Sacto 9-1-1

From Art Campos:

A small business in Roseville was victimized Wednesday by a scam artist posing as a city utility company employee over the telephone, police said.

The fraudulent caller convinced the company's owner to send an "overdue balance" on a purported bill for electricity, police said.

The owner read off credit card information over the phone to the caller, the department said.

Police spokeswoman Dee Dee Gunther said the business was told that if the bill was not paid, the electricity would be shut off.

Gunther said the caller, a female with a "professional-sounding voice," identified herself as a Roseville Electric employee.

"Based on other calls into the city's utility billing division, it appears that the con artist has also called other local small businesses," Gunther said.

So far, only the one business has reported being defrauded, she said. An undisclosed amount of money was charged to the owner's credit card, purportedly by an out-of-state company, she said.

Gunther said no one from the city of Roseville will ever call a customer asking for personal information, including credit or debit card numbers or other bank account data.

She said Roseville's utility billing division has an automated calling system that contacts customers to alert them when accounts are at least 19 days overdue and within two days of having the utility shut off.

The automated message gives customers the option of selecting one number to pay over the phone, or another number to speak to a customer service representative, Gunther said.

Any customer with a question about a bill or who wishes to pay over the phone is urged to call the billing division at (916) 774-5300, she said.

Vehicle thefts statewide decreased by 8 percent last year, following a decrease of 5 .5 percent in 2006, the California Highway Patrol reports.

"These numbers reflect the hard work of law enforcement and the public and while they are encouraging, there's still a lot of work to be done," said Joe Farrow, California Highway Patrol commissioner, in a news release.

According to the CHP, last year 227,412 vehicles were stolen in California. On average, a vehicle is stolen every three minutes in the state. The estimated total value of the vehicles was $1.4 billion. Of the vehicles stolen, 88.2 percent were successfully recovered.

Among the 58 counties in California, Mono County showed the biggest reduction in the percentage of vehicles stolen at 66.7 percent. Monterey County had a 48 percent increase in the number of vehicles stolen last year.

Approximately 55 percent of all vehicle thefts occurred in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties.

Farrow offered these anti-theft tips for motorists:

• "Don't make it easy for thieves, lock the doors and take the keys with you," he said.
• Park in a well-lit, populated area.
• Don't warm up or leave your vehicle running unattended.
• Consider a visible or audible device that alerts thieves the vehicle is protected.
• Immobilizing devices prevent thieves from bypassing the ignition and hotwiring a vehicle.
• Tracking devices can be very effective in helping authorities recover stolen vehicles.

Other facts, according to the CHP: Honda and Toyota continue to be popular among car thieves. Toyota has ranked as the most frequently stolen pickup truck since 1984.

Thieves' quest for metal had serious consequences for cancer patients in a northern Sand Diego outpatient clinic.

The Associated Press reports that radiation therapy couldn't be performed on dozens of patients because a would-be metal thief ripped out copper plumbing that cools radiation machines.

Oncology Therapies of Vista office manager Beth Bourbeau discovered the vandalism Wednesday and up to 65 patients went without radiation therapy.

The copper pipes, which were left behind, would have fetched up to $400 at a recycling center.

Plumbers were called in and the machines were expected to be running Thursday.

Sheriff's Sgt. Art Wager says there are no arrests.

Sacramento County Sheriff's Northwest Division detectives are seeking Devon Phillip Bel on a felony $25,000.00 bail arrest warrant for suspicion of burglary, Sacramento Crime Alert officials report.

Bel is described as age 22, 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighing 145 pounds with blue eyes and blond hair. Bel was last known to live in the 3600 block of Robertson Avenue in the Arden Arcade area of Sacramento.

Anyone with information about Bel is asked to contact Crime Alert at (800) AA-CRIME or (916) 443-HELP. Callers can remain anonymous and maybe eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

A Long Beach police officer on Wednesday shot and wounded an off-duty Los Angeles police officer who allegedly brandished a shotgun and ignored officers' orders to drop the weapon, the Los Angeles Times reports.

The wounded man is the son of a Los Angeles Police Department lieutenant.

Here's the Times' story.

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:
Jaywalking is on rise in Sacramento, along with car vs. pedestrian accidents
Man arrested in car stereo theft
Police/Fire Log

Arden/Carmichael:
Armed pair rob three people in Arden area
Police/Fire Log

Elk Grove/Laguna:
Police/Fire Log

Citrus Heights:
Police arrest barricaded suspect

Orangevale/Fair Oaks:
Police/Fire Log

Folsom:
Police/Fire Log

Rancho Cordova/Gold River:
Police/Fire Log

El Dorado County:
Compliment turns into altercation
Police/Fire Log

Placer County:
Placer to celebrate Night Out
Police/Fire Log

The El Dorado County district attorney filed murder charges Wednesday against Garden Valley residents Patricia Presba, top left, and Jaime Ramos in connection with the presumed death of Presba's husband.

Presba and Ramos are charged with the murder of Ronald Presba with special circumstance, alleging they intentionally killed the victim for financial gain.

District Attorney Vern Pierson said if convicted, the pair could face the death penalty or life without possibility of parole.

Pierson declined to comment on specifics of the case, citing the ongoing investigation.

Ramos also received an enhancement charge, alleging personal use of a dangerous or deadly weapon. Both also were charged with arson of forestland and personal property.

Here's the full update from Chelsea Phua and Niesha Lofing.

From Phillip Reese, via The Public Eye Column:

Can one area's violent crime problem be another area's gain?

While the number of robberies skyrocketed in Natomas in June, they dropped just as precipitously in Valley Hi and Meadowview, a Bee analysis of weekly crime data finds.

In May, Valley Hi and Meadowview saw 34 robberies, a fairly typical number for those neighborhoods, which have gang-related crime. But in June, there were 17 robberies in Meadowview and Valley Hi - a 50 percent drop.

Meanwhile, the Natomas area saw the number of robberies increase from 13 in May to 31 in June.

Overall, robberies in the city remained steady - 142 cases in May and 143 cases in June. Police and criminologists note that even if crime is displaced, it's not destroyed.

For a view of crime in your area, view The Bee's Crimemapper.

Police are alerting the public about two sexual assaults that have occurred in the midtown area.

The first occurred about 3 a.m. July 5 near 24th and E streets, the second about 10:40 p.m. Tuesday near 26th and E streets, according to a Police Department news release.

In each case, the victim was a young adult woman who was walking alone, the release says. The attacker walked up to the victim from behind and put his arm around her neck in a chokehold, it says. He then fondled her breasts and attempted to take her pants off, according to the release.

The women fought back, the release says, prompting the attacker to run off, but in the first incident, he put a black handgun to the woman's head.

The attacker was described as a black man in his early 20s, about 5-foot-6 and a stocky build. The release says he has large eyes and a round face. He was waring a baseball cap, dark gray T-shirt, khaki cargo shorts and tennis shoes.

Anyone with information about these assaults is urged to contact Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward up to $1,000.

From Art Campos:

Roseville police plan a zero-tolerance effort against drunken driving Friday night.

Starting at 8 p.m., extra officers will patrol the streets for impaired drivers, whose cars may be towed away, police said.

In a news statement, Capt. Stan Lumsden said anyone feeling a "buzz" after drinking should not attempt to drive.

"Designate a driver, or call a taxi or a sober friend for a ride home," he said in the statement.

People can call the Designated Drivers Association of Sacramento for free rides home in the Roseville area Friday, police noted.

Roseville experienced 9 percent more collisions involving drunken drivers through the first six months of 2008 than over the same period last year, said department spokeswoman Dee Dee Gunther.

Police also arrested 502 suspected DUI motorists from January to the end of June, a 41 percent increase over the same period last year, she said.

Overall, Roseville has experienced a 3 percent reduction in all collisions reported in the first six months this year compared with a similar period last year, she said.

Funding for Roseville's enforcement patrols and DUI checkpoint operations comes from a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety.

From Art Campos:

Roseville police say a 14-year-old boy had a rough time driving after he took his guardian's car for a joy ride without permission.

The teenager allegedly drove over a lawn and collided with a garage door before backing up and driving away, police said. On another street, the youngster crashed into a pickup truck in a driveway, pushing the truck into a cable TV equipment box and a mailbox, they said.

The boy initially walked away but cooperated with officers when they arrived on scene, said Dee Dee Gunther, a police spokeswoman.

Police became aware of the incidents about 9:30 a.m. Friday when someone reported a hit-and-run collision involving the garage door in the 1800 block of Northbrook Drive, Gunther said.

The second incident involving the striking of a parked pickup truck occurred in the 1800 block of Vista Creek Drive, she said.

The 14-year-old boy was cited on suspicion of hit-and-run driving and of not having a driver's license. He was released into the care of the guardian, Gunther said.

From Niesha Lofing:

Two suspects being held in Salt Lake City in connection to the presumed death of an El Dorado County man did not waive their right to extradition today.

The decision means El Dorado County's district attorney must obtain a governor's warrant to extradite the pair back to California, sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Bryan Golmitz said.

It also means officials will have 30 days to extradite Patricia Presba, left, and Jaime Ramos, who both are being held on suspicion of homicide in connection to the presumed death of Presba's husband, Ron Presba, 54.

Ron Presba's SUV was found in a ravine off Highway 193 June 25 while firefighters were battling a wild land blaze near Kelsey.

A forensic autopsy has not yet confirmed that the severely burned body found in the floorboard of the passenger seat is Presba, but it is presumed to be the Garden Valley man.

Here is Monday's Bee story about the suspects:

2 arrested in El Dorado death
Wife, 46, and another man, 21, taken into custody at a Utah motel

From Niesha Lofing:

Want to better understand law enforcement in El Dorado County? Learn about police procedures firsthand?

Sign up for the El Dorado County sheriff's Citizens Law Enforcement Academy.

The sheriff's office is sponsoring the 12-week academy beginning Sept. 2. The academy will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. each Tuesday, states a sheriff's news release.

Participants will learn about patrol procedures, investigations, K-9 unit, gangs, narcotics, search and seizure and use of force. Participants also can take a four-hour ride-along with a deputy, the release states.

The sheriff's office has been offering the academy since 1993.

Applicants will be taken on a first come, first-served basis. There is no cost to attend the academy.

For more information or to request an application, contact Lt. Kevin House at (530) 642-4706 or Det. Jeff Leikauf at (530) 642-4720.

From Dan Nguyen:

The Los Angeles Times reports that according to a Los
Angeles Police Department official, a Long Beach police officer critically
wounded an off-duty LAPD officer.

Although few details were released this morning, Long Beach police said they
responded to a call at 12:30 a.m. of a person with a gun walking on Mira Mar
Avenue near Fourth Street.

Officers located the 27-year-old man and realized he was armed, Long Beach
Police Sgt. Dina Zapalski said. It was not clear why one of the officers
began shooting, she said.

Only one officer fired, wounding the man, Zapalski said. She did not know
how many times the Long Beach officer fired or where the victim was wounded.

Here's the Times' story.

The California Highway Patrol is sponsoring a Start Smart class for young drivers who have a permit or recently received their licenses and their parents.

Classes will be offered at 7 p.m. Thursday and 7 p.m. Aug. 13 and 14 at the North Sacramento CHP office, 5109 Tyler St.

The Start Smart program's aim is to reduce collisions and injuries involving teen drivers, according to a department news release. The program will detail accident avoidance techniques, accident causing elements, driver responsibilities and area traffic collision trends. Laws pertaining to provisional licenses, driving under the influence and zero tolerance will also be discussed, the release states.

