The Sacramento County Sheriff's Department announced today that two people have been arrested in connection with the death of a man whose body was found 10 days ago in his burned apartment in the Arden Arcade area.

Stacey Perryman (left photo), 43, and Bryan Denton (center photo), 49, were taken into custody about 5 p.m. Friday at a hotel in Bakersfield. Both were booked on suspicion of murder and are being held without bail, according to a Sheriff's Department news release.

Shortly after 5 p.m. May 20, sheriff's deputies responded to a burned apartment in the 200 block of Selby Ranch Road. Stephen Sieck, 60, was found dead inside the apartment, and investigators determined that his vehicle was missing. The vehicle was located in Kern County on May 23.

Donations to cover medical costs for a Sacramento police dog shot in the line of duty earlier this month have come from the local community and around the world.

The Sacramento Police Department and Sacramento Police K9 Association expressed their thanks for the public's support, including contributions of approximately $30,000 toward police K9 Bodie's stay at a Rancho Cordova veterinary hospital. The funds will help offset an estimated $25,000 in medical bills, according to a Police Department news release.

Bodie (pictured) was shot May 18 by a suspect who was attempting to flee from officers. He spent eight days in the VCA Sacramento Veterinary Referral Center, where he received 24-hour care from a team of surgeons and veterinarians who repaired his injured jaw and paw.

The Yuba County Sheriff's Department has recovered the body of an 18-year-old Lincoln man from the waters of Camp Far West Lake.

Sheriff's spokesman Lt. Damon Gil said a California Highway Patrol helicopter crew that had been called in to assist in the search spotted the body of Spencer Loper about 10:13 this morning in what is known as the overflow area near the lake's north shore.

Gil said Loper and friends arrived at the lake Saturday and spent the night in a campground. Friends reported seeing him about 2 a.m. Sunday, but when they awoke later that morning, he was gone. They initially thought he had left on his own, and Gil said the Sheriff's Department wasn't notified that he was missing until Tuesday.

The Sacramento County Probation Department announced that it recently recovered its 200th stolen vehicle using automated license plate reader technology.

Of the 200 vehicles located and recovered in Sacramento County, 43 percent were Hondas, 11 percent were Toyotas and 8 percent were Fords, according to a Probation Department news release. The recovered vehicles were typically older models, and a majority were taken by offenders who used keys that have been shaved down to start the vehicles, officials said.

The Probation Department in April 2010 equipped two vehicles with automated license plate reader technology, which uses cameras mounted on cars to automatically scan and cross-match license plates against a statewide list of stolen vehicles. More than 3,000 license plates are analyzed an hour while probation officers conduct routine caseload supervision in the county. Officials said the Sacramento County department is the only probation agency in California that uses the system.

A 21-year-old student at California State University, Sacramento, was arrested this morning after he allegedly punched a female staff member as he rode by her on his bicycle.

Cpl. Jeff Solomon of the CSUS Police Department said the incident occurred about 9:40 a.m. between the campus bookstore and the University Union. Police located a man matching the description of the bicyclist about 10 minutes later at a nearby bridge over the American River. He was identified as Victor Vazquez.

Solomon said Vazquez acknowledged that he struck the woman, but offered no explanation as to why he did it. Police said it did not appear that the woman was specifically targeted and she was not seriously injured. There have been no reports of similar incidents on campus.

Vazquez was booked into Sacramento County Jail on suspicion of misdemeanor battery.

A 17-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of cruelty to animals in connection with an incident earlier this month in which a cat was set on fire in West Sacramento.

On May 2, a citizen reported a cat was on fire in the 100 block of Circle Street. Yolo County Animal Control officers responded and took the cat to the UC Davis Veterinary Hospital for treatment. The cat was later euthanized because of the severity of the burns.

Police said veterinarians treating the cat determined that an accelerant may have been used to set the cat on fire.

There were no witnesses on scene and no one came for ward with information, but police said the detective assigned to the case was able to establish leads that led to the teenager's arrest this morning.

A Sacramento Superior Court jury today convicted one man of murder and acquitted another in the Feb. 20, 2011, shooting death of Chester Jackson outside the International House of Pancakes in North Natomas.

The panel found Marcus Jamal Davis, 27, (left photo), the purported shooter in the 2:40 a.m. killing of the 27-year-old Jackson, guilty of first degree murder. The same jury returned a not-guilty verdict against Robert Earl Lucas, 31, (right photo), who had been charged under a theory of aiding and abetting the shooter.

