El Dorado County Sheriff's deputies investigate metal thefts

From David Richie:

Sheriff's deputies in El Dorado County continue their investigations of several incidents related to thefts of machinery or equipment containing copper and other precious metals. Construction storage areas, rooftop air conditioning equipment and parked vehicles all are being targeted.

An office manager at a building in El Dorado Hills contacted the sheriff's office last week after she tried to turn on the building's air conditioning system for the first time this year. Nothing happened. When employees investigated, they discovered that during the past few months someone got up on the roof and ripped apart the air conditioner to get at its copper components. The estimated cost to repair the damage is in excess of $5,000.

On Sunday, a man told deputies that he had left his Jeep Wrangler parked near Newtown Road and Fort Jim Road on April 13 with a "for sale" sign in the window. When he went back to check it on Sunday, he noticed that the engine sounded very loud. Someone had crawled under the vehicle to cut out his catalytic converter.

The catalytic converter thieves were especially active last month, striking in broad daylight in El Dorado Hills. Several vehicles were hit in the Blue Shield office parking lot and outside Nugget in the Town Center complex.

Report: Game-buying encounter turns violent

From Art Campos:

Lincoln police are investigating a 20-year-old man's report that he was pushed out of a parked vehicle by two men, struck across the head with a skateboard and robbed of $220.

The victim, who is from Granite Bay, was not seriously injured, police said.

Lt. Paul Shelgren said the victim reported that he arranged to meet the two men in Lincoln and buy a video game from them. The victim said he wasn't familiar with the men, Shelgren said.

Shortly before 9 p.m., all three men got into the suspects' dark-colored, late-model BMW and drove to Celtic Drive and Abbeyhill Lane, where the assault occurred, the victim reported.

The victim described his assailants as white and in their 20s, Shelgren said. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at (916) 645-4040.

Shelgren cautioned citizens not to get into vehicles with strangers and to be cautious when answering ads in the newspaper or Internet.

Metal thefts from streets, highways concern Caltrans

A spike in metal thefts is endangering the public, California Department of Transportation officials report.

Thieves targeting copper wiring in traffic signals, street lights and guard rails has state highway officials warning of dangers to the public.

More details from the San Bernardino Sun.

Citrus Heights man charged with strong-arm robbery

From David Richie:

A Citrus Heights man heads to court Thursday facing a felony charge of strong-arm robbery after being identified as one of three men who jumped another man Sunday morning near Antelope Road and Zenith Drive early Sunday morning.

The victim, who resides in North Highlands, told officers that he was beaten and kicked by three men after refusing to give up his backpack. He described a Volkswagen Jetta as one of two vehicles used by his attackers.

Officers spotted a Jetta about a half hour later near Antelope Road and Garden Gate Drive, about a mile from the place where the man told officers that he was attacked. The victim then identified Shaun Michael Tillis, 22, who was arrested about 1:30 a.m. Tillis denied any involvement in the incident, officials said.

Tillis remains in Sacramento County Jail with bail set at $40,000.

Crime Alert: Wanted suspects

The Sacramento Citizens' Crime Alert Reward Program has released its updated list of the area's wanted suspects.

Sacramento Police Department robbery detectives seek Tyrone Funches, left, on a felony $120,000 bail arrest warrant for robbery and attempted robbery. Funches, 20, is described as 5-foot-10 weighing 150 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. He was last known to reside in the 2400 block of Rio Linda Boulevard in North Sacramento.

The Sacramento Police Department also seeks Maequiesha Wright on a felony no-bail arrest warrant for willfully disobedience of a court order and making threats to commit a crime that would result in death or great bodily harm. Wright, 23, is described as 5-foot-10 weighing 185 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. She was last known to reside in the 2900 block of Channel Court in the Arden Arcade area.

For more details about these and other wanted suspects, view the Crime Alert Web site. If you have information about any wanted person or crime, call 1-800-AA-CRIME or 916-443-HELP.

Saturday in Shasta County: Vehicle Amnesty Day

The Redding Police Department is co-sponsoring an event Saturday aimed at helping remove abandoned vehicles from properties: a Vehicle Amnesty Day.

Police officials said city of Redding and Shasta County residents can turn over their vehicles to the Pick-N-Pull in Redding for free. There are some guidelines, the most important being: No stolen cars.

Here are the details: Download file

Woman charged with throwing caustic chemical in face of another woman

From Bill Lindelof:

A Woodland woman was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of throwing a caustic chemical into the face of another woman during a dispute at an apartment complex, police said.

Officers who responded to the Barcelona Apartments, 422 North St., about 6:30 p.m. learned that a 21-year-old Woodland resident had been attacked, according to a Woodland police news release.

Police suspected that Maria De Lourdes Cervantes threw a chemical at the unidentified woman during a dispute. Cervantes had left the scene before the officers arrived.

She was later located and arrested by officers at her residence in the 1000 block of North Street. She was booked into Yolo County Jail on charges of throwing acid or a flammable substance with intent to disfigure or burn.

Officers identified the type of caustic chemical, which assisted in treating the victim. Her name, condition and the exact type of chemical were not specified by police.

New twist on ID theft: Switching out ATM card reader

Los Gatos police say about two dozen people have been victimized in a new spin on ATM thefts.

Investigators say at least 25 people have had their debit card and personal identification numbers stolen while shopping at Lunardi's Supermarket.

A police spokesman says thieves were able to get the debit card and PIN numbers by switching out an ATM card reader at the store.

Here's the San Jose Mercury News story

NPR: L.A. SWAT team allows woman into training program

Caught this on the radio this morning:

Since it was founded, the L.A. SWAT team has been all-male, mostly white and resistant to change. But that may soon change. The unit has permitted a woman to enter its training program, and if Jennifer Grasso, 36, survives the intense 12-week course, she will make history.

The NPR story notes that the SWAT team is going through some other changes recently. Some complain that the team's program is putting too much focus on negotiation skills rather than physical training. Also, the team had its first fatality in its 41-year history.

The story also mentions the case of Nina Acosta, who sued the LAPD for $2 million after she passed the physical tests but was still barred from entering the program.

Third teen burglary suspect arrested

Elk Grove police have arrested the third teenager accused of being involved in burglarizing a home early Monday morning.

Officers responded to a call at 8:20 a.m. from a neighbor who spotted juveniles breaking into a house in the 9300 block of Salado Court.

Three youths were seen running from the area and police captured two of them about a block from the home. A 17-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy, were arrested on suspicion of burglary, said Christopher Trim, spokesman for the police department.

More details from Sandy Louey:

The girl and boy were carrying property stolen, according to a police report.

Police then set up a perimeter, using a K-9 officer and a helicopter from the California Highway Patrol, to search for the remaining teenager. The search was called off after about an hour, Trim said.

After questioning the girl and boy, detectives arrested the third youth, a 17-year-old boy, at his home. He was also arrested on suspicion of burglary, a report said.

The three were taken to juvenile hall.

Elk Grove police plan curfew sweep

From Sandy Louey:

The Elk Grove Police Department plans to conduct a citywide curfew sweep Friday night.

The sweep will be conducted in conjunction with the Cosumnes Community Services District and the Elk Grove Unified School District, said Sgt. Eric White, who oversees the problem-oriented policing unit for the Elk Grove police.

Under the city's municipal code, anyone younger than 18 is subject to a 10 p.m. to daybreak curfew when not accompanied by parents or a guardian.

The sweep is being planned because Friday is the opening day of the carnival at the Elk Grove Western Festival in Elk Grove Regional Park. The games are scheduled to close at 9 p.m.

The last citywide curfew sweep that the police department conducted March 21 resulted in 31 juveniles being cited.

Read 'Hate, Violence, And Death on Main Street USA' report

From Phillip Reese:

Twenty-two California homeless residents fell victim to hate crimes or violent attacks last year, resulting in four deaths, according to a report released today by a homeless advocacy group.

Nationwide, 160 homeless people were victims of hate crimes or violence last year, resulting in 28 deaths, according to the National Coalition for the Homeless.