For more information, call Officer Lizz Dutton at (916) 338-6710.

Some updates being added today:

Sac Sheriff, May 2008, 3,140 reports

Roseville, June 2008: 940 reports

Rocklin, June 20 to July 24: 292 reports

Lincoln, June 16-June 30: 58 reports

A Citrus Heights resident found Wesley DeBerry's lottery mail scam story in today's Bee eerily familiar.

Dennis Snyder said his wife, Rose, received a similar letter containing a check for $4,875 from Commerce Bank in Aurora, Colo. It said she won a the America Shoppers Sweepstakes on May 5. But Dennis said his wife doesn't enter such contests.

The check was from a different bank than the one cited in today's story, but Snyder's letter directed her to call the International Claim Dept. in Chatham, Ontario. It instructed her to deposit the check and pay $2,975 via Moneygram or Western Union.

As Matthew Cram, a spokesman for TD Bank Financial Group, said in today's story, "Our usual message to customers is if too good to be true, it probably is."

Citrus Heights Police burglary detectives are seeking information leading to the identity of the suspect responsible for the burglary of a victim's automobile and the use of the victim's credit card, Sacramento Crime Alert officials report.

On May 29, the victim's car was burglarized and the victim's purse containing personal identification and credit cards was stolen, officials said.

At 5:57 p.m. of the same day, the victim's credit card was used to draw $300 from the victim's account at the Lucky Derby Casino in Citrus Heights, officials report. The suspect was caught by the Casino's surveillance camera, left photo.

Anyone with information about the suspect is asked to contact Crime Alert at (800) AA-CRIME or (916) 443-HELP. Callers can remain anonymous and maybe eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

From Art Campos:

A man who wore "aviator-type" sunglasses is being sought by the FBI for a bank robbery that occurred Friday in Loomis.

FBI Agent Steve Dupre said the robber walked into the U.S. Bank at 3700 Taylor Road at about noon and handed a note to a teller.

"The note demanded money, and there was threatening language in the note," Dupre said. "But no weapon was seen."

After receiving an undisclosed amount of cash, the suspect left, and it's unknown if he ran away or used a vehicle, the agent said.

The suspect was described as white, about 5 feet, 10 inches tall and between 160 and 170 pounds. He wore a tan, collared shirt with short sleeves.

The aviator-style sunglasses had a dark rim, Dupre said.

Anyone with information about the suspect or the incident is asked to contact the FBI at (916) 481-9110.

Sacramento sheriff's homicide detectives continue to need the public's help in identifying a woman whose remains were found in March in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

Investigators believe the woman had been dead nearly four years before a fisherman found her March 29 in the 17000 block of Tyler Island Road. The woman, who detectives said was likely the victim of a homicide, was found in dense brush.

The woman was either white or Latino and stood between 5-foot-1 inch and 5-foot-8.

Today, investigators released a reconstruction sketch of the victim's face, left. Investigators are releasing the sketch and re-releasing photos of photographs of three distinctive items of jewelry and clothing the victim was wearing.

Click here for Ryan Lillis' initial story about the missing woman and to see the photos of the jewelry and clothing.

Anyone who recognizes the woman portrayed in the sketch or any of the items in the photographs is urged to call the Sacramento Sheriff's Department at (916) 874-5115, or the Sacramento County Coroner's Office at (916) 874-9320.

Callers who wish to remain anonymous and be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000 can call Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

From Dan Nguyen:

In this month's Atlantic magazine, writer Hanna Rosin examines the stark rise of crime in Memphis, Tenn., and concludes that low-income housing programs without proper planning may have been a culprit.

Last week, The Bee's Mary Lynne Vellinga examined the role of low-income housing in Natomas' recent crime wave.

From Ryan Lillis:

Sacramento police say the heads-up work of an off-duty cop led to the arrest of a shooting suspect over the weekend.

Three men showed up at area hospitals Saturday following a report of a shooting at 1:37 a.m. in front of Cheers Bar and Grill on West El Camino Avenue near Truxel Road.

Witnesses told police the shooter fled in a Lexus. About a half-hour after the shooting, a Sacramento police officer on his way home from his shift was driving toward Fair Oaks when he saw a car that matched the description of the alleged shooter's vehicle.

The off-duty cop called the Sacramento sheriff's department for back-up - he was in the unincorporated area of the county by then. Deputies arrived a few minutes later and authorities nabbed the suspect on Auburn Boulevard.

Sacramento police Officer Konrad Von Schoech identified the suspect as 21-year-old Louis Vasquez. He faces two counts of assault on a person with a semiautomatic firearm, according to Sacramento jail records.

From Niesha Lofing:

Rocklin red-light runners beware - citations will be issued to drivers caught violating red lights on camera at Rocklin Road and Interstate 80 beginning Friday.

The Rocklin Police Department added the intersection to its Red Light Photo Enforcement Program in early June and has been issuing warnings to violators since that time.

The camera monitors westbound traffic on Rocklin Road and the on- and off-ramp from westbound I-80, states a police news release.

The department typically gives drivers a 30-day warning period, the release states.

Citations will be given starting Friday.

There were 670 violations recorded by the cameras during the warning period. Of those, 310 were issued warnings and 183 violations are still being processed, the release states.

The department's photo enforcement program is administered by Redflex Traffic Systems Inc., an Arizona-based provider of traffic safety photo enforcement programs.

Rocklin police began its photo enforcement program in 2006.

According to the department's Web site, a red-light violation occurs when a driver deliberately enters an intersection after the signal light has turned red.

"Motorists who are already in an intersection when the signal changed to red - while waiting for a turn, for example - aren't red light running and are not ticketed," the department's Web site states.

A man thought he would fill 'er up for free in at Reid-Hillview Airport in East San Jose.

But his plan went awry when the suspected drunken man started pumping jet fuel into his car when San Jose police showed up.

Police arrested Justin Rodebush, 20, about 8:30 p.m. Sunday night.

"We've had people try and steal gas here in the past," Jim Meide, who works in operations at the county-run facility, told the San Jose Mercury News. "It's really stupid. Put aviation gas in your car and it's so heavily leaded that eventually your valves warp and you'll end up with some very expensive repairs."

Here's the Mercury News story.

From Niesha Lofing:

Don't be alarmed by the law enforcement presence at Pleasant Grove Middle School in Rescue - they're participating in a weeklong training exercise.

The active threat training began Monday and will continue through Friday at the middle school on Green Valley Road. The training is being conducted by the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office, which has hosted the training for six consecutive years at local schools, Sgt. Bryan Golmitz stated in a news release.

The training, which provides sheriff's staff with current tactics employed by law enforcement nationwide, arose from the Columbine school shooting and other school shooting incidents in recent years.

The sheriff's office trains about 100 deputies, district attorney investigators and probation officers.

The Rescue School District, which worked closely with sheriff's officials to develop and implement school shooting procedures, has 20 personnel and 70 volunteers - most of whom are students - participating in the training, Golmitz said.

The training begins with classroom instruction and mock displays of the tactics. Deputies are then subjected to a live training event.

Several safety officers are on scene to monitor practices and identify potential safety issues for everyone involved, he said.

The middle school is currently closed. Only participants will be allowed to access the campus during the training.

From Niesha Lofing:

Sacramento County sheriff's detectives are asking for help in identifying a man believed responsible for shooting a 20-year-old woman in the Foothill Farms area.

The shooting occurred at 1:13 p.m. July 18 at an apartment complex in the 6400 block of Verner Avenue, Sgt. Tim Curran stated in a news release.

When deputies arrived, they found a 20-year-old woman lying in the doorway of her apartment. She had been shot in her upper body, he said.

The woman was treated for her wound at a local hospital.

The woman told detectives she was shot by a man she didn't know. The man knocked on her front door, and when she opened it, the man forced his way into her home and pointed a handgun at her. They yelled at one another, then the man shot her and ran away, Curran said.

The woman also told detectives she had briefly talked to the man in the parking lot of her complex before the shooting, Curran said.

The man is described as a dark-skinned black man, 20 to 30 years old, 5-foot-8, 175 to 180 pounds with short black hair. He was last seen wearing a black long-sleeved T-shirt, a green French-style cap with a short bill and brown sunglasses, Curran said.

The sheriff's department has released a composite sketch of the man (top).

Anyone with information about the shooting or the man is asked to call the sheriff's department at (916) 874-5115 or Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP. Callers may remain anonymous and could be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

From Art Campos:

Roseville police said they seized 4.5 ounces of methamphetamine and "a large amount of cash" when they arrested two people Sunday.

The incident unfolded at 12:39 p.m. when an officer contacted a man in a parking lot in the 1000 block of Lead Hill Boulevard and determined he had an outstanding felony warrant out of Sacramento, said police spokeswoman Dee Dee Gunther.

They also talked to the man's wife, who was in the area, and police then searched the couple's vehicle and hotel room, where the drugs and the cash were found, she said.

Booked on suspicion of possession and transportation of illegal drugs and child endangerment were Matthew Strickland, 27, and Tiffany Ann Lebeau, 28, both of Orangevale.

Gunther said the methamphetamine had a street value of about $7,650 and that the cash was in the "thousands."

From David Richie:

A domestic violence incident escalated early Sunday into a six-hour standoff between Citrus Heights police and a barricaded suspect threatening to shoot himself or any police officer who came near him.

Police officials stated that the incident started about 3 a.m. along the 7300 block of Bonita Way, south of Old Auburn Road when James Edward Wallace, 24, got into a fight with his estranged girlfriend. She was punched repeatedly in the face, dragged from room to room and not allowed to leave, officials said.

When police arrived, Wallace ran into a "granny flat" secondary home on the property, armed himself with a handgun and barricaded the entrance.

At least eight officers formed a perimeter around the building and a crisis negotiating team was called in. Citrus Heights police were assisted by several Folsom police patrol units during the standoff.

Wallace surrendered about 9:20 a.m. and he was taken into custody. Police said they confiscated a .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol with an altered serial number.

Wallace was booked into Sacramento County Main Jail on seven felony charges: suspicion of kidnapping, false imprisonment, domestic violence, possession of a firearm by an ex-felon or addict, corporal injury to a spouse or cohabitant, possessing a gun with an altered serial number, and resisting arrest. Bail is set at $100,000 and his first court date is 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.

From Art Campos:

Police say a man who was turned away at a party in Roseville early Sunday pointed a handgun at a neighbor and also fired three shots into the air.

Officers said they received no reports of people or property being struck by the falling bullets, though police stress the risks of firing a weapon into the air.

On July 1, a 7-year-old girl was struck in the head in Sacramento by a falling bullet after someone fired a shot into the sky. Doctors successfully removed the bullet and the girl has been recovering.

In the Roseville incident, which occurred at 2:29 a.m., several people drove to the 7200 block of Roycroft Drive and tried to attend a house party, said police spokeswoman Dee Dee Gunther.

A fight broke out, and the party host was punched in the face, suffering minor injuries, she said.

The man with the gun fired one shot into the air, Gunther said. When a neighbor came out and asked him what he was doing, the man pointed the gun at him and then fired two more shots into the air, she said.

The people who attempted to crash the party then left, she said.

The armed man was described as an African American in his 20s, about 5 feet, 10 inches and weighing about 190 pounds. He wore a white shirt with silver lettering, a light-colored hat, jean shorts or pants and black shoes, police said.

The man drove away in a black, late 1990s Plymouth four-door sedan.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at (916) 774-5070.

