From Chelsea Phua

A 35-year-old Lodi high school teacher has been arrested for allegedly having sex with a former student when she was a minor at the school, police said.

According to a news release, Andrew Gantner Krienke (photo) started a sexual relationship with the student three years ago, when she was 17 years old. At that time, he lived a block away from the high school campus and allowed the student to have access to his apartment, where they would allegedly have sex, police said.

The pair began living together five months ago, police said. Krienke also fathered a child with the alleged victim when she became an adult, police said.

Both have admitted to the relationship.

Krienke was arrested and charged with sex with a minor and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. He was booked into Lodi city jail and has posted a $15,000 bail.

From Chelsea Phua

Sacramento County Sheriff's detectives have released a sketch of a suspect in the sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl on Monday.

Authorities released a sketch of the suspect on Friday. He is described as a "very tan" white man in his mid-40s, 5-feet-6 to 6-feet tall, with a medium build, short gray hair and a noticeable belly. He was wearing a gray T-shirt with red trim, blue jeans and black shoes.

Sheriff officials said the attack happened shortly after 5 p.m. on the campus of the Antelope Crossing Middle School. The victim had gone to the school, which was not in session, with two friends, a 14-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy.

They separated briefly. The victim was on the west side of the campus when the attacker appeared behind a classroom, grabbed her from behind and sexually assaulted her.

The suspected fled on foot toward Palmerson Drive after the victim struggled and yelled for help. The 14-year-old girl saw the attack from a short distance away, authorities said.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff's Child Abuse Bureau detectives at (916) 874-5194 or (916) 874-5191, or Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

From Jillian Kennan:

Investigators for the Citrus Heights Police Department said they have identified the men who allegedly tried to get two 12-year-old girls to enter their van near the Sunrise Mall "late" Thursday evening.

The van pulled up approximately three feet away from the girls while they were walking home, a police news release states. The driver asked the girls if they wanted a ride, and then a second man opened the back slider and told the girls to get in, the release states.

The two girls fled, found a security guard and called the police, the release states. The release described the occupants of the white van as two "Hispanic male adults."

Sgt. Christine Ford of the Citrus Heights Police Department, said that additional details of the investigation are being withheld as the investigation continues.

Police offered these safety tips for walking at night:

- If walking at night, try to use the buddy system and walk with another person.

- If it is dark or getting dark outside, bring a flashlight.

- Try to keep on the "beaten path." Stay away from secluded areas where public access is limited.

- Carry a cell phone with you.

- When you leave for your walk, try to tell someone the approximate time you will return and your route.

From Andy Furillo:

A 23-year-old man was sentenced today to 52 years to life in prison for the 2006 murder of a teenager at a Mack Road shopping center.

Ceron Hill, who shot 18-year-old Jack Maurice Lawrence to death, received 25 years to life on the first-degree murder conviction, 25 more years for shooting someone and inflicting great bodily injury or death, and two years for being an ex-con with a gun.

Sacramento Superior Court Judge Marjorie Koller handed down the sentences.

Hill was convicted April 1 after a 14-day trial.

From Andy Furillo:

An accessory to a 2006 robbery murder in the Rosemont area today was sentenced to four years and eight months in prison.

Freddie Rimpson III, 22, received the term from Sacramento Superior Court Judge Russell L. Hom after pleading guilty June 26 to charges of attempted second-degree robbery and being an accessory to the murder of Kevin Wilson.

Rimpson initially had been charged with murder in the case.

The gunman in Wilson's shooting death, Jayshawn Visa Pierce, has since been convicted and sentenced to prison for life with no possibility of parole.

Wilson, 41, a municipal water district employee, was shot and killed outside his apartment on Tuolomne Drive after a carload of robbers that included Rimpson tailed him from a Fruitridge Avenue bar on May 22, 2006.

According to court testimony, Pierce arranged the robbery to raise bail money for a friend.

From Bill Lindelof:

Rocklin police said a 13-year-old girl threw a water bottle at a man who tried to entice her into his pickup truck.

At about 6 p.m. Thursday in the area of Pebble Creek Drive and Sunset Boulevard, the driver approached the girl and said her parents wanted him to give her a ride home.

The girl refused the ride and threw a plastic water bottle at the driver's face, police said. The driver subsequently drove away.

The teen supplied police with a detailed description of the truck and driver.

The truck was described as a small, champagne-colored pickup with Nevada license plates. The driver was a white man, about 35 years old, with pale skin, brown eyes and dark brown hair. He had a mole under his left eye and was wearing a gray T-shirt.

From Bill Lindelof:

A man responded to being beaten by five would-be robbers by pulling a knife and driving away his attackers, stabbing one before they escaped.

Sacramento police reported that five teenagers confronted the man on the 2800 block of 32nd Avenue in south Sacramento and demanded his wallet. When the man refused to give up the wallet, the suspects beat him in the face and body.

The beating continued after the man fell, a police report states, but it ended when the man pulled pocket knife and counter-attacked, stabbing a 16-year-old boy twice and forcing the teens to flee.

Police responded to the scene and eventually located the wounded teen and a 13-year-old, arresting both on suspicion of robbery. The three other attackers have not been located.

From Bill Lindelof:

A suspected car thief who took a police bait car and then led police on a bloody chase through a neighborhood is in custody.

Sacramento County Sheriff's Department spokesman Sgt. Tim Curran said that about 3:30 a.m. a man in Arden Arcade got into a bait car, which is a vehicle with a remote controlled immobilizer that allows officers to bring it to a stop.

The thief drove from the area near Northrop Avenue and Bell Street to southbound Watt Avenue, where a deputy spotted the decoy car.

When deputies made the vehicle engine impossible to operate -- and caused doors to lock -- the thief punched out the back window, cutting his hand.

The suspect ran from the area of the light rail station near Watt Avenue and Folsom Boulevard. Deputies and Sacramento police units, including some with dogs, searched the area. Officers followed a trail of blood on fences and door knobs left by the suspect as he tried to escape.

At one point, the suspect started to discard clothing. Officers also found a wallet that may be the suspect's.

At 5:30 a.m. the suspect was found hiding in a car in a driveway in the 8300 block of Talisman Drive. He was taken to the hospital suffering from a cut to his hand and police dog bites.

Curran said the suspect would be booked on suspicion of car theft and resisting arrest.

From Chelsea Phua

Authorities seized 96 marijuana plants worth more than $76,000 after a California Highway Patrol helicopter pilot spotted them growing along a popular bicycle and walking trail in Folsom.

In a Thursday news release, Folsom police said the plants were found along the trail in the Sibley Street and Glenn Drive area. (See photo below supplied by the Folsom Police Department.)

Authorities said the plants might have been growing the hidden location for about six to seven months. Police said they do not know who planted the marijuana and are looking for suspects. Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Jon Lasater at (916) 355-7343.

The CHP helicopter pilot, Kevin Vinatieri, has spotted two other crops in Folsom in four years, Folsom police said.

Editor's note: This is another report in an occasional series on unusual events or people found by The Bee's police reporters and editors

Bee Staff

Beware the sharp eyes of police, even in the early morning hours.

At about 3 a.m. Wednesday, a Sacramento police officer attempted to stop a vehicle that ran a red light at Fruitridge Road and 28th Street. However, the vehicle sped away and a chase ensued.

The vehicle crashed at Franklin Boulevard and Donner Way where the driver fled.

A search of the crashed vehicle produced property stolen from a business in the 4200 block of 24th Street and the fact the suspect's vehicle was stolen.

Officers finally dispersed except for a couple of sharp-eyed cops. The officers saw an 18-year-old male appear on bicycle from between two houses on Donner. The teen was "sweaty and had debris on his clothes" as well as scratches on his hands, the police report states.

The teen had on him two stolen checks from the business, the report states.

Oh, and the bicycle he was riding was stolen from a nearby residence.

Editor's note: This is another report in an occasional series on unusual events or people found by The Bee's police reporters and editors

Bee Staff

How do you spell set-up?

Sacramento police report that a 75-year-old man who got lucky at a cardroom was robbed under circumstances a long way from random.

Shortly after midnight Wednesday, the victim left the cardroom with his winnings and took a cab to his apartment complex in the 2500 block of H Street.

There a masked and gloved man armed with a handgun robbed him of his winnings after "asking specifically for the money in his pocket."

Editor's note: This is another report in an occasional series on unusual events or people found by The Bee's police reporters and editors.

Bee Staff

Call it the case of the missing $12,000 ring.

An Elk Grove Police Department report gives this report:

At about 7 p.m. on Wednesday, a women entered a jewelry story in the 8500 block of Bond Road, Elk Grove. She asked a clerk to show her diamond rings.

The clerk handed her a ring valued at $12,000, whereupon the woman ran out of the store and fled in a vehicle.

But a witness provided police a license plate number of the getaway vehicle and a "short time later" a California Highway Patrol officers stopped the vehicle at Florin and Power Inn roads.

A witness identified a woman in the car as the one who had stolen the ring, the police report states. Myisha Ford, 28, was booked into jail on suspicion of burglary and probation violation, the report states.

The ring, however, is missing.

From Chelsea Phua

A 32-year-old man suspected of raping a woman in midtown Sacramento and attempting to rape another one on Del Paso Boulevard was arrested Friday afternoon, police said.

Sacramento police spokesman Sgt. Norm Leong said Domingo Vargas, who has no fixed address, was arrested at about 4:30 p.m. at a recycling center in the 2200 block of Northgate Boulevard.

Forensic evidence processed by the Sacramento County District Attorney's crime laboratory linked Vargas to the attack in midtown, Leong said. Police Department investigators then used further forensic evidence to link Vargas to the Del Paso Boulevard attack.

The first attack happened Jan. 25 at about 1 a.m. on K Street between 19th and 20th streets. The victim had been out with friends and was walking in the area, usually crowded on weekend nights, when Vargas allegedly grabbed her, knocked her unconscious, dragged her into a parking lot and raped her, Leong said.

In the second attack, the victim was sleeping in the passenger side of the car in the 1300 block of Del Paso Boulevard on June 7 at about 1:15 a.m., Leong said.

Vargas allegedly got into the car and got on top of her to try to sexually assault her, Leong said. The victim fought back and made enough noise to attract the attention of a security guard at a nearby bar, who gave chase, Leong said.

Detectives are reviewing other cold cases to determine if Vargas might also be responsible for them, Leong said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Alert at 916 443-HELP or text a tip to 274637. Enter SACTIP followed by the tip information. Callers can remain anonymous and my be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

From Kim Minugh:

Another person has been identified by Woodland police as a suspect in the shooting death of a 17-year-old boy last weekend.

Authorities say they have a warrant for the arrest of Rachelle Annamarie Pease, 19, whom they believe was involved in the killing of William "Billy" Martinez on Sunday morning.

Police earlier identified Marcelino M. Michel Jr., 28, as a suspect in the homicide.

Pease is wanted on suspicion of murder, a news release distributed by Woodland police Sgt. Dan Letamendi states. She is described as 5-foot-5, 150 pounds, with blue eyes and blond hair, although she sometimes changes her hair color, police said.

Police also continue their search for Michel, who is described as Hispanic, 5-foot-7 and 175 pounds. He has black hair, brown eyes and a tattoo of the words "Cut Throat" tattooed across the front of his neck. He also has a tattoo of a revolver near his right shoulder, a photo distributed by police shows.

Officers found Martinez just after 12:30 a.m. Sunday, lying in the parking lot of Crossroads Village Apartments on Matmor Road, where his 20-year-old sister lives. The victim suffered from a gunshot wound to the head. He died at the UC Davis Medical Center about 3 a.m.

From Bill Lindelof:

A 13-year-old girl was sexually assaulted this week at an Antelope school that was not in session, Sacramento County sheriff's deputies reported.