Davis and Lucas, both of whom are from Vallejo, had come to Sacramento the night of the incident to go bowling. When the alley closed, they went to the restaurant in the 2900 block of Advantage Lane. According to videotapes taken inside the restaurant and shown at the trial, Davis, who was severely inebriated, argued with members of the Jackson group who also came to the IHOP for a late-night meal.

When the argument moved outside the restaurant, shots rang out and one of the bullets fatally wounded Jackson, a prospective mechanic who also was the father of two young children. The two defendants drove off in Lucas' vehicle after the shooting.

The Sacramento County Coroner's office has released the name of the teen killed on a Rosemont street on Monday.

He was identified today as Joshua Baker, 18, of Sacramento. Baker died in a local hospital from a gunshot wound to the head after a large street fight took place Monday in the 2900 block of Norcade Circle.

Officer responded to an 11:50 a.m. call where it was reported that about 30 people were involved in a street fight.

Officers arrived on the scene to find the wounded teen and about 20 people standing by.

The cause of the street fight is still under investigation, and it was not clear whether the fight was gang related, Ramos said. However, detectives suspect that Baker fired a gun at some point during the altercation, and a gun that detectives believe Baker used was recovered from the scene, Ramos said.

This post was updated by Bee staff writer Kim Minugh.

A gang awareness symposium is scheduled for Thursday in the Rosemont neighborhood.

The Sacramento County Sheriff's Department's Youth Services Unit will host the gathering, which is set for 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Albert Einstein Middle School, 9325 Mirandy Drive.

The meeting will include an overview of gangs in the area, the consequences of gang violence, details on the Rosemont Community Association's graffiti abatement program and information on the Sheriff's Activities League.

A former Sacramento police officer accused of filing false police reports and then lying about it has been ordered to stand trial.

Sacramento Superior Court Judge Patrick Marlette issued the holding order Tuesday on Brandon Michael Mullock, 27, on 23 counts of filing false police reports and 11 counts of perjury.

Marlette ordered Mullock back into court on June 8 to set a trial date.

A liquor store owner is in Lodi jail today after shooting an alleged shoplifter in the shoulder.

Lodi police arrested Gurminder "Gary" Parmar on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon in the shooting of Christopher Driggers, a member of the Army.

Police said Driggers, 21, entered Tokay Liquors about 9:30 p.m. Tuesday night to buy some beer. However, police said that Parmar questioned whether Driggers had proper identification to purchase the beer.

PHOTO CAPTION: Gurminder "Gary" Parmar

An inmate at California State Prison, Sacramento will do additional time after being convicted by a jury for possession of an inmate-manufactured weapon.

Joe Nathan Taylor was sentenced by Sacramento Superior Court Judge Timothy Frawley to 26 years to life prison.

During a search, Taylor was found to have concealed a weapon in his waistband, according to a Sacramento County District Attorney's Office news release. The weapon was made out of a melted CD case, sharpened to a point, and measured 5 inches long.

According to the DA's Office, Taylor's criminal history spans more than 25 years and includes convictions for robbery and sex crimes. Officials said he also has been the subject of numerous disciplinary actions while in prison, with violations including mutual combat, willfully inciting others in force and violence, battery on a correctional officer and possession of dangerous contraband.

Bee reporters answer questions about area crime news, trends and other issues.

QUESTION: What happened with the sexual assault case in Roseville against the CHP officer? His name was Wayne Alger and I think it was 2007 or 2008.
Submitted by: Tim, West Sacramento

ANSWER: According to a story in The Bee, Wayne Robert Alger pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of molesting children and one count of possessing child pornography.

He was sentenced in September 2009 to one year in the Placer County jail and five years of formal probation. He also is required to register as a sex offender for life.

Alger was a California Highway Patrol sergeant assigned to the CHP's Capitol Protection Section before his arrest by Rocklin police in October 2008.

He was accused of molesting two girls. The younger of the two was 12 and 13 years old when she was molested in 2007 at Alger's Roseville home. He was a friend of the girl's family.

The other victim, a 16-year-old girl, was molested at Alger's home in July 2008.

The prosecutor said at the time of the sentencing that the offenses that could be proved did not amount to felony conduct.

A new digital photo enforcement camera has been installed at 16th and W streets in Sacramento and is scheduled to go "live" at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday.

For a period of 30 days, red-light violators will be mailed a warning notice. Beginning at 12:01 a.m. June 29, motorists who run red lights at the intersection will receive a citation, which will include a referral to a website where the violator can view still and/or video images of the violation. The violator should be able to clearly see where his or her vehicle was in relation to the intersection's limit line, and the green, yellow and red lights, according to a news release from the Sacramento Metropolitan Red Light Photo Enforcement Detail.

