Drunk driving enforcement period

The Stanislaus County Avoid the 12 will be conducting sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols during the Labor Day weekend.

Arrest made in death of Delhi teen

Merced County Sheriff's detectives have arrested an 18-year-old Delhi man for the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old Delhi teen in Hilmar.

Fire chars laundry room

A fire caused an estimated $22,000 in damage to a laundry room at a Turlock apartment complex. The fire was reported just after 11:30 p.m. Wednesday at 3170 N. Palm St. The fire destroyed the contents of the laundry room, the Turlock Fire Department reported. It was brought under control in 10 minutes. A maintenance supervisor cut his arm during the incident and was treated at the scene. The fire appears to have started in ...

Free steering wheel locks

The Stanislaus County Auto Theft Taskforce will distribute 1,000 steering wheel locks to county residents to help curb auto thefts.

Local man charged with felony hit and run

One man was injured and another was under arrest after a hit and run accident in Turlock on Thursday.

Local church vandalized

The Rev. Gerry Grossman was greeted with an unwelcome sight Wednesday when he arrived at St. Francis Anglican Church. Over night a vandal had smashed a large hole into one of the church's antique stained glass windows.

Suspect caught for $10 robbery

A man pumping gas at a Delhi service station was robbed of $10 by an armed suspect. The Merced county Sheriff's Department arrested Steven Downing, 30, of Delhi. He was charged with armed robbery and a parole violation. He remains in custody at the Merced County Jail without bail, said sheriff spokesman Deputy Tom MacKenzie. The incident began around 6 p.m. Saturday at the M&M Market in the 16000 block of Letteau Avenue. The male ...

DUI checkpoint

The Turlock Police Department will be conducting a sobriety/driver's license checkpoint in Turlock during the evening hours on Friday. Drivers will be required to present their drivers license and seat belt compliance will be checked.

Trucker gets prison for tax evasion

A Merced truck driver was handed down a prison sentence on Monday for tax evasion on money he made by stealing grains from a Turlock company.

Police search for three robbery suspects

Three separate robberies believed to be the work of three different suspects kept the Turlock Police Department busy over the last few days.

Suspect in Hilmar stabbing arrested

The Merced County Sheriff's department has made an arrest in a brutal attack that left a Hilmar man hospitalized with seven stab wounds.

One killed in Hilmar collision

A fatal accident in Hilmar involving a big rig and a pickup truck claimed the life of a Ceres man on Tuesday.

Teens nabbed in drug arrest

Two teenagers stopped alongside a rural stretch of road in Hilmar were arrested for cocaine possession on Thursday.

Two years for grand theft

A Denair man was given a two year prison sentence for his theft of a generator. Roberto Torres, 27, was found guilty of grand theft on Wednesday, according to the Stanislaus County District Attorney's Office. According to the prosecution, Torres stole a "bait" generator being tracked by members of the Stanislaus Country Sheriff's Department that had been placed at a construction site. Torres was apprehended minutes after the theft. Upon the entry of the ...

Hilmar man attacked, stabbed seven times

An uncooperative victim and very little suspect information have left Merced County Sheriff's investigators with few leads in the case of a Hilmar man stabbed seven times.

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 ...