The teen was on the Antelope Crossing Middle School campus, 9200 Palmerson Drive, with two teenage friends, a boy and a girl, shortly after 5 p.m. Monday when the group briefly became separated.

When the victim walked to the west side of the campus, which is part of the Dry Creek Elementary School District, a man appeared from behind a classroom and grabbed her from behind, deputies said. The suspect sexually assaulted the teen and then fled toward Palmerson Drive after the victim struggled and screamed for help.

One of the girl's friends was nearby and saw the attack. The suspect is described as a pot-bellied white man in his mid-40s, about 5-feet, 6-inches tall. He was wearing a gray T-shirt with red trim, blue jeans and black socks.

Anyone with information is asked to call detectives at (916) 874-5194.

From Kim Minugh:

Sacramento police detectives have arrested a 26-year-old man suspected of murdering two men at a housing complex last week, authorities say.

Phillip Perez Gonzales was booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail early this morning on suspicion of two counts of murder and one count of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, booking records show.

Gonzales is accused in last Tuesday night's fatal shooting of two men in the Seavey Circle housing complex, south of Broadway and west of Riverside Boulevard, police spokesman Sgt. Norm Leong said.

Deshawn Dante Holloway, 35, and his friend Everett Antonio Taylor, 28, were gunned down behind their apartments after what police now describe as a dispute.

Leong said the suspect did not know the victims personally but the killing was not random.

He said he could not release further information because the investigation continues.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to call Crime Alert at (916) 443-4357 or text in a tip to 274637. Enter "SACTIP" followed by the information. Callers can remain anonymous and might be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

From Bill Lindelof:

Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies have released the sketch of a man (LEFT) they suspect sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl in Gold River.

The assault occurred July 17 when the teen and a friend were walking on the Gold River recreation trail near Willow Water Place when a man approached from behind.

"The suspect grabbed the victim, committed a sexual battery against her and then fled on foot," a sheriff's department press release states.

The suspect is described as white, in his mid-40s, about 5-feet, 7-inches tall, with a thin build and pale complexion. He had white hair and possibly stubble on his face.

He was wearing a baseball cap, a red short-sleeved shirt, dark shorts, white socks and white running shoes. Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff's Department Sexual Assault Bureau at (916) 874-5070.

Elk Grove police report today that a woman who had been reported missing has been located and she is OK.

Police officer Chris Trim said Hepworth, 40, has contacted them. Police had asked for help locating the woman, who authorities said had threatened to kill herself.

She had last spoken to her ex-husband at 1 p.m. Wednesday and had not answered police officer calls to her cell phone.

From Chelsea Phua:

Sacramento police arrested Wednesday a teenager they say is responsible for killing a cat with explosives.

Police said David Yang (photo), 19, tied up the cat with duct tape Tuesday night and trapped it with a construction cone in the 6200 block of 63rd Street. He then dropped an M80 explosive device or firecracker into the cone, which exploded and killed the cat, police said.

Spokesman Sgt. Norm Leong said police initially believed that a few other teenagers were involved, but after an investigation, determined that Yang was primarily responsible for the crime.

Police arrested Yang at about 6:40 p.m. Wednesday in the 6200 block of Lemon Hill Drive after receiving a tip about his alleged involvement.

His motive for allegedly committing the crime is not clear, police said.

From Chelsea Phua

A Marysville man accused of a murder-for-hire plot was arrested Wednesday, police said.

Authorities said Jonathan Scott Franklin, 36, allegedly solicited an undercover police officer to carry out a murder. Police said Franklin paid the undercover officer an undisclosed amount of money and provided him with information about the target of the murder scheme.

The identity of the target is not disclosed for safety reasons, authorities said.

According to a news release by the Marysville Police Department, authorities learned about the scheme last Thursday and launched an investigation that involved the police department's Special Enforcement Team, detective bureau and the Yuba Sutter Narcotic Enforcement Team.

Franklin met with the undercover officer on Wednesday and was arrested on suspicion of felony charges of solicitation to commit homicide, attempted homicide, terrorist threats and burglary. The terrorist threats and burglary charges stemmed from a separate incident involving the intended victim, police said.

Investigators said they also searched Franklin's vehicle and his residence in the 600 block of C Street. Investigators said they found more money they believe Franklin was going to use for the murder-for-hire plot. They also found several electronic devices that may contain more evidence, police said.

Franklin was being held Wednesday at the Yuba County jail on a $2 million bail.

Bee Staff

Teamwork involving two police departments, a fire department and a joint task force recently resulted in the arrest of three men and a woman on assorted drug, gun and assault charges, according to a Roseville Police Department news release.

The release gives this chain of events:

At about 4:30 p.m. on July 21, members of the Roseville Police Vice & Narcotics Enforcement Team and the Placer Regional Auto-Theft Taskforce observed a drug transaction in a parking lot near Auburn Boulevard. and Whyte Avenue.

Two vehicles were involved in the transaction, an Acura sedan and a Lincoln sedan. Officers stopped the Acura and arrested the driver, Brent Wilson, without a problem, but the driver of the Lincoln drove onto Auburn Boulevard, ramming two police vehicles in the process and then sped away, the release states.

He led officers on a short pursuit southbound on Auburn Boulevard into Citrus Heights. Citrus Heights Police officers responded to assist.

The driver stopped the Lincoln on Auburn Boulevard. at Rollingwood, in Citrus Heights, and he and two passengers fled on foot.

Roseville and Citrus Heights officers searched the area and eventually detained all three of the suspects. A loaded handgun was seized.

Acting on a tip, officers returned to the area later to search for discarded cocaine. With the help of member of the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District, they searched the roof of a business in the 8100 block of Auburn Boulevard, near Rollingwood Boulevard, and found a baggie containing approximately three ounces of cocaine.

The release states the following were arrested:

-Brent Thomas Wilson, 19, of Loomis, on suspicion of attempted drug sales, possession and conspiracy.

-Nicholas Eric Rice, 24, of Fair Oaks, the alleged driver of the Lincoln, on suspicion charges that include assault with a deadly weapon (ramming the officer's vehicles), conspiracy, weapons charges, attempted drug sales, recklessly evading a police officer and parole violation

-Joshua Phillip Andrew Gartrell, 25, of Sacramento, who police say was a passenger in the Lincoln, on suspicion of attempted drug sales, weapons charges, conspiracy and resisting arrest.

-Charity Lynn Hicks, 23, of Citrus Heights, who police say also was a passenger in the Lincoln, on suspicion of attempted drug sales, conspiracy and resisting arrest.

From Kim Minugh:

Sacramento County park rangers continue to investigate a June 27 brawl at River Bend Park that left one young man critically injured.

Matthew Wright, 22, suffered traumatic brain injury in the alcohol-fueled fight, which broke out shortly after 8 p.m. between two groups that had spent the afternoon rafting on the American River, according to authorities.

Park rangers appealed for the public's help early this month, saying their investigation had stalled with two opposing versions of how the brawl transpired. But after media coverage of the fight, Ranger David Moskat said several people came forward with accounts of what happened.

Authorities are transcribing more than 12 hours of interviews, and, once complete, the findings will be forwarded to the District Attorney's office for review, Moskat said. It could be seven to 10 days, or longer, before that happens, he said.

Moskat said versions of what happened that day still differ, but that it appears it was a "mutual combat" situation until someone struck the victim - Wright - with a heavy flashlight. That person later was located and interviewed, but has not been arrested.

Decisions as to whether anyone will be arrested and prosecuted will be made by the DA's office, Moskat said.

Tammi Chase-Wright, Wright's aunt, told The Bee recently that the young man's condition has improved, but that he remains unable to speak on his own or use his arms and legs.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call park rangers at (916) 875-7275. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

From Chelsea Phua

A Woodland man convicted of oral copulation with a minor has been sentenced to eight years of probation, with one year in county jail, according to the Yolo County District Attorney's office.

Brett Pedroia pleaded guilty in April to one felony count of oral copulation with a boy.

Jail time is a condition of Pedroia's probation sentence, which also includes a suspended six-year prison term. If he violates his probation during the eight-year sentence, he will have to serve six years in prison.

Yolo County Deputy District Attorney Tiffany Susz said prosecutors argued for a sentence of eight years in prison.

Three other felony counts relating to Pedroia's activities with the boy were previously dropped.

Brett Pedroia is the brother of Boston Red Sox star second baseman Dustin Pedroia.

From Chelsea Phua

Two wildland fires in Sacramento burned about a dozen acres Wednesday afternoon, fire officials said.

The first fire, reported shortly after 2 p.m., was behind Cal Expo along the American River Parkway and burned about 10 acres, Sacramento Fire Department spokesman Capt. Jim Doucette said.

The fire threatened a group of high voltage power lines, but firefighters were able to control the blaze in about an hour without any damage to the power lines.

The second fire, reported at about 3:40 p.m., threatened a few homes on Stoner Drive in South Sacramento.

The causes of both two-alarm fires are under investigation.

Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District firefighters also assisted in both fires.

From Bill Lindelof:

Police seek help identifying a woman they suspect cased a manicure salon that later was burglarized and then tried to open a bank account with stolen salon checks.

Officers today released photographs of the woman (left) they know only by the name "Magic." The photographs are of a woman in her 30s, who is either African American or Hispanic, about 5-feet, 4-inches tall and has tattoos on her left forearm and right wrist.

Police said the suspect patronized the French Nail Salon, 3256 J St., on June 5, seeking a manicure. Authorities say they suspect she returned later that night and burglarized the business, taking business checks.

A few days after the burglary, two women entered the US Bank on Alhambra Boulevard and attempted to open an account using checks stolen from the salon. One woman was arrested, but police declined to release her name or what charges she faces. Her suspected accomplice, "Magic," fled the bank.

Anyone with information is asked to call call Crime Alert at (916) 443-4357.

From Kim Minugh:

Two homeless people received a small windfall after helping Sacramento police return a stolen bike to its rightful owner.

An officer located the stolen bike Tuesday afternoon after stopping the suspect for riding on the wrong side of the street, a Sacramento police report shows.

The suspect became nervous when the officer asked where the bike came from, the report states. At that point, two passing transients said they saw fliers near Loaves and Fishes homeless services complex about a missing bike that appeared to be similar.

Another officer retrieved one of the fliers from Loaves and Fishes, and the stolen bike later was returned to the rightful owner, the report states. The owner offered a $100 reward to the officers, who deferred to the two helpful transients.

They were located and given the reward, the police report states. They asked to remain anonymous.

From Bill Lindelof:

Auburn police have released a drawing of a man they suspect sexually assaulted a 10-year-old girl at the Auburn Recreation District Park on Monday.

Authorities returned to the public swimming pool Tuesday at 123 Recreation Drive to further investigate the attack. They released the drawing (left) later in the day.

The man is described as white, in his late 30s or early 40s, with short blond or gray hair. He was wearing a red tank top or short-sleeve cutoff shirt and shorts.

He is about 5-foot-10 and weighs about 180 pounds. Auburn police did not return phone calls seeking further information.

The girl was assaulted while in the women's bathroom next to the swimming pool about 3:30 p.m. Monday.

Anyone with information about this case should call the Auburn Police Department at (530) 823-4237, ext. 207

From Jillian Keenan:

A 21-year-old Folsom man was arrested today for allegedly offering child pornography for distribution on the Internet, according to authorities.

Detectives arrested Richard W. Ross (photo) at his parents' home in Folsom on a federal arrest warrant on a charge of possession of child pornography, according to news release from the Sacramento Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

An investigation by federal, state, and local law enforcement officials determined that Ross had been distributing child pornography online, the release states. A federal search warrant was issued for the Ross house in April, and a forensic examination of several seized computers confirmed that they had numerous child pornography movie files, the release states.

Ross was booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail and is scheduled to be arraigned on Aug. 4 at 10:30 a.m. at the Gordon D. Schaber Sacramento County Courthouse.