California had the 17th-highest rate of attacks on the homeless. None of those attacks took place in the Sacramento region.

"Those experiencing homelessness are often ignored or misunderstood by society. If these brutal attacks were committed against any other religious or minority group to the same degree, there would be a national outcry and call for governmental action," said Michael Stoops, acting executive director of NCH.

"We must respond to this dehumanization and protect homeless persons against hate crimes," Stoops said.

Here's the report.

Who shot this goose?

The Humane Society of the United States is offering a reward of $2,500 for information about the shooting of a domestic goose at the Vacaville Lagoon.

The International Bird Rescue Research Center in Cordelia is caring for the goose. It was the second goose that has been shot with a dart at the lagoon.

Here are more details from The International Bird Rescue Research Center.

Shaved eyebrows a gang symbol?

Some students at a Portland, Ore., high school have shaved vertical lines into their eyebrows in a trend recently made popular by hip-hop star Soulja Boy. School officials say the mark looks like a gang symbol.

Centennial High School administrators are telling students with the lines that they can't return to school until they shave their eyebrows off. Assistant Principal Mark Porterfield said the students are not suspended, but they are not allowed in school until they cooperate.

Here's the Portland Oregonian story

Student arrested for alleged threats on school's wiki

From the Associated Press:

A 15-year-old student who allegedly posted violent Web messages on his San Gabriel Valley high school Wikipedia page has pleaded not guilty to seven counts of making criminal threats.

Angry, offensive messages started popping up more than a year ago on the Glen A. Wilson High School page on Wikipedia, the popular user-edited online encyclopedia.

Here is the Los Angeles Times' story

Burglars target Golf Course Terrace neighborhood

From Ryan Lillis:

Police are looking for a pair of burglars who may have hit two homes in the Golf Course Terrace neighborhood -- and one of them might be having trouble keeping his hair in place.

Witnesses reported seeing the pair climb through a side window of a home in the 6800 block of 23rd Street about 10:25 a.m. Thursday, according to police reports. Several Sacramento police units -- including K9 unit dogs -- swarmed the area but had no luck finding the burglars.

The incident was similar to a break-in around the corner the previous day, when a home on Mangrum Avenue was hit, police said.

Witnesses near the Mangrum Avenue home told police they saw two boys around the ages of 16 or 17 "casing" the home. One of the boys had "orange twisties" in his hair, police said.

Man sought in Monday bank robbery

From Bill Lindelof:

A balding man in his 50s held up a bank Monday afternoon on Sunrise Boulevard near White Rock Road, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department.

At 2:38 p.m., the armed man entered the West America Bank branch at 2893 Sunrise Blvd. and demanded money from tellers. He left on foot after taking an undisclosed amount of cash.

He is described as white, 5-foot-7, with a medium build. His hair was dark and he had a mustache. He wore a dark-colored suit and a white dress shirt.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff's Department at (916) 874-5115.

Anatomy of a hit (San Jose Mercury News)

Here's an interesting story in the Apr. 26, 2008 edition of the San Jose Mercury News that describes an alleged murder-for-hire plot of a prominent businessman using recently unsealed court documents, which are posted online with the article.

While the documents do not allege a motive for the killing, they do tell how a task force quickly cracked the high-profile homicide by tracking down five suspects using shoe leather, computer forensics, cell phone records - and then got four of those men to implicate the fifth suspect, Esequiel "Paul" Garcia, as the mastermind.

This is a good piece to read for some insight on a case investigated using old-fashioned and high-tech means.

According to the an affadavit by Detective Clinton Tada, the alleged shooter left behind some incriminating evidence, including a printed photo of the victim from the site Metroactive.com and a printed map showing directions to the murder scene. Police obtained warrants to find out which IP addresses accessed that specific information which helped lead them to one of the plot's alleged perpetrators.

Jury deadlocked in case about fatal chase

From Ryan Lillis:

A jury is deadlocked on whether an 18-year-old man should be convicted for trying to kill a Sacramento police officer in 2006.

Jose Angel Gallardo is facing charges of attempted murder, robbery and two counts of attempted carjacking in connection with a chase through the Natomas Marketplace that ended with Gallardo's companion being shot dead by the officer.

The jury foreman told Sacramento Judge Michael T. Garcia on Monday that the jury needed clarification on some facts of the case before deliberating further.

According to authorities, Gallardo and another man robbed a teenager of his iPod, sneakers and other belongings on May 22, 2006.

Later that day, Sacramento Police Officer Kevin Howland spotted the suspects' car in the Natomas Marketplace, police said. The car sped off and hit Howland, who ended up on the roof, police said.

Howland fired into the car and killed the driver, 19-year-old Eugene Timothy Gallegos, police said.

Here's The Bee's detailed account of the 2006 incident:

By Crystal Carreon and Christina Jewett

"When does the bus get here?" The teenage boy recalled a young man asking him at a bus stop about a mile from the Natomas Marketplace on Monday afternoon.

"Ten minutes."

It began simply -- the encounter at the bus stop -- but it soon set in motion a sequence of events that ultimately escalated into a deadly officer-involved shooting before a crowd of shoppers and diners.

On Tuesday, as Sacramento police continued to investigate what seemed to some like a scene out of Hollywood movie, the boy grappled with his brief encounter at Truxel and San Juan roads and his role in the events that followed.

The boy, whose parents asked that his name be withheld out of concerns for his safety, said a young man "with a sad face" sat down next to him on the bench. He then asked about the bus's arrival time. He seemed nervous, the boy said.

The man then pulled up his shirt, revealing a gun.

"He said: 'Give me everything you have on,'" the boy recalled, before turning over his new $170 Air Jordans, his iPod, his shirt, his hat, his watch.

Another man then emerged from a maroon car parked nearby. He demanded the boy's wallet.

The robbers then disappeared as the car drove off.

A report of a burgundy or maroon-colored car sought in an armed robbery was soon broadcast over the police radio.

Sacramento Police Officer Kevin Howland, a five-year veteran with a reputation for catching the bad guys, was in pursuit.

"I believe Howland followed the ... car into the Natomas Marketplace," said Sgt. Chris Taylor. "The officers were just keeping their eyes open."

The car then stopped in the parking lot outside Wal-Mart. As Howland approached, the car abruptly rammed the officer's cruiser and lurched forward, throwing Howland onto the hood, according to police.

From there, witnesses said, they saw the officer clinging to the hood with one hand while opening fire with the other.

He was tossed off and later treated in a hospital for a severely bruised leg.

Photographs show eight bullet holes in the windshield.

The car slowed and crashed into a palm tree outside a nearby In-N-Out Burger eatery.

Its driver, 19-year-old Eugene Timothy Gallegos, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Three passengers in the car -- a 16-year-old boy, who was seated next to Gallegos, an 18-year-old woman and 19-year-old Saul Rabago, who were both in the back seat -- were questioned by police.

Rabago, who was initially arrested on suspicion of robbery, is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon in Sacramento Superior Court. He was being held Tuesday on $25,000 bond.

The woman, whose name was not made public, was released Monday night. Her role in the incident, Taylor said, remained under investigation.

The status of the juvenile, who neighbors said had just been released from a Boys Ranch, was not clear Tuesday night.

Taylor said investigators had found a replica, or realistic-looking, "toy gun" in the car along with items linking the suspect to the robbery, but declined to elaborate.

At the North Sacramento home Gallegos shared with his siblings and grandmother, a steady stream of friends and relatives Tuesday filed through the front door.

Rosie Aldana, who had helped rear her grandson, said she didn't believe he was solely responsible for veering the car into the officer on Monday.

She said he was likely prodded by those in the car to "go, go, go" and succumbed to the pressure.

"That was out of character for him," Aldana said, surrounded by family, "That's why it's so hard to take this."

Late Monday, relatives told Aldana they had seen newscasts of the maroon Chrysler that Gallegos bought three weeks ago now riddled with bullets.

Gina Gallegos, who nicknamed her brother "Chitho" when he was a toddler, said Gallegos had a good heart and took care of the family, but at times kept bad company.

