Archive By Section - Crime
Puppies shot and killed; police seek culprits
The Merced County Sheriff's Department is searching for the person who gunned down two puppies in Hilmar on Thursday.
Robber targets delivery driver
A delivery truck driver making his rounds at the Dairyland market in Hilmar was robbed at gunpoint.
Maximum DUI enforcement for fair
The Stanislaus County Avoid the 12 campaign against drunken driving will be conducting extra patrols and a checkpoint during the run of the Stanislaus County Fair.
Convenience store robbed
The Turlock Police Department is seeking the two men responsible for an armed robbery of a convenience store early Thursday morning.
Local businesses shafted by accused arsonist, restaurant owner
The chances of ever eating one of the Red Steer's locally renowned French dip sandwiches again took a nose dive on Tuesday when co-owner Tracy Smith was arrested for check fraud.
Suspect arrested for 2008 slaying
Nearly nine months after a man was found stabbed to death in a Turlock apartment complex, the Turlock Police Department has made an arrest in the case.
Red Steer owner charged with check fraud
Tracy Smith, the co-owner of the Red Steer restaurant implicated in the arson fire that gutted the Turlock eatery, was arrested again on Tuesday for check fraud.
Developmentally disabled man’s body found at Fox Grove
The body of a developmentally disabled man reported missing by his family on Monday was found Tuesday morning at a popular Hughson fishing hole.
Suspected drunk driving accident claims one life
One woman was killed and four others injured in a two vehicle collision that sent one vehicle plunging off the southbound Highway 99 embankment at Monte Vista Avenue, just after midnight Sunday.
Accident seriously injures one
A Modesto woman suffered a broken leg from a two vehicle collision Friday in Turlock. The accident occurred just before 8 a.m. in the area of N. Golden State Boulevard and Taylor Road. The names of the people involved in the wreck were not released. Turlock Police Lt. Jeff Lopes said a Lincoln Navigator was traveling eastbound on Taylor, when the 37-year-old male driver allowed the vehicle to drift into oncoming traffic. Coming westbound on ...
Bomb threat empties store
A call claiming a bomb had been placed inside the Turlock Wal-Mart resulted in a store evacuation, but no bomb was found, according to the Turlock Police Department.
Phony deputies try to get into house
A man and a woman posing as Stanislaus County sheriff's deputies tried to gain entrance into a Turlock residence, but fled when asked for identification.
Search warrants served in Delhi
Six people were arrested Tuesday in Delhi as part of an ongoing burglary investigation by the Merced County Sheriff's Department.
Livingston man arrested for sex acts with pre-teen
A 26-year-old Livingston man is under arrest on suspicion of child molestation. Hermino Martinez is suspected of having sexual relations with a 12-year-old Winton girl he considered his girlfriend, according to the Merced County Sheriff's Department. Martinez was arrested Monday afternoon in the 2900 block of Olive Avenue in Atwater. Martinez thought he was on his way to meet the 12-year-old girl, but instead found Detective Alex Barba and Deputy Ralph Zyskowski waiting for him, ...
Two drunk driving cases land man in prison
A Turlock man who has an admitted history of drunken driving, was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison for two cases of driving under the influence.
Articles by Section - Crime
Second victim identified in Hughson homicide; questions remain
The second man found inside a burned vehicle in Hughson has been identified, but little information about the double homicide has been released. The Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department identified the second man as 19-year-old Camilo Angulo of Hughson. The first victim was previously identified as Guillermo Zavala Guitron, 19. The two 19-year-olds were found Sept. 4 in a Toyota that had been set on fire and left in an orchard near E. ...
U.S. Army refuses to produce ‘key’ witness in Merenda murder trial
As the trial of a Turlock man accused of killing his romantic rival moves closer to finishing, the likelihood that a key witness will be taking the stand seems to be vanishing. Darren Merenda, 32, is on trial for the 2009 slaying of 34-year-old Donnie Futch of Hughson during a fight outside a Turlock apartment complex. Around 3:30 a.m. Sept. 12, 2009, Merenda and Futch agreed to meet in the parking lot of ...
Burglars alert sheriff of child pornography stash
Two burglars who thought they had stolen blank CDs to record music on, instead found multiple child pornographic images on the discs and helped the Merced County Sheriff's Department investigators find the man believed to have downloaded the images. Kraig Stockard, 54, of Delhi was booked into the Merced County Jail on charges of possessing child pornography. Sheriff spokesman Deputy Tom MacKenzie said investigators have uncovered thousands of pornographic images and movies ...
Murder trial underway; defense argues death was fight gone wrong
The trial of a Turlock man accused of stabbing to death a romantic rival began Wednesday in Stanislaus County Superior Court with a key witness in the wind. Darren Merenda, 32, is on trial for the 2009 slaying of 34-year-old Donnie Futch of Hughson. In charging Merenda with first-degree murder, the prosecution believes Merenda met Futch in a darkened alley outside his apartment complex with the intention of killing him. The defense, ...