From Kim Minugh:

The man suspected of killing his former friend at an Oak Park party in May is in custody in Sacramento today.

Richard Ramirez, 29, was arrested in Arkansas and brought back to Sacramento. He is accused of shooting Christopher Montejano, 20, at a party on May 24. Montejano died of multiple gunshot wounds four days later at UC Davis Medical Center, Sacramento police Sgt. Norm Leong said.

Leong said the shooting followed an argument but would not discuss details.

Police obtained a warrant for Ramirez's arrest, and Arkansas state troopers took him into custody on July 16, Leong said. Ramirez was extradited to Sacramento and booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail early this morning.

Before Montejano died, detectives initially sought a warrant to arrest Ramirez on a charge of attempted murder, Leong said, but that charge will be changed to murder.

Ramirez has a lengthy criminal history in Sacramento County, dating back to 1999, according to Superior Court records. His convictions include misdemeanor and felony assault with a deadly weapon, driving under the influence and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, court records show.

Most recently, Ramirez pleaded no contest to an accessory charge in August 2004. Two months later, he was sentenced to three years of state prison.

Ramirez is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday.

From Bill Lindelof:

The fatal shooting of a man by law enforcement officers Jan. 1 has been ruled justifiable by the Placer County District Attorney's office.

On New Year's Day, Rocklin police and California Highway Patrol officers shot and killed former firefighter Gregory Gifford, 54, who was suspected in two robberies and disregarded commands by officers to drop a rifle. The weapon turned out to be a pellet rifle.

"The states of mind of the responding officers to this event demonstrate that the officers took reasonable and necessary action," said Assistant District Attorney Scott Owens. "They believed that their lives, and the lives of the public, were in imminent danger of death or great bodily injury."

Gifford led officers on a short vehicle pursuit that began near Twelve Bridges and Colonnade drives in Lincoln and ended near Fairway Valley Lane.

In a press release, Owens described the chain of events that to Gifford's death:

Gifford left a suicide note for his family prior to the robberies. During the vehicle pursuit he used his cell phone to call his wife and daughter, telling them he wanted to kill himself and that if the police interfered, it was going to be bad.

Gifford also told his wife and daughter that he was loading the gun and ignored their pleas to stop. That information was in turn shared with law enforcement officers.

When stopped by officers, Gifford ignored officer commands that included "lower your hands," put 'em down" and "put it down."

Instead, according to Owens account, he exited the car and began turning toward officers while holding what appeared to be a rifle in his hands. When he began raising the weapon toward them, the officers fired.

Officers found another suicide note in his pocket.

"In that note, Gifford apologized for the horrible thing he was doing, and he had written that the officers 'had no choice,'" Owens wrote in a letter sent Wednesday to law enforcement agencies involved in the incident.

The wife of the retired Sacramento County firefighter told The Bee shortly after his death that her husband was depressed and missed his former job. Gifford was forced into retirement several years ago by a back injury he'd sustained on the job, his wife, Mary Gifford, said.

From Kim Minugh:

Sacramento Fire Department officials say the city's rolling "brownouts" of fire stations likely did not contribute to the size of a Tahoe Park home fire this morning, contrary to earlier cries that a station's closure delayed firefighters' response.

No one was hurt in the fire, which burned a home on 15th Avenue near 60th Street about 10:30 a.m., and the fire didn't spread to any nearby homes, said department spokesman Capt. Jim Doucette.

Nevertheless, Doucette earlier alleged, "it shouldn't have gotten as big as it did."

But after reviewing the call, Doucette said officials realized that Engine 6 - located at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and 8th Avenue in Oak Park - took about five and a half minutes to respond, rather than the seven minutes calculated earlier. Due to a miscommunication at the scene of the fire, the arrival time of the first unit was logged later than it should have been, Doucette said.

The department aims to respond to fires within five minutes, Doucette said.

On a normal day, Engine 10 - stationed at 65th Street and Fruitridge, just a mile and a half from the fire - would have responded, Doucette said. But the station closed today as part of a citywide cost-cutting strategy in which one station is shuttered each day, forcing other stations to absorb additional calls.

Doucette said that Engine 10 "no doubt" would've responded to the fire quicker than Engine 6 did, but he said the difference in response times probably would not have made a significant difference.

No one was home when the fire ignited. Investigators do not know what caused the blaze, Doucette said.

From Bill Lindelof:

Elk Grove police have arrested three people on suspicion of attempted murder and robbery in the shooting of two teenagers.

Arrested by police were Jose Jauregui, 19, and two teens, ages 16 and 17 years old.

Police initially were called to Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, 9201 Big Horn Blvd, in Elk Grove where two teens were receiving treatment for gunshot wounds. The wounds were not life-threatening, said police.

A person who drove the teens to the hospital said the shooting happened near Bluefin Way and Dove Shell Way in Elk Grove, but officers who went to the location were not able to find any evidence of a crime.

However, investigators found that a 17-year-old boy was "the primary person responsible for the shooting," police said. Detectives found the teen fleeing on bicycle when they went to a home on the 4200 block of 41st Avenue near Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Police arrested the boy and booked him into juvenile hall. A small-caliber revolver believed to have been used in the shooting was recovered at the 41st Avenue home, police said.

Detectives also learned that Jauregui and a 16-year-old boy might also be connected to the same shooting and robbery. They arrested Jauregui and the teen at a home on the 6200 block of Di Lusso Drive in Elk Grove.

Detectives said the shooting was not gang-related. Robbery appears to be the motive, and police say they believe the victims and the suspects know each other.

From Bill Lindelof:

Police have arrested a man who attacked another person with a machete after an argument over a woman escalated.

Ionantana Rome, 32, is in Sacramento County Jail on suspicion of attempted murder following the Sunday night incident.

Sacramento police say Rome argued with then fought another man in a dispute over a woman at the Express Stop Market on the 2300 block of North Avenue in Del Paso Heights.

Police say Rome then left the store and returned with a machete, told his adversary he planned to kill him, then swung the machete, striking the man.

The victim, who was not identified, was taken to the hospital where he was reported in stable condition with head lacerations. Rome fled across the street where he was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

From Nicole Williams:

Police are searching for a man who sexually assaulted a 10-year-old girl Monday at the Auburn Recreation District Park at 123 Recreation Drive.

Police were called to the park at about 3:30 p.m. The girl had been assaulted in the women's bathroom, next to the public swimming pool, officials said. She was taken to a local hospital.

The suspect was seen running from the area after the assault. He is described as a white male in his late 30s, with short blond or gray hair. He was wearing a red tank top or cut-off T-shirt and shorts. He is about 5-foot-10 and weighs about 180 pounds, according to police, who had no other details.

Anyone with information about this case should call the Auburn Police Department at (530) 823-4237, ext. 207.

From Bill Lindelof:

More than 500 family members, friends and firefighters are expected to march during a funeral procession for a U.S. Forest Service firefighter killed last week during a training exercise.

Thomas Marovich, 20, of Hayward, was part of a crew that has been battling the Backbone Fire in the Trinity Alps Wilderness.

Marovich, a second-year firefighter, was killed July 21 when he fell while rappelling from a hovering helicopter as part of a regular weekly training exercise.

The incident occurred at the Backbone Helibase in Willow Creek in Humboldt County.

The funeral for Marovich will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at St. Clement's Church, 750 Calhoun St., Hayward. From there, a walking procession will proceed to Holy Sepulchre cemetery.

During burial, the U.S. Forest Service helicopter assigned to Marovich will perform a flyover.

In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be sent to the Thomas D. Marovich Jr. Memorial fund, 32124 Trevor Ave., Hayward, 94544-7761. Donations will be used to send Fremont Fire Explorers to the California Fire Explorer Fire Academy.

From Bill Lindelof:

Three people were cited for entering a restricted area during high-water flows after they were rescued from the Sacramento River by Shasta County sheriff's deputies.

High water and bridge construction Monday on the Sacramento River in Redding produced the dangerous situation for two men and a woman when a kayak and a raft they were in were pinned against pilings supporting the Cypress Street bridge, deputies said.

The raft and kayak became stuck under the bridge, which is undergoing a major expansion, about 1 p.m. By the time the sheriff's department boat detail arrived from downstream, one of the men had fallen into the water and made it to shore.

The other two people were still in their raft, which was partially submerged and stuck between two pilings about 70 feet from the east shore.

The rescue boat maneuvered between the pilings under the bridge and took the man and woman aboard. The kayak and raft later were extracted.

The rafters and the kayaker, whose identities were not available, were issued citations for violating a municipal ordinance, which prohibits boating under the Cypress Street Bridge when river flows are greater than 7,000 cubic feet per second.

From Kim Minugh:

The Sacramento County Sheriff's Department is asking the public's help in locating a 14-year-old girl who authorities have deemed to be at-risk.

Kamaria Latrice Ransome was last seen by her mother in the area of El Camino High School, 4300 El Camino Ave., on Wednesday.

Ransome is described as an African American female 5-foot-6-inches tall and weighing 170 pounds. She has brown, shoulder-length dreadlocks, brown eyes and was last seen wearing a black tank top, white and burgundy shorts, and black and red shoes, according to the Sheriff's Department.

Authorities believe Ransome could be at risk because she takes prescription medication for depression, and detectives do not believe she has taken that medication since she was reported missing.

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

From Kim Minugh:

Sacramento County sheriff's detectives have arrested a 38-year-old man on suspicion of fondling an 8-year-old girl in May, according to authorities.

Joseph Edward White is being held at the Sacramento County Main Jail in lieu of $1.25 million bail on charges of a lewd or lascivious act with a child under the age of 14, and of possessing obscene matter depicting a person under 14, according to jail booking records. He also is being held for failing to register as a sex offender at a new address, records show.

Also arrested was 28-year-old Nicole Elizabeth Buzzetta, who lives with White and was found to have child pornography in her possession, according to Sacramento County sheriff's Sgt. Tim Curran. Buzzetta is jailed in lieu of $250,000 on a charge of possessing obscene matter depicting a person under 14.

The charges stem from an investigation that began May 21, when deputies received a report of child molestation at an apartment complex in the 4400 block of Elk Horn Boulevard, Curran said. At the complex, deputies spoke to an 8-year-old girl who said she had been fondled in the parking lot by an unknown man, Curran said.

The investigation later focused on White, who was a registered sex offender and had felony warrants out for his arrest, Curran said. He was arrested June 20 on those warrants.

Later, detectives obtained a search warrant for the apartment that White and Buzzetta shared and found "numerous images of child pornography," Curran said. White was then identified as the suspect in the May 21 incident, Curran said.

Anyone with information about this case, or anyone who believes White might have had inappropriate conduct with a child, is asked to call child abuse detectives at (916) 874-5203 or (916) 874-5191.

From Kim Minugh:

A resident's tip that the man suspected of killing a 17-year-old Woodland boy this weekend was hiding in an apartment complex has proven false, police said today.

Woodland police went to the Lincoln Manor Apartment complex at 150 Lincoln Ave. about noon today in response to a tip that 28-year-old Marcelino M. Michel Jr., wanted in connection with the shooting death, might be there, said police Lt. Charlie Wilts.

Officers called in extra support and evacuated the complex's residents, but a search did not turn up Michel, Wilts said.

Wilts said residents will be allowed to return to their homes shortly.

Michel is accused of fatally shooting the teen, who was identified by the Yolo County Coroner's Office as William Martinez of Woodland. Martinez died Sunday morning of a gunshot wound to the head at UC Davis Medical Center, according to the coroner's office.

Michel was last seen about 12:30 a.m. leaving the Crossroads Village Apartments on Matmor Road, according to police. He might have been driving a blue Cadillac sedan.

