Archive By Section - Crime
Deputies chase drunk suspect through Hilmar
A suspected drunken driver led Merced County Sheriff deputies on a high speed chase through Hilmar early Tuesday and ended up being apprehended as he and his three passengers tried to hide on a rural piece of property.
Youth soccer embezzler gets two years in prison
Anita Ybarra, the Keyes woman convicted of stealing several thousands of dollars from the Turlock Youth Soccer Association, was sentenced to two years in prison Monday in Stanislaus County Superior Court.
Marijuana bust at Delhi trailer
A report of trespassing and possible utility theft, led Merced county Sheriff's deputies to a large scale marijuana grow operating out of a Delhi home.
Sheriff warns of phony detective trying to get personal data
The Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department is warning to be on the lookout for a man impersonating a detective with the department.
Fire fighter victim of auto burglary
Two Turlock men landed in jail Friday morning on the suspicion they broke into a vehicle at the Turlock Rural Fire Department.
New online options for sheriff’s department
In an effort to improve their public access and efficiency, the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department has launched a new Web site that will allow for online reporting of some crimes.
Man jailed for golf cart thefts
The mystery of the disappearing golf carts from the Turlock Golf and Country Club came to a likely close Dec. 24, with the arrest of a suspect in the thefts.
Gun discharge lands three in jail
Three Ballico men started the New Year off by sitting in a Merced County Jail cell for shooting a gun into the air.
County sees increase in DUI arrests
The campaign to take drunken drivers off the road during the busy holiday season saw an increase in the number of arrests, according to the latest figures released by the Turlock Police Department.
Proactive policing key to 2010 success
The Journal asked Turlock Police Chief Gary Hampton to look back at 2010 and ahead for 2011. The following is his perspective on the city's past and future. Q. What successes did the Turlock Police Department have last year?
Protecting the community, despite devastating cuts
The Journal asked Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson to look back at 2010 and ahead for 2011. The following is his perspective on the county's past and future. Q. What successes did the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department have last year?
Teen arrested for beating up younger brother
A sibling argument turned serious when a 13-year-old Winton girl hit her 12-year-old brother hard enough to send him to the hospital.
Undersheriff retires
Stanislaus County Undersheriff William "Bill" Heyne will be retiring from the sheriff's department on Jan. 4, 2011, it was announced this week.
DUI offenders face stiff penalties
Drunk or high drivers charged with Driving Under the Influence face steep, state-mandated penalties – even for first-time offenders.
Avoid the 12 agencies conduct first ever ignition interlock device compliance check
Local law enforcement agencies are making a statement: If you drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, you will be caught and convicted. And once convicted, you will be held accountable for the terms of your court-ordered probation.
Articles by Section - Crime
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 ...
Local men found guilty of burning woman to death
The final two defendants standing accused of kidnapping and burning a woman to death over a drug debt were found guilty by a Merced County jury last week. Urbana Ortega, 27, of Livingston was convicted of first-degree murder with the special circumstances of torture and kidnapping for the death of Rosa Avina in 2007. A guilty verdict was also returned for Omar Cebrero, 21, of Turlock, who was convicted of first-degree murder ...
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