"He hung around with some of the wrong people," she said.

Tuesday afternoon, as the family grieved, Gallegos' father, Eugene T. Gallegos, 40, was arrested on unrelated charges.

Monday night, members of the police gang unit searched Gallegos' home. Family members on Tuesday said he was not a gang member but acknowledged some of his acquaintances were.

Police were continuing to investigate any gang ties among those in the maroon car, and detectives were reviewing surveillance footage while Howland recovered at home.

The officer will be on administrative leave for at least a week.

"He certainly never wanted this to happen," Taylor said.

"He's a very smart guy, and is very passionate about police work," Taylor said of Howland. "I am confident he will be OK; you just need time to process."

On Tuesday night, Marisol Rabago said she planned to see her brother in jail to prepare for his court appearance.

Her brother just turned 19, she said, and recently made a commitment to his family that he would try to change for the better.

"Two weeks ago, he said, 'Give me 25 days,'" Marisol Rabago recalled. "He got a job and was starting to come back to family events, dinners; we started to believe."

But when he got paid Friday, the family said he slipped out of sight. They last saw him Saturday night, before spotting him on the news Monday evening.

"He's not a bad kid," Marisol Rabago said. "He was just at the wrong place, with the wrong people.

"If he was in his right state of mind," she said, "he would not have done the things he was doing."

Across town, at the dining room table of his tidy Natomas home, the boy who was confronted at the bus stop continued to absorb his role in the events that unfolded.

"I was thinking, 'Oh my God, I could have died,'" he said. "I just get scared thinking what could have happened."

Catalytic converter thefts abound

From Dan Nguyen:

Reader Michele writes:

Someone cut the catalytic converter right off our truck last night. The sheriff I talked to said they had another call regarding the same issue (antelope area). I've heard of two other exact incidents in the city recently, one in Rio Linda which is close to Antelope and one in the South area. I think the word should get out to the neighborhoods this is happening in. This is serious business.

This seems to be happening a lot these days. For background on this, read Tony Bizjak's March
6, 2008 story on this.

Converters, which reduce vehicle emissions, are a top target for car-part thieves internationally, including Mole Valley, England, where police reportedly advised residents last week to scrawl names and phone numbers on their converters, just in case.

California Highway Patrol officials report thefts are rampant statewide.

Criminals aren't going "green," police say. They're going for the gold. Converters include small amounts of precious metals, including platinum, as well as gold in some newer models. Rising thefts may be linked to spiraling market prices for those metals, according to police.

The Republic newspaper of Columbus, Ind., reports that a man was arrested on suspicion of possessing
$330,000 worth of stolen precious metals from catalytic converters.

I did a quick search in our archives for "catalytic converter" and found
these incidents mentioned in our recent Placer County cops log. All of them
involved Toyota vehicles, particularly the 4-Runner model:

200 block of Bonny Knoll Road, Roseville, breaking or removing vehicle parts. A catalytic converter was stolen from a 1995 Toyota 4-Runner between 10:30 p.m. April 9 and 8:45 a.m. April 10.

1000 block of Hillcrest Avenue, Roseville, theft from a vehicle. A catalytic
converter valued at $200 was stolen from a 1993 Toyota 4-Runner between 9:30
p.m. April 9 and 9 a.m. April 10. The victim told police he discovered the
theft after starting his vehicle and hearing a loud rumbling noise.

300 block of Brennen Circle, Roseville, grand theft. A catalytic converter
valued at $600 was stolen from a 1986 Toyota 4-Runner between 6 p.m. March
30 and 11 a.m. April 2.

3 Somer Ridge Drive, Roseville, vehicle burglary. A $500 catalytic converter
was stolen from a 1993 Toyota pickup parked at the Somersett Hills
Apartments between 8 p.m. March 20 and noon Friday.

5415 S. Grove St., Rocklin, theft. A catalytic converter valued at $250 was
stolen from a 1994 Toyota pickup truck parked at the Hidden Grove Apartments
between 9 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. Sunday.

Merganser Court, Rocklin, theft. A catalytic converter valued at $300 was
stolen from a 1998 Toyota Tacoma between 9:30 p.m. March 13 and 4:30 p.m.
March 14.

A side note: At a picnic yesterday, someone told me how a couple years back he witnessed some men stealing a catalytic converter in broad daylight outside of McKinley Park. He and a friend tried to get a picture of the men as they peeled away in their getaway vehicle, but accidentally pressed the power button instead of the shutter!

Wedding night brawl spills into hotel lobby

A newlywed couple spent the night in separate jail cells after police said they brawled with each other, then members of another wedding party, at a suburban Pittsburgh hotel.

Here's the blow-by-blow tale from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Robber hits Roseville shop, shoves clerk to floor

Roseville police are asking for the public's help in finding a man who robbed the No Limit Wireless store at 214 Douglas Blvd., and pushed a shop employee down.

Police spokeswoman Dee Dee Gunther said the man entered the store at 5:45 p.m. Thursday, went behind the front counter and shoved the female clerk to the floor.

Here's Art Campos' story.

Police release booking photos of couple

The Sacramento Police Department on Monday released the booking photos of the Elk Grove couple -- Derek Garcia, 22, left, and Mauriel Mercado, 20 -- who were arrested on suspicion of leaving a 2-year-old boy inside a parked car Friday evening while they went shopping at Arden Fair mall.

Read Chelsea Phua's story.

Two adults cited for reportedly providing beer to minors

Two adults associated with a high school championship rugby club have been cited for contributing to the delinquency of minors during an early morning party, according to the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office.

The pair, an assistant coach and the videographer for the Mother Lode Rugby club, allegedly gave beer to minors at the April 19 party at an El Dorado Hills residence.

The case comes as educators and police agencies throughout the region warn about the dangers of mixing minors and alcohol ahead of the high school prom season and graduations.

Providing alcohol to minors "is a big deal," said Sgt. Jim Byers, El Dorado County Sheriff's Office spokesman. "The danger to the juveniles is immense in our eyes."

More details from David Richie:

The two men who were cited at the party were identified in the incident report as Nicholas Lawrence Tate, 21, an assistant coach, and Amanaki Hopoi, 26, the team's videographer and "Haka" consultant.

(The Haka is a warlike chant performed by Maori tribesmen before a battle. More recently it has become a rugby pre-game ritual, popularized by players with Pacific Islander roots.)

Mother Lode Rugby is not mentioned specifically in the sheriff's incident summary, but both men cited as involved with the club, according to various sources.

"Nick Tate" is listed as a coach on the team's Web site.

The citations were issued after a sheriff's sergeant and three deputies responded to complaints about a loud party about 12:45 a.m. in the back yard of a home in El Dorado Hills, according to a sheriff's incident report. The deputies said they were told that the party was a rugby team victory celebration. Deputies said they found the two adults and two teenage boys drinking beer.

The homeowner told deputies that she wanted a "safe party" and provided the boys with pizza and soft drinks, the report said. She assumed that with two adults present, the boys were being properly supervised, the report said.

She told the deputies that she did not know about the beer in her back yard. The two boys told deputies that they would hide their drinks whenever she came out.

The deputies determined that Tate had brought a 30-pack of Coors Light to the party, the report said. The two boys told deputies that they had about three beers each. The report does not indicate how many cans of beer were remaining in the 30-pack or if other minors may also have been drinking.

The deputies' report said that "Tate was initially uncooperative and lied about providing the beer" to the two boys. When deputies confronted him with the empty beer cans and the teenagers' statements, he "decided to be truthful about his involvement," the report said.

"Hopoi said they had been having a good time at the party and had even done the Haka chant while in the backyard," report said.

"Tate and Hopoi were the adult authority figures for the team," the deputies wrote in the report. "Tate provided the beer and both Tate and Hopoi allowed the juveniles to drink the beer. Because of this information, Tate and Hopoi were cited for contributing to the delinquency of a minor," the report said.

The information was forwarded to the El Dorado County District Attorney for possible further action, the report said.