Police found the teenager at 12:36 a.m. Sunday. He was lying in the parking lot of the complex, bleeding heavily from what appeared to be a gunshot wound to his head.

Detectives believe the homicide is related to an argument that occurred inside a nearby apartment minutes before the shooting, police said.

The victim was taken to UC Davis Medical Center. He was pronounced dead just after 3 a.m.

While police detectives were conducting interviews, they arrested Woodland resident Robert Anthony Tayborne, 23, on suspicion of obstructing and delaying officers. Police said he repeatedly interrupted the questioning of one witness, encouraging her not to talk with them. Tayborne was placed on a parole hold and booked at the Monroe Detention Center in Woodland, where he was being held without bail.

Michel is on parole and should be considered armed and extremely dangerous, the release states.

Michel was described by police as a 5-foot-7, 175-pound Latino with brown eyes, black hair and possibly a goatee.

Anyone with information about the homicide or Michel's whereabouts is asked to contact the Woodland Police Department at (530) 661-7800 or their local law enforcement agency.

From Bill Lindelof:

Sacramento police have released the photograph of a suspect they say held up an Oak Park gas station earlier this month.

The suspect (left) entered the Shell station at 5551 Martin Luther King Blvd. at 9 p.m. July 5 and robbed a clerk at knife point. The robber took cash from the register.

He is described as a black or Hispanic, about 23 years old, 5-feet, 6-inches tall and about 150 pounds. He was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt over a red shirt.

He fled the business on foot. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Alert at (916) 443-4357.

From Bill Lindelof:

Prosecutors filed a motion today to try 14-year-old Tylar Marie Witt as an adult in the homicide of her mother in El Dorado County.

"We have filed a fitness petition for her to be deemed not fit for juvenile court," said El Dorado Chief Assistant District Attorney Bill Clark.

The motion on whether she will be tried as an adult or a juvenile is scheduled to be heard Aug. 24. The juvenile court appearance in Placerville by Witt today took only about 15 minutes.

Witt and her 19-year-old boyfriend, Steven Paul Colver, are suspects in the killing of Joanne M. Witt.

From Nicole Williams:

Woodland police detectives are searching for a man suspected of shooting 17-year-old youth who died from his wounds early Sunday morning.

The suspect was identified as Marcelino Moises Michel Jr., 28, according to a Woodland Police Department news release.

Michel was last seen around 12:30 a.m. leaving the Crossroads Village Apartments on Matmor Road, the release said, adding that the suspect may be driving a blue Cadillac sedan.

Police responded to a call at 12:36 a.m. Sunday and found the 17-year-old victim lying in the parking lot of the complex, bleeding severely from what appeared to be a gunshot wound to his head.

Detectives believe the homicide is related to an argument that occurred inside a nearby apartment just minutes before the shooting, the release stated.

The victim, whose name has not been released, was transported to the University of California Davis Medical Center, where he died from his wounds just after 3 a.m.

Detectives and crime scene technicians processed the scene for evidence and conducted several interviews, which resulted in the arrest of Woodland resident Robert Anthony Tayborne, 23, for obstructing and delaying officers after he repeatedly interrupted the questioning of one witness, encouraging her not to talk with police, the release stated.

Tayborne was also placed on a parole hold and booked at the Monroe Detention Center, where he is being held without bail.

Michel is currently on parole from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and should be considered armed and extremely dangerous, the release stated. Michel was described by police as being a 5-feet-7-inches tall, 175 pound Hispanic male with brown eyes, black hair and possibly a goatee.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the Woodland Police Department at (530) 661-7800. Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Marcelino Michel Jr is asked to contact their local police department.

From Gina Kim:

Three midtown Sacramento robberies after midnight Saturday are a reminder for people to be aware of their surroundings and walk in well-lit areas, said Ofc. Konrad Von Schoech of the Sacramento Police Department.

The first hold-up was reported at 12:53 a.m. Sunday. A 37-year-old Sacramento man was walking east on J Street near 23rd Street when two men, with their sweatshirt hoods on their heads, stepped into his path, Von Schoech said. One pointed a gun at the man and demanded money before they both fled on foot.

The second was reported three minutes later when a group of four people, including a 28-year-old Ceres man and a 30-year-old Sacramento man, were held up by two men near the intersection of 19th and Capitol streets, Von Schoech said. A gun was displayed and the victims handed over personal property before the two men fled on foot.

Although these two cases sound similar, Von Schoech said police are still investigating whether they are linked.

The third robbery was reported at 1:47 a.m. when a 28-year-old man was talking on his cell phone while walking near the intersection of 17th and J streets, Von Schoech said. Five men pushed the man to the ground and punched him, took property from the man's hand and ran south on 17th Street and east into an alley, Von Schoech said.

With the help of witnesses, police arrested one suspect, a 20-year-old Sacramento man, Von Schoech sai

Bee Staff

Investigators have released more photos of items stolen from a homicide/burglary in the South Sacramento, this time surf board and sails.

At 1:28 p.m. on June 23, at 1:28 p.m., the Sacramento Fire Department responded to a house fire in the 7400 block of Carella Drive, according to a news release. After extinguishing the fire, fire fighters found the body of homeowner, Keith Fessler.

About 12 hours later, police found Fessler's car, a sunset orange 2004 Honda Element, abandoned and burned about a mile from his home.

Detectives said it was immediately clear that Fessler had been killed. Investigators said they had no clues to indicate whether the killers had planned the burglary, and couldn't confirm the cause of death while the investigation is in progress.

Numerous items had been stolen from the residence. Sacramento Police Department said they have discovered additional specialized stolen items.

Earlier this month, police released photographs of custom guitars that were stolen from the residence as part of this crime.

Information from a citizen tip led investigators to locate some of the stolen guitars, according to a police news release.

Here's a description of the stolen equipment:

A description of the stolen boards and sails:

Wind boards

1. Mistra, Ecstasy, red top with white lower-half

2. Mistra, Inter Fusion, purple with light blue footgrips

3. Naish, Hybrid Freewave, white with pink and orange design

4. Seatrend, All Terrain, white with red and black design/logo

Wind Sails

1. Dynamic 4.0, contained in a silver and yellow bag

2. Street Wave, Slalom 4.5, contained in a grey bag

3. Street Wave Slalom 5.0, contained in a orange bag

4. Street Wave Slalom 5.5, contained in a pink bag

If you have any information on these items or the case, contact Crime Alert at 916) 443-HELP or text in a tip to 274637 (CRIMES). Enter SACTIP followed by the tip information. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

The following photographs below are of the stolen wind surf boards and sails in carrying cases:

From Ed Fletcher:

Calling him a "threat to society," on Friday a Placer County judge sentenced a twice-convicted child molester to 75 year to life in state prison.

The sentenced handed out by Superior Court Judge Mark Curry stems from a May 15 conviction on four felony counts of lewd acts upon a child. The victim was 6-years-old.

Donald Bruce Vechik, 59, befriended the girl's mother when he and the woman were living in a Cisco Grove area motel in 2008, prosecutors said. Vechik offered to watch the girl and take her to school, officials said.

School officials who checked up on Vechik discovered he was a registered sex offender. Subsequent interviews of the girl revealed the girl had been molested, officials said.

Vechik previously served a six-year prison term for molesting his daughter in Kern County, according to the Placer County District Attorney's Office.

Because of Vechik's criminal record he will be required to serve 85 percent of his sentence before he is eligible for parole, said deputy district attorney Jennifer Miszkewycz.

From Chelsea Phua

A 10-acre fire broke out at about 12:45 p.m. Friday at the Mather Golf Course, prompting an evacuation, fire officials said.

More than two dozen firefighters battled the blaze, which was fully contained by 4:15 p.m.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but fire investigators have not ruled out arson, Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District Capt. Christian Pebbles said.

Pebbles also warned that people should be careful with ignitable or flammable materials, especially when using them outdoors under high temperatures.

Bee Staff:

A 24-year-old Elk Grove man was arrested for allegedly groping a 17-year-old woman - after giving the victim's acquaintance his mother's phone number, according to a police report.

An Elk Grove Police Department report gives this account:

About 2:20 a.m. Thursday, the suspect allegedly came up to the victim and another person walking in Berens Park and told the victim that he had been kicked out of his residence. He gave the victim's acquaintance a phone number and asked that person to call his mother and ask her to let him back into the house.

The suspect then allegedly tried to grab a part of the victim's anatomy. The victim told him to stop but the suspected allegedly tried to grab her "several more times" before fleeing the area.

Police were able to use the phone number to find an address. When officers approached the address, they said they saw the suspect, identified as Daniel Cea, run into the residence.

Officers said Cea refused to open the door at first, but relented after a few minutes.

Officers said they booked Cea into jail on suspicion of sexual battery and obstructing a police officer.

Bee Staff:

A man selling cologne from his backpack in north Sacramento may have looked like an easy mark for robbery, but he told police he turned on his attacker with a knife, according to a crime summary from the Sacramento Police Department.

The summary gave this account:

At about 10:20 p.m. Thursday around Boxwood Street and Del Pas Boulevard, the victim told police that he resisted the suspect's attempt to rob him. The suspect then began hitting the victim with a 2x4 piece of lumber.

The victim said he pulled a knife and stabbed the suspect in the chest. The victim then ran, with the suspect in pursuit.

That's when officers arrived. The suspect was transported to a hospital. No other details were available.

From Chelsea Phua

Davis police officers are looking for a man who attacked a 29-year-old woman inside her apartment earlier this week as she arrived home.

According to a news release, the attacker struck the woman multiple times in the face and head area as he forced his way into her apartment in the area of Drew Circle at about 12:30 a.m. on Wednesday.

Police said the man tried to remove the woman's clothing. The victim resisted and the man fled the apartment on foot.

The victim was treated for her injuries at a local hospital.

The attacker is described as a white man in his mid-20s with a dark complexion and short dark hair.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Davis Police Department at (530)747-5400

From Chelsea Phua:

A man missing since Sunday from the area of Fairfield Street and Eleanor Avenue has been found, Sacramento police said.

Officers from the California Highway Patrol found Cheng Thao on Monday walking along Highway 50, Sacramento police Officer Konrad Von Schoech said. Thao was transported to UC Davis Medical Center where he remained for a few days as "John Doe," police said.

A nurse later recognized him from a missing person photo released by the police department and called authorities Thursday afternoon, police said.

Thao suffers from memory loss and only speaks Hmong, police said. He reportedly walked out of his home at 11:30 p.m. on Sunday.

From Kim Minugh:

Two men already convicted of murdering a young man in 2004 now stand accused of killing another just three months before.

Langimaa Faululo, 26, and Ben Philipmeth Taholo, 30, were booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail this afternoon on suspicion of murder and robbery. Sacramento County sheriff's detectives allege the men - already serving life sentences without possibility of parole for murder - killed 17-year-old Edward Heydaragha in a bloody attack in January 2004, according to a criminal complaint filed by the District Attorney's office.

The suspects face special circumstances of committing burglary and robbery during that attack, and of previously being convicted of murder in March 2007.

Heydaragha was stabbed to death in his father's Citrus Heights home about three months before 21-year-old Danny Johnson was shot to death in his south Sacramento home. Faululo, Taholo and a third man - Gary Ulukivaiola - were convicted of Johnson's murder in 2007.

Ulukivaiola is not accused in the Heydaragha case.

From Bill Lindelof:

The man officials say led a nationwide drug-sales operation and two others have been arrested in El Dorado Hills.

Sacramento County drug task force detectives also seized 47 pounds of marijuana worth an estimated $300,000.

Investigators confiscated $6,000 and impounded two vehicles, said Tim Curran, spokesman for the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department.

Authorities arrested Michael Francis Klaisle (far left), 26, Dana Marie Allen (left), 22, and Samuel Alex Perez, 30, at a home on the 4700 block of Concordia Drive.

