Delhi woman admits to bank embezzlement

A Delhi woman who worked as an assistant bank branch manager has pled guilty to stealing funds from her former employer.

Sex offender sweep nets 22 arrests

The Merced County Sheriff's Department conducted a sweep of sex offenders, arresting 22 individuals for probation and registration violations. The intention of the sweep was to ensure that probationers, parolees and sex offenders were in compliance with the terms set forth in their release, said sheriff spokesman Deputy Tom MacKenzie.

Heightened DUI enforcement planned for St. Patrick’s Day

The Turlock Police Department is warning people out celebrating St. Patrick's Day to not rely on the luck of the Irish to get them home if they've been drinking.

Judge releases woman facing manslaughter charges

Despite the objections of the Stanislaus County District Attorney's Office and the victim's family, a Patterson woman accused of a felony hit and run that caused the death of a 27-year-old man, was released on her own recognizance Wednesday.

Baby thrown from speeding car

A baby thrown from a speeding car was rescued unscathed, but his teenaged parents are now facing charges of child abuse, according to the Merced County Sheriff's Department.

Rapper killed to benefit Norteño street gang, says DA

As the second week of testimony began in the murder trial of two men accused of gunning down a 26-year-old man at a Turlock barbecue, the prosecution presented evidence and testimony outlying a pattern of gang behavior that they say sparked the slaying.

Turlock man pleads guilty to sex charge

A Turlock man, who gained the confidence of young girls by posing as a teenager on social networking sites, has pled guilty to a charge of criminal sexual activity.

Online crime map for TPD

The Turlock Police Department has launched a new partnership with CrimeReports that will allow people information on where and what kind of crimes are happening in the area.

Faulty engine ends pursuit

A Delhi man is facing multiple criminal charges after leading Merced County Sheriff's deputies on a short high speed pursuit.

Authorities seek clues to missing woman’s location

The Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department is continuing to search for a missing Newman woman last seen in Turlock.

Traffic unit turns to Facebook

The Turlock Police Department Traffic Safety Unit has created a Facebook page to be used as a channel of communication with the public. The title of the page is "Turlock Police Traffic Safety Unit."

Zero tolerance for teen drivers on cell phones

Due to the increase in the number of traffic collisions caused by teen drivers illegally using cell phones, Central Valley law enforcement agencies are joining forces for a zero tolerance operation.

Carjacker sentenced to prison

A Turlock man, who shoved a child to the ground to help his brother steal a sports utility vehicle, has been convicted of carjacking.

Auto thief gets five years

A Bay Area man caught driving a stolen vehicle in Turlock, was sentenced to five years in prison on Feb. 25.

Officials warn of fire inspection scam

The Turlock Fire Department is warning area businesses to be on the lookout for con artists posing as fire inspectors and billing companies for fraudulent services.

Woman convicted for posing as Cardoza aide

An Atwater woman was found guilty Tuesday on allegation she falsely represented herself as a congressional aide for former Congressman Dennis Cardoza in a scheme to deceive clients of her tax consulting business. Susan Tomsha-Miguel, 52, was convicted of the sole count of impersonating an officer or employee of the United States. The jury deliberated for only 15 minutes before returning a guilty verdict, according to the Department of Justice. Tomsha-Miguel operated a ...

Court hears details of toddler's horrific death

A Turlock 2-year-old girl with cerebral palsy was kept in her crib and shut away in a filthy room with five cats and no food or water for three days before she was found dead by her mother - the woman now standing accused of her murder. Brandy Rose Lee Devine, 25, of Turlock is facing a murder charge for the death of her 2-year-old daughter Stephanie Torres, as well as a felony ...

Neighborly concern gets gunshot return

A Hilmar woman escaped a potentially deadly encounter unscathed after an armed man fired several shots at her Sunday morning. The suspect, 44-year-old Trinidad Ruesga, was apprehended hours later by the Merced County Sheriff's Department and remains in custody despite his failed escape attempt at the sheriff's department. The incident was put into motion several days prior to Sunday when Ruesga got into some type of altercation with individuals in the area ...