Tate did not return a call from The Bee.

A woman who answered the telephone at the home of Jack Harnden, Mother Lode head coach, said that Harnden did not know anything about the incident and likely would not return The Bee's call. Assistant Coach Tom Brown said he had no comment because he knew nothing about the incident.

The athletic director at Ponderosa High School did not return a call from The Bee.

The Ponderosa High School official did not return the call.

Stevie Clark, El Dorado Union High School District district assistant superintendent for student services, described Mother Lode Rugby as "an outside organization" that is not affiliated with the district's schools. The team rents school district facilities, much like a church or Boy Scout troop, Clark said.

Cat in motorist's lap illegal? It may be soon

From the Modesto Bee:

Modesto police are blaming a scratching cat for an accident that toppled a power pole and shut down a street for nearly an hour. A police sergeant said Friday that a woman was driving with a cat in her lap. The animal scratched her, and she drove into the pole.

The woman suffered minor injuries and was taken to a hospital. The cat was taken to a vet to treat an injured eye.

On Wednesday, the Assembly Appropriations Committee approved a bill by Assemblyman Bill Maze that would make it illegal to drive with a pet in your arms or in your lap.

On the scene at the Citrus Heights DUI checkpoint

Citrus Heights police officer Jennifer Kell examines a driver's license during a DUI checkpoint Friday on eastbound Greenback Lane. Photo by Anne Chadwick Williams/awilliams@sacbee.com

Greenback Lane glowed with flashing lights Friday night.

Citrus Heights police set up a drunken driving checkpoint for eastbound drivers while radar-equipped motorcycle teams monitored traffic in the westbound lanes. About a dozen tow truck drivers waited in the Lowe's parking lot.

The scene on Greenback Lane, just west of Sunrise Boulevard, was the focus of a stepped-up drunken driving enforcement program that ran from 8 p.m. Friday to about 3 a.m. Saturday. Extra patrols also targeted other areas of the city.

The effort paid off with police arresting seven people for driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. They towed 19 vehicles and issued 52 tickets for other violations.

David Richie provides more details:

"We have had a number of serious collisions near this intersection," said Sgt. Eric Mattke, Citrus Heights police traffic unit supervisor, explaining the department's choice of Greenback Lane. The location, adjacent to Lowe's, gave the effort the high visibility police look for with a DUI checkpoint.

The action was fast in both directions for most of the night. Officers took one driver out of his car for license problems as soon as the checkpoint started at 8 p.m. A few minutes later a man in beige sports utility vehicle barreled through the checkpoint as officers jumped out of the way and shouted at him to slow down.

A chase car caught up with him near Fair Oaks Boulevard.

"We are towing his vehicle," Mattke said. "He has no driver's license. He also has been cited for driving at an unsafe speed and operating without insurance."

Meanwhile, westbound drivers continued to gun it down Greenback Lane, even though the checkpoint was clearly visible across the street. Motorcycle units lined up in the parking lots made numerous stops after catching up with drivers near Mariposa Avenue.

Police ran a pacer car through the checkpoint line at regular intervals and managed to keep the delay for motorists less than 10 minutes for most of the night.

Officers were able to personally greet 1,100 drivers -- most of the 1,306 that came through the line. The signs of intoxication are pretty obvious when an officer is right there at the driver's side window, Mattke said. Officers also were looking for driver's license violations and obvious safety issues.

High-speed chase ends near CHP office

A short high-speed chase involving a parolee ended about 100 yards from the California Highway Patrol's Contra Costa County office.

Read the Contra Costa Times' story about incident, which started as a speeding stop in Concord and ended in the arrest of the 26-year-old parolee.

Update: 'AMW' report on Aquitania case

If you missed Saturday's "America's Most Wanted" television show, here is the program's online report about the Sean Aquitania case.

It has been seven months since Aquitania, 21, and his 7-month-old son, Sean Jr., were executed on a south Sacramento street.

Read The Bee's latest story and editorial about the case and unsolved homicides committed in Sacramento County.

14 people arrested in connection with meth distribution ring

From Chelsea Phua:

Authorities have arrested 14 people and seized $1 million involved in a methamphetamine distribution ring in the Sacramento area, according to a Friday news release by U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott's office.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, the El Dorado County Sheriff's Department and the Sacramento Police Department took part in the long-term investigation that included the use of a court-authorized federal wiretap.

Those arrested Thursday and Friday were: Miguel Vasquez, 36, of Cameron Park; Frank Blue IV, 19, of Sacramento; Cameron Craven, 40, of West Sacramento; Rhiannon Wright, 31, of Carmichael; Willie Thomas, 37, of Antelope; Osiel Betancur, 34, of Sacramento; Rene Wright, 49, of Rescue; Juan Vega, 27, of Elverta; Justin Witt, 30, of Sacramento; Jason Bracy, 36, of West Sacramento; Randall Ortiz, 29, of Carmichael; Toby Vann, 40, of Sacramento; Leon Edwards, 35, of Rio Linda; and Robert Scott, 55, of Sacramento. Three more remain fugitives.

Authorities also executed 20 search warrants and recovered about $700,000 from two safe deposit boxes and a residential safe. Agents also seized an additional $200,000 from two bank accounts. Also recovered were 13 guns, a taser and about 10 pounds of methamphetamine from a hidden compartment in a vehicle.

Pipe bomb explosion at high school investigated

From the Associated Press:

Police are looking through surveillance video to determine who detonated a small pipe bomb on the campus of Hanford High School, sending students into a three-hour lockdown in their classrooms.

Police say no one was injured when the bomb exploded around 12:15 p.m. Thursday in a gated storage area behind the school’s automotive shop.

Here are The Fresno Bee's stories today and Thursday about the incident.

City effort to promote working smoke detectors

Off-duty Sacramento City firefighters and city officials, including City Councilwoman Lauren Hammond, will be going door-to-door Saturday morning to help install smoke detectors in a south Oak Park neighborhood.

The event is an effort to promote having working smoke detectors in homes, according to Chris Harvey, spokesman for the Firefighters for Sacramento City group.

The event will take place from 10 a.m. to noon, followed by a barbecue featuring children's activities at Maple Elementary School, 3011 37th Ave.

The effort is part of a community awareness campaign to inform residents about the importance having a working smoke detector in every home. On. Jan. 6, 2007, a fire resulted in the deaths of two young children in Sacramento's Avondale neighborhood.

Following is The Bee's story about the incident and the creation of a task force to deal with the issue:

By Christina Jewett

Sacramento's mayor and fire officials announced the creation of a task force Monday that they hope will ensure a smoke detector is installed and working in every Sacramento residence.

The announcement came two days after a Saturday morning fire in south Sacramento that killed siblings Annie Bienh, 9, and Kyle Bienh, 7, and left their grandmother in critical condition with severe burns. Officials are still investigating the cause of the fire but say it is the second blaze within a year to kill two young children.

"We want to do whatever we can to avoid this kind of tragedy in our city," Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo said at a City Hall news conference Monday.

The last fire that killed two children ripped through a mobile home off Florin Road on May 9. Siblings Brandon Sobb, 3, and Lexis Sobb, 4, died in the fire that melted a fire detector that the children's mother had bought but not yet installed.

Officials say there is no indication that a smoke alarm sounded during Saturday's fire in the Avondale neighborhood, but they're still probing to see if one was installed.

The morning after the fire, Sacramento Fire Chief Julius Cherry called spokesman Jim Doucette, asking him to lead a task force to see working smoke detectors in each of Sacramento's 200,000 dwellings.

Doucette said the task poses many challenges: determining which homes do not have working detectors, as well as reaching out to non-English-speaking residents.

Fargo said the task force could use the resources of the city's parks and neighborhood services departments, and also tap into faith-based, business and neighborhood watch groups.

Fargo said any business or individual who wants to donate money to the effort or ask for information can call the city operator at (916) 264-5011.