Curran said Klaisle was head of a drug-sales network that stretches across the country.

"We do believe that Klaisle, the ringleader, was distributing marijuana locally and nationwide," said Curran.

The investigation began several months ago in Sacramento County, Curran said.

From Bill Lindelof:

Firefighters on boat patrol this morning discovered a body in the Sacramento River across from Tiscornia Beach.

It was unclear if the body was that of George Ho, 18, who drowned on Sunday and had not been found since going under water.

The body discovered today was still in the river at 11:15 a.m. as the recovery by Sacramento Fire Department personnel process continued.

Ho, of Elk Grove, waded into chest-deep water Sunday afternoon at the popular swimming spot off Richards Boulevard near Discovery Park, lost his footing and disappeared under the water's surface.

From Bill Lindelof:

Drug enforcement officers arrested one man and found hundreds of marijuana plants Wednesday after serving search warrants at three Nevada County sites.

The first warrant resulted in the arrest of Robert Furnas, 50, of Nevada City on suspicion of growing and possessing marijuana. Nevada County Sheriff's Narcotics Task Force officers found and destroyed 354 marijuana plants in a large garden on federal land off Lower Greenhorn Road.

Later in the day, deputies served a search warrant in the 14000 block of Chalk Bluff Road. There, deputies seized 758 marijuana plants growing outdoors.

They also found an underground growing facility in a large metal portable storage container. The container had ventilation and grow lights.

The third search warrant was served on the 15000 block of McQuiston Lane in Grass Valley, where 301 marijuana plants were found.

No arrests were made at either of the two later searches.

From Bill Lindelof:

Drug enforcement officers arrested one man and found hundreds of marijuana plants Wednesday after serving search warrants at three Nevada County sites.

The first warrant resulted in the arrest of Robert Furnas, 50, of Nevada City on suspicion of growing and possessing marijuana. Nevada County Sheriff's Narcotics Task Force officers found and destroyed 354 marijuana plants in a large garden on federal land off Lower Greenhorn Road.

Later in the day, deputies served a search warrant in the 14000 block of Chalk Bluff Road. There, deputies seized 758 marijuana plants growing outdoors.

They also found an underground growing facility in a large metal portable storage container. The container had ventilation and grow lights.

The third search warrant was served on the 15000 block of McQuiston Lane in Grass Valley, where 301 marijuana plants were found.

No arrests were made at either of the two later searches.

From Bill Lindelof:

A teen and a 10-year-old boy have been arrested on suspicion of torching playground equipment at a Woodland park Wednesday evening.

The two boys are suspected of burning a plastic slide at Wayne Cline Park, 223 Teton Place. Police reported the fire was out when they arrived at the park about 8:15 p.m.

A witness told police that a young boy wearing a white T-shirt fled the area after the fire was set. Based on that information, Woodland police officer Gina Bell, who knows the neighborhood well, contacted a boy she knows, speaking with the 10-year-old near his home.

That interview eventually resulted in the arrest of the boy and a 14-year-old suspected accomplice 40 minutes after police responded to the call.

Police said gasoline was poured on the slide and ignited with a cigarette lighter.

The 10-year-old was cited and released to his mother. The 14-year-old boy, after being interviewed at the police department, was also released to a parent.

The boys' parents probably will be billed by the city for the damage and for police and fire department response, police said.

From Nicole Williams:

A Sacramento man suffered second-degree burns on half of his body after an explosion erupted when he attempted to light a marijuana pipe in his bathroom earlier today, fire officials said.

The man, who is in his earlier 30s and a medical marijuana patient, had mixed butane with his pot and the chemical is likely the cause of the explosion, which knocked the bathroom wall off its foundation, said Jim Doucette, spokesman for the Sacramento Fire Department.

"It's not for sure that's what happened ... but whatever he was doing went wrong," Doucette said.

A second-level hazmat alarm was called because the Fire Department was initially unaware of the source of the blast, he said.

No one else was in the house at the time of the explosion, and the man was transported to a nearby hospital but is expected to recover, Doucette said.

Bee Staff

A 21-year-old Roseville man was sentenced today to 11 years and four months in state prison for sexually assaulting his live-in girlfriend and preventing her from leaving the home by using violence, according to a news release.

Bret James Larson received the sentence from Placer County Superior Court Judge J. Richard Couzens, who also ordered the defendant to pay $1,000 in restitution fines, according to the release from the Placer County District Attorney's Office.

Larson was convicted June 24 when he pleaded guilty to charges of rape, assault, inflicting corporal injury on a co-habitant and false imprisonment by violence, the release states.

Todd Kuhnen, deputy district attorney for Placer County, said the defendant also admitted to having a prior strike in his criminal history, an enhancement that increased his prison sentence.

Seven other charges against Larson were dismissed in a plea deal, including making terrorist threats and several sex-related counts, Kuhnen said.

The incidents against the victim occurred on April 1 and again on April 7 when she returned to the residence to try to get her belongings, Kuhnen said.

From Nicole Williams:

Sacramento Regional Fire dispatchers and two residents, saved the life a 4-year-old boy who nearly drowned in a community pool at approximately 3:45 p.m. today at the Creekside Estates Mobile Home Park on the 6000 block of Greenback Lane, officials said.

The child's mother was supervising her son and about four other children inside the gated pool area, but had her back to them, said Capt. Christian Pebbles, spokesman for Sacramento Metropolitan Fire Department.

When she turned around her son was at the bottom of the pool and had been there for about a minute, he said.

His mother started screaming for help, and the manager - whose child was also playing in the pool - called 911, Pebbles said.

The dispatchers, "who are the real heroes here, stayed calm, cool and collected" and gave the manager and the assistant manager CPR instructions.

"They probably saved the boy's life," he said.

When firefighters arrived the boy had a pulse, but was not breathing on his own, he said. Fire personnel were able to resuscitate the boy.

He was then transported to Mercy San Juan Hospital where he is listed in serious condition, but is expected to survive, a Citrus Heights Police Department news release states.

"Here's the real message," Pebbles said. "Mom's in the gated pool and not paying attention for a moment, and that's all it takes. Nothing - nothing - substitutes for constant adult supervision."

Even precautions like gates and adult presence aren't enough to prevent drownings - supervision must be uninterrupted, he said.

"People think they're safe," Pebbles said. "If you are in, near, or around water you need to believe this can happen to you - because then you are going to take those extra precautions."

Sacramento Regional Fire Dispatch is a central fire department call center for Sacramento County.

From Kim Minugh:

A 20-year-old man is in custody in connection with the July 15th shooting of 19-year-old Isaac Bartkovsky, whose death initially was ruled suspicious but later determined to be a homicide, according to authorities.

Anthony William Race was booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail this afternoon on suspicion of murder. He is accused of killing Bartkovsky in an apartment complex in the 4600 block of Orange Grove Avenue, said Sacramento County Sheriff's Sgt. Tim Curran.

Deputies were called to the scene the afternoon of July 15 by a Bartkovsky friend, who reported that Bartkovsky had been shot, Curran said. Paramedics pronounced Bartkovsky dead at the scene.

Witnesses told detectives they had seen two men leaving the complex at the time of the shooting, Curran said. After locating and interviewing those two people, detectives sought an arrest warrant for Race.

Race turned himself in at the jail about 1:20 p.m. He is scheduled to be arraigned Friday.

From Sam Stanton:

The parents of the young couple found shot to death on a Sonoma County beach five years ago are anxiously awaiting word on whether a man killed by New Mexico authorities last week was responsible for the slaying of their children.

"We're always hopeful, every time something like this comes up we're hopeful," said Robert Allen, whose 26-year-old son, Jason, was killed on a Jenner beach in August 2004 along with his 22-year-old fiancee, Lindsay Cutshall. "But we don't want to get our hopes up too high because it sounds like a real long shot to us."

The young couple were found shot to death in their sleeping bag Aug. 18, 2004, while they were camped out near the mouth of the Russian River. They had been working as guides at a Christian adventure camp near Coloma at the time, and Sonoma County sheriff's detectives have doggedly worked the case since, collecting DNA samples, offering rewards and pursuing hundreds of leads.

Since almost the beginning of the case, they have been looking to question Joseph Henry Burgess, a 62-year-old man who had been living in the wild in New Mexico for the last 10 years.

Burgess was killed in a shootout last Thursday after he killed a sheriff's deputy there who had been staking out a cabin Burgess was suspected of breaking into. Family members of the slain couple say they are waiting to see if Sonoma County authorities can find any evidence that ties Burgess to the 2004 killings.

He had been wanted for years in the 1972 slaying of two campers on a beach in Vancouver Island, British Columbia, and the similarities between the two cases -- both couples were unmarried, devout Christians sleeping on a beach and all of them were shot in the head in their sleeping bags -- had intrigued investigators.

Authorities say there were indications that Burgess may have had strong religious beliefs that couples should not sleep together before they married. However, little was known about Burgess and any ties that might place him in Northern California at the time of the Jenner slayings.

"We don't have a lot on him," Sonoma County sheriff's Capt. Matt McCaffrey said today. "It seems pretty obvious this guy was living off the grid. The reason they had this place staked out was he was living and having shelter in an isolated area. That tells me this guy had some determination and wherewithal to stay isolated and off the grid. He obviously didn't have credit cards and cell phones or utility bills that would help us track him down."

McCaffrey said investigators believe Burgess had relatives living in Northern California and they were seeking to locate and question them about whether he had been in the area at the time of the 2004 slayings.

Sonoma sheriff's officials are planning to travel to New Mexico in search of any evidence that would tie Burgess to the Jenner killings.

Meanwhile, the parents of the slain couple are fielding calls from reporters and waiting to see if they can finally know who killed their children.

"We'd like to know one way or another," the Rev. Chris Cutshall, Lindsay's father, said in a phone interview from his Bible church in Fresno, Ohio. "Our faith has always been in the Lord, so we're just really settled in, but of course we would like to know. And if it's not him, we'd like to find out who it is and allow justice to come to that person."

From Bill Lindelof:

Sacramento police have released photographs of two robbers who held up a Broadway restaurant -- making off with a cash register after pistol-whipping an employee.

The robbery happened 9:30 p.m. July 13 when the two men entered the China Buffet Restaurant at 1402 Broadway. One robber was armed with a gun and demanded cash.

After hitting the employee with a handgun, the two escaped with the restaurant's cash register. They were last seen running toward a white car.

One suspect was described as a heavy-set African American, 20 to 30 years old, about 6-feet tall, with black hair and brown eyes. He was wearing a black T-shirt and blue jeans.

The other suspect was described as African American, 20 to 30 years old, average height and build, with black hair and brown eyes. He was wearing a white T-shirt, dark jacket with a stripe on the arm and blue jeans.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Alert at (916) 443-4357. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward up to $1,000.

From Bill Lindelof:

The firefighter killed Tuesday during a training exercise has been identified as Thomas Marovich, 20, of Hayward.

He was part of a crew that has been battling the Backbone Fire in the Trinity Alps Wilderness.

Marovich, a second-year firefighter was killed when he fell while rappelling from a hovering helicopter, a spokeswoman said. A news release from fire managers states the death occurred at 10:10 a.m. Tuesday while a helicopter crew conducted a regular weekly training exercise.

The incident occurred at the Backbone Helibase in Willow Creek in Humboldt County.

The Backbone Fire has burned 6,324 acres in the Trinity Alps Wilderness. It was started by lightning on July 1 and is 80 percent contained. On Friday, a helicopter assigned to the fire, operated by a contractor, crashed while refilling its water tanks, injuring both pilots.

A year ago, nine people died in the crash of a similar helicopter fighting the Buckhorn Fire, also in the Trinity Alps Wilderness.

From Bill Lindelof:

Sacramento firefighters were kept busy responding to eight dumpster fires in the midtown and downtown areas early today, including one blaze that damaged the side of an apartment house.