Officials report up to a 76 percent reduction in red-light-related crashes at city and county intersections with photo-enforcement since the program was implemented. They also report a 28 percent reduction in such crashes at all signal-controlled intersections within the city and county of Sacramento.

Firefighters have contained a fire in the attic of the VA Dental Clinic at McClellan Park.

Assistant Chief Walt White of the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District said the clinic staff had experienced problems with a light ballast earlier in the day. Firefighters were called to the clinic at 5401 Arnold Ave. at 6:04 p.m. and discovered a fire in the attic. White said the fire resulted from some type of electrical problem and probably had been smoldering for a while.

He said crews remain on scene doing overhaul work, including removing ceiling tile to make sure the fire has been extinguished.

Sacramento area law enforcement agencies report that arrests for driving under the influence during the Memorial Day weekend were up this year, but no deaths were attributed to drugged or drunken drivers.

From 12:01 a.m. Friday through midnight Monday, officers representing 17 county law enforcement agencies arrested 137 individuals for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, according to a news release. In 2011, 74 DUI arrests occurred during the Memorial Day weekend. No deaths were reported during the four-day special enforcement period this year, compared with one alcohol-related death last year, officials said.

Special enforcement activities included a sobriety checkpoint and a DUI saturation patrol. Officers on routine patrol also focused on impaired drivers.

Two dogs were shot and killed after they reportedly charged a Sacramento police officer arresting a suspect this afternoon.

Police Department spokesman Sgt. Andrew Pettit said two officers were following up on general narcotics activities at 2:18 p.m. when they detained two suspects, a man and a woman. He said the woman had injuries that reportedly were inflicted by another man, her boyfriend, who as at a nearby residence in the 4200 block of Y Street.

Officers went to the residence, and one officer went into the back yard to contact the man, who was also suspected of narcotics activity. While in the back yard, the officer was charged by three dogs, described as pit bull/bulldog-type breeds, Pettit said. The officer, fearing for his safety, fired at the dogs, killing two of them. Pettit said the third dog was not shot and was later isolated.

The two male suspects were taken into custody, and the woman was taken to an area hospital for treatment of the injuries believed to have resulted from domestic violence.

With temperatures expected to climb into the 90s this week, the Sacramento Police Department reminds residents to take measures to safeguard their homes during summer.

Although it may be tempting to go to bed with windows an doors open, this can be an invitation to burglars looking for easy and quiet access to a home. Police recommend closing and locking doors and windows before retiring for the night.

A recent increase in nighttime burglaries to second-story apartments, particularly in the South Natomas area, also has been reported. Residents of upstairs apartments often have a false sense of security, police said.

Anyone with information regarding the break-ins is asked to call the Sacramento Police Department's Dispatch Center at (916) 264-5471 or Crime Alert at (916) 443-4357, or text a tip to 274637. Enter SACTIP followed by the tip information. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

A death row inmate has committed suicide at San Quentin, according to California prison officials.

James Lee Crummel, 68, on death row since 2004 for killing a 13-year-old boy, was found hanging in his cell. He was pronounced dead at 4:20 p.m. Sunday.

Crummel was sentenced to death by a Riverside County jury on July 9, 2004 for the 1979 kidnapping, sexual abuse and murder of James Wilfred Trotter. The teen disappeared on his way to school.

A mother and father admitted today to second-degree murder charges in the Aug. 20, 2009, beating death of their 22-month old son.

Theresa Harper, 27, and Paul Gappo Harper, 31, entered their pleas on the day that attorneys had been scheduled to deliver their opening statements to two juries that had been empaneled in Sacramento Superior Court.

They were charged in the killing of Paul G. Harper Jr., who Deputy District Attorney Chris Ore said in court today had been severely battered the day that paramedics responded to their home on South Avenue in the Del Paso Heights area.

A Sacramento man was arrested Monday on suspicion of battery against his girlfriend and for kicking a police dog.

Officers were called to the home in the 2700 block of 18th Avenue near Franklin Boulevard about 6 p.m. Monday where a woman said she had been assaulted by her boyfriend. She also said he took her cell phone.

When police arrived, officers said Clifton J. Allison, 20, the boyfriend, fled from the rear of the home. Police dog Brig was deployed to bring Allison into custody.

Allison kicked Brig and ran back inside the home, according to a police activity log. He was later arrested on suspicion of grand theft, battery, domestic violence, resisting arrest and interfering with a police dog.

About 15 students could face disciplinary action after school officials say they were caught red-handed executing a senior prank.