About half of the roughly 3,000 people nationally who died in fires in 2005 perished in homes that did not have smoke detectors, according to data complied by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Assistant Fire Chief Forrest Adams said firefighters routinely check for smoke detectors during calls for service but have no comprehensive outreach.

"The Fire Department has been doing this for 30 years using conventional methods," Adams said. "We need to do it better."

The topic of rental-housing safety was addressed by the City Council in March, when Councilwoman Bonnie Pannell called for a thorough, citywide inspection program of all rental units, which are required to have working smoke detectors.

Sacramento Vice Mayor Kevin McCarty said he was disappointed that the ordinance failed after rental and real-estate business associations said the city code already was strong enough. Instead, the groups backed a pilot program.

That program has operated for about three months in the Dixieanne neighborhood of North Sacramento and the central Oak Park area, said Max Fernandez, an official with the city's Neighborhood Services Department.

Code inspectors scan rental properties for outside appearance of disrepair, and go into the most dilapidated ones, seeking health and safety violations, including the absence of working smoke detectors.

Inspectors make a list of problems and check back in 30 days, prepared to levy fines. Fernandez said officials plan to analyze the effectiveness of the program and report the findings to the City Council this spring.

McCarty said he plans to champion a full expansion of the program again.

He said opponents of the program note that renters can report code problems -- but said Saturday's fire shows that vulnerable residents do not uniformly take advantage of the option.

"That's why it's incumbent on local government to be sure rental properties are safe," he said.

Citrus Heights police investigate city's first homicide of year

Citrus Heights police are investigating a homicide -- the city's first this year -- Friday morning in a guest house behind a home.

"We have a suspect in custody, the investigation is ongoing and we will release his name when the investigation is further along," said Sgt. Eric Mattke, a Citrus Heights police spokesman.

Here's David Richie's story

Chiropractor surrenders in sex case

A chiropractor accused of drugging two women and sexually assaulting one of them in his office has surrendered to authorities.

Antioch police say 37-year-old Jason Goettsch was accompanied by his attorneys when he turned himself in at Contra Costa County Jail in Martinez on Thursday afternoon.

Here's the San Francisco Chronicle story.

Brothers arrested on bank robbery charges

Two brothers have been arrested on suspicion of bank robbery after officers surrounded a south Sacramento apartment complex and recovered a large amount of money.

The brothers, Devin Laroyce Santos, 21, and Christopher Monroe Santos, 19, were booked into Sacramento County Jail.

Here's the rest of Bill Lindelof's story

Aquitania case to be featured on 'America's Most Wanted'

From Ryan Lillis:

The true crime television program "America's Most Wanted" Saturday night will profile the investigation into the Aquitania homicides.

The program will air at 9 p.m. on Fox 40.

Sean Aquitania, 21, and his 7-month-old son were shot and killed Sept. 14, 2007, outside a home on Country Greens Court in south Sacramento, authorities said. Detectives said Aquitania went to the home to visit a friend and walked into a home invasion robbery.

"America's Most Wanted," hosted by John Walsh, has helped in the capture of nearly 1,000 fugitives over the past two decades, according to the show's Web site.

Here's The Bee's latest story and editorial about the case and unsolved homicides committed in Sacramento County.

Sacramento detective to appear on CBS news show

From Chelsea Phua:

A local cop is about to make his debut on national television. Sacramento Police Det. Mike Wood is scheduled to appear tonight on "The CBS Evening News with Katie Couric."

Wood, who has been investigating real estate fraud for three years, was invited to talk about a growing national problem as more homes go into foreclosure -- "professional squatters" moving into vacated bank-owned homes.

Wood said he is both nervous and excited to be interviewed on national television, but he is happy to do it because it will help alert people to this fraud.

Wood said it is important that bank agents be aware of the conditions of the foreclosed homes they own, and renters should be wary about from who they are renting. Some of the squatters have pretended to lease property and have absconded with deposits.

Wood will have to tape the interview. He doesn't usually get home by 5:30 p.m., when the broadcast is scheduled to begin on Channel 13.

Beware, drivers in Citrus Heights

The Citrus Heights Police Department plans to conduct a DUI checkpoint Friday night through early Saturday morning.

Officers will be posted from 7:30 p.m. Friday through 3:30 a.m. Saturday on Greenback Lane, west of Sunrise Boulevard.

Officers will be checking drivers for signs of impairment and for possessing a valid driver’s license, according to a department news release. The vehicles of drivers without a valid driver’s license are subject to tow.

Picnic Day weekend tally: Seven DUI arrests, nine citations issued

The Davis Police Department has released the results of Yolo County’s "Avoid the Eight" team's saturation patrol of the city during Picnic Day weekend.

According to a department news release, the DUI patrol saturated Davis on Saturday night and stopped 70 vehicles, put 14 drivers through a field sobriety test, issued nine citations for various vehicle code violations and arrested three people for suspected drunken driving. Four additional drivers were arrested on DUI charges by patrol officers Friday and Saturday nights.

Authorities report the "Avoid the Eight" team is planning a DUI checkpoint during the Memorial Day weekend.

Update: Second suspect arrested in connection with 'takeover' robberies

Oakland police have a second suspect in custody in connection with a series of “takeover” robberies that have taken place in the area during the last few weeks.

Here's an update from the San Francisco Chronicle.

Crime Alert: Wanted suspects

The Sacramento Citizens' Crime Alert Reward Program has released its updated list of the area's wanted suspects.

The Sacramento Police Department robbery detectives seek Benny James Guevara, left, on a felony $200,000 bail arrest warrant for armed robbery. On March 9, Guevara, also known as "Crazy," is suspected of robbing a drive-through cashier at gunpoint at McDonald’s, 2335 Florin Road. Guevara, 28, was reportedly driving a red Ford Expedition. He is described as 5-foot-9 and weighing 160 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. Guevara's whereabouts and address are unknown.

The Sacramento Police Department felony assaults detectives seek Shonn Lynn Pardue on a felony $3 million bail arrest warrant for assault with a deadly weapon and kidnapping. Pardue is also wanted by the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department on a felony $90,000 bail arrest warrant for drug crimes. Pardue, 32, is described as 6-foot-1 weighing 300 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. He was last known to reside in the 7300 block Stockdale Street in the Meadowview area of Sacramento.

For more details about these and other wanted suspects, view the Crime Alert Web site. If you have information about any wanted person or crime, call 1-800-AA-CRIME or 916-443-HELP.

Regional roundup: Public Safety Watch

The Bee's Regional editions publish Public Safety Watch stories each Thursday. Here's a roundup of those stories and Police/Fire Logs, as compiled by Bee reporters:

Sacramento/North Sacramento/south Sacramento:
Sacramento theft suspect faces $1 million bail
Police/Fire Log

Arden/Carmichael:
Graffiti vandals meet their match
Motel worker pistol-whipped, robbed
Police/Fire Log

Elk Grove/Laguna:
Party patrol is on duty
Police/Fire Log

Citrus Heights/Orangevale:
Internet threats end in arrest of 13-year-old
Police/Fire Log

Folsom:
Astronaut lands in Folsom, chows down with firefighters
Police/Fire Log

Rancho Cordova/Gold River:
Police/Fire Log

Placer County:
Three-month meth probe ends in four arrests
Police/Fire Log

El Dorado County:
Police/Fire Log

Photo of weapons seized in Galt

From Bill Lindelof:

A Galt man has been arrested and 31 weapons seized during a routine check on whether he was complying with terms of his probation.

Michael James Sutton, 56, was booked into Sacramento County Jail after being arrested on weapons and drug charges Wednesday. Among the weapons found were an automatic pistol and assault weapons.

Sacramento County Probation Department officials allege that the home in the 14000 block of Christenson Road in Galt where the weapons were uncovered was frequented by drug users. In addition to to the weapons, a small amount of methamphetamine and weighing scales were found.

Suspected truck burglar sought

From Stan Oklobdzija:

A suspected Rancho Cordova truck burglar was caught in the act by a home surveillance camera, and now the police are asking the public's help in catching him.

