Thief caught at scene of crime

A man, who was successful in stealing merchandise from a Turlock store one day, returned the next day with the same plan, only to end up in handcuffs.

Police department bestows annual awards for service

The Turlock Police Department honored their own Thursday morning by paying tribute to those that have gone beyond the norm in their public service duties.

Kidnapper’s car pulled from canal: No Juliani

Shortly after 6 p.m. Friday, divers recovered the silver Toyota Corolla that Jose Esteban Rodriguez was last seen driving after he took 4-year-old Juliani Cardenas from the arms of his grandmother on Jan. 18 in Patterson.

Bus driver arrested for DUI

A Turlock school bus driver en route to pick up students at a speech tournament was stopped by the California Highway Patrol and arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Road rage trial delayed

For the second time, a preliminary hearing has been postponed for a Turlock man accused of beating to death a Hilmar man in an incident of suspected road rage.

Auto thief gets prison time

A Turlock man was sentenced to three years in state prison for stealing a car that was left idling and unattended.

Search for 4-year-old continues

The fourth day of searching for a missing 4-year-old Patterson boy ended Friday with no new leads for investigators.

Deputies bust foursome for rooster fights

The Merced County Sheriff's Department broke up a cock fight and arrested four teenagers when they were caught fighting the stolen roosters at a Delhi residence Wednesday.

Auto thief gets three years

A man who led law enforcement on a pursuit through Keyes in a stolen truck was sentenced to prison on Jan. 6.

Drunk driver gets prison term

A Waterford man who injured a person while driving drunk, was sentenced to four years and four months in state prison, the Stanislaus County District Attorney reported.

Settlement reached over screen sizes

A settlement between several television manufacturers and the District Attorney's Offices of six counties, including Stanislaus and Merced, was reached over how screen size measurements are advertised to consumers.

Saving lives through railroad traffic enforcement, education

With the goal of making the railroads in Turlock safer, Operation Lifesaver rolled into town Thursday to target railroad related traffic violations.

Homicide suspect captured in Delhi

A man living in Delhi for the last 10 years was arrested Monday by the U.S. Marshals Service for a 2001 homicide in Phoenix.

Hughson insurance agent arrested for fraud, grand theft

A Hughson insurance agent is facing allegations of insurance fraud after a state watchdog agency accused her of bilking policyholders out of their premiums.

Prostitution sting lands 26 in jail

A sting operation by the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department in an area known for high volumes of prostitution traffic, resulted in the arrests of 26 suspected "johns."

Defendant given life sentence for role in murder

Alvaro Reyes, one of the men previously convicted for burning a woman to death over a drug debt, was sentenced to life in prison on Monday. Reyes was found guilty of Rosa Avina's murder in 2007. The prosecution said Reyes lured Avina to a Turlock home, where she was kidnapped and taken to an orchard. Bound and gagged, Avina was doused with gasoline and set on fire. She was able to walk to ...

Guns, marijuana part of Abbey prosecution case

In the third day of the preliminary hearing for Kari Abbey the prosecution continued their efforts to prove the former Stanislaus County Sheriff's detective was involved in numerous criminal activities, including the fatal shooting of a 31-year-old woman. Abbey's defense team, led by attorney Michael Rains, started presenting their case that Abbey acted in self-defense the night of the fatal encounter and that the Stanislaus County District Attorney's Office has unjustly targeted her ...

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