.

Drunk driving arrests

The final tally for the Avoid the 12 holiday drunk driving crackdown is 146 arrests. The 146 DUI arrests occurred between Dec. 18, 2009 and Jan. 3, during which time, law enforcement from 12 different agencies conducted sobriety checkpoints, saturation patrols, and warrant sweeps. The Avoid the 12 program is funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Violence mars new year celebrations

The new year got off to a bloody and busy start for the Turlock Police department with three large fights reported over the first two days of 2010.

Thieving hands raise city’s burglary rates

It will come as no surprise to the thousands of victims to learn that burglaries are on the rise in Turlock.

Locust Street home set on fire, again

For the second time a vacant Turlock home has been the scene of a suspicious fire. Turlock City firefighters have twice put out blazes at 208 Locust St. within the last month. The latest fire was reported around 7:30 a.m. Thursday. The flames spread through the home's second floor, causing extensive damage. The fire was under control in 30 minutes, but crews remained on scene for several hours tamping out hot spots and clean-up. At ...

Christmas collision claims life of one man

A Ceres man was killed in a solo vehicle crash Christmas morning along a stretch of country road just outside of Turlock.

Vehicle crashes into church

Someone drove a vehicle into the front of Turlock church and then promptly took off, leaving the police department to wonder if it was an accident or an intentional act. The Holy Ground Ministry at 305 W. Canal Dr. sustained significant damage to the front of the building from the encounter. The front door was ripped from the frame and the wood and brick frame work at the base of the building were ...

Horses killed on rural road

A gruesome scene greeted California Highway Patrol officers Saturday morning when four horses were killed on a rural road west of Turlock.

Bullet grazes teen

A Delhi teen was grazed by gunfire Saturday night and is refusing to tell law enforcement any of the details.

Jail escapee caught, along with girlfriend and wife

The inmate who escaped from the John Latoracca Correctional Facility in El Nido on Valentine's Day is back behind bars, as is his wife and girlfriend.

Inmate breaks out of Merced correctional facility

A manhunt is underway for the inmate who escaped from a Merced County jail Tuesday morning by tunneling out of the facility. The escape from the John Latoracca Correctional Facility in El Nido has been identified as Zachary William Johnson, 32, of Morgan Hill. Johnson's disappearance was noticed around 7 a.m. when correctional officers were conducting a routine headcount of the dorms. When the count came up one short an inspection of ...

Methadone sale nets prison time

A Turlock man convicted of selling methadone was sentenced to prison for 11 years and eight months, according to the Stanislaus County District Attorney's Office. Jerry Jay Edgar, 55, also admitted two prior convictions for drug sales offenses from 1997 and 2002, and admitted a prior prison commitment from 2002. On July 31, 2009, officers from the Turlock Police Department responded to a report of possible drug sales occurring at a trailer ...

Investigators seek burglary suspects

The Turlock Police Department is seeking the public's assistance in identifying two men believed to be responsible for a home burglary last year. The burglary happened sometime between Oct. 29, 2011, and Nov. 4, 2011 and was reported by the 75-year –old victim on Nov. 27, 2011, said police spokesman Sgt. Stephen Webb. Among the various items taken during the residential burglary was an ATM card belonging to the victim. On ...

Grant to aid prosecution in drunken driving cases

The Stanislaus County District Attorney's Office was awarded a one-year grant from the Office of Traffic Safety aimed at preventing deaths and injuries on the roadways and holding those at fault accountable. The $344,055 grant will fund two deputy district attorneys to prosecute felony and misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter cases involving drugs or alcohol, felony driving under the influence and causing great bodily injury cases, as well as felony and misdemeanor driving under the ...

Serial bank robber sentenced

A man convicted of robbing six banks in Turlock and Ceres was sentenced to multiple decades behind bars. Marty Rojas, 38, of Modesto was convicted on Jan. 20 of six counts of bank robbery. On Friday he was sentenced to 23 years in prison, according to the Stanislaus County District Attorney's Office. The prosecution said Rojas robbed Bank of America twice and was responsible for robberies at County Bank, Citibank, Union Bank ...

Man charged with rape

A Turlock man has been arrested on a rape charge after allegedly admitting to attacking a female relative. Miguel Angel Mendoza, 37, was arrested Thursday on suspicion of rape and is being held in Stanislaus County Jail on a $150,000 bail. According to the Turlock Police Department, the alleged rape occurred in May 2011 but wasn't reported until December. Mendoza initially denied the attack in December, but during a subsequent interview with ...

Preliminary hearing set for Denair teen charged with murder

A preliminary hearing for the murder case against Denair teenager Shanna Wills has been set for June 12. Wills, 18, is charged with murder, attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon. The charges stem from an encounter between Wills and her father Kenneth Wills, 62, and her mother, Susan Wills, on Mother's Day of last year that resulted in the death of Kenneth Wills and the hospitalization of Susan Wills for severe ...

Large marijuana grow found in Turlock following traffic stop

State clears abundance of DNA samples awaiting analysis

A backlog that slowed DNA testing in the state and jeopardized criminal prosecutions has been cleared, the California Attorney General's Office announced Wednesday.

One shot in home invasion robbery

An 18-year-old man was shot in the leg by four suspects ransacking a house in a search for drugs and cash, the Turlock Police Department reported. The victim's wound is considered non-life threatening and he is expected to make a full recovery, said Turlock Police Lt. Ron Reid. The home invasion robbery and the shooting occurred just before 8 p.m. Friday at a residence in the 1900 block of Fifth Street. <p ...

Occupant charged with setting house ablaze

A Turlock man found himself under arrest Sunday morning on the allegation he deliberately set his house on fire. Richard Russell Jr., 31, was booked into Stanislaus County Jail on a single charge of arson from the two-alarm blaze at his residence in the 1200 block of W. Springer Drive. Russell was the only occupant at the home. No injuries were reported. The Turlock Fire Department was dispatched around 6 ...