Since Tuesday, five trucks were hit in the city's Sun River neighborhood, near Sunrise Boulevard and Coloma Road, and construction tools were taken from each, said Sgt. Pete James of the Rancho Cordova Police Department.

During one of the heists, a surveillance camera managed to capture some pictures of the suspected burglar.

According to police, he's a white male who stands about 5-foot-10-inches with a thin receding hairline and a moustache.

Anyone with information about the man's identity should call Rancho Cordova Police Officer Shelly Hodgkins at (916) 875-9634.

Arson-murder suspect could face death penalty

Wilbur Reynolds

From Ryan Lillis:

Daniel Norman, the surviving suspect in the bizarre arson-slaying case that left a 76-year-old Foothill Farms man dead Sunday, made his first court appearance Wednesday and was told he could face the death penalty in the case.

Norman, 41, had the charges of arson and murder read to him by Sacramento Superior Court Judge Russell Hom, who told him he could face execution if found guilty. He was appointed a public defender and the matter was rescheduled for May 7.

Norman did not enter a plea Wednesday. He is charged in the death of Wilbur Reynolds, whose body was found in his burning home Sunday afternoon. Sacramento sheriff's detectives believe Norman and an accomplice killed Reynolds during a robbery attempt and set the fire to cover up the crime.

The alleged acomplice, David Kenneth Hamilton, a 39-year-old parolee who was a neighbor of Norman's in Citrus Heights, had once rented a room from Reynolds.

Hamilton was killed by a sheriff's detectives as authorities closed in on him just before midnight outside the Heritage Inn in Roseville.

Here are previous Bee stories about the case:

Foothill Farms murder suspect violated parole in October

'Bizarre' day of violence leaves victim, alleged killer dead

Three arrested after road rage incident

Placer County sheriff's officers said they arrested three people recently after a road rage incident got out of hand in Loomis.

Tempers flared at 3 p.m. Sunday between occupants of two cars, including a couple who had an 8-month-old daughter in the back seat of their vehicle, deputies wrote in their report of the incident.

Details from Art Campos:

The cause of the dispute wasn't listed. However, the report indicated that Jason Michael Johnson, 18, of Citrus Heights, shot at the couple's vehicle with an airsoft pistol.

The woman in the other vehicle, Jessica Sharon Koch, 20, of Citrus Heights, retaliated by spraying Johnson in the face with pepper spray, the report said.

Johnson then drove away but was followed by Koch's partner, John Francis Nagle, 23, of Stockton, the report said.

When Johnson halted at a stop sign at King Road and Webb Street, Nagle exited his vehicle, opened the trunk and grabbed a baseball bat, the report said.

Nagle ran over to Johnson's vehicle and shattered the driver's side window with the bat, the report said.

Officers arrived and took all three of the participants into custody, the report said. The baby was placed in the care of Placer County Child Protective Services, according to the report.

Booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, child endangerment and illegal possession of a weapon was Nagle.

Koch was booked on suspicion of illegally using a tear gas canister, and Johnson was held on suspicion of child endangerment and of displaying an imitation firearm, the report said.

Raining golf balls steam Loomis family

A Granite Bay High School coach is trying to solve a mystery, and it has nothing to do with who's going to be the starting point guard on his girls' basketball team.

Wayne Brummond can't figure out who's hitting golf balls from a hillside home above his residence in Loomis.

For five months, the balls have been raining down on his 3 1/2-acre property on Shallow Creek Road. Brummond suspects they are coming from Ridgewood Drive, about 800 yards from his home.

"They've hit my house, landed in my swimming pool. My kids have found hundreds of balls all over our property," Brummond said.

More details from Art Campos:

The last straw was on April 15 when a ball hit a kitchen window, breaking it. The Brummonds were not at home and returned at 8 p.m. to find the damage, the coach said. That prompted him to call the Placer County Sheriff's Department.

An officer drove along Ridgewood Drive trying to find the source of the balls. The officer could find nothing.

Brummond said he too has driven up to where the hillside homes are, including while the balls have been raining down.

"There are four or five homes up there but you can't see where the balls are coming from," he said.

He said the properties have considerable acreage and there are also trees that make it difficult to spot the source of the balls. In addition, the driveways of the homes are lengthy and he's shy about driving onto the properties and knocking on the doors, he said.

Brummond said the perpetrator has to be aware that he's causing an uneasy situation for him and his family.

"My wife has actually come out of the house and yelled up to the hillside, 'Stop hitting balls. There are people down here,'" Brummond said.

That's caused the golfer to stop hitting the balls, Brummond said. But the assault continues a few days later, he said.

Brummond said all he wants is for the person to stop and to possibly pay for the broken kitchen window.

Town hall meeting to target underage drinking

From Laurel Rosenhall:

Inderkum High School in North Natomas will host a town hall meeting Thursday night to discuss how to prevent underage drinking.

Students, parents and other concerned citizens can attend the event, which is put on by Inderkum's Friday Night Live program. Friday Night Live is a statewide effort to reduce drunk driving and substance abuse and promote healthy lifestyles for youth.

The meeting is scheduled from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Inderkum High School theater, 2500 New Market Drive.

Robotic vigilante protects pub

An Atlanta pub owner unleashes his own invention to protect his establishment -- A 300-pound, waist-high robot marked "SECURITY" rolling through downtown long after dark.

The device features bright red lights, a blazing spotlight, an infrared video camera and a water cannon in a spinning turret.

Here's the Associated Press story

Gang sweep leads to 115 arrests

From Bill Lindelof:

A sweep last week of suspected gang members resulted in 115 arrests, the recovery of seven firearms and the confiscation of cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamine with a street value of $238,000, according to law enforcement authorities.

Dubbed SNAG III: Sacramento Neighborhoods Against Gangs, the sweep was the third of its kind conducted by the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department and the Sacramento Police Department in conjunction with federal, state, county and municipal law enforcement agencies.

The operation took place Thursday and Friday with 320 officers from 21 agencies targeting known gang members on parole or probation in the Sacramento region.

Youths arrested for alleged robbery, graffiti at park

From Art Campos:

Rocklin police took two youths into custody following alleged graffiti and robbery incidents near the city's Sunset East Park, the police department reported.

Sgt. Jamie Knox said officers responded to a call at 5:15 p.m. Friday about possible gang activity around the park in the 5900 block of Willowynd Drive.

The officers found graffiti painted in the park, and a man who told them he'd just been robbed of his MP3 player and other items by a male juvenile carrying a gun, Knox said.

Police searched the area and arrested a Roseville teenager on suspicion of robbery, he said. A second boy, a North Highlands resident, was taken into custody on suspicion of vandalism, the sergeant said. Officers were unable to find a firearm, he said.

Knox said police are continuing to investigate and are requesting that anyone with further information contact them at (916) 625-5400.

Update: Teen arrested in connection with takeover robbery

Authorities have arrested and charged a 16-year-old boy in connection with the takeover robbery of an Oakland restaurant.

Authorities say the arrest could be a step toward finding other suspects in the recent takeover robberies of eight restaurants in Oakland, Berkeley, Emeryville and San Leandro since March 31.

Here's the Oakland Tribune story

Placer sheriff heads state association

From M.S. Enkoji:

Placer County Sheriff Edward Bonner, left, is the new president of the California State Sheriff's Association, the non-profit professional organization representing each of the state's 58 counties.

Bonner was sworn in recently during ceremonies in Monterey.

The long-time Placer County lawman said his term will be challenged by shrinking budgets brought on by the eroding economy.

Bonner began his career with the department in 1974, getting elected in 1994. He is now in his fourth term.

Bonner and his wife, Jeanne, have two sons.

Video of pizza parlor robbery

From Bill Lindelof:

Two hooded robbers armed with a large hunting rifle with a stainless steel barrel and black scope are responsible for several robberies in the north part of Sacramento, according to police.

The suspects are wanted for holding up three pizza parlors and a video businesses in a string of robberies that began about a month ago.