From David Richie:

A Folsom man who allegedly tried to run over another patron during a fight outside a bar suffered some rough justice early Monday. Then police showed up and took him to jail.

Several Citrus Heights police units were called to On The Rocks, 6095 San Juan Ave., just south of Greenback Lane, about 2:30 a.m. They found Adan Castaneda Quintana, 25, face down, with multiple cuts and bruises, near his 1994 Mustang. The windshield was smashed.

Another patron was inside the bar with what appeared to be a broken leg.

Officers were told that Quintana had become involved in a fight and at one point jumped into his Mustang, revved up and struck the other man. Other patrons evidently attacked Quintana when he got out, or was pulled out, of his vehicle, police said. Castaneda was treated at a local hospital.

He remains in Sacramento County jail on suspicion of drunken driving with injury and suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, both felonies.

From Sandy Louey:

A curfew sweep in Elk Grove resulted in 28 juveniles being cited Friday night.

The Elk Grove Police Department conducted the sweep throughout the city. The juveniles, who were from ages 13 to 17, were issued citations and released to their parents, according to a police report.

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 department's problem-oriented policing unit has stepped up the frequency of curfew sweeps this summer, in hopes of preventing juveniles from being the victims of crime or from committing crimes, said Officer Christopher Trim, spokesman for the police department.

The Santa Rosa Press Democrat reports that a state appeals court has upheld a Sonoma County jury's death penalty verdict against the man who murdered a Shasta County sheriff's deputy in 1991.

The case against Tomas Cruz, now 40, was moved to Sonoma County when both sides agreed an impartial jury couldn't be found in tiny Shasta County.

Cruz was convicted of first-degree murder in the October 1991 shooting death of Deputy Ken Perrigo.

Here's the full Press Democrat story.

From David Richie:

Galt police officers said they had to improvise quickly early Sunday morning when they encountered a parolee who fired a shot inside his house and then held a woman at gunpoint.

Police 911 operators received a call for help from a juvenile about 1:15 a.m. regarding a domestic dispute in the 200 block of Creekside Drive. The parolee, identified by police as Ignacio Arizaga, 27, left, fired the shot as police approached. Officers at the scene formed a perimeter and eventually convinced Arizaga to surrender.

"It can happen anywhere at any time," said Sgt. Chris Smith.

It was a dangerous situation but everybody came out of it unharmed.

Arizaga was booked in the Sacramento County Main Jail on a half dozen felony charges, including suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, child endangerment, negligent discharge of a firearm and being a convicted felon in possession of firearm. He also is facing a parole violation.

From the Assocaited Press:

SANTA ANA -- A Marine has pleaded not guilty to murder in the death of a Camp Pendleton comrade who prosecutors allege was killed in a dispute over stolen drug money.

Pfc. Alvin Reed Lovely entered his plea during an arraignment Friday in Orange County Superior Court. The body of Pfc. Stephen Serrano of Sacramento was found May 15 in a ditch in San Clemente.

Another Marine charged with murder in the case, Lance Cpl. Christian William Carney, was being held at Camp Pendleton where he faces unrelated drug dealing charges. He will face the murder charge after disposition of his drug case, authorities said.

Sacramento Police Felony Assaults detectives seek Darrell Eugene Ogburn, left, on a felony $40,000 bail arrest warrant for suspicion of battery causing bodily injury, Sacramento Crime Alert officials report.

At 7:05 p.m. July 17, the victim was on his property when he was confronted by Ogburn, officials said. They began arguing before Ogburn struck the victim in the face causing three fractures to the victim's jaw, officials report.

Ogburn is described as 34 years old, 5 feet 10, weighing 220 pounds with brown eyes and red hair. He was last know to live in the 400 block of Berthoud St. in the Robla area of Sacramento.

Anyone with information about Ogburn is asked to contact Crime Alert at (800) AA-CRIME or (916) 443-HELP. Callers can remain anonymous and maybe eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

From Chelsea Phua:

Sacramento County Sheriff's officials are asking the public's help in finding a 39-year-old man who went missing early Thursday morning.

Authorities say Donald Nelson Gower Jr. (left, showing him at work) was last seen at 4:41 a.m. on a videotape going through one of the doors of Franklin High School, where he works as a custodian.

Detectives say they have not found any evidence that would lead them to believe that Gower may be a victim of foul play, but are appealing for help because of "unusual circumstances surrounding his disappearance."

His family and employer said his disappearance is unusual and out of character, according to a sheriff's news release.

Gower is described as Caucasian, 6 feet tall and 215 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a light-blue, short-sleeved button-down shirt and dark pants. Gower drives a red 1998 Jeep Cherokee with a California license plate number 4DID594.

Authorities are asking anyone who has seen or knows the whereabouts of Gower to contact the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department at (916) 874-5115.

From the Associated Press:

SAN DIEGO -- A dispute over stolen drug money appears to be the motive for the murder of a Camp Pendleton Marine allegedly committed by two comrades, prosecutors said.

The announcement Thursday came a day before Lance Cpl. Christian William Carney and Pfc. Alvin Reed Lovely were scheduled to be arraigned in Orange County Superior Court on charges related to the murder of Pfc. Stephen Serrano, whose body -- in desert fatigues and boots -- was found in a ditch in San Clemente.

Carney, 21, and Lovely, 20, were indicted this month on one count each of murder and making a criminal threat. They also face a sentencing enhancement for the personal discharge of a firearm.

Carney also faces a charge of attempting to dissuade a witness.

Both men have pleaded innocent.

Carney, of Suffolk, N.Y., was put in the brig at Camp Pendleton on unrelated drug-dealing charges after posting $1 million bond for his release from the Orange County jail, said Marine spokesman 1st Lt. Curtis Williamson. Carney, an Iraq war veteran, was to be transferred to Orange County for arraignment.

Lovely, of Dallas, is being held at the Orange County jail in lieu of $1 million bail. At the time of his arrest, he was listed by the Marines as being on unauthorized absence, a step before being declared a deserter, Williamson said.

The body of Serrano, 21, of Sacramento, was found May 15 by a jogger.

It was not clear whether Carney and Lovely had been assigned defense attorneys in advance of their pending arraignment. A message left with the Orange County public defenders office was not immediately returned, and the Marine Corps did not make Carney available for comment.

Prosecutors say events that led to the murder began to unfold on May 9 when Carney drove from Camp Pendleton to Texas to pick up Lovely, who had gone home to visit family. While he was gone, Serrano and an unidentified Marine allegedly broke into Carney's room and stole drug money, according to a written statement by the district attorney's office.

On May 13, when Carney and Lovely returned to the base, Carney was told by an unidentified Marine who claimed to have witnessed a mutual friend and another man breaking into his room. Later that day, Carney and Lovely allegedly met the friend, identified in court papers only as John Doe, and drove him from base to a secluded location in San Clemente. According to prosecutors, the two Marines put a gun to the man's head and threatened to shoot him, if he did not identify his alleged accomplice in the burglary.

Prosecutors say the man identified Serrano.

They returned to the base and then allegedly asked Serrano to meet them. Prosecutors say they then drove Serrano to San Clemente, shot him once in the head and three times in the back.

Prosecutors say after the murder Carney told the friend he had threatened to not say anything about Serrano's murder.

All three Marines were assigned to the 1st Marine Division.

From Stan Oklobdzija:

An off-duty Rancho Cordova Police Department detective arrested a high-risk sex offender at an Arden-area gym after he spotted the 52-year-old man chatting up a juvenile while he lifted weights, according to a press release.

Burk Stearns, a gang detective with the Rancho Cordova Police Department, was working out during his off-time at a health club at the 5100 block of Arden Way when he spotted a man wearing a GPS ankle monitor that Stearns recognized as the type worn by high-risk sex offenders, the release said.

Stearns then saw the man, identified as Jeffrey Clarke Cameron of Rancho Cordova, start talking to a boy as he was lifting weights, the release said.

Stearns identified himself to health club personnel and learned that the boy was in fact underage. After learning the man's identity, he phoned the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department, which contracts police services to the Rancho Cordova, and learned that Cameron was a sex-offender on parole, the release said. One condition of his parole was that Cameron could not have any contact with juveniles, according to the release.

With the help of other off-duty Rancho Cordova police and Sacramento County Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement Team deputies, Stearns detained Cameron at the health club, the release said.

A search of Cameron's home in Rancho Cordova turned up a cache of child pornography, the release said. Cameron was arrested for the child pornography as well as probation violation and was booked into Sacramento County Jail, the release said.

Sacramento County Court records indicate that Cameron was sentenced to 12 years in state prison in 1997 for committing lewd and lascivious acts with a child under age 14.

Rancho Cordova Police are investigating any other illegal contact Cameron may have had while out on parole for the last 10 months. Anyone with information is urged to called Detective Stearns at (916) 875-9624.

From Niesha Lofing:

Davis police are warning residents about a man who has been exposing himself to women in apartment complex common areas.

Police have received six reports of indecent exposure since July 7. Of those, four have occurred at apartment complexes between the 600 and 1200 blocks of Alvarado Street, a Davis news release states.

In each instance, the man exposed himself to women in common areas, such as swimming pools, exercise rooms and laundry facilities.

When confronted, the man has fled on a dark-colored bicycle, possibly red, the release states.

Witnesses describe the man as being white, 16 to 20 years old, 5-foot-3 to 5-foot-7, thin, with brown eyes, thin eyebrows, chin-length dark, wavy hair and a clean-shaven face.

Police are asking residents to avoid exercising or doing laundry alone and to watch for suspicious people prowling or peeping in apartment complex facilities.

Anyone directly observing indecent exposure activity is asked to call 911.

The police department offers rape aggression defense training for women who want to learn more about sexual assault prevention through self-defense. For more information, call (530) 747-5428.

From Art Campos:

A 50-year-old motorist was arrested Wednesday night in Rocklin after allegedly striking another vehicle, fleeing and then running her minivan into gasoline pumps at a 7-Eleven Food Mart at Sierra College Boulevard and Granite Drive, police reported.

The gas pumps did not catch fire, police said.

Cynthia F. Donaldson of Fair Oaks was taken into custody shortly after 8 p.m. and booked into the Placer County jail on suspicion of felony hit-and-run driving causing injury and of felony driving under the influence of alcohol, said Rocklin Police Lt. Lon Milka.

Police said the woman hit another vehicle in the area of Sierra College Boulevard and the new Interstate 80 overpass, causing minor injuries to the driver of the other vehicle.
The suspect then continued a short distance before hitting the gas pumps at the convenience store, Milka said.

When officers arrived, the woman was still sitting in the driver's seat of her GMC minivan and displayed signs of intoxication, the lieutenant said.

The driver who was injured in the earlier incident was taken by ambulance to Sutter Roseville Medical Center and was treated for cuts and bruises, Milka said.

From Chelsea Phua:

The Sacramento Fire Department will begin to rotate closing its companies starting Saturday morning, fire officials said.

The move is a cost-saving measure prompted by the city's budget deficit, officials said.

One fire engine will cease operations for a 48-hour period beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday. After the shift is over, the closure will move to another engine company elsewhere in the city.

Fire officials say remaining engine companies will have to cover wider areas and the average response time for the city will be delayed by about a minute.

Fire officials say they hope to post a schedule as soon as possible showing projected closures throughout the year on the department's Web site.

Following is the schedule through Aug. 12:

• July 26 and 27: Engine 17, 1311 Bell Ave.

• July 28 and 29: Engine 2, 1229 I St.