Off-duty police officer shoots at truck
An off-duty law enforcement officer was involved in a shooting early Friday morning, but there were no injuries, reported the Turlock Police Department. At approximately 2:53 a.m. Friday, Turlock Police officers responded to a call of shots fired in the 2000 block of Waring Road. Once on scene, investigators found an off-duty police officer who said he fired his weapon at a truck that was coming toward him. The off-duty officer told investigators ...
Road rage defendant back in jail
What was intended to be a simple arraignment hearing for a Turlock man accused of a fatal road rage beating, ended with the defendant in handcuffs when a bondsman requested he be surrendered into custody. Defendant Michael Hoyt was unexpectedly taken into custody Monday when Los Angeles bondsman Vincent Ebarb came into town and called the bail due. Hoyt is facing a charge of second-degree murder for the death of 68-year-old Hilmar ...
Crime Stoppers coming to Merced County
The nationally recognized Crime Stoppers program is expanding to Merced County. Crime Stoppers is a confidential system that pays rewards to people who provide information that leads to the arrest of wanted criminals. Suspect and case information is profiled on a regular basis in local media. In Stanislaus County, Crime Stoppers has been in operation for five years and as to date, has tallied up 281 captures. Patrick Lunney, chief investigator ...
Turlock man faces life in prison for attempted murder
A Turlock man was convicted of attempted murder and assault with a firearm for two separate incidents in January and March 2010, announced Stanislaus County District Attorney Birgit Fladager on Friday. Ivan Alejandro Zamora Blanco, 37, of Turlock, was convicted on Sept. 13 of attempted murder with premeditation, personal use and intentional discharge of a firearm, assault with a firearm, and assault with a semiautomatic ...
Drug trafficker given prison sentence
The last member of a Turlock drug ring that was responsible for distributing large amounts of crystal methamphetamine in the area was sentenced to federal prison Friday. Noel Castillo, 38, of Turlock was sentenced to five years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, the U.S. Department of Justice reported. Castillo was convicted in federal court of conspiring to distribute crystal methamphetamine and possession of crystal methamphetamine with the intent ...
Sweep nabs drug suspects
A search warrant issued for a home in the 100 block of G Street in Turlock led to the arrest of three people, the recovery of a stolen handgun, and the seizure of various narcotics. The search warrant was served shortly before noon Thursday by the Turlock Police Department's Narcotics Enforcement Team. TPD's detectives and agents with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency were also at the scene, said police spokesman Sgt. Nino ...
Husband wounded in home invasion robbery
The Turlock Police Department is investigating a home invasion robbery that injured one man. The robbery was reported around 8:30 p.m. Monday at an apartment in the 1000 block of N. Olive Avenue. The two robbers broke into the residence armed with weapons, but the police department did not specify what kind of weapons. The residence was occupied by a husband and wife and the husband sustained a head injury during ...
Turlock men charged with copper heist
The Merced County Sheriff's Department's crackdown on metal thefts has nabbed two more suspects and this time the suspected thieves hail from Turlock. Just after 4 a.m. Friday, a deputy was on patrol in the area of Highway 140 and Tina Avenue, outside of Merced, when he noticed a small pickup coming off the canal bank. The deputy made a vehicle stop and found an estimated 300 feet of copper wire in ...
Local bail bonds owner faces kidnapping, extortion charges
A Modesto bail bondsman, his employee and one other individual were arrested Wednesday on a litany of criminal charges, including allegations they kidnapped individuals for the purpose of extortion. Aleo John Pontillo II, 40, the owner of AJ's Bail Bonds in Modesto, was taken into custody along with his bail agent Janelle Llorens, 27, and Mark David Davis, 49, by the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department after an arrest warrant was filed by the ...
Violent crime down across the state
A 2010 report on crime in California shows decreases in violent and property crimes across the state, but the news was less optimistic for Stanislaus County. The Crime in California report is compiled by the California Department of Justice and is based on data reported by police and sheriff's departments in all of California's 58 counties. The report shows there was a decrease in violent crime across the state for the fourth ...
Duo charged with copper theft in Delhi
About $2,000 worth of stolen copper wiring was recovered Monday in Delhi after a Merced County Sheriff's deputy pulled a suspect over for a traffic violation. Around 8:30 a.m. Monday Deputy Brian Miller spotted Leonard Rouse, 38, driving a Ford F150 in the area of Canal Drive and South Avenue in Delhi. The deputy recognized Rouse from prior contacts and knew he had a suspended license, said sheriff spokesman Deputy Tom MacKenzie. <p ...
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