Authorities believe an arsonist is responsible for setting the blazes.

The first fire was reported about 12:40 a.m., and for the next three hours Sacramento firefighters were kept hopping from one location to another. Fire officials have no description of a suspect in the blazes and no video linking anyone to the fires.

At least two damaged buildings, the most serious incident occurring at 1312 18th Street where flames from a fire set in dumpster against an apartment house licked up the wall of the building.

"The one on 18th Street really had the potential to really get that building going," said Capt. Jim Doucette, spokesman for the Sacramento Fire Department. "We were on scene in a little over two minutes. We were really fortunate. I think the engine was coming back from another fire, so they were right on top of it."

The fires occurred at locations over a wide area: 15th and H, 18th and J, 16th and H, 28th and J, 15th and J, 15th and I, 1312 18th St. and 1122 17th St.

A ninth fire occurred in east Sacramento at Elvas Way and 36th Street where a tree burned. Although not believed to be part of the dumpster arsons, investigators say it could have been set by the same person.

From Bill Lindelof:

Sacramento police have released little information today about the shooting deaths of two men at an apartment complex not far from Broadway on Tuesday night.

Despite an earlier media report, police said that the men were not killed in a drive-by shooting. However, police declined to say how the men were killed.

"The facts are not very clear yet," said Sgt. Norm Leong, police spokesman.

The Sacramento County Coroner's Department identified the victims as Deshawn Dante Holloway, 35, and Everett Antonio Taylor, 28, both of Sacramento

Officials say Holloway died at the scene and Taylor died later at UC Davis Medical Center.

The shooting happened about 10:15 p.m. at Seavey Circle near 5th Street, south of the west end of Broadway. Police said today that the two men both lived at the complex but in different apartments.

Anyone with information on the homicides is asked to call Crime Alert at (916) 443-4357. Callers can remain anonymous and be eligible for a reward up to $1,000.

From Nicole Williams:

A Sacramento resident and firefighter were injured in a two-alarm fire that destroyed one home and severely damaged two others on the 3700 block of Haywood Street in North Sacramento near Grant High School just before 2 p.m. today.

The fire started in the two-story home of an elderly woman, who was taken to the hospital after suffering burns on her feet and smoke inhalation and is expected to be recover, Sacramento Fire Department Capt. Jim Doucette said. The house has been destroyed. (An earlier version of this story mistakenly said it was a three-alarm fire.)

One Sacramento firefighter suffered a minor injury to his ankle while preventing the daughter of the elderly woman from running into the fire to look for her mother, who was already outside the house, according to a news release.

Six adults and two children have been displaced by the fire, which was initially logged in as a grass fire, states the release.

About 50 firefighters from the Sacramento Fire Department and the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District were on the scene five minutes after the call came in, Doucette said.

But before they arrived the fire had quickly spread to the two houses on either side of the blaze, Doucette said. It's unclear how the fire started or why it spread so quickly, but all houses are too damaged for residents to return home.

Crews were able to contain the fire within 45 minutes of their arrival and it was completely extinguished in 2 hours, he said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

From Christine Vovakes:

MOUNT HEBRON, SISKIYOU COUNTY -- The Tennant Fire, burning about 25 miles northeast of Weed, has consumed more than 4,100 acres and forced closure of a Union Pacific train track in the area, a Klamath National Forest spokesman said.

Approximately 28 structures in the rural areas of Jerome and Kegg, near the mountain community of Tennant, are threatened, forest spokesman Mel Cagle said.

The fire began Sunday afternoon beside Highway 97 near the turnoff to Tennant. The road, which is the main artery between Weed and Klamath Falls, Ore., remains open with a dense smoke advisory.

Winds of 20 mph on Monday pushed the flames into heavy brush and timber and quickly expanded the fire from its early-morning 1,000-acre burn estimate to 4,168 acres.

More than 690 fire personnel are battling the blaze, which is only 20 percent contained. Full containment is expected by Saturday, Cagle said.

From Matt Weiser:

A member of a firefighting crew working the Backbone Fire in the Trinity Alps Wilderness was killed this morning during a training exercise.

The victim's identity is being withheld pending notification of family. A news release from fire managers states the death occurred at 10:10 a.m. today while a helicopter crew conducted a regular weekly training exercise. The victim died from a fall.

The incident occurred at the Backbone Helibase in Willow Creek in Humboldt County during a weekly training certification exercise to ensure the crew's safety and proficiency. The Humboldt County Coroner and Sheriff's Office responded to the incident. No other information was available.

The Backbone Fire has burned 6,324 acres in the Trinity Alps Wilderness. It was started by lightning on July 1 and is 80 percent contained. On Friday, a helicopter assigned to the fire, operated by a contractor, crashed while refilling its water tanks, injuring both pilots.

A year ago, nine people died in the crash of a similar helicopter fighting the Buckhorn Fire, also in the Trinity Alps Wilderness.

From Bill Lindelof:

The latest statistics from the California Highway Patrol reveal that auto theft continues to decline, including in the Sacramento region.

A statewide decrease of 12.2 percent in stolen vehicles was recorded in 2008. Vehicle theft is down for the third year in a row statewide.

Local numbers also fell. Sacramento County had 13,053 stolen cars in 2007 and 10,476 in 2008 -- a 19.7 percent decline; Yolo County went from 789 to 677, a 14.2 percent decline; El Dorado County went from 259 to 220, a 15.1 percent decline; and Placer County went from 828 to 725, a 12.4 percent decline.

Even with the decrease in auto theft, CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow said the economic loss to the state's residents is $1 billion from car theft.

Officials credited the theft reductions to increased vigilance by officers and new technology, such as cameras that record and alert officials of stolen cars, the use of bait cars that stall once thieves try to make a getaway and immobilizing devices that prevent thieves from bypassing ignitions and hot-wiring a vehicle.

"The cheapest form of defense is to simply employ the anti-theft devices that are standard on all vehicles: locks," Farrow said. "Lock your car and take your keys."

The most frequently stolen car statewide is the 1991 Honda Accord, and the most frequently stolen truck is the 1988 Toyota pickup.

From Bill Lindelof:

A man paying for his fast food at the drive-up window with a naked woman in the back seat of his car set off a police search that is ongoing.

A Burger King employee at the restaurant at 5610 Freeport Blvd., was working the drive-up window about 7:30 p.m. Monday when a 37-year-old man in a 2004 Chrysler Sebring ordered and paid for his food.

During the transaction, a police summary of the incident shows, a naked woman was in the back seat of the car. She yelled for the Burger King employee to call police because she was being held hostage.

Police said the man did not appear to be preventing the woman from exiting the car and she did not try to escape.

Later, an officer recognized the car's description from a previous call and confirmed the identities of the two people. That began repeated unsuccessful attempts by officers to find them, though the car they were in has been found.

Police report that family members say odd behavior was not out of the ordinary for the pair.

From Andy Furillo:

A Sacramento Superior Court jury has convicted a former foster mother of second-degree murder in the suffocation death of a 17-month-old girl who had been placed in her care two years ago.

Tamekca Evett Walker, 26, will be sentenced Aug. 29 following Monday's verdict in Judge Greta Curtis Fall 's courtroom .

Walker, who had been facing first-degree murder charges, also was convicted of child abuse in the Oct. 22, 2007, death of Tamaihya Moore.

According to court documents, Sacramento County's Child Protective Services agency placed the girl in Walker's care after the victim's father had been arrested. Walker complained that the the girl cried incessantly, and she admitted that she had held her hand over the victim's mouth "until she stopped crying," according to court papers filed by Deputy District Attorney Eric Kindall.

A coroner's examination of the Tamaihya Moore's body also found evidence of internal injuries and a severe diaper rash that had burned the baby's skin and had resulted in bleeding, the prosecutor's documents stated.

From Bill Lindelof:

Residents of a burning Rio Linda home escaped this morning even though their smoke alarm did not work, the house was destroyed and one of their pets perished.

Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District Capt. Christina Pebbles said the residents of the home in the 700 block of Albemarle Avenue awoke about 3:30 a.m. and got out of the home uninjured with two of their dogs. A third dog died in the fire.

The smoke alarm did not function because the residents had the battery out of the device for some other use, said Pebbles.

"Smoke alarms are your best defense," said Pebbles. "Fortunately, these folks got out alive, but they did not have a battery in their smoke alarm because they had taken it out for something else. It's unclear how they woke up, because our senses are not designed to wake us up from smoke."

Arriving firefighters found the fire burning through the roof and residents already outside. Pebbles said it was too dangerous for firefighters to try to save the dog that remained in the house.

Instead, firefighters poured water on the blaze to prevent it from spreading to adjacent homes, Pebbles said. The roof eventually collapsed, and firefighters continued to douse the structure until flames were extinguished.

The fire's cause is unknown, though it started in the rear of the home, Pebbles said, noting that firefighters had not yet entered the charred structure because of remaining danger.

From Bill Lindelof:

Sacramento County coroner's deputies today identified a woman police believe was shot to death by her boyfriend as Tersha Jo Brown, 26, of Sacramento.

Sacramento Police booked Demario Richard Wiggins, 31, into Sacramento County Jail late Monday night for allegedly shooting Brown after an argument. He was arrested on suspicion of homicide and felony possession of a firearm by an ex-felon or addict.

Officers responding to reports of a woman being shot about 4:30 p.m. found Brown with a fatal gunshot wound to the head. Wiggins was detained at the scene of the shooting in the 600 block of Garden Highway.

The homicide is the 13th in the city this year. Last year by this date there had been 29 homicides, said police spokesman Sgt. Norm Leong.

From Bill Lindelof:

Dozens of firefighters needed more than two hours to get a handle on a large grass fire early this morning north of Elverta.

The wild-land fire was reported about 11 p.m. Monday between Locust Road and Watt Avenue south of Baseline road. It burned more than 300 acres before firefighters extinguish extinguished it.

No structures were lost and there were no injuries. More than 60 firefighters from Sacramento City, Cal Fire, Placer County, Roseville and Pleasant Grove fire departments fought the blaze, putting it out about 1:30 a.m.

Cause of the fire is under investigation.

By Nicole Williams

A fire in the Vineyard area caused $300,000 to a two-story home, the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire Department said today.

The 11:40 a.m. fire in the 8200 block of Barryman Court was brought under control in 10 minutes by more than 40 firefighters, the department said.

Initially, it was feared there were people in the house, but none were found and no injuries were reported, the department said.

The fire is under investigation and arson hasn't been ruled out.

By Nicole Williams

A fire in the Vineyard area caused $300,000 to a two-story home, the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire Department said today.

The 11:40 a.m. fire in the 8200 block of Barryman Court was brought under control in 10 minutes by more than 40 firefighters, the department said.

Initially, it was feared there were people in the house, but none were found and no injuries were reported, the department said.

The fire is under investigation and arson hasn't been ruled out.

From Nicole Williams:

A fire that burned about an acre of Riverbend Park today has been fully contained by Sacramento Metropolitan Fire Department.

The fire was fought from the ground and by air attack, with the effort including six fire department units plus one helicopter, fire Capt. Christian Pebbles said.

No injuries or structural damage were reported, and now crews are "just kind of mopping it up," he said.

No cause has been determined, but fire officials are urging residents to be careful and avoid using power tools and equipment near dry grass.

"If there's a spark . . . that's all it takes," said Daniel Berlant, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesman.

Pebbles said clean-up of Riverbend Park should be completed quickly.

"We want to get these guys outta here and rested up because it's going to be hot today," he said.

From Nicole Williams:

Firefighters are working to contain a fire burning about 8 acres of grass and brush near El Dorado Hills.

Initial helicopter assaults slowed the fire's advance, and hand crews and a bulldozer are making their way into the site, near Hickok and McCoy roads, said Jan Bray, a spokeswoman for California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Also involved are two air tankers, seven fire engines and two water tenders, Bray said.