• July 30 and 31: Engine 16, 7363 24th St.

• Aug. 1 and 2: Engine 30, 1901 Club Center Drive.

• Aug. 3 and 4: Engine 5, 731 Broadway.

• Aug. 5 and 6: Engine 10, 5642 66th St.

• Aug. 7 and 8: Engine 20, 2512 Rio Linda Blvd.

• Aug. 9 and 10: Engine 6, 3301 Martin Luther King Blvd.

• Aug. 11 and 12: Engine 7, 6500 Wyndham Drive.

From Art Campos:

For the second time in a month, phony water workers have conned the elderly into letting them inside a home, where they have stolen money and other items.

The Placer County Sheriff's Department said the latest scam occurred at 9 a.m. today on Hillgrove Street in Granite Bay when two men victimized an elderly man and got away with a safe containing cash and documents.

Sheriff's spokeswoman Dena Erwin said one of the suspects told the victim that there was a water problem in the neighborhood and they needed to check his home.

The victim led the suspect through the house and into the back yard, she said, and the phony worker instructed him to hold the hose while the water was running.

The suspect then went back into the man's home, let the second suspect in through the front door and the two men took the safe, Erwin said.

The victim described the suspects as Latino, 5 feet 6 inches to 6 feet tall and having stocky builds. Both had brown hair and eyes. The first man wore a tool belt and an identification badge that was turned backward, Erwin said.

The first suspect also wore a blue work shirt with an orange T-shirt underneath.

On June 27, a similar scam occurred in Loomis and two suspects took money and other valuables from an elderly couple who had trouble giving the Sheriff's Department a description of the men.

The victims, who were sent outside to hold a running water hose, recalled that the suspects wore blue pants and work-type uniform shirts with a white name badge.

However, they were unable to describe the suspects' race or estimated heights and weights. The couple did recall seeing a raised pickup truck that was gray or blue.

From Chelsea Phua:

Fire officials have determined that the two-alarm fire at Leonardo da Vinci Middle School late Saturday was intentionally set.

No one was injured in the fire that started in the computer lab of the school at 4701 Joaquin Way. A neighbor alerted firefighters about 10:45 p.m.

Arson investigators are asking anyone who saw suspicious activity near the school or someone on the roof of the school at the time of the fire to call (916) 808-8732. Callers can remain anonymous.

Sacramento Police felony assaults detectives are seeking Robert Sellers on a felony $50,000 bail arrest warrant for suspicion of robbery and assault with a deadly weapon, Sacramento Crime Alert officials report.

Sellers was involved in an assault July 9 in the 3000 block of T Street, where the victim was beaten and kicked until he blacked out, officials report. After the assault, the victim realized that his black leather book bag was missing, officials said. The book bag contained the victim's wallet, $180 in cash and several other personal items with the victim's name on them.

Sellers, also known as Robert Chang-Sellers and Robert Ngan, is described 22 years old, 6-foot-2, weighing 200 pounds with blue eyes and brown hair. Sellers is listed as a transient and is known to frequent Fremont Park and the motels along Alhambra Boulevard.

Anyone with information about the suspect is asked to contact Crime Alert at (800) AA-CRIME or (916) 443-HELP. Callers can remain anonymous and maybe eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

From Chelsea Phua:

Overall crime in Sacramento is down by 8 percent, but more homicides and burglaries were committed the first six months of this year than in the same time period last year, police figures released Tuesday showed.

The first half of 2008 saw 29 murder cases, seven more than the first half of 2007. In three of the 29 homicides, the victims succumbed this year to injuries they incurred in previous years, Sacramento police department spokesman Sgt. Matt Young said.

It is difficult to pinpoint reasons for an increase or decrease in crime, especially homicides, which are usually crimes of passion, Young said.

Burglaries are up by 1.4 percent, while other crimes - rape, robberies, aggravate assault, larceny and motor vehicle thefts - are down.

Young said it's important to remain "cautiously optimistic" about the statistics and the department is always reviewing what works and what doesn't in combating crime.

Here is a statistical breakdown, as provided by the Sacramento Police Department:

072208-119.pdf

From Art Campos:

Lincoln police are looking for a man with two missing front teeth who allegedly tried to force a female employee at a Raley's gas station into his vehicle.

The attempted kidnapping happened at 10:30 p.m. Sunday in the car wash area behind the station at 725 South Highway 65, police Lt. Terry Kennedy said.

The victim told police she was standing in the car wash area when a white male grabbed her and tried to force her into his maroon Dodge Durango. She managed to break loose and escape, Kennedy said, and the suspect drove away.

Kennedy said another employee was inside the station but could not see what was occurring in the car wash area.

"The victim had gotten caught in a blind spot," he said.

The suspect was described as between 25 and 30 years old, about 5 feet, 8 inches tall, about 180 pounds and missing two front teeth. He was wearing dark, baggy clothing.

Anyone with information is urged to contact police at (916) 645-4040.

From Stan Oklobdzija:

Folsom police have arrested a West Sacramento man of suspicion of trying to torch his dry cleaning business after it fell on hard times.

According to a press release, police arrested Jung Hang Suh, 61, in connection with a July 5 fire that burned through Blue Ravine Cleaners in the 190 block of Blue Ravine Road.

In responding to the blaze, which burned mostly on the building's roof, police found Suh on the roof of an adjacent building, the release said. Suh had apparently injured himself while climbing on the roof and was taken to the hospital, the release said.

A further investigation revealed that Suh was the owner of Blue Ravine Cleaners and had allegedly fallen on tough financial times, the release said. Folsom detectives believe that Suh started the fire to recoup the insurance money and separate himself from the business, according to the release.

Suh was arrested today in West Sacramento, the release said. He was booked into Sacramento County Jail on $150,000 bail.

From Art Campos:

Roseville police arrested 12 men on suspicion of soliciting for sex acts over the Internet during a recent sting operation.

Lt. Mike Doane said a woman undercover officer agreed online to meet the men at a hotel within the city. The men were arrested when they came to her room at staggered meeting times last Wednesday, he said.

"We want people to be mindful that we pay attention to illegal acts arranged through Internet dating," Doane said. "We don't want them using Roseville to commit these crimes."

Doane said the men were booked at the Roseville Police Department jail and most were released on a promise to appear for their court dates.

From David Richie:

Citrus Heights police investigating complaints of suspicious activity involving cars strange to the neighborhood, lots of foot traffic and provocatively dressed women made a prostitution arrest in a residential area.

Patrol officers went to the neighborhood, near the corner of Glen Creek Way and Garry Oak Drive off Old Auburn Road, about 1:30 a.m. on July 18.

They determined that a male resident had been using the Internet site Craig's List to find women willing to pay him a visit for a fee.

Based on that information, they arrested Cara Ashley Gerling, 19, on suspicion of prostitution.

The man was not taken into custody but police officials said Tuesday that he remains a suspect and additional information may be sent to the Sacramento County District Attorney's office.

From Chelsea Phua:

Fire officials arrested a 17-year-old Monday afternoon in connection with a fire that destroyed a South Natomas playground in May.

Authorities say the teenage boy is being charged with unlawfully starting the blaze that torched the Jefferson Park playground, called Fort Natomas, on May 26.

The suspect, whose name is not being released because he is a juvenile, was being held in custody. He was arrested in Placer County, with the help of Placer County Probation Department, fire officials said.

May's incident was the second time in two years the playground has burned to the ground. Authorities are still investigating the first fire, set in June 2006, but said they have ruled out any connections between the two fires.

Authorities have initially ruled May's fire as arson, but Sacramento Fire Marshal Troy Malaspino said at a Monday evening press conference the boy, who was visiting the Natomas area, appeared to have started the fire to keep warm.

"At this point there appears to be a lack of malicious or wilful intent," Malaspino said.

The fire marshal also said he could not comment on whether the boy was alone when he started the fire because the investigation is still ongoing, but said authorities are not looking for more suspects.

Click here for more Bee coverage about the Fort Natomas fires.

From Chelsea Phua:

Robbers attacked two South Natomas residents early Friday morning, but police say they are not certain if the incidents were connected to the previous rash of robberies in the area.

One resident was robbed shortly after midnight in the parking lot of an apartment complex in the 3300 block of Smoketree Drive, Sacramento Police Capt. Daniel Hahn said. Another was robbed about 2:15 a.m. in the common area of an apartment complex in the 2200 block of Northview Drive.

The two assailants in the first robbery were described as African-American men between 17 to 19 years old. They wore black clothing, police said.

Two men attacked the victim in the second robbery, but no specific description of them was available, police said.

Some personal items - jewelry, purses and wallets - were taken, Hahn said.

A June 30 meeting drew more than 400 people and highlighted the spike in home invasion and armed robberies in Natomas. Since then, Hahn said crime activity in the area has dropped.

Nine suspects have been arrested for the robberies committed between June 1 and June 24. Three more were arrested for robberies committed after June 24. Hahn said no home invasions have occurred since June 24.

"Neighbors are being vigilant with their neighborhood watches," Hahn said.

From Chelsea Phua:

Sacramento police are seeking three men who they say carried out a home invasion robbery Tuesday in the 7000 block of 16th Street.

The men, one of them armed with a handgun, entered the residence about 8:50 a.m. and tied up a woman who lives there, according to a department news release. They ransacked the place, seizing several items, authorities reported. They fled in the victim's 2009 Toyota 4-Runner, which has since been found, according to police.

The men were described as African Americans, ages 20 to 30.

The man with the handgun was described as 5 feet 4 and heavyset. He had a dark complexion and was wearing a black hooded sweat shirt and bluejeans. The other two suspects were described as 5 foot 7, wearing hooded sweat shirts, bluejeans and bandannas around their faces.

Anyone who has information is urged to contact Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP or (800)-AA-CRIME.

Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

5750 reports added from the SacPD, for June 2008.

Also, I noticed in the code that I've had the wrong calculation for translating radius (in miles/ft) to latitude/longitude coordinates...so doing a mile radius search would bring up reports within 1.5 miles. I've since corrected this, so if your linking to a search by radius, you'll get fewer reports than before (because it's covering a smaller radius).

The Sacramento Fire Department is recruiting new members for its Community Emergency Response Team.

The fire department will host a training academy for the team, also known as CERT, for three consecutive Saturdays beginning July 26, fire Capt. Jim Doucette stated in a news release.

The academy will be from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 26, Aug. 2 and Aug. 9.

In the academy, team members will learn disaster medical operations, disaster psychology, team organization and some search and rescue and fire safety measures, he said.

Instructors strive to teach new members basic response skills that can be used at work and in their neighborhoods.

Team members are tasked with providing basic response and organizational skills if a disastrous event occurs and overwhelms or delays professional emergency responders, Doucette said.

The academy is free for participants. For more information or an application, go to www.sacramentocert.net or call (916) 747-7202.

- Niesha Lofing

From Art Campos:

Making an emergency call on a cell phone in Roseville just got easier, faster and more direct.

The change ends a longstanding problem in which some people calling 911 on their wireless phones in Roseville would be connected to the California Highway Patrol, instead of to the city's police and fire communications center.

On Tuesday, the communications center and local wireless companies completed a nearly two-year project to have direct connections on all wireless and landline calls, the Roseville Police Department announced in a news release.

"Seconds count in an emergency," Teresa Murray, the department's support commander, said in the news statement. "Cellular callers no longer have to take the extra step of talking to a CHP dispatcher and waiting to be transferred. Callers are directly connected to us the first time, and we can get emergency units rolling faster."

