Turlock hosts SWAT, critical response training

In one room was a distraught mother who had barricaded herself and her children and refused to come out. In another, two agitated men were holding a group hostage. And across town there was an active shooter roaming inside a factory.

Four suspects nabbed for two drive-by shootings

Four Delhi men were arrested Sunday on the suspicion that they shot at homes in Delhi and Turlock, according to the Merced County Sheriff's Department.

DUI enforcement for Halloween

Turlock Journal Staff reports The anti-drunk driving campaign, Avoid the 12, will be out if force for the upcoming Halloween celebration. "With Halloween falling on a Saturday this year, we want to make sure revelers aren't taking the party to the roadways, putting trick-or-treaters and responsible motorists at risk," said Turlock Traffic Sgt. Robert Lugo. "Law enforcement officers throughout the region will be out in full force arresting and removing drunk drivers from our road." ...

Woman faces child endangerment charges after fight

A Turlock woman was arrested for child endangerment and assault with a deadly weapon after she was seen by a Turlock Police officer ramming a vehicle with her van.

Armed suspect robs store

A Turlock convenience store was robbed at gunpoint early Sunday night. The robbery occurred at the AM/PM store in the 4700 block of Golden State Boulevard at 1:28 a.m. Sunday. The clerk at the store said a man entered the store wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and a white bandana over his face. The suspect was armed with a gun and took an undisclosed amount of cash from the register. There were no injuries reported. ...

Burglary suspects nabbed

A suspicious car parked in front of an industrial complex caught the attention of a Turlock Police officer and led to the arrest of two people and the recovery of stolen property.

SWAT training set for Saturday

If a train of SWAT vehicles comes rumbling down the road Saturday, there's no need to panic.

Teen injured in Delhi gang fight

A fight between two rival gangs in Delhi left a 15-year-old boy with multiple stab wounds. The teen was air-lifted to a Modesto hospital and is expected to recover from his injuries, Merced County Sheriff's spokesman Deputy Tom MacKenzie said. Merced County Sheriff's Deputy Patrick Heaney was on patrol in the area of Shanks Road and Darlington Avenue around 3:30 p.m. Monday when he was flagged down and told of a fight at the nearby ...

Drug conviction for Turlock man

A Turlock man was found guilty of drug possession following a five-day jury trial. Urbano Chavez, 48, was convicted of possession of methamphetamine, according to the Stanislaus County District Attorney's Office. Agents with the Merced Narcotics Task Force served a search warrant on Feb. 20, 2007, at the home of Chavez in Turlock. In the home, agents found five grams of methamphetamine located in a sock on the kitchen table as well as less than ...

Auto theft suspect nabbed

A Modesto man was arrested in Delhi for stealing a car and being under the influence of a controlled substance, the Merced County Sheriff's Department reported.

Heightened security at football game pays off

Before the first football was sent spiraling into the air at the Harvest Bowl Friday night a game plan was being put into place to make sure that all the action stayed on the field.

Woman found dead in park

A 39-year-old woman was found hanging in a Turlock playground Tuesday morning. The woman was identified by the Turlock Police Department as Rebecca Hilburn. The preliminary investigation indicates the death was a suicide, according to the police department. The body was discovered around 7:40 a.m. Tuesday in Summerfaire Park by a city worker, said Turlock Police Lt. Jeff Lopes. The woman was hanging from a piece of playground equipment, the police said. Summerfaire Park is ...

Heart attack caused death of jailed ex-deputy

An investigation by the Stanislaus County District Attorney's Office has ruled that the death of Craig Prescott while in the custody of the Stanislaus County Jail, was accidental and not the result of being shot with a Taser.

K-9 memorial dedicated to past officers

The Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department unveiled a new memorial Friday dedicated to their four-legged partners.

Delhi woman wounded by pit bull

A woman out for a walk with her dog was attacked by a pit bull in Delhi on Thursday morning. The 28-year-old woman was treated for several lacerations at Emanuel Medical Center. Some of the wounds were eight to four inches long, according to the Merced County Sheriff's Department. The victim was walking her dog in the area of Shanks Road and Letteau Avenue around 11:40 a.m. Thursday. She was walking through a vacant lot ...

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 ...

Mother charged with kidnapping; child found safe

A 10-year-old boy was returned safely to his grandparents and his mother is facing a kidnapping charge after police found the child hidden in her home. The 10-year-old was reported missing around 5:30 p.m. Monday by his grandparents, who have full custody of the child, Turlock Police Lt. Nino Amirfar said. The grandparents started to worry about the boy's whereabouts when he didn't return home from school. Investigators found out the ...

Police hunt for shooting suspect

The Turlock Police Department has identified a suspect in an early morning shooting that wounded two. Investigators have named Manuel Maldonado Jr., 19, of Turlock, as the prime suspect in the Saturday shooting. Maldonado is being sought on attempted murder charges and is considered armed and dangerous. The shooting occurred just before 5:30 a.m. in the 600 block of Chestnut Street. The two victims - a 26-year-old man and a male teenager ...