No structures are yet threatened, and no evacuations have been necessary.

The fire primarily is feeding on brush and grass, and though a slight breeze is blowing, "high winds haven't picked up yet," Bray said.

The fire's cause is being investigated, Bray said.

Because of rising temperatures and drought conditions, even a small spark can cause a fire, said CalFire's Daniel Berlant.

"Fire activity is definitely picking up," he said. "And it is so important that Sacramento(-area) residents be extra careful."

From Gina Kim and Bill Lindelof:

Divers returned to the dangerous waters off Tiscornia Beach at the confluence of the Sacramento and American rivers today to search for the body of a teenager who is presumed drowned, a fire department spokesman said.

George Ho, 18, of Elk Grove was in a group of three people who waded into chest-deep water at the popular swimming spot off Richards Boulevard, said Battalion Chief Niko King of the Sacramento Fire Department. A couple of boats passed Ho, who was not wearing a life jacket. The boats' wakes caused Ho to lose his footing and disappear under the water's surface, King said.

Ho's is at least the second drowning on a Sacramento river this year. On May 23, an equestrian drowned after falling from his horse while trying to ford the swift-moving American River near Howe Avenue.

Drownings remain a concern as people misjudge the strong undercurrent from the misleading surface. Over the last 37 years, an average of six people drown in Sacramento County's rivers each year, a study King conducted reveals. In the past five years, the average climbed to eight and, last year, 11 people drowned, King found.

The open water between Tiscornia Beach and Discovery Park is one of the most deadly spots in the region for drownings, a combination of being a popular destination as well as the site of unpredictable currents caused by the confluence of the American and Sacramento rivers.

"The currents are really dynamic here," King said. "The roughest part about it is they're always changing."

Emergency officials were called at 2:54 p.m. Sunday, about five minutes after Ho went under, and arrived on the scene by 3:01 p.m. Divers were in the water within 10 minutes, King said. The search turned into a recovery effort by 4 p.m., as the family of Ho, a recent Monterey Trail High School graduate, sat in silence, staring into the twinkling water from shore.

"Trying to predict where he is is really difficult," King said.

From Nicole Williams:

A man suspected of burglarizing cars and homes in Meadow Vista and Auburn was arrested Sunday by the Placer County Sheriff's Department, a department news release states.

Auburn resident David Bradley Zablotny (left), 19, was taken into custody in the parking lot of a Safeway store in Auburn, the release states. Stolen property from numerous cars and residences were found in Zablotny's vehicle and his home.

More suspects are being sought, and police are encouraging residents to lock their vehicles and remove valuables from the interior.

The property found in Zablotny's possession has been identified from five burglaries in the Meadow Vista and Auburn area, and additional property is being evaluated for return to victims of possible unreported burglaries.

Zablotny is being held at the Placer County Jail on burglary charges in lieu of $100,000 bail. He is scheduled for arraignment at 1 p.m. Tuesday.

Detectives are calling victims who reported thefts from their cars to identify the recovered property.

For further information, contact Detective Jim Hudson at (530) 889-7855.

From Bill Lindelof:

Investigators say they believe speed was a factor in the car crash that killed a teenage Elk Grove girl on Howe Avenue on Sunday.

Sacramento police say witnesses told them the car made a lane change shortly before the driver lost control.

Corryne M. Quinn, 16, died in the crash that was reported about 10 p.m. Sunday at Howe Avenue and Swathmore Drive near the American River.

Sacramento police said the car in which Quinn was a passenger was northbound on Howe Avenue approaching Swathmore when the driver lost control of the vehicle and struck a tree in the center median.

The name and condition of the injured driver was not immediately available, a police spokesman said.

Police ask any witnesses to call (916) 264-5471.

From Bill Lindelof:

Five haystacks continue to burn this morning, the remnants of a large grass fire that was otherwise extinguished near Sacramento International Airport.

The fire was reported about 1:45 a.m. by personnel in the airport's air traffic control tower.

Firefighters arriving about 15 minutes later found a fast-spreading blaze, prompting second and third alarms.

No structures were threatened, but firefighters needed about two hours to control the fire. The haystacks will be allowed to burn themselves out.

Cause has not been determined.

From Gina Kim:

Two fire performers were arrested Saturday night and charged with assault after allegedly fighting with a Midtown resident and setting his hair on fire, police said.

Marc Johnson, 30, of Citrus Heights, and Peter Strait, 30, of Sacramento, were near the intersection of 18th and Q streets at about 10:40 p.m. Saturday mixing together liquids in buckets, which they then set afire in preparation for a fireball performance, said Sacramento Police Department spokesman Konrad von Schoech.

A 47-year-old man who lives on 18th street was concerned about safety and, along with a friend, confronted the men, von Schoech said.

An argument broke out and the resident was struck with a flaming ball of liquid that splattered on his hair, von Schoech said. The man was able to pat out the fire and was not transported to a hospital.

The fire performers were arrested under suspicion of recklessly causing fire resulting in great bodily injury, assault with a deadly weapon and conspiracy.

They are both scheduled to appear in court Monday at 1:30 p.m. and are being held at Sacramento County's main jail.

From Cathy Locke:

El Dorado County residents interested in learning more about local law enforcement and public safety can apply for the Citizen's Law Enforcement Academy.

Participants will have an opportunity to discuss the community and law enforcement's roles in dealing with serious crime and social issues affecting safety and quality of life in the county.

The academy, sponsored by the Sheriff's Department, will include presentations on patrol procedures, investigations, K-9 unit, gangs, narcotics, crime scene investigations, search and seizure, and use of force. Participants also will have an opportunity to observe a deputy sheriff working his or her beat during a four-hour ride-along.

Academy classes begin Aug. 25 and will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. on consecutive Tuesdays for 12 weeks.

Applications are available on the Sheriff's Web site at www.edso.org or may be requested by calling Lt. Kevin House at (530) 642-4706 or Detective Jeff Leikauf at (530) 642-4720.

The academy is offered free of charge, and applicants will be admitted on a first-come, first-served basis.

From Chelsea Phua:

A 34-year-old Rocklin man was arrested on suspicion of discharging a laser at a Placer County sheriff's department helicopter, Rocklin police said.

Authorities said Jamie Downie pointed a laser at the helicopter, which was on routine patrol Thursday over the city.

Rocklin police, sheriff officials and agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation tracked down Downie and arrested him.

Downie was later released on a promise to appear for his court date.

Authorities say pointing a laser beam at an aircraft is a crime. It's also dangerous and can cause loss of pilot vision or disorient a pilot, which can imperil flight crews and people on the ground, authorities say.

From Chelsea Phua:

A Sacramento postal worker is being accused of stealing gift cards, according to a complaint filed in federal court.

Authorities say Daniel James Rogers, who has been employed by the United States Postal Service since 2001, delivers mail to the 95816 zip code in midtown Sacramento.

Rogers made his first appearance in the California Eastern District Court on Thursday and posted a $10,000 unsecured bond, according to court documents.

Federal agents began investigating Rogers in January when an intended Target gift card recipient never received the card, according to a court affidavit.

John Moorer had bought the $100 gift card in Fredericksburg, Va., for his daughter, Desiree Moorer, who lives in Sacramento, authorities said.

Federal agents contacted Target store employees to help with the investigation, and determined that Rogers had called a Target store in Sacramento to inquire about the card.

Investigators started mailing gift cards that would be delivered on Rogers' route, only to find that the cards were being redeemed at a Target store on Riverside Boulevard, the affidavit stated.

If convicted, Rogers faces fine, a maximum of five years imprisonment or both.

From Chelsea Phua:

The man accused of killing a 22-year-old Georgetown man was formally charged in court Friday with murder.

El Dorado authorities said they believe that Zachary Neil Newman killed Colby Jee Reed, also of Georgetown.

Reed's body was found June 16 in a car on U.S. Forest Service land several miles east of Georgetown, off Wentworth Springs Road. State parole officers arrested Newman on June 18 for violating his terms of parole in an unrelated matter.

After an investigation that started June 19 by El Dorado County sheriff's detectives, authorities filed murder charges against Newman.

Bee archives show Newman was arrested in 1994 on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon after sheriff's deputies said he threatened two men with a knife.

From Andy Furillo:

A Sacramento jury today convicted Isaiah Willie Jackson of second-degree murder in the Jan. 5, 2007, of his former girlfriend, January Keene.

After returning the conviction against the 32-year-old defendant, jurors were asked to decide whether three previous robbery convictions he sustained in Sacramento and in Washington state were true. The priors would qualify Jackson for a 25-to-life sentence under California's "three-strikes" law.

Prosecutors said Jackson killed Keene, 30, after she broke up with him and wrote him a note less than a month before her death in which she told him, "I do not want to see you anymore" and that "this is final."

Deputy District Attorney Thomas Asker argued that Jackson shot Keene in his car and then drove around town calling 911 and claiming that she had been shot by a drug dealer near Franklin Boulevard and 21st Avenue.

Jackson's 911 call was "vague" and "full of holes," Asker said.

The prosecutor said that gun shot residue tests demonstrated that the shot that killed Keene was fired from inside Jackson's car. No gun was recovered in the case, but testimony at trial showed that he had been in possession of one, according to Asker.

Sacramento police officers pulled Jackson's car over on 30th and Capitol on the night of the killing after he had run a red light.

Then they transported Keene to UC Davis Medical Center. They did not arrest Jackson for Keene's murder, however, until six months later.

The prosecution was a retrial for Jackson after a jury failed to reach a verdict on his first trial and a mistrial was declared on June 4, 2008.

Assistant Public Defender Steve Garrett argued that Keene was shot while she and Jackson were driving around the Franklin Boulevard area looking to buy drugs. He cited a police forensic examiner who said it also was reasonable to assume that the shooter stood outside the car and reached inside to fire the bullet that killed Keene.

Garrett said Keene's breakup letter to Jackson also said that she was still "concerned" about him and that "it's hard sometimes to resist you because I still have emotions tied up with you." Garrett said that Jackson was sleeping on Keene's couch in the days before her death.

From Bill Lindelof:

A fire that destroyed two dozen golf carts at Catta Verdera Country Club in Lincoln is under investigation.

The fire was reported Thursday by several people at about 2 p.m. When Lincoln firefighters arrived, they found a large building and an estimated 24 golf carts inside on fire.

In addition, 1,000 pounds of fertilizer caught on fire, officials said.

Lincoln firefighters poured water on the structure and other firefighters fought a nearby grassfire. Firefighters were able to keep adjacent structure damage to a minimum, fire officials said.

Damage to the cart storage building and the golf carts was estimated at more than $250,000. Firefighters from throughout Placer County responded to the fire.

Editor's note: This is another report in an occasional series on unusual events or people found by The Bee's police reporters and editors

Bee Staff

A 15-year-old burglary suspect would have been better off concentrating more on his school homework instead of leaving it behind at a burglary scene.

A Sacramento Police Department crime summary lays out this chain of events:

At about 5 p.m. Sunday in the 3300 block of Bridgeford Drive, a woman reported that two juveniles were breaking into her house. Officer arrived shortly to find the back door of the residence open.

Officers checked the house and found backpacks that didn't belong to the victim. One of the backpacks contained school homework with a name on it.

Officers tracked down the homework's owner, a 15-year-old male, who admitted to committing the burglary. He also indentified the second suspect, 17-year-old male.

Both suspects were booked into juvenile hall.

Bee Staff

A Sacramento man has been arrested after a State Department of Motor Vehicles investigator was assaulted as he checked a report of an unlicensed dealer selling cars in north Sacramento, according to a DMV spokesman.

The investigator ended up with a broken wrist and Alexander Danilyuk (photo), 32, ended up in the Sacramento County jail, according to DMV spokesman Mike Marando and jail booking records.