Drivers dialing 911 from Interstate 80 while passing through Roseville will still have calls answered directly by the CHP, said Dee Dee Gunther, the Police Department's spokeswoman. The cell towers have three "sectors," each pointing in different directions, which allows those sectors facing the freeeway to continue routing emergency calls to the CHP.

Gunther said the new system also eliminates the need for cell phone users to program a seven-digit emergency number into their cell phones to reach Roseville's communications center.

The center installed a new 911 cell handling system in the fall of 2006, she said. The system is capable of receiving identification and geographic location information from wireless phones.

In January 2007, the first of seven wireless company providers was switched over to the direct connection, she said. The six other companies were switched over in the next 18 months, she said. The final one received direction connection Tuesday, she said.

Gunther said Roseville received funding assistance for the upgrade from the state of California's 911 fund, which is maintained by a statewide surcharge on telephone bills.

Sacramento Police Department robbery detectives are seeking information leading to the identity of a man suspected of robbery, and assaulting two Raley's market employees, Sacramento Crime Alert officials report.

At 6:40 p.m. July 8, loss prevention officers at Raley's, 4551 Mack Road, were attempting to detain a suspected shoplifter, officials report. The suspect brandished a pair of scissors with four-inch blades and made stabbing and slashing moves, officials said. The two Raley's employees were injured, with one suffering a puncture wound to the chest before the suspect escaped.

The suspect is described as having black hair with long braids and wearing a black T-shirt and black shorts.

Anyone with information about the suspect is asked to contact Crime Alert at (800) AA-CRIME or (916) 443-HELP. Callers can remain anonymous and maybe eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

From Art Campos:

A 26-year-old man has been arrested by the Placer County Sheriff's Department in a five-month-old case in which more than 12 pounds of dynamite and military high-explosives were found in a carport locker in north Auburn.

Taken into custody at his north Auburn home Tuesday was James R. Mercado, left, who was booked at the Placer County jail on suspicion of illegal possessing high explosives and of possessing a destructive device.

Sheriff's spokeswoman Dena Erwin said Mercado's bail was set at $100,000.

Erwin said the investigation into the owner of the explosives began Feb. 19 when members of a drug task force unit went to a home in the 3600 block of Sapphire Drive to serve a narcotics warrant.

Officers found the explosives, causing the evacuation of dozens of nearby residents and the closure of roadways, she said. The sheriff's Explosives Ordnance Detail removed the explosives, which consisted of six pounds of dynamite, six pounds of military high-explosives, a block of military C-4 explosive and blasting caps, she said.

Two men at the home were arrested, Erwin said. However, charges for possessing the explosives were dropped when investigation revealed the two men had no connection to the dynamite and other explosives, she said.

The probe continued and led to the arrest of Mercado, she said.

From Chelsea Phua:

Authorities on Wednesday indicted nearly 60 people in a nationwide take-down of an Asian gang with operations in Sacramento, the Bay Area and as far as Denver, Colo., and Canada.

Ten of the gang members were arrested in the Sacramento region on suspicion of narcotics trafficking, including the conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute ecstasy, and the conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana, federal prosecutors said.

The alleged drug activities took place between November 2007 to July 2008.

The investigation, dubbed "Operation Smoking Dragon," began in March 2007 and involved a phalanx of federal, state and local agencies, including the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, Sacramento police and sheriff departments, Elk Grove and Yolo County law enforcement agencies.

The Sacramento County Probation Department and California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation also participated.

Read Phua's full story

The San Francisco Chronicle's Matier and Ross report that San Francisco may keep its beleaguered network of security cameras for at least another year.

Back in January, the Chronicle reported that the city's 68-camera surveillance program, in 2 1/2 years of operation, contributed to one arrest.

Part of the problem was attributed to the cameras' comically slow output: Some
cameras captured one frame per 10 seconds. The Chicago surveillance program, in comparison, gets as many as 30 frames per single second.

In June, a Board of Supervisors committee voted to cut the program's budget.

But Matier and Ross report that the mayor's office has a reserve fund of $200,000, initially set aside to buy new cameras, that could be used to maintain the old ones.

- Dan Nguyen

Two Sacramento-area would-be car buyers found themselves crime victims in Fairfield Tuesday, police said today.

A 16-year-old Elk Grove resident and a 23-year-old Sacramento resident arranged to meet someone to purchase a vehicle in the parking lot of the DMV office in Fairfield.

At about 1:30 p.m., they were approached by two males and a female in their 20s. The first suspect told the victims that the car was located down the street at his father's house and asked them to follow him in their vehicle.

The victims followed the suspects to the 200 block of Serrano Drive where the suspects simulated that they were possibly armed and demanded victims' cell phones and valuables. The suspects then got into a nearby dark gray sedan, possibly a Kia or Ford Focus, and fled eastbound on Woolner Ave.

The first suspect are described a Tongan male, age 24, 6 feet, 3 inches tall, weighting 240 pounds, with medium length dark hair pulled up in a ponytail. He was last seen wearing a brown sweater and baggy blue jeans.

The second was described as a black male, age 21-22, 6 feet, 1 inch tall, weighing 160 pounds, with short "twisties" in his hair. He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt, baggy black jeans, a white towel on his head with a black baseball cap on backwards.

The third suspect was described as a mixed-race Hispanic female, age 20-21, 5 feet, 8 inches tall, weight 140 pounds, with black hair in a ponytail. She was last seen wearing a black T-shirt and blue jeans and has a tattoo on her right forearm.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Fairfield Police Department at (707) 428-7300 or Solano Crime Stoppers at (707) 644-STOP.

- Andrea V. Brambila

From Art Campos:

Two 13-year-old girls were arrested during the weekend for allegedly shoplifting clothing and accessory items from at least eight stores at the Galleria at Roseville, police reported.

The reported crime spree ended at 4:25 p.m. Saturday when security officers at one of the stores apprehended and held them for police, who booked them on suspicion of burglary and conspiracy at the Placer County Juvenile Detection Center in Auburn, said Roseville Police Department spokeswoman Dee Dee Gunther.

One of the girls is from Roseville and the other is from Citrus Heights, she said.

"Often, teenagers think that shoplifting is easy, that they are not likely to get caught and that there are no serious consequences," Gunther said. "In fact, shoplifting is a serious crime. Stores certainly take it seriously and have sophisticated security systems in place to detect and apprehend shoplifters."

Gunther said Roseville police arrested 689 shoplifters in 2007 and that many were prosecuted on charges of petty theft, burglary or robbery.

She noted that if someone enters a business with the intent to steal, a misdemeanor petty theft could be upgraded to burglary, which is a felony. If shoplifters resist or fight with store personnel or anyone trying to detain them, the crime is upgraded to robbery, a serious violent felony, she said.

From David Richie:

Folsom police arrested Michael Patrick Woulfe, 39, of Rancho Cordova, Sunday night on suspicion of using stolen purchase orders to obtain almost $14,000 worth of gas over the past three months.

Woulfe was booked on suspicion of burglary, as well as suspicion of altering the purchase orders and forging signatures. The police investigation revealed that Woulfe may have been involved in up to 80 illegal transactions, officials said.

Gary Hamner, owner and president of the Peoples Automotive Group in the Folsom Auto Mall, described Woulfe as a former employee who was around long enough to figure out what managers thought was a "bullet-proof system."

"He broke into our store and stole a purchase order book," Hamner said. "He went into the middle of the book and pulled out about 100 purchase orders."

Investigators believe that Woulfe also knew the names of the people authorized to sign those purchase orders and forged their signatures.

He would line up vehicles four and five in a row to get gas at several local service stations. The scheme started unraveling when a dealership manager noticed one of those lineups and asked the gas station attendant what was going on. Investigators eventually caught Woulfe on videotape from a gas station surveillance camera, Hamner said.

Jail records indicate that Woulfe had a warrant from Sacramento Regional Transit for not paying his light rail fare and he also was wanted by Sacramento police for blowing off a jaywalking ticket.

Four men landed in Sacramento County jail Friday after Citrus Heights police spotted them allegedly stealing bales of cardboard from the loading dock area behind Sam's Club, off Greenback Lane, right across Fountain Square Drive from the police station.

Local police have been vigilant about such thefts after a rash of incidents last year, officials said.

They noted that the bales weigh several hundred pounds and require a forklift or multiple people to move. Each bale will bring about $400 at a recycling center.

An officer spotted the suspicious activity about 3 a.m. and watched as two trucks were loaded.

The officer followed the suspect vehicles west on Greenback Lane and called for additional police units. The trucks were stopped near the corner of Watt Avenue and Elverta Road.

Officers arrested four men they identified as Freddy Ivy, 55, of Antelope, and Monroe Burl Murchison, 28, Dimarceeo T. Johnson, 30, and Anthony Wilfred Pitts, 62, all of Carmichael.

They were booked on suspicion of grand theft and conspiracy. Pitts also was charged with suspicion of parole violation.

- David Richie

Four gang members kicked down the door of a Modesto man's home on Monday,
stabbed him in the back, and then apologized when they realized they stabbed
the wrong person, according to the Modesto Bee.

Sgt. Craig Gundlach of the Modesto Police said, "At some point during the
attack, the men realized they had the wrong house and told the victim they
were sorry."

The victim is hospitalized in serious condition.

- Dan Nguyen

Six Bay Area women who allegedly used stolen credit card information to buy more than $1 million of merchandise from malls along Interstate 80 between Sacramento and San Francisco have been arrested by a team of high-tech crime investigators.

Task force officials say the women are part of an identity theft and credit card fraud ring with international ties. They have identified more than 400 victim account holders in the United States, Europe, Japan and Australia.

"They were just on a crime wave," says Capt. Jim Cooper, a member of the Sacramento County Sheriff's office and commander of the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force. The task force - comprised of 33 local, state and federal law enforcement agencies - has been investigating the ring since January.

The six women, between the ages of 21 and 37, all have connections to the city of Richmond. Combined, they face more than 180 charges of identity theft and fraud. Three have pleaded guilty and are facing four to eight years in prison. The other three are awaiting trial.

The ring is still under investigation. Officials believe it has a dozen more members.

-- Andrea V. Brambila

A disgruntled network administrator has locked down San Francisco's new multi-million dollar computer network, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Terry Childs, 43, is being held on suspicion of tampering with the city's
network, which holds such electronic records as payroll files, confidential
law enforcement documents and e-mails.

Childs reportedly has a master user account that grants him complete access
to the system and the ability to lock out other users.

The Chronicle reports that city administrators attempted to fire Childs for
poor performance, and that part of his alleged sabotage involved using the
network to eavesdrop on his bosses' discussion.

From Sandy Louey:

A curfew sweep in Elk Grove resulted in 11 juveniles being cited Friday night.

The Elk Grove Police Department conducted the sweep throughout the city, with those cited ranging from age 12 to 17, said Officer Christopher Trim, spokesman for the police department.

All the juveniles cited were issued citations and released to their parents, Trim said.

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.

From Art Campos:

Roseville police arrested two men who allegedly cut a water pipe behind a business early today in an apparent attempt to remove the pipe's copper fitting.

An officer on patrol at 2 a.m. spotted a pickup truck parked behind the business in the 1200 block of Lead Hill Boulevard and saw a man in all-black clothing walking quickly near a back door, said police spokeswoman Dee Dee Gunther.

Water was spraying from a pipe, and the officer found bolt cutters on the ground near the man, Gunther said.