The businesses they are suspected of sticking up are:

** Straw Hat Pizza, 4441 East Commerce Way, at 9:57 p.m. March 17.

** Pizza Guys, 2820 Del Paso Road, at 9:33 p.m. April 5.

** Round Table Pizza, 3290 Arena Blvd., at 10:52 p.m. April 5

** Hollywood Video, 2701 Del Paso Road, at 10:20 p.m. April 21.

For the story and surveillance video of one of the robberies, click here

Six arrested in Roseville roadside check

From Art Campos:

Roseville police arrested six motorists during a sobriety and driver's license checkpoint operation over the weekend.

Officers stopped 839 vehicles during the five-hour effort that began at 9 p.m. Friday on Sunrise Avenue at Sun Tree Drive, said police spokeswoman Dee Dee Gunther.

Five were arrested on suspicion of drunken driving and the sixth for a felony drug warrant, she said.

The officers also issued five citations to motorists for driving without a valid license and had six vehicles towed away, she said.

Meeting to address gun rumors at Galt High

From Sandy Louey:

Galt High School officials will hold a meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday to address concerns that led parents to pull their students out of school early Friday.

About 400 parents picked their children up from Galt High before the school day ended that day because of rumors of an impending gang fight that never took place.

Tom Gemma, superintendent for the Galt Joint Union High School District, said the rumors resulted from a fight on campus earlier last week. Talk of retaliation had circulated through student text messages and on MySpace and Facebook, Gemma said.

The meeting will be in the auditorium at Galt High, 145 N. Lincoln Way.

Convenience market has a drive-in visitor

A 7-Eleven market in Roseville had a surprise visitor roll into the store Sunday -- a 2000 Mazda sedan.

The car came crashing through the store's front window, knocking down a customer and scattering products, police reported. The driver then backed the car out and fled. The driver was later caught and arrested, police said.

The customer sustained minor injuries but declined medical assistance, said police spokeswoman Dee Dee Gunther.

More details from Art Campos:

The incident occurred at 3:30 p.m. at the 7-Eleven store at 205 Washington Blvd., she said.

With the help of witnesses, Roseville police sighted the vehicle on Crete Way and Treasure Lane and arrested the driver, Jose Manuel Rodriguez, 25, of Citrus Heights, she said.

Rodriguez was booked on suspicion of drunken driving causing injury, hit-and-run driving and committing a driving under the influence offense within 10 years of a previous DUI conviction, Gunther said. All are felony offenses, she said.

The suspect is being held in the Placer County jail in Auburn on $250,000 bail.

Update: Sacramento Valley drops out of auto theft hot spot Top 10

From Dan Nguyen:

There's a local upside to the National Insurance Crime Bureau's report on
auto thefts: the Sacramento Valley has dropped out of the NICB's top 10
rankings for auto theft hot spots. For the 2006
calendar year, our area (which includes Roseville and Arden-Arcade) was
ranked seventh, with the rate of car thefts at 957.65 per 100,000
inhabitants. We were also seventh the previous year.

According to the NICB's numbers, we're merely No. 13, with an auto theft rate of
784.89.

And there is a national upside to the NICB's car theft numbers.
Their analysts, looking at preliminary 2007 crime data, predict that 2007 is
on track to be the fourth year in a row for declining auto thefts.

A quick comparison: this year's eighth-place auto theft hotspot is Albuquerque,
NM, with 819.64 car thefts per 100,000 inhabitants for the year 2007.

Here's an auto theft CrimeMapper search

No crime to wear droopy pants

A Louisiana state Senate panel rejected a bill on Tuesday that would make it a crime to wear one's pants too low, even as Cajun-country towns around the Bayou State have been banning saggy pants from their streets.

Violators would have faced a fine of up to $175 and eight days of community service.

Here's more from the Associated Press

Three men arrested in connection with Elk Grove burglary

Elk Grove police arrested three men in connection with a burglary Monday night.

The incident occurred shortly before 11 p.m. in the 7100 block of Rio Cavado Way when the homeowner called police after the burglars had entered her house through a rear sliding glass door, said Christopher Trim, spokesman for the Elk Grove police.

Here's the rest of Sandy Louey's report.

Vehicle thefts high in San Joaquin Valley

The San Joaquin Valley and the Bay Area areas fared poorly concerning vehicle thefts in 2007, according to a report issued today by the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

The Modesto metropolitan statistical area had the highest per capita rate for vehicle thefts in the nation in 2007, according to the NICB. The Stockton MSA ranked fourth and the San Francisco/Oakland/Fremont MSA ranked fifth.

Here are the Top 10 rankings:

1. Modesto, CA
2. Las Vegas/Paradise, NV
3. San Diego/Carlsbad/San Marcos, CA
4. Stockton, CA
5. San Francisco/Oakland/Fremont, CA
6. Laredo, TX
7. Albuquerque, NM
8. Phoenix/Mesa/Scottsdale, AZ
9. Yakima, WA
10. Tucson, AZ

For more details about today's report, click on the NCIB Web site.

Jakers to the rescue

The Sacramento Fire Department on Wednesday will introduce its newest search and rescue canine -- Jakers.

A badge-pinning ceremony for Jakers, the department's newest member of the Sacramento-based Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 7, is scheduled at 2 p.m. at Sacramento Fire Department Station No. 10, 5642 66th St.

According to a department news release, Jakers is joining Anna, who is approaching retirement age as a member of the task force.

Jakers and his handler, firefighter Jeff Ivy, will demonstrate some of the dog's search and rescue skills. Department officials report Anna was one of the first rescue dogs on the ground Sept. 11, 2001, at the World Trade Center.

Man wanted for impersonating a priest arrested

From the Associated Press:

U.S. marshals say they arrested a man wanted in four states, including California, for impersonating a priest and stealing items from hospital patients and employees.

Leslie Earl Raymond, 38, was arrested Monday in Las Vegas by
members of a regional fugitive apprehension team after a tip from a
person who recognized him from a weekend segment on the television
show "America's Most Wanted."

More details about Raymond from the "AMW" Web site

Emergency drill planned for Sierra College

From Lakiesha McGhee:

Sierra College's Rocklin campus will be the site Wednesday of a multiagency emergency response exercise as the college tests its preparedness with a "lockdown" drill.

Area agencies will respond to a simulation of a “multiple-casualty incident,” which will take place in a closed section of the campus, according to a college news release.

Residents should not be alarmed if they see an unusual number of police vehicles, firetrucks, ambulances and even helicopters in the area, college officials said.

The exercise will last about three hours in the morning and will minimally affect the flow of traffic on routes to and from the campus at 5000 Rocklin Road.

The exercise is being organized by the Rocklin Police and Fire departments under a grant from the state Office of Homeland Security.

Questions or concerns should be directed to the Sierra College Public Information Office, (916) 789-2668 or (916) 781-0411.

I-80 chase ends with arrest in Nevada

A chase that began Monday morning in Gold Run in Placer County ended with a former University of Nevada football player being arrested west of Reno.

Charles Wilson, 23, was booked into the Washoe County jail on charges of speeding, failure to maintain a travel lane, failure to yield to an emergency vehicle and possession of a stolen vehicle.

Here's the Reno Gazette-Journal report.

Traffic stop leads to pot arrest

From David Richie:

An Orangevale man attracted Citrus Heights police's attention last week while driving near Greenback Lane and Mariposa Avenue.

An officer on April 14 noticed that Tyler Harrison Smith, 27, was not wearing a seatbelt and his 2000 Lexus did not have any license plates.

During the traffic stop, the officer smelled marijuana. He soon found a pipe and a small amount of pot on the center console.

The officer then opened the trunk and found two pounds of suspected marijuana.

Smith was arrested on suspicion of possession and transportation of marijuana for sale.

Smith is no longer in custody, but he is due in court today on two felony charges.

Suspects in vehicle burglaries due in court

From David Richie:

Four men are due in court Tuesday morning after their arrests last week in connection with a series of vehicle burglaries in the area around Plum Tree Court in Citrus Heights.

