Car careens into garage

An accident that involved a car crashing through a garage sent an elderly woman to the hospital with minor injuries and caused a jolt of electricity to pass through a good Samaritan who came to her aid.

Holiday DUI arrests down from 2008

A holiday crackdown on drunk driving resulted in more than 100 arrests for driving under the influence through Monday night.

Turlock mother will face murder charge

A Stanislaus County Superior Court judge ruled Tuesday that there is enough evidence present to hold a 20-year-old woman over on charges that she murdered her newborn daughter and left it wrapped in a plastic bag inside a Dumpster behind a Turlock grocery store.

Officials seek clues to woman’s identity

A fingerprint database has failed to turn up any leads on the identity of a woman who was struck and killed on a stretch of railroad tracks in Turlock Tuesday morning.

New year brings drunken driving crackdown

The Chinese calendar may have declared 2010 as the year of the tiger, but in California it will be "the year of the checkpoint."

Woman dies after laying down in front of train

Police officers and other emergency personnel were greeted with the grisly aftermath of a woman's death on a stretch of railroad tracks in Turlock Tuesday morning. The Turlock Police Department is investigating the death as an apparent suicide.

Highway fatality an apparent suicide

A Modesto man was killed on Highway 99 near a Turlock rest stop Thursday morning in what the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department deemed an apparent suicide.

Gunfire erupts on city street; one injured

A 20-year-old man was wounded in the leg when gunfire broke out on a Turlock street. The Injury was not considered life-threatening and the victim is refusing to give out any information about the incident, Turlock Police Lt. Steven Williams said. Just after 1 a.m. Wednesday, the Turlock Police Department received numerous reports of shots fired in the 500 block of Vermont Avenue. One caller said they had heard multiple shots and went outside to ...

Suspicious fires under investigation

Two of three residential fires reported in Turlock over the last week have suspicious origins and are under investigation by the Turlock City Fire Department.

Son jailed after whacking dad with baseball bat

A Keyes man is in critical condition with a severe head injury caused by a blow from a baseball bat at the hands of his teenage son, according to the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department.

Ear infection delays Betts hearing

The preliminary hearing for Jessica Mae Betts, the 20-year-old Turlock woman accused of killing her newborn baby and leaving it in a Dumpster behind a grocery store, was postponed because of a medical condition.

Deputies put a stop to rooster fight

A tip about a suspected cockfighting ring led to the arrest of a Turlock man and put a halt to an event that possibly could have involved 150 roosters, the Merced County Sheriff's Department reported.

Turlock man wanted for intentionally mowing down bicyclist

Turlock police are seeking a man who they say intentionally ran down a bicyclist with his truck and then waved a handgun around when witnesses tried to detain him.

Domestic violence nets prison time

A Turlock man is headed to prison for a domestic violence conviction. Robert Verrinder, 41, was convicted Wednesday of domestic violence. According to the prosecution, on Sept. 12, Verrinder kicked and punched his girlfriend who was seven months pregnant. The victim locked herself in a room with her children after the assault in an attempt to get away from Verrinder. The victim suffered bruises and cuts as a result of the assault and was briefly ...

Parole denied for convicted murderer

A Denair man convicted of a 1991 homicide was denied parole Monday from Corcoran State Prison. The State Board of Parole denied early release for Andrew Lopez based on several factors, including his lack of remorse and his disciplinary record in prison, according to the Stanislaus County District Attorney's Office. Lopez was convicted in 1992 of second degree murder with use of a knife and one prison prior, for a murder at the Denair Community ...

Court room packed in day one of murder hearing for former sheriff’s detective

Child molester sentenced

A 45-year-old man convicted of molesting children in Turlock was sentenced to prison Monday. David Montano of Coto De Caza, Calif. was convicted of two felony counts of lewd acts upon a child. Upon learning that her two younger sisters had been molested by Montano, a 24-year-old woman went to the Turlock Police Department in 2008 to report her sisters' molests, as well as her own, which began back in 1988. <p ...

Suspicious death reported at egg farm

The Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department is investigating the death of a man found at a Turlock egg supplier farm. The body was found Monday afternoon and the sheriff's department has not stated if it is a homicide investigation. The body did show signs of trauma, according to the sheriff's department. The name of the man or any other details, have not been released by the sheriff's department. The discovery was ...