Arrested was Victor Ortega, 44, of West Sacramento on suspicion of conspiracy, possession of burglar's tools, vandalism, petty theft, loitering on private property and possession of a controlled substance.

A person in the truck, Lester Galen Melius, 52, of Sacramento, was booked on the same charges, Gunther said. He also had an arrest warrant from Sacramento County for burglary, she said.

From Lakiesha McGhee:

Two Sacramento men suspected of possessing stolen catalytic converters from vehicles were arrested early today, thanks to an alert resident and a quick response from Roseville police officers.

Police received a call at 3:44 a.m. today from a resident in central Roseville who reported two men tampering with a trailer. The suspects drove away without taking anything, according a police statement. The resident provided dispatchers with a description and the direction of travel of the suspects' vehicle.

Minutes after the 911 call was placed, Roseville police stopped the suspects' vehicle on Atkinson Street near Church Street. Inside the vehicle were suspected burglar's tools and five catalytic converters, police report.

Tong Seng Vue, 54, of Sacramento was arrested on suspicion of possession of stolen property and conspiracy, and was taken into custody at the Roseville City Jail on $5,000 bail. Kao Lai Saephan, 33, of Sacramento was arrested on suspicion of possessing stolen property, possessing burglar's tools and conspiracy. He also is in custody in the Roseville City Jail on $5,000 bail.

Catalytic converter thefts are increasingly common. The catalytic converter is part of a vehicle's exhaust and emission control system, and is located under the chassis. Thieves steal the converters and sell them to metal recyclers, who mine them for small amounts of precious metals. Once stolen, catalytic converters are difficult to trace back to their rightful owners.

To combat this problem, area residents can have their catalytic converters etched with their vehicle's license plate number at a free Etch 'n' Catch event from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 19, at Les Schwab Tire Center, 5610 Pacific St., Rocklin. Pre-registration is required. Call Lynn Harrison of the Placer County Sheriff's Department at (916) 652-2419.

Two teenagers were reported to have been shot in a gang-related fight
Wednesday evening in south Sacramento, according to the Sacramento Police
Department.

The shooting took place at around 9:37 p.m. Wednesday on the 7500 block of
Pinon Way.

Both suffered a gunshot wound to the upper body and were in stable
condition, Lazark said. The suspects were seen running toward Meadowview
Road.

The shooter was described as an African American male juvenile with dreadlocks and
wearing a hooded sweatshirt with a skeleton design.

-- Dan Nguyen

Nevada County residents soon will be able to be obtain jail custody information online and be notified when inmates are released from the county jail.

The Nevada County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday authorized the county sheriff's department to offer the Victim Information and Notification Everyday (VINE) and Statewide Automated Victim Information and Notification (SAVIN), Sheriff Keith Royal announced in a news release.

The statewide service offers the public and crime victims access all day, every day, to jail custody information on offenders throughout the state. There are 27 counties connected to the VINE network, which allows access by phone and online.

Residents also can choose to have the system automatically notify them via phone or e-mail upon a specific inmate's release or transfer.

Earlier this year, the California State Sheriff's Association obtained a $1.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance to offer the software system for free to every sheriff's department in the state until January 2010.

Officials estimate it may take up to 60 days to activate the system in Nevada County, Royal said.

- Niesha Lofing

He doesn't have the most heinous of charges on his booking sheet, but 53-year-old Larry Mosley may have the lengthiest one for today. Most of the items on his booking sheet involve warrants for alleged infractions against Regional Transit, including evasion of fares, misusing discount tickets, and interfering with RT personnel and equipment. His total bail amounts to $27,318.

Here are the charges listed for him under the Sacramento County Sheriff's jail page:

Case# 2008077056(01) - Warrant Arrest
Warrant Agency: SACRAMENTO REGIONAL TRANSIT DISTRICT
PC 640(B)(1)
EVASION OF PAYMENT OF FARES
PC 853.7
FAILURE TO APPEAR AFTER WRITTEN PROMISE
Bail: $285.00

Case# 2008077190(02) - Warrant Arrest
Warrant Agency: SACRAMENTO REGIONAL TRANSIT DISTRICT
SRT03.04(4)D4
ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE/OPEN CONTAINER IN LIGHT RAIL STATION
PU 99170(A)1
OPERATE/INTERFERE W/TRANSIT VEHICLE, POPERTY, FACILITIES
PC 853.7
FAILURE TO APPEAR AFTER WRITTEN PROMISE
Bail: $455.00

Case# 2008080129(03) - Warrant Arrest
Warrant Agency: SACRAMENTO REGIONAL TRANSIT DISTRICT
PC 640(B)(11)
UNAUTHORIZED USE OF DISCOUNT TICKET
PC 640(B)(6)
WILLFULLY DISTURBING OTHERS ON REGIONAL TRANSIT SYSTEM
SRT03.04(4)A
FALSE INFO/OBSTRUCTING RT INSPECTOR
PC 853.7
FAILURE TO APPEAR AFTER WRITTEN PROMISE
Bail: $483.00

Case# 2008082244(04) - Warrant Arrest
Warrant Agency: SACRAMENTO POLICE DEPARTMENT
SCC10.20.020
PEDESTRIANS MUST USE CROSSWALKS.
PC 853.7
FAILURE TO APPEAR AFTER WRITTEN PROMISE
Bail: $285.00

Case# 2008085323(05) - Warrant Arrest
Warrant Agency: SACRAMENTO REGIONAL TRANSIT DISTRICT
SRT03.04(4)B4
REMOVE/DISPLACE/INJURE/DESTROY/OBSTRUCT ANY RT FACILITY
SRT03.04(4)D1
DELAYING AT LIGHT RAIL STATION (PERSON)
PU 99170(A)1
OPERATE/INTERFERE W/TRANSIT VEHICLE, POPERTY, FACILITIES
PC 853.7
FAILURE TO APPEAR AFTER WRITTEN PROMISE
Bail: $585.00

Case# 2008086767(06) - Warrant Arrest
Warrant Agency: SACRAMENTO POLICE DEPARTMENT
SCC10.20.040
PEDESTRIAN WALKING IN ROADWAY - SIDEWALK PROVIDED
PC 853.7
FAILURE TO APPEAR AFTER WRITTEN PROMISE
Bail: $347.00

Case# 2008089950(07) - Warrant Arrest
Warrant Agency: SACRAMENTO REGIONAL TRANSIT DISTRICT
SRT03.04(4)D4
ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE/OPEN CONTAINER IN LIGHT RAIL STATION
PC 853.7
FAILURE TO APPEAR AFTER WRITTEN PROMISE
Bail: $347.00

Case# 2008087165(08) - Warrant Arrest
Warrant Agency: SACRAMENTO REGIONAL TRANSIT DISTRICT
PC 640(B)(1)
EVASION OF PAYMENT OF FARES
PC 853.7
FAILURE TO APPEAR AFTER WRITTEN PROMISE
Bail: $285.00

Case# 2008091593(09) - Warrant Arrest
Warrant Agency: SACRAMENTO REGIONAL TRANSIT DISTRICT
SRT03.04(4)D4
ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE/OPEN CONTAINER IN LIGHT RAIL STATION
SRT03.04(4)D1
DELAYING AT LIGHT RAIL STATION (PERSON)
PU 99170(A)1
OPERATE/INTERFERE W/TRANSIT VEHICLE, POPERTY, FACILITIES
PC 853.7
FAILURE TO APPEAR AFTER WRITTEN PROMISE
Bail: $585.00

Case# 2008098829(10) - Warrant Arrest
Warrant Agency: SACRAMENTO REGIONAL TRANSIT DISTRICT
PU 99170(A)1
OPERATE/INTERFERE W/TRANSIT VEHICLE, POPERTY, FACILITIES
SRT03.04(4)A
FALSE INFO/OBSTRUCTING RT INSPECTOR
PC 853.7
FAILURE TO APPEAR AFTER WRITTEN PROMISE
Bail: $455.00

Case# 07TR148699(11) - Warrant Arrest
Warrant Agency: SACRAMENTO REGIONAL TRANSIT DISTRICT
PC 640(B)11A
UNAUTHORIZED USE OF A DISCOUNT TICKET
SRT03.04(4)A
FALSE INFO/OBSTRUCTING RT INSPECTOR
PC 853.7
FAILURE TO APPEAR AFTER WRITTEN PROMISE
Bail: $2,000.00

Case# 07TR219337(12) - Warrant Arrest
Warrant Agency: SACRAMENTO REGIONAL TRANSIT DISTRICT
PC 640(B)(8)
URINATING IN PUBLIC
PC 853.7
FAILURE TO APPEAR AFTER WRITTEN PROMISE
Bail: $2,000.00

Case# 07TR220544(13) - Warrant Arrest
Warrant Agency: SACRAMENTO REGIONAL TRANSIT DISTRICT
PC 640(B)(11)
UNAUTHORIZED USE OF DISCOUNT TICKET
SRT03.04(4)A
FALSE INFO/OBSTRUCTING RT INSPECTOR
SRT03.04(4)B1
INTERFERE W/VEHICLE OPERATION
PC 853.7
FAILURE TO APPEAR AFTER WRITTEN PROMISE
Bail: $2,000.00

Case# 07TR220775(14) - Warrant Arrest
Warrant Agency: SACRAMENTO REGIONAL TRANSIT DISTRICT
PC 640(B)(1)
EVASION OF PAYMENT OF FARES
PC 853.7
FAILURE TO APPEAR AFTER WRITTEN PROMISE
Bail: $2,000.00

Case# 07TR220807(15) - Warrant Arrest
Warrant Agency: SACRAMENTO REGIONAL TRANSIT DISTRICT
PC 640(B)(6)
WILLFULLY DISTURBING OTHERS ON REGIONAL TRANSIT SYSTEM
SRT03.04(4)A
FALSE INFO/OBSTRUCTING RT INSPECTOR
PC 853.7
FAILURE TO APPEAR AFTER WRITTEN PROMISE
Bail: $2,000.00

Case# 07TR220810(16) - Warrant Arrest
Warrant Agency: SACRAMENTO REGIONAL TRANSIT DISTRICT
PC 640(B)(6)
WILLFULLY DISTURBING OTHERS ON REGIONAL TRANSIT SYSTEM
PC 374.4
LITTERING
PC 853.7
FAILURE TO APPEAR AFTER WRITTEN PROMISE
Bail: $2,000.00

Case# 07TR220811(17) - Warrant Arrest
Warrant Agency: SACRAMENTO REGIONAL TRANSIT DISTRICT
SRT03.04(4)D4
ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE/OPEN CONTAINER IN LIGHT RAIL STATION
SRT03.04(4)A
FALSE INFO/OBSTRUCTING RT INSPECTOR
PC 853.7
FAILURE TO APPEAR AFTER WRITTEN PROMISE
Bail: $2,000.00

Case# 07TR224696(18) - Warrant Arrest
Warrant Agency: SACRAMENTO REGIONAL TRANSIT DISTRICT
SRT03.04(4)D4
ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE/OPEN CONTAINER IN LIGHT RAIL STATION
SRT03.04(4)A
FALSE INFO/OBSTRUCTING RT INSPECTOR
PC 853.7
FAILURE TO APPEAR AFTER WRITTEN PROMISE
Bail: $1,500.00

Case# 07TR226910(19) - Warrant Arrest
Warrant Agency: SACRAMENTO REGIONAL TRANSIT DISTRICT
PC 640(B)(1)
EVASION OF PAYMENT OF FARES
PC 853.7
FAILURE TO APPEAR AFTER WRITTEN PROMISE
Bail: $1,500.00