An alert resident called Citrus Heights police about 1 a.m. April 15, reporting that his truck had just been broken into. Other witnesses described a small four-door sedan with a loud muffler that had been seen in the area.

Officers spotted a car matching that description and stopped it at about 1:30 a.m. near Sunrise Boulevard and Old Auburn Road . They detained the driver, Dmitriy Drobenyuk, 21, as well as passengers Pavel Vaslinskiy, 21, Eugene Andreyov, 25, and Vitaly Bukhalyuk, 23.

A search of the car turned up crowbars and other items police described as burglary tools as well as suspected stolen property.

All four men were booked into Sacramento County Jail.

They each face charges of burglary and possession of stolen property.

Update: Tip leads to $1,000 reward

Officials from Roseville Crime Stoppers report that they have mailed a $1,000 check to a person in Austin, Texas, who provided information that led to the arrest of Morgan Michelle Hoke, 21, otherwise known as the bank robbing "Ponytail Bandit."

Here's Art Campos' Feb. 14 report about the arrest:

A young woman thought to be the "Ponytail Bandit" who robbed three banks in May, including one in Roseville, has been arrested in Thailand, authorities announced.

Morgan Michelle Hoke, 21, was detained by Thai immigration officials after an arrest warrant was issued by the FBI and police in Austin, Texas, where the first bank robbery by the "Ponytail Bandit" occurred May 7.

The robber, who got her nickname because she wore a baseball cap with her ponytail sticking out of the back, hit the Wells Fargo Bank branch at 2000 Douglas Blvd., Roseville, on May 23.

Seven days later, the "Ponytail Bandit" robbed the First Heritage Bank in Lynnwood, Wash.

Austin police said a tipster from Roseville identified Hoke as a potential suspect.

Police said arrangements are being made with Thai officials to extradite Hoke to the United States.

Hoke's husband, Stuart Michael Romine, 26, also is wanted in connection with at least three Texas bank robberies, according to Austin police. His whereabouts are unknown.

More details about the reward, from Roseville Crime Stoppers:

The arrest of Hoke in Bangkok, Thailand in February 2008 resolved a string of seven bank robberies that stretched from Roseville to Washington State and Texas. Hoke’s husband, 26-year-old Stuart Michael Romine, remains at large.

Nick Alexander, president of Roseville Crime Stoppers, said, “We are very pleased that our offer of a reward led to the arrest of this bank robber. Our goal is to make crimes such as this less and less attractive to would-be perpetrators.”

The trail had grown cold for investigators attempting to solve this serial crime. The FBI had dubbed Hoke the Ponytail Bandit because she wore a baseball cap with her ponytail protruding from the back, but all they knew was what she looked like. A manhunt for Hoke included a feature on America’s Most Wanted.

A news release asking for help in identifying her caught the attention of a person in Austin who recognized the bandit. That individual checked online for more information and followed a link to the Roseville Police Department website that displays the phone number for Roseville Crime Stoppers. The tipster called the Crime Stoppers line and spoke to a detective.
Crime Stoppers…Ponytail Bandit, cont’d

Using information from the caller, Roseville detectives identified the Ponytail Bandit as Hoke. The FBI used the same information to link Hoke to seven bank robberies in three states. Additional information from the Austin informant led the FBI to Thailand where Hoke was located, arrested by Thai police, and extradited to the United States to stand trial.

Roseville Crime Stoppers encourages anyone with information on serious crimes to call 916-783-7867 (STOP). The caller will be assigned a number to remain anonymous and will be asked to call back in a few days to see if an arrest has been made. If the information was instrumental in an arrest, a cash reward up to $1,000 will be paid.

Windy City weekend tally: Six killed, 23 wounded

It was a violent weekend in Chicago, where at least 32 people were shot and six were killed.

Here's a story from the Chicago Tribune and one from the Associated Press.

California crime: Wounded suspect may have held up two Oakland stores within minutes

A rash of Oakland robberies continues, including Saturday night when police believe a suspect shot in an exchange of gunfire with a liquor store owner may have robbed another store a few minutes earlier.

Here's the Oakland Tribune story about the latest incidents.

Teen cyberspace threat alleged

A 13-year-old student at Sylvan Middle School was booked into juvenile hall Thursday after she posted threats against another student on MySpace.com, officials said.

Earlier, the girl had threatened the other student with a piece of glass she picked up in the schoolyard, Citrus Heights police officials said. But taking the dispute into cyberspace is what really got her in trouble.

The girl was charged with a felony count of making terrorist threats. An arrest summary also indicates a misdemeanor charge of brandishing a weapon.

The incident is another local example of Internet-related crime that law enforcement officials are dealing with nationwide.

On Friday, Ann Marie Linscott pleaded guilty Friday to federal charges stemming from a Craigslist ad soliciting the murder of an Oroville woman who is the wife of Linscott's former lover. Here's Denny Walsh's story about that case.

More on Thursday's incident from David Richie:

Cyber-bullying, stalking and other problems related to the Internet also are increasing locally, said Lt. Jeff Mackanin, Citrus Heights police watch commander.

"Teenagers think they are anonymous but they aren't," Mackanin said.
Stalkers also are becoming adept at surfing the net -- on the prowl for potential victims. Teenagers are posting revealing photos and far too much information about themselves on sites like MySpace.com, Mackanin said.

A stranger can generally determine where a teenager goes to school along with where that potential victim works and likes to hang out.

Police are using the same tools and they often are amazed at the stuff they find. Underage teenagers have no problem depicting themselves in full party mode, surrounded by bottles of liquor with a pretty suspicious looking cloud of smoke in the air around them.

Mackanin advises parents to learn how to check the MySpace pages maintained by their children and by friends of their children.

They also should be aware that some teenagers use two pages -- dummy sites that their parents know about and second pages where more racy material is posted.

Local police can help parents get the training they need to properly monitor their children’s activities, Mackanin said.

In a related note, Melissa Nix reports that the Elk Grove Unified School District will hold a free Internet safety workshop for parents from 6 to 8:30 p.m. May 15 at Laguna Creek High School, 9050 Vicino Drive.

The workshop will cover educational blogging, the language of text messaging, social networks such as MySpace and Facebook, cyberbullying, tracking Internet predators, online research, copyright and blocking and monitoring your child's Internet use.

Space is limited to the first 25 parents who register. To register, or for more information, contact Elk Grove Adult and Community Education at (916) 686-7717.

Jail inmate jumps to death

Bee Metro Staff

A 62-year-old inmate at the Sacramento County Jail committed suicide Saturday afternoon by climbing over a safety railing and jumping, the sheriff's department said.

The inmate jumped at about 1:40 p.m. after leaving his cell on the eighth floor on a social visit, sheriff's officials said.

Paramedics took him to an area hospital, and he was pronounced dead at 2:23 p.m.

The inmate's identity was not released Saturday, but officials said he was facing "multiple felony counts" and had been in the jail since Thursday.

Carmichael apartment fire kills 75-year-old resident

By Bobby Caina Calvan

A 75-year-old man was killed Saturday afternoon when a 5 p.m. blaze engulfed a Carmichael apartment in the 5700 block of Madison Avenue, Metro Fire officials said.

A cause of the fire was still under investigation.

The man's body was discovered in the apartment's kitchen, but his remains had not yet been removed from the structure, said Assistant Fire Chief Greg Mugartegui. Heavy smoke has prevented crews from reentering the building. The fire spread rapidly and also damaged the upstairs unit directly above the unit where the fire started, he said.

The man lived with his brother, who fire officials also described as elderly.

Oven fire suspected in Campus Commons blaze

By Bobby Caina Calvan

An elderly woman escaped a blaze that gutted her home Saturday after an apparent oven fire swept through her Campus Commons duplex apartment, the Sacramento Fire Department said.

The woman was not injured, said Capt. Jim Doucette.

The fire left her home uninhabitable, although the 2:32 p.m. blaze did little damage to the adjoining unit located in the 2300 block of American River Drive.

The fire was contained within about 15 minutes, but the home's wood shakes were especially stubborn, said Doucette.