Delhi man ruled incompetent for trial in father’s slaying

A Delhi man facing a murder charge for the shooting of his father has been ruled too incompetent to stand trial. After hearing from two court-appointed psychologists, a Merced County judge ruled Tuesday that Jason Curtis Reed, 35, would not be able to assist in his own defense and should be committed to a state mental health facility. Reed's father, 67-year-old J.D. reed, was found shot to death on the morning of ...

Residents catch man breaking into vehicle

Three Turlock men helped the Turlock Police Department nab an auto burglary suspect after catching him in the act and chasing him for several blocks. The incident began at 4:19 p.m. Saturday when a caller reported a suspicious man in the parking lot of 1611 Lander Ave. According to the caller the man was walking up to the vehicles and checking for any open doors. The caller gave a detailed description of the ...

Man on stolen motorcycle injured in Sonora crash

A Turlock man was hospitalized after crashing a stolen motorcycle while trying to flee a California Highway Patrol officer in Sonora. Joshua Lankford, 26, was airlifted to Memorial Medical Center Saturday night after the 2007 Honda motorcycle he was driving crashed into the back of a car on Main Street in Sonora. Lankford was driving the motorcycle on Highway 49 when a CHP officer noticed he was traveling at an excessive speed ...

Arson charges for three women in Turlock fire

Women accused of setting fire at cheese factory

Fire erupts at former cheese plant

Three nabbed for gas station heists

Three people were arrested Monday in connection with a series of thefts at Turlock gas stations. The three individuals, identified as husband and wife Timothy and Brandi Drake, both 45 years old and from Turlock, and Gerald Rue, 40, of Keyes were charged with grand theft and felony vandalism for allegedly stealing the cash boxes from three gas station pay stations. The three thefts were reported at Arco stations on Fulkerth Road, ...

Woman admits to bilking $2 million through surrogate scheme

A former Hilmar resident has pleaded guilty to concocting a scheme that defrauded $2 million from prospective parents through her Modesto-based surrogate agency. Tonya Ann Collins, 37, entered her guilty plea Tuesday in federal court to four counts of wire fraud connected to Surrogenesis USA Inc. and the Michael Charles Independent Financial Holding Group. Surrogenesis was a surrogate and egg donation agency that marketed itself as assisting individuals in having children through ...

Trial set for Denair slaying

A Stanislaus County Superior Court judge has set an August trial date for the Denair teenager accused of stabbing her parents, leading to her father's death. On Wednesday Judge John Freeland ordered for the trial to begin Aug. 6 for 19-year-old Shanna Wills, who stands accused of murder for the death of her father, Kenneth Wills, and attempted murder for the attack on her mother, Susan Wills, on May 8, 2011. Wills ...

Turlock man charged with sexual assault of minor

The Turlock Police Department has arrested a 33-year-old man on allegations he sexually assaulted a minor for three years. Robert Daniel Gomes of Turlock was taken into custody Friday and booked into the Stanislaus County Jail on charges of continuous sexual abuse of a child, sodomy, oral copulation, and unlawful sexual intercourse. The sexual assault allegedly began three years ago when the victim was 13 years old. She is now 16 years ...

Delhi man gets seven years for fatal shooting

A Delhi man was sentenced to seven years in prison for an accidental shooting that killed his 17-year-old friend. Juan Carlos Gonzalez, 21, pleaded no contest on Jan. 29 to voluntary manslaughter with an enhancement for using a firearm as part of a plea deal reached with the Merced County District Attorney's Office. The charge stemmed from the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Delhi resident Saul Lopez at a party in the 22000 ...

Campus shooter scenario tests local agencies

The very scary scenario of a gunman terrorizing a school campus played out in safe surroundings Monday in a joint exercise between the Stanislaus County Office of Education and local law enforcement and emergency personnel. The exercise brought together education officials and personnel from the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department and American Medical Response and tested the multi-agency procedures and protocols that would be used in a major incident and evaluated how those strategies ...