Case# 07TR233731(20) - Warrant Arrest
Warrant Agency: SACRAMENTO POLICE DEPARTMENT
SCC9.04.070
URINATING / DEFECATING IN PUBLIC
PC 853.7
FAILURE TO APPEAR AFTER WRITTEN PROMISE
Bail: $1,500.00

Case# 2008028732(21) - Warrant Arrest
Warrant Agency: SACRAMENTO REGIONAL TRANSIT DISTRICT
PC 640(B)(1)
EVASION OF PAYMENT OF FARES
PC 853.7
FAILURE TO APPEAR AFTER WRITTEN PROMISE
Bail: $750.00

Case# 2008030138(22) - Warrant Arrest
Warrant Agency: SACRAMENTO REGIONAL TRANSIT DISTRICT
PC 640(B)(1)
EVASION OF PAYMENT OF FARES
PC 853.7
FAILURE TO APPEAR AFTER WRITTEN PROMISE
Bail: $750.00

Case# 2008033452(23) - Warrant Arrest
Warrant Agency: SACRAMENTO POLICE DEPARTMENT
SCC13.10.160
ILLEGAL REMOVAL OF RECYCLABLES
PC 853.7
FAILURE TO APPEAR AFTER WRITTEN PROMISE
Bail: $750.00

Case# 2008051386(24) - Warrant Arrest
Warrant Agency: SACRAMENTO REGIONAL TRANSIT DISTRICT
PC 640(B)(1)
EVASION OF PAYMENT OF FARES
SRT03.04(4)B1
INTERFERE W/VEHICLE OPERATION
PC 853.7
FAILURE TO APPEAR AFTER WRITTEN PROMISE
Bail: $1,000.00

Case# 2008100179(25) - Warrant Arrest
Warrant Agency: SACRAMENTO POLICE DEPARTMENT
SCC12.44.220
SOLICITATION OF FUNDS PROHIBITED
PC 853.7
FAILURE TO APPEAR AFTER WRITTEN PROMISE
Bail: $347.00

Case# 2008100761(26) - Warrant Arrest
Warrant Agency: SACRAMENTO REGIONAL TRANSIT DISTRICT
PC 640(B)(1)
EVASION OF PAYMENT OF FARES
PU 99170(A)1
OPERATE/INTERFERE W/TRANSIT VEHICLE, POPERTY, FACILITIES
PC 853.7
FAILURE TO APPEAR AFTER WRITTEN PROMISE
Bail: $415.00

Case# 2008101805(27) - Warrant Arrest
Warrant Agency: SACRAMENTO REGIONAL TRANSIT DISTRICT
PU 99170(A)1
OPERATE/INTERFERE W/TRANSIT VEHICLE, POPERTY, FACILITIES
PC 853.7
FAILURE TO APPEAR AFTER WRITTEN PROMISE
Bail: $347.00

Case# 2008106288(28) - Warrant Arrest
Warrant Agency: SACRAMENTO POLICE DEPARTMENT
SCC9.04.050C
POSSESS ALCOHOL IN LIQUOR STORE PRKNG LOT OR PRPRTY ADJACENT
PC 853.7
FAILURE TO APPEAR AFTER WRITTEN PROMISE
Bail: $347.00

A 48-year-old Truckee man was reported missing Saturday, according to the Truckee Police Department. He is considered to be at-risk.

Jesus Lopez Gayton was last seen near his home on La Bamba Mobile Home Park
on the 11000 block of Donner Pass Road.

Gayton's family members said he suffers from depression and has said he wanted to go to Mexico where his family is, according to the press release. But his bank and identification cards were found at his residence.

Anyone with information about Gayton's whereabouts can call the Truckee
police at (530) 550-2320.

- Dan Nguyen

The Rancho Cordova Police Department has started its own blog where citizens can ask questions. In its latest entry, on July 6, "Patrick" asks why he sees officers using hand-held cell phones despite the new hands-free device law.

What does that tell your average citizen or a child, that the police are
above the law? Doesn't the Rancho Cordova dept have funds to assist officers
who can't afford hands free devices? Please stress to your officers, the
importance of leading by example.

The department responds that "none of our officers feel they are above the
new cell phone Law" but that the new law (specifically vehicle code
23123(c)) specifically exempts "operators of an authorized emergency vehicle
during the course of employment."

- Dan Nguyen

On the Ask Officer Michelle blog, a reader asks Officer Michelle Lazark if the Sacramento Police Department's reserve officers can be used to patrol the Natomas area in the wake of the recent surge of area robberies.

Why can't they be used to patrol a few hours a week or so in the evenings, even if it's just to be seen and be a possible deterrent for the bad guys? You can leave your regular officers for calls for service, and just let the reserves look into any suspicious activity that may be seen in the area.

Lazark writes back that the department isn't able to use reserve officers in this way, but that Capt. Daniel Hahn said that the department has allocated extra units to investigate the home invasion robberies.

For reference, this is the job description listed for SacPD reserve officers.

They are sworn officers who perform the "full range of law enforcement duties." However, they primarily work under the supervision of higher level sworn personnel.

Some of the "essential duties and responsibilities" of a reserve officer, according to the job application:

• Perform limited law enforcement duties while under immediate supervision that are not likely to result in physical arrests.

• Assist the Police Department in safely directing the control of vehicular, pedestrian, and bicycle traffic.

• Assist the Police Department in controlling crowds at major events, gatherings, disasters, and any other special occasions which may cause a large crowd to assemble or traffic to congest.

• Assist in providing security at City facilities, parades, sporting and other public events.

• Assist in providing transportation and hospital custody of prisoners.

• Transport evidence, records and equipment.

• Prepare necessary reports.

• Patrol a designated area of the city on foot, on a motorcycle, or in a patrol car, jeep or van to preserve order, prevent crime and discover criminal acts, and make arrests.

- Dan Nguyen

A mother's children and car were briefly taken from her Tuesday night, the Sacramento Police Department says.

At about 9 p.m. Tuesday, a woman pulled into her driveway on the 7900 block
of 32nd Avenue, said Officer Konrad Von Schoech. She left her car running
while she stepped out to manually open her garage door. At that point, a man
jumped in her car and drove away, with the woman's two children still in the
back seat.

The car was found abandoned several blocks away at a gas station on
Fruitridge. The children were safe, though the robber took the woman's
purse, Von Schoech.

"It's just a reminder to be a little extra cautious, especially when it's
dark." Von Schoech said.

The suspect was described as a male in his 20s.

- Dan Nguyen

From Dan Nguyen:

A Rancho Cordova man was sentenced Tuesday to 70 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography, according to a U.S. Department of Justice press release.

The release states that Jessie LaCroix was found to have a child pornography collection that included 36 photographs and four movies.

LaCroix pleaded guilty on Apr. 15, 2008, and faced a maximum of 10 years in prison, according to the press release.

From David Richie:

A 30-year-old man remains in jail today after allegedly running amok in the Town and Country Village area during one of the more bizarre July 4 incidents dealt with by Sacramento County sheriff's deputies.

Arrest summaries released today state that Walter Cambron, all 6-feet-2-inches and 270 pounds of him, approached a resident in the 3100 block of Ellington Circle about 8:15 a.m. and reportedly told him he was going to kill the man and his entire family. Cambron then allegedly ripped a screen off a front window, entered the home and began struggling with the woman of the house. The summary notes that he held her against her will and punched her in the face before her husband grabbed a sword and chased Cambron out of the home.

Responding deputies determined that before the incident at the house, Cambron may have accosted two women on the street and slapped them both on the buttocks.

He suffered minor injuries while being taken into custody and he was transported to UC Medical Center, Sacramento, where he assaulted hospital employees, according to the arrest summary.

Cambron was eventually booked into Sacramento County Main Jail, on multiple misdemeanor charges of suspicion of battery along with felony charges of suspicion of burglary and suspicion of making criminal threats. He also was rearrested on another charge of attempted burglary and jail records indicate that he has been deemed ineligible for bail.

A self-proclaimed Meadowview Bloods gang member was arrested by Citrus Heights police about 12:15 a.m. July 2 on suspicion of armed robbery.

Officials agreed that the teenager, just a few weeks shy of his 17th birthday, was a long way from home. He allegedly threatened two groups of people with a gun. He took a cell phone during one encounter and went through another person's pockets in the other incident, police said.

Although little information is provided about juvenile arrests, the incidents evidently occurred near Parkcrest Way, off Parkoaks Drive, just south of Greenback Lane. Based on witness information, police spotted the youth in a car with two other occupants.

Officers made a traffic stop, and the teenager bolted from the car but was chased down by officers in the 6400 block of Parkcrest Way.

Another juvenile remained in the car. Police took him into custody on a misdemeanor warrant.

The arrest was the second incident in recent weeks involving alleged gang members in Citrus Heights. Three men suspected of firing at an occupied house on Beaupre Way on June 24 remain in Sacramento County Main Jail. Charges against them include suspicion of participating in a criminal street gang.

The arrests also occurred as the Citrus Heights City Council prepares its discussion of a plan from Supervisor Roger Dickinson to raise sales tax to pay for gang intervention programs. That discussion is slated for Thursday night, and Citrus Heights officials reportedly are not very supportive of the proposal.

- David Richie

The Roseville Police Department will watch closely for speeding, seat belt and cell phone violations as part of a Wednesday morning traffic sweep, department spokeswoman Dee Dee Gunther said.

The dragnet will take place from 6 am to 10 am and will focus on the west side of Roseville, including Pleasant Grove Boulevard, Fiddyment Road and Blue Oaks Boulevard, according to a department press release.

Since the law took effect on July 1, Roseville police have issued at least 52 citations to drivers for using cell phones without "hands-free" devices, Gunther said.

The department conducts the intensive traffic operations on a monthly basis, Gunther said.

- Dan Nguyen

From Andrea V. Brambila:

Former gas station employee Pavel Abraamyan, 25, of Rancho Cordova, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly using stolen credit card information, federal officials said Monday.

Abraamyan was arrested and charged with engaging in fraudulent transactions with unauthorized credit card numbers, possessing more than 15 unauthorized credit card numbers, and possessing credit card manufacturing devices. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Abraamyan allegedly used his position as an employee at a Rocklin gas station to obtain customers' credit card information and then made over $2,000 in purchases at a Roseville Babies "R" Us store using those numbers. He was identified on a store security camera, federal officials said in a press release.

When Abraamyan's home was searched in late April, officers recovered the items purchased at Babies "R" Us, as well as a credit card reader and multiple credit cards, the release said.

According to the release, he faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.

Moving up the ranks: A 17-year law enforcement veteran will be promoted to sergeant with the Elk Grove Police Department today.

Detective Audrey Haug will be recognized during a 10 a.m. ceremony at City Hall, 8400 Laguna Palms Way, police Officer Christopher Trim stated in a news release.

Haug, 41, has worked as a patrol officer, bicycle officer, boat patrol officer, detective and sergeant. She also has coordinated the department's Citizens' Academy and was responsible for investigating domestic violence cases, the release states.

Haug has a bachelor's degree in management from Azusa Pacific University and a master's degree in organizational leadership from Chapman University.

She holds four certificates from the state Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) and has worked for the Riverside County Sheriff's Department and the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Department, the release states.

"Audrey truly understands the importance of working closely with the community and has the leadership skills necessary to move our department into the future," Elk Grove Police Chief Robert Simmons said in a written statement.

