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 ...

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 ...

Father gets 15 to life for child’s death

A Dos Palos man was sentenced Monday in Merced County Superior Court to 15 years to life for the death of his 3-year-old daughter. Jericho Wright, 30, pled no contest to the charge of second degree murder in the death of Liadan Wright on Feb. 25, 2008. The Merced County Coroner's Office said Liadan died from multiple blunt force traumas to the head. She also had bruises to her shoulder and torso. ...

Father leaves son at restaurant, hits the bar

A Turlock man is unlikely to get a father of the year award after he left his son at a fast food restaurant so he could go drink at a bar. The incident began sometime around 8 p.m. Thursday when Montgomery Borba, 30, left his 9-year-old son unattended at the Jack in the Box at 100 N. Golden State Boulevard, while Borba went for drinks at Wellington's Station at 10 E. Main St. ...

Suspected shooter caught in S.W.A.T. standoff

The suspected gunman who wounded two people outside a Turlock home was apprehended early Monday morning after the Turlock Police Department Special Weapons and Tactics team used tear gas to flush him from his hideout. Manuel Maldonado, 19, of Turlock was taken into custody around 5:30 a.m. after a standoff with S.W.A.T. that lasted almost six hours. Maldonado was previously identified as the prime suspect in a shooting that occurred Oct. 22 ...

Plea deal possible for hit and run

The case against a Patterson woman accused of hitting a cyclist and leaving him to die on a Turlock road, will likely be settled with a plea deal. The victim's father, Jim O'Connor, said the family has been told a plea bargain is in the works for 22-year-old Vanessa Carrillo that will likely include a jail sentence of one year. "I fear that she will spend a lot less time in jail, ...

Theft conviction for former insurance agent

A former Hughson insurance agent, who was accused of bilking her clients, has been convicted of theft of fiduciary funds. Martha Jane Terry, 63, was convicted of one felony count of fiduciary theft by an insurance agent or broker. Terry was originally facing 33 felony counts of grand theft, embezzlement and theft of fiduciary funds. A Stanislaus County Superior Court judge sentenced Terry last week to serve 120 days in jail and ...

Search for shooting suspect continues

The teenager identified as the prime suspect responsible for shooting two people remains on the loose. The Turlock Police Department continues to search for Manuel Maldonado Jr., 19, of Turlock. Maldonado is wanted for the attempted murder of a 26-year-old man and a male teenager. He is considered armed and dangerous. Both victims were shot outside a home in the 600 block of Chestnut Street on the morning of Oct. 22. <p ...

Hit and run collision critically injures one

Sheriff SWAT wins award

Members of the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office Special Weapons and Tactics Team recently participated in a multi-agency training exercise designed to challenge the skills, knowledge and abilities of tactical teams. Hosted by Alameda County Sheriff Greg Ahern and organized with the assistance of federal, state and local public safety partnerships, Urban Shield brought together 31 teams from all over California, the United States, Israel and the Kingdom of Jordan. Urban Shield is a one-of-a-kind ...

K-9 trials

The Modesto Police Department K-9 Unit will host the 29th Annual K-9 trials on from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today. The competition will be held at Tuolumne River Regional Park, located at 1198 Tioga Dr., in Modesto. The Western States Police Canine Association sanctions this competition, which will feature approximately 35 K-9 law enforcement teams from throughout California. This is the end of the year trial and competitors will be vying for ...

Four charged with abalone violation

A Denair man was among four individuals arrested in Mendocino for exceeding an abalone limit. Bobby Dean Tickner, 51, of Denair was arrested along with Rudy Bart Acosta, 43, of Hickman, Ernest Ruiz Jr., 37, of Waterford and Ruben Meza, 39, of Vacaville. The men were arrested at a Fort Bragg motel after Mendocino County Sheriff's deputies arrived to investigate a sexual assault complaint. The alleged victim of the sexual assault declined ...

Two arrested for fast food robbery

A 21-year-old man and a 16-year-old boy were arrested Tuesday night for a robbery at a Turlock Jack in the Box. The fast food restaurant at 1951 Lander Ave. was robbed around 11 p.m. Tuesday. According to the Turlock Police Department, two masked suspects entered the store, jumped over the counter and stole an undisclosed amount of cash. The two suspects fled in a vehicle onto northbound Highway 99, but were ...

Delhi man faces murder charge for shooting son

The preliminary hearing for a Delhi man accused of shooting to death his son is slated to begin mid-November. Daniel McDonald, 67, has been held in custody at the Merced County Jail since his arrest on April 9, for the death of his 46-year-old son Donald McDonald. McDonald is facing a charge of first-degree murder. The preliminary hearing, which is being held to determine if there is enough evidence to hold ...

Man crashes car into brother

Sibling rivalry took a violent turn Wednesday in Delhi when a man caused a vehicle to crash through his brother's home, trapping him in the rubble for nearly a half hour, the Merced County Sheriff's Department reported. The victim, a 38-year-old man, sustained unspecified injuries and was being treated at Emanuel Medical Center, said sheriff spokesman Deputy Tom MacKenzie. The suspect, Gene Hinds, 40, was taken into custody soon after the event ...