The students are suspected of spray-painting exterior walls and dumping dirt and debris in the driveway of Foothill High School, 5000 McCloud Drive, in the Twin Rivers Unified School District.

The Foothill High students were caught in the act early this morning by district police on regular patrol. The students were made to clean the driveway, a district spokeswoman said.

The graffiti vandalism will be cleaned from the walls. A decision is pending on possible disciplinary action.

The Sacramento County Coroner's office has released the name of the pitchfork-wielding man who was shot and killed Monday by a sheriff's deputy.

The coroner identified the man as Nikolay Pugach, 40, of North Highlands.

A press release from the Sacramento County Sheriff's department stated that deputies were called to a home in the 6800 block of Weddigen Way in North Highlands about 2 p.m. Monday to sort out an altercation between neighbors.

By Edward Ortiz and Charles Piller
eortiz@sacbee.com

An 18-year-old man died in a local hospital from a gunshot wound to the head after a large street fight took place Monday in the 2900 block of Norcade Circle, said Sacramento County sheriff's Deputy Jason Ramos.

Officer responded to an 11:50 a.m. call where it was reported that about 30 people where involved in a street fight.

Several shots were fired soon after the call. Officers arrived on the scene to encounter the wounded teen and roughly 20 individuals standing by. The victim, who died several hours later, has not yet been identified.

A car and a home were also struck by gunfire in the incident, Ramos said.

The cause of the street fight is still under investigation, and it was not clear whether the fight was gang related, Ramos said.

"An initial canvass of the neighborhood yielded no significant information regarding a suspect (or suspects), and it was not immediately known what the motivation for the shooting was," according to Ramos.

The Sheriff's Department has asked anyone with information about the fight or shooting to call (916) 874-5115 or (916) 443-4357, or send a text message tip to 274637, then enter "SACTIP" and the pertinent information.

Tipsters can remain anonymous and might qualify for a reward of up to $1,000.

By Edward Ortiz and Charles Piller
eortiz@sacbee.com

A Sacramento County Sheriff's deputy fatally shot a pitchfork-wielding man Monday afternoon in North Highlands.

Deputies responded to a 2 p.m. call from a woman, who alleged that an argument had taken place with the victim in her yard in the 6800 block of Weddigen Way in North Highlands. She said the victim had assaulted of one of the home's occupants, said Sacramento Sheriff's Deputy Jason Ramos.

When deputies arrived, the man had returned to his home. As officers knocked on his front door, he allegedly appeared from behind a garage door with a pitchfork in his hand, Ramos said.

"The victim began advancing very aggressively toward the officers," Ramos said, and they ordered him to "stop and drop the pitchfork."

"While backing away from the subject in an attempt to create a safe distance between them," a female deputy "lost her footing and fell to the ground," Ramos said.

When the subject continued to advance," the other deputy - a male officer and 16-year veteran of the department - shot him several times in the upper body, Ramos said. Paramedics pronounced the man dead at the scene, despite life-saving efforts by the deputies. Neither the names of the deputies or the shooting victim have been released.

The deputy who fired the fatal shots will be placed on administrative leave during an investigation by the Sheriff's Department.

By Edward Ortiz
eortiz@sacbee.com

A Sacramento County-wide crackdown for the Memorial Day weekend has resulted in the arrest of 111 individuals driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs since Friday, authorities said. That number is a significant rise in arrests compared to the 55 DUI arrests made in 2011 during the same period.

The holiday weekend crackdown is being enforced by 17 county law enforcement agencies and the crackdown will continue through midnight Monday.

No alcohol-related driving fatalities have been reported this weekend, said Officer Brian Fritsch of the Citrus Heights Police Department, one of the agencies participating in the crackdown. Last year one alcohol-related fatality was reported.

The crackdown in Sacramento County netted the second-most DUI arrests statewide among the law enforcement agencies participating in the holiday crackdown. Orange County's crackdown resulted in 135 DUI arrests, so far, since Friday.

By Stephen Magagnini

Sheriff's deputies have arrested a 27-year-old man found with a 13-year-old girl missing from a group home earlier this month.

The girl left the group home in the 3000 block of Subaru Court on May 7, and was believed to be having an intimate relationship with Armando Juanico Rivera.

On Sunday night, shortly before 10 p.m., sheriff's deputies found the two at a movie theater on Ethan Way. Rivera was arrested and booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail on a charge of committing a lewd act with a child under the age of fourteen.

The girl was placed with Sacramento County authorities in a local receiving facility, said Sheriff's spokesman Deputy Jason Ramos. Rivera is being held on $100,000 bail, Ramos said.