- Niesha Lofing

From David Richie:

Thieves raided an Orangevale community group's fireworks stand early today, taking an estimated $13,000 worth of goods.

Lorraine Silvera, team captain for the Orangevale Crush Relay for Life team, said her group's Phantom brand fireworks were secured in a metal locker at the stand in the parking lot of the Orangevale Community Center on Hazel Avenue.

Thieves used a saw to cut through the metal door. Nearby surveillance cameras caught views of at least five vehicles that were loaded during less than a half hour between about 12:49 a.m. and 1:15 a.m.

"We are looking at 30 to 40 boxes," Silvera said.

The theft is not covered by the group's insurance.

Fireworks sales are the main way her group raises money. Orangevale Crush is one of many teams that participate in the Orangevale Relay for Life event. The team is composed of Orangevale residents along with members of the Chamber of Commerce and Orangevale Grange.

Early Wednesday afternoon Silvera was waiting for delivery of another load of fireworks. The plan right now is to try to sell as much merchandise as possible and at least try to break even, she said.

"Today, tomorrow and Friday are always our busiest days," Silvera said. "We will have security here for the rest of the weekend."

From Ryan Lillis:

A 7-year-old girl was shot in the head by a stray bullet Tuesday while playing in a park, police said.

The girl was in Robertson Park on the western edge of Del Paso Heights when she felt a sharp pain above her temple, according to Sacramento police. Her parents took a look and discovered a small mark on the girl's head.

At first, the girl's parents thought the girl was struck by a rock or BB. They took her to Mercy San Juan Medical Center, where doctors discovered the girl had been hit by a .22 caliber bullet, according to police reports.

The injury was not considered life-threatening and police said the bullet fragment would be removed from the girl's head within the next week.

No one heard gunshots or saw anyone firing a gun before the girl was hit, police said. Police believe the bullet could have come from someone firing their gun into the air a long distance away.

A Santa Cruz County man was arrested after a 1,543-pound cache of homemade fireworks was found in his Aptos home.

Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Lt. Robert Pursley says Willis Arthur Bailey, who owns the Bailey Construction firm, has apparently been manufacturing, storing and selling fireworks from his Petery Lane home for years.

Here is the Santa Cruz Sentinel story.

The Sacramento Police Department seeks Lamar Niamia Wagner, left, on a felony $25,000.00 bail arrest warrant for suspicion of assault with deadly weapon, Sacramento Crime Alert officials report.

According to authorities, at about 9 a.m. June 14 Wagner confronted and assaulted his victim with his hands in the 3700 block of Robinridge Way in the Parkway area of south Sacramento. Wagner then struck the victim in the head with a fire extinguisher, authorities report.

Wagner, 26, is described as 6-foot-3, weighing 240 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. His last known addresses are in the 400 block of Oakland Avenue in Oakland and in the 7300 block of Franklin Boulevard in the Parkway area of south Sacramento.

Anyone with information about Wagner is asked to contact Crime Alert at (800) AA-CRIME or (916) 443-HELP. Callers can remain anonymous and maybe eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

The California Highway Patrol will begin ratcheting up its patrols Thursday for the Fourth of July weekend.

The CHP's maximum enforcement period is planned from 6:01 p.m. Thursday to midnight Sunday, according to a department news release.

According to the CHP, last year 18 people died in crashes during the 30-hour July Fourth holiday. CHP officers made 568 DUI arrests during that same period..

The CHP offers these safety suggestions for motorists:

• Make sure that only non-drinking drivers get behind the wheel. Alcohol and driving do not mix.
• Always buckle up on every trip, no matter how short. Safety belts and safety seats protect you and your passengers from other drivers who may not be as careful.
• Leave plenty of time for your trip. If you cannot leave early, don't become impatient with traffic. Take a break from driving at least once an hour. Share the driving among all those with valid drivers licenses.
• Maintain safe speeds for conditions. Even if the posted speed limit is 65 mph or 70 mph, when traffic is heavy or visibility is limited, a lower speed is safer.
• Remember the "rules of the road" and drive accordingly. Obeying stop signs and signals, keeping two seconds or more between you and the car ahead, and practicing common courtesy with other drivers helps keep everyone on the road safer.

From Niesha Lofing:

A Sacramento man was sentenced to 13 months in federal prison for his role in an identity theft and bank fraud scheme.

Brandon Keith Hardin, 33, conspired with others to commit bank fraud by stealing identities and financial information from the mail, a news release from U.S. Attorney McGregor Scott's office states.

Hardin and his conspirators then altered the checks so Hardin could cash them at banks in Sacramento County, the release states.

He was convicted on similar charges March 2004.

Hardin also was ordered to pay restitution and a $300 special assessment. He will be on federal parole for three years following his prison term, the release states.

From Niesha Lofing:

Being aware of your surroundings is an effective way to yourself as well as fight and prevent crime, police say.

Recent home-invasion robberies and street holdups in Natomas have increased concern among area residents, who fear they could become victims. The incidents also raised questions about self protection and crime prevention in general.

Sacramento Police Sgt. Matt Young emphasized that no material possession is worth sacrificing a life.

"If it appears that this certain thing is all the person wants, give it to them," Young said. "There's nothing anyone owns that is worth their life."

Young offered these suggestions for self-protection:

• Be aware of suspicious people and vehicles.

• Write license plate numbers of suspicious vehicles.

• Don't pull into your garage or driveway if an unknown person is lingering outside your home.

• Network with neighbors.

• Protect your home with alarms, signs.

• Don't leave garage, windows or sliding doors unlocked or open.

Click here for Lofing's full story.

From David Richie:

At least three shots were fired during a Saturday night melee in the 5200 block of Verner Avenue in Foothill Farms, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department reports.

According to authorities, a 25-year-old man was confronted about 8 p.m. by at least 12 people. The verbal argument escalated when the man was pistol-whipped by a man who pulled a black semi-automatic handgun, officials report. At that point the 25-year-old's father drove into the scene and shots were fired at his vehicle, authorities said.

The attacker and others involved in the fracas jumped into cars and fled as deputies arrived.

From Sandy Louey:

Elk Grove police are looking for a man who allegedly stole a car and led them on a pursuit Tuesday morning.

The incident began at 6:33 a.m. in the 4500 block of Blossom Ranch Drive when a man left his car idling. Another man rode up on a bicycle, jumped into the car and drove off, said Officer Christopher Trim, spokesman for the Elk Grove Police Department.

An officer tried to pull the stolen vehicle over near Tegan Road about 15 minutes later. The man refused to pull over and led police on a pursuit south on Franklin Boulevard that reached 65 mph, Trim said.

Trim said the pursuit ended when the man lost control of the car and drove into a field off of Elk Grove Boulevard. He took off on foot and officers were unable to locate him after searching for about an hour.

The man was wearing a brown shirt and military-style pants. No other description was given by police.

Anyone with information is asked to call the police at (916) 714-5115.

From Art Campos:

Authorities say a man arrested for allegedly robbing a bank in Roseville (above photo) is being investigated for four other bank robberies in the Sacramento region and in Fairfield.

Scott Stewart Singewald, 41, who was arrested Friday at a hotel in Roseville, will be arraigned today in Placer Superior Court on suspicion of robbing the River City Bank in Roseville on June 11.

The FBI believes Singewald may be the person it dubbed as the "Stuffed Shirt Bandit" for a series of bank robberies that began Sept 1 with the heist of a Bank of America in Fairfield. He was given that nickname because he stuffed money in his shirt after robberies, authorities said.

Subsequent robberies attributed to the Stuffed Shirt Bandit occurred on May 3 at the Bank of the West in Woodland, June 20 at the Bank of the West on El Camino Avenue in Sacramento and June 23 at a Wells Fargo Bank in Lincoln, according to the FBI.

A tipster who saw a photo of the wanted man gave Roseville police a description of Singewald's car, and officers found it parked at a hotel on Lead Hill Boulevard. The suspect was later arrested when he came outside to enter the car.

The series of robberies is being investigated by the Sacramento Violent Crimes Task Force, which is composed of FBI agents and detectives from Sacramento-area law enforcement agencies.

Singewald is being held in the Placer County jail in Auburn on $750,000 bail.

From David Richie:

A 56-year-old woman was arrested early Thursday afternoon on suspicion of using the same phony name on forged prescriptions during seven visits to the Longs at 5420 Dewey Drive in Fair Oaks.

Sacramento County sheriff's deputies stopped Marsha Beasley near the pharmacy drive-through window, where the pharmacist had turned her away, authorities said.

Deputies subsequently developed information that she had obtained more than 800 Vicodin pills during the past 2 1/2 months. Beasley was booked into Sacramento County Jail on suspicion of using a forged prescription and probation violation. Jail records indicate that she was released Tuesday.

A 74-year-old woman drover her car through the front window of a Norwalk convenience store Sunday evening -- and then tried to buy a six-pack of Budweiser, Los Angeles County Sheriff's officials report.

The car plowed about halfway through the store but nobody was injured, authorities report. Rice got out of the car, walked over to the cooler and pulled out a six-pack of Budweiser beer, said the store owner, who gave only his last name, Awada, to the Long Beach Press-Telegram.

Here's the Press-Telegram's story.

Are poachers stealing recycling items from your curb?

In San Francisco, thieves have been prowling the streets in the early morning and have become more aggressive in swiping collectibles, the San Francisco Chronicle reports:

Caught in the cross fire are residents. Reports about noise, litter and trespassing have risen so dramatically in the past couple of years that a state lawmaker has written a bill that would make it illegal for recycling centers and salvage yards to buy goods totaling $50 or more without asking for identification and paying by check.

"Ten years ago, you'd see homeless people or a little old grandma going through the garbage and putting cans into a bag to get a couple dollars," said San Francisco Assemblywoman Fiona Ma, who introduced the recycling theft bill. "But now it's more organized, no one is enforcing (theft laws), and it's a way to generate cash."

Here's the Chronicle story.

From Art Campos:

Three Roseville teenagers walking home were frightened over the weekend when a vehicle carrying five people stopped on the street and the occupants robbed them at gunpoint, police reported.

The victims surrendered a backpack, a cell phone and a necklace during the incident, said police spokeswoman Dee Dee Gunther.

The crime occurred at 10:55 p.m. Saturday as the teens - two of them 16 years old and the other 15 - walked on McAnally Drive near Revere Drive, Gunther said.

A vehicle drove past them, made a U-turn and drove past them again, she said. The vehicle then stopped and four of the occupants got out and demanded property, she said. One of the suspects pointed a handgun at them, she said.

After the suspects drove away, the teens went to the nearby home of one of the victims and called police, Gunther said.

The victims described the driver as white, about 18, having brown spiked hair and wearing a light-colored shirt.

A second man was described as white, about 17 years old, 5-foot-10 and about 150 pounds. He had brown spiked hair and was wearing a white T-shirt and either blue jeans or baggy shorts.

A third suspect was described as Latino, 18 or 19 years old, 5-foot-11 and about 150 pounds. He had short brown hair and a goatee and wore a red-hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans.

A girl, about 17 or 18, was the fourth suspect. She was described as white, 5-foot-9 and 170 pounds. She wore long brown hair in a ponytail and wore a tan tank top and blue jeans.

The fifth suspect had the handgun. He was described as white, about 17, with blond, shoulder-length hair in dreadlocks. He wore a long black T-shirt and blue jeans.

Their vehicle was a white, two-door sedan, similar to a Saturn, with front fender damage.

Anyone with information is asked to call police detectives at (916) 774-5070.