Burglary suspect caught

A report of a suspicious person prowling in a Turlock neighborhood led to the arrest of a man on stolen property and drug charges. Around 2 p.m. Tuesday the Turlock Police Department received a report of a man sneaking around homes in the area of Marshall and N. Quincy streets. Officers arrived to find Derek Smith, 31, allegedly stealing gasoline, according to the police report. Smith had a small syringe ...

Phony claim of shooting puts schools on lockdown

A false report of a shooting prompted two Turlock schools to order lockdowns while police searched the area for the reported shooter. In the end, it was discovered the victim was hit with pepper spray during a domestic dispute and not shot, according to the Turlock Police Department. The incident began around 9 a.m. Wednesday when a man called 911 on his cell phone and told a dispatcher he had been shot. ...

Deceased baby found in garbage can

The Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department is investigating the death of an infant found inside a garbage can outside a convenience store in Waterford. The discovery was made at 9:22 p.m. Thursday at the Bait Barn at 12505 Yosemite Blvd. in Waterford. A man was searching for aluminum in the small garbage cans near the gas pumps when he made the gruesome discovery. The infant was wrapped in a blanket and appeared deceased, ...

Shooting reported

The Turlock Police Department is investigating a shooting that was reported late Sunday night. Individuals riding in a vehicle in the area of Fosberg Road and Christoffersen Parkway flagged down an officer at 11:49 p.m. and said they had just been shot at by a passing vehicle. The shooter's vehicle was described as a white Jeep Cherokee. The officer could see taillights ahead, but the vehicle was quickly obscured by the ...

Family asks for justice

Through choked back tears and quavering voices, the family of a slain Hughson man made an emotional appeal to a Stanislaus County Superior Court judge to send a convicted murderer to prison for the rest of his life. The family of Donald Futch delivered victim impact statements to the court Tuesday in the hopes of obtaining a lengthy prison term for Darren Merenda, 32, of Turlock. The sentencing hearing for Merenda is ...

Rash of burglaries mar holiday weekend

While people were out enjoying Thanksgiving feasts and taking advantage of holiday shopping deals, crooks were busying themselves with breaking into homes and vehicles around town. A rash of property crimes, especially burglaries, were reported throughout the city. Between Thursday afternoon and Tuesday afternoon there were 15 residential burglaries and three commercial burglaries reported in Turlock. Additionally, there were eight larcenies, three auto burglaries and four auto thefts reported in the same time ...

Shootings gang-related, says sheriff’s office

A possible gang fight near the Delhi Fire Department and shots being fired at a house and car on Wednesday could be related, reported the Merced County Sheriff's Department. Just after 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, the Merced County Sheriff's Office was called to a possible gang fight near the Delhi Fire Department on Acacia Street. Deputy Ralph Zyskowski was in the area and saw a car driving erratically. It was weaving and running ...

Jury finds nut schemer guilty of fraud, money laundering

A former almond buyer at a Turlock nut processing plant was convicted on multiple charges tied to a long-term scheme to defraud local processors. After a two week trial a federal grand jury convicted Ronal John Salado, 59, of Modesto for conspiring to commit mail fraud and bank fraud, two counts of mail fraud, nine counts of bank fraud, and two counts of money laundering. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, which ...

Electrical power surge leads to pot bust

A spike in electrical usage at a Turlock residence was the tip needed to lead the Turlock Police Department's narcotics enforcement team to an indoor marijuana growing operation. As a result of the investigation, the narcotics team arrested two individuals and seized several pounds of marijuana. The team was alerted to the residence in the 900 block of Domingo Court in Turlock, after unusual power readings were recorded, said police spokesman Lt. ...

Drug deal gone bad results in shooting, arrests

Inmate attacks Merced Jail guard

A correctional officer at the Merced County Jail was injured by an inmate headed to court on a misdemeanor charge. The female deputy sustained injuries to her wrist, shoulder and face, said Merced County Sheriff spokesman Deputy Tom MacKenzie. The deputy was in the process of handcuffing 35-year-old inmate, Abel Ambrocio of Palo Alto, for court when he punched her in the face. MacKenzie said the attack was "without provocation or ...

Pit bull mauls toddler

A 3-year-old Winton boy sustained severe injuries when the family dog suddenly and viciously attacked him, the Merced County Sheriff's Department reported. The little boy was savagely bitten on his head and face, said sheriff spokesman Deputy Tom MacKenzie. The boy was flown to a hospital in Fresno and is expected to recover from his injuries, Mackenzie said. The attack was reported around 5 p.m. Monday in the 7000 block of ...