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.

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 ...

Shot fired at Oakdale officer leads to manhunt

Gun shots were fired at an Oakdale police officer on Tuesday afternoon, which resulted in a multi-agency dragnet and the eventual arrest of two suspects. No officers were hurt or struck by the gunfire and by the end of the evening, both suspects were in jail. Around 5:10 p.m. Tuesday Oakdale police received a call of suspicious subjects near the area of the alley in the 400 block of Dodge Avenue, near Birdwell ...

Shirtless man attacks pair in Delhi homeShirtless man attacks pair in Delhi home

Burglar caught in closet

A man allegedly breaking into a Turlock office to steal recyclable materials ended up trapped in a closet, the Turlock Police Department reported. Nathan Munoz, 27, was arrested for suspicion of commercial burglary. The office in the 400 block of Crane Avenue was broken into sometime before 4:30 a.m. Friday. Officers were called to the office after receiving a report of hearing noises coming from inside a closet. When officers arrived ...

Marijuana cookie hospitalizes one

A Turlock High School student who ate a marijuana-laced cookie had to be taken to an area hospital after she came down ill. The resulting investigation led to the arrest of two male students at the school, according to the Turlock Police Department. The girl willingly ate the cookie Wednesday morning and soon thereafter started feeling ill. She was taken by ambulance to the hospital for treatment. A school resource officer ...

Hilmar man injured in suspected DUI collision

A Hilmar man suffered major injuries in a crash caused by a suspected drunk driver. The Tuesday night crash near Coarsegood left two injured and one man under arrest, according to the California Highway Patrol. Keith Dion, 26, of Hilmar sustained serious injuries after his 2005 Ford Focus was hit head-on, the CHP reported. The collision happened shortly before 6:30 p.m. in the area of Gold Creek Road and Road 415. ...

Murder suspect found at Turlock shelter

A Modesto man wanted for stabbing a man to death was arrested Wednesday at a Turlock homeless shelter. The Modesto Police Department had issued an arrest warrant for Francisco Hernandez Gonzales, 50, for the murder of 55-year-old Trinidad Cordero, the longtime boyfriend of Gonzales' sister. Cordero died from multiple stab wounds that he received the morning of Jan. 12 at the Redwoods apartment complex on Yosemite Boulevard in Modesto. According to the ...

Contractors bust four in Valley sting operation

A sting operation by the Contractors State License Board resulted in the arrest of four individuals for conducting business without a valid contractor's license, including three individuals in Merced County.

Police arrest 3 teens for stabbing; DA declines prosecution

Turlock Police investigators have arrested three teenagers they believe were responsible for stabbing three people at a New Year's Eve party, but the Stanislaus County District Attorney's Office has declined to file charges at this time. In the last week detectives arrested 19-year-old Dominic Goodwin of Turlock, 18-year-old Zachary Placido of Turlock and a 16-year-old Turlock boy. All three were arrested for suspicion of attempted homicide, according to Turlock Police spokesperson Officer Mayra ...

Homicide suspects found at Turlock home

In a coordinated effort between the Turlock Police Department, the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department and the U.S. Marshalls Office, two men wanted for a Modesto murder were apprehended in Turlock Friday night. One suspect, identified as 20-year-old Kraig Palacio of Modesto, was apprehended shortly before midnight Friday at a home in the 200 block of Clifford Avenue, sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Anthony Bejaran said. Palacio had been named as a person of interest ...

Second arrest made in fatal hit and run

Turlock Police have made a second arrest in the fatal hit and run collision that resulted in the death of a Delhi woman. Investigators arrested Natasha Titsworth, 20, of Delhi as an accessory after the fact, Turlock Police spokesperson Officer Mayra Lewis said. Titsworth was the registered owner of the Chevy Malibu involved in the collision that killed 18-year-old Taylor Vessel on Nov. 3, 2012. Titsworth was seen in a surveillance video ...

Ceres man admits to robbing Turlock, Modesto banks

A Ceres man has pled guilty to four counts of bank robbery, including two in Turlock. Michael Torres entered his guilty plea Wednesday in federal court to four counts of armed bank robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, according to the department of justice. Torres pleaded guilty to robbing the following banks: · U.S. Bank, 3501 Tully Road, Modesto, on May 27, 2010; · Rabobank, ...

Man taken hostage at bus stop

A 21-year-old man was arrested for aggravated assault after briefly taking a man hostage at a Turlock bus stop Friday night. Turlock Police officers first contacted Ricardo Correa around 5 p.m. Friday at a bus stop at Crowell Road and Monte Vista Avenue, after receiving complaints of a man creating a disturbance. Initially Correa was compliant with the officers, but turned hostile as they were leaving, according to the police report. Correa ...

Man stabbed during brawl

A Turlock man suffered severe stab wounds during a fight Friday night involving about eight individuals. The injured man sustained serious wounds and was being treated at a local hospital, according to the Turlock Police Department. The fight was reported shortly before 11 p.m. Friday in the 1900 block of Geer Road. As officers arrived most of the individuals involved in the fight fled. Police believe at least eight suspects were ...