On Thursday in the Rio Linda area, the DMV investigators were checked on Danilyuk's alleged illegal car sales when the suspect jumped in one of the cars for sale and attempted to flee, Marando said. A Sacramento Police Deaprtment report said the incident began at Andy Circle and May Street.

As he drove away, Danilyuk struck one of the investigators, knocking him down, Marando said.

But Danilyuk turned into a cul de sac, giving a second investigator a chance to catch up with the getaway car, Marando said. The second inspector jumped into the suspect's vehicle and was able to stop him, Marando said.

The injured investigator suffered a broken wrist along with cuts and scrapes. He was treated and released at an area hospital, Marando said.

Danilyuk was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, evading a police officer-driving in a reckless manner, both felonies, and selling vehicles without a dealer's license, a misdemeanor.

From Andy Furillo:

Convicted murderer Andre Germaine Pulido maintained his innocence at his sentencing hearing today, but Sacramento Superior Court Judge Stacy Boulware Eurie said the case against him was "proven."

Then the judge sentenced Pulido to prison for the rest of his life with no chance of parole.

Jurors last month convicted the defendant in the mistaken identity retaliation shooting death of UC Berkeley scholarship student Rodrigo Rodriguez Jr., 21, outside a barber shop in Martlin Luther King Boulevard in Oak Park.

Still grieving friends relatives of Rodriguez recalled at today's hearing the life of the young man who posthumously received his degree in the spring, almost two years after he was gunned down on Sept. 16, 2007.

"There are no words that can describe my pain and suffering for my loss," said Gina Garcia, Rodriguez' mother.

The victim's father, Rodrigo Rodriguez Sr., talked about a photograph of his son gathered with friends at the UC Berkeley campus.

"He stood so tall...on a campus so big," Rodriguez Sr. said, looking at another poster-size photo of his smiling son framed by Cal's blue and gold colors.

Rodriguez Jr.'s girlfriend, Yvonne Natad, said that her boyfriend wrote her a birthday card 11 days before his murder that said "he was having the best year of his life."

One of his friends, Rod Page, an applied math graduate who now works in the physics lab as a researcher at Cal, said, "There will never be another Rod. It kills me inside to know that."

In his statement to the court, Pulido, 26, told Rodriguez' family and friends that "I'd like to say I'm sorry." But Pulido again proclaimed his innocence.

"An innocent life was taken on Sept. 16, 2007, and today, another one," Pulido told the court.

After the sentencing, Rodriguez Sr. called Pulido's statement "unacceptable."

"We're all human beings," Rodriguez said. "We all choose our paths. He chose his."

The victim's family members said they were sorry that Pulido has not told investigators who drove the getaway car the day of the killing. Police said the case is still under investigation.

From Bill Lindelof:

A reward up to $1,000 is being offered for information leading to arrest of those responsible for the burning of a Meadowview school play structure.

At about 4 p.m. on Sunday at Freeport Elementary School, 2118 Meadowview Road, a fire damaged the school's playground structure.

Sacramento fire investigators believe that a flammable material was used to ignite wood chips beneath the structure. Arson suspects had to climb a six-foot tall fence in order to get inside the play area.

Anyone with information about the fire is asked to call WeTip at 1-800-782-7463.

From Chelsea Phua and Bill Lindelof:

The suspect and victim in a fatal shooting late Thursday in Folsom may have had a dating relationship, a police spokesman said today.

The hostage situation in ended Thursday night in what police say they suspect was a murder-suicide.

Two bodies - one of a man in his 40s and a woman - were found inside a condominium in the 200 block of Wales Drive after a two hours-plus hostage standoff, Folsom police department officials said.

Police Department spokesman Officer Jason Browning said the pair may be in a dating relationship or have previously dated. It's not clear what prompted Thursday night's incident, but Browning said police have responded to the same address last month for a "domestic type issue" involving the same people. It does not appear that violence was involved in last month's incident, Browning said.

Police said today that the man was found with a gunshot wound to his head in the bedroom and a gun was found in the same room. The woman, whose body was found on a patio, had been shot several times.

The standoff began shortly before 9 p.m. Thursday at the Cobblestone Place complex after neighbors reported hearing gunshots, Browning said.

As officers were on route to the scene, a neighbor reported that she saw a woman trying to leave her condominium through the rear patio, but was pulled back into the unit by a man, Browning said. The neighbor then heard multiple shots fired inside the condominium, Browning said.

Folsom police's SWAT and hostage negotiation teams responded to the complex. Attempts to contact the people inside were unsuccessful, police officials said. Nearby residents were told to evacuate the area or stay locked inside their residences, police said.

Shortly after 11 p.m., after activating a sound grenade to determine activity inside the darkened two-story condominium, SWAT team members entered the unit and found the bodies, the woman downstairs and the man upstairs in the master bedroom on a bed, police said.

By Chelsea Phua

A man in his mid-20s was shot at a gas station near midtown Sacramento late Thursday night after a dispute with some men, police said.

The victim was taken to UC Davis Medical Center and was in stable condition, Sacramento police Lt. Justin Eklund said.

The incident happened at about 11:30 p.m. at Alhambra Boulevard and P Street, Eklund said. The victim was "hanging out" at the Circle K gas station when some men drove up to refill their car, described as a white 4-door sedan, Eklund said.

Witnesses reported an argument ensued between the men inside the car and the victim. It's not clear what they argued about, Eklund said.

As the men drove off, someone from inside the car fired at the victim, who was struck in the mid-torso area, Eklund said.

Sgt. Dan Nutley said at least two men were inside the car. No suspects' descriptions were immediately available.

Editor's note: This is another report in an occasional series on unusual events or people found by The Bee's police reporters and editors.

Bee Staff

Maybe something was prevented, maybe nothing. But by lying to a cop, no one has to find out.

Elk Grove officers responded about 11:30 p.m. Wednesday to a report of suspicious person loitering in the 8700 block of Elk Grove Florin Road.

They found a 40-year-old man who initially gave the offices a false name, according to a crime report. But the officers were able to determine his true identity and that he was a parolee.

He was arrested on suspicion of providing false information to a peace officer and a parole hold was placed on the suspect.

Net result, he was no longer in the community but back behind bars.

From Barbara Barte Osborn

A man charged with cutting old-growth trees on U.S. Forest Service land near Truckee was sentenced earlier this week to 27 months in prison and $70,430 in restitution.

John W. Clifton, 21, of Truckee and Sierraville, was sentenced Tuesday in Sacramento by U.S. District Judge John A Mendez.

The federal sentence will run concurrently with Clifton's remaining time on an unrelated state sentence for assault with a deadly weapon at Boca Reservoir near Truckee.

Either before or after the federal sentence, Clifton will also serve 30 days in jail for misdemeanor battery on an agricultural inspection worker at the Truckee checkpoint.

"This case was the product of an extensive investigation by the U.S. Forest Service," acting U.S. attorney Lawrence G. Brown said in a news release.

Clifton illegally felled at least three and possibly up to 33 mature pine trees on the shoreline of Davies Creek and Stampede Reservoir, about 15 miles north of Truckee. (Photo below was supplied by U.S. Forest Service.)

The trees' average height was 100 feet and average age, 100 to 125 years old, Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellen V. Endrizzi, who prosecuted the case, said in the release.

"This was senseless destruction of the forest and we will prosecute these types of cases to the fullest extent possible," Gary Barnett, patrol captain for the Tahoe National Forest, said in the release.

From Chelsea Phua

Glue fumes from an open container at the State Employment Development Department in Rancho Cordova caused about 190 workers to be evacuated Thursday afternoon, fire officials said.

According to a news release by the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District, firefighters responded at noon to a report of an odor from the EDD building at 10949 Trade Center Drive.

Fire officials said workers were using a commercial grade glue to adhere roofing materials and left the container open next an "air handling system," which sent the fumes throughout the building.

The workers were evacuated for more than two hours. One person was taken to hospital for breathing problems and another was treated for exposure to the fumes and released at the scene.

Officials from the Fire District and Sacramento County Environmental Management Division have declared the conditions to be safe for workers to return to the building.

From Kim Minugh:

Eight inmates in Sacramento County's two jails have been quarantined after one of them was confirmed to be infected with the H1N1 virus, commonly known as the swine flu, according to authorities.

The other seven inmates have shown flu-like symptoms and have been tested for the virus, but medical staff members are awaiting results, said Sacramento County Sheriff's Sgt. Tim Curran. Officials also are screening for inmates who might have come into contact with the sick inmates, he said.

Contact visits with inmates at the Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center, where the 21-year-old infected inmate was housed, have been suspended for at least two weeks, Curran said. Visits behind glass at RCCC and at the Main Jail are still allowed.

Officials also are counseling inmates scheduled to be released soon about recognizing flu symptoms and how to take care of themselves, Curran said.

So far, no jail staff members have shown any symptoms, Curran said.

Curran said the measures were taken after sheriff's officials consulted with Sacramento County's public health officer Dr. Glennah Trochet, and Dr. Michael Sotak, the correctional health services interim medical director.

Bee Staff

A 35-year-old Olivehurst man landed in jail after he repeatedly tried to seduce a 15-year-old girl via text messages, according to the Placer County Sheriff's Department.

Michael Anthony Nielsen (photo), 35, had been sending text messages and photos to the 15-year-old girl in an attempt to persuade her to meet him at a hotel for sex, a Sheriff's Department release states.

The minor's parent found the messages on the child's phone and alerted deputies, the release states. Nielsen continued to send explicit text messages to the child's phone in an attempt to arrange a meeting for sex, the release states.

Detectives, posing as the child, arranged to meet with him Wednesday evening at a hotel in the Marysville area, the release states.

Nielsen arrived at the hotel at the arranged time and attempted to greet a female deputy that he believed was the teenage child, the release states. He was arrested without incident, the release states.

From Ed Fletcher:

Rocklin resident Norma Snyder is looking for a good Samaritan.

After getting home from a recent outing to a Rocklin area drug store, she realized she'd left her purse in a shopping cart. She raced back to the store, fearing the worst.

She was told her purse had been taken to the police station. Relieved, a few moments later she had back in her possession the purse back and its contents -- including the large sum of cash she had just withdrew from the bank.

"I would like to find him," she said of the person who turned the purse in to police. "You don't find many honest people."

Doing the right thing is worthy of a reward, said Snyder, who volunteers at the police department.

The Rocklin police didn't get the young man's name, but they described him as being around 16-year-old, with dark hair.

Capt. Dan Ruden said it was refreshing to see someone with honesty and integrity.

To collect the reward the good Samaritan should present himself to the Rocklin Police Department or call 916-625-5455 and be prepared to name the time and place the purse was found and who came with you to the police station.

From Nicole Williams:

The Sacramento County Coroner's Office today identified the 18-year-old Sacramento man who died in an apartment complex near American River College on Wednesday afternoon.

Isaac-Michael Bartkovsky was found by Sacramento County sheriff's deputies in a second-story apartment in the 4600 block of Orange Grove with a wound to his upper body, after a man called 911 about 2:30 p.m. to report that his friend had died from a gunshot wound, according to a news release.

Paramedics arrived shortly after and pronounced the man dead.

Authorities are waiting for an autopsy to determine if the man was killed or his death was accidental, according to earlier Bee reports.

Witnesses reported seeing two men leaving the apartment at the time of the shooting. One of the men was the caller who reported the shooting.

Department spokesman Sgt. Tim Curran said the caller told authorities in a second 911 call that he had run to an apartment in the 2900 block of Marconi Avenue.

A few hours later, authorities also found the other man witnesses reported seeing. Both men were questioned Wednesday and released, Curran said.

From Nicole Williams:

A Roseville man was struck by a hit-and-run driver about 4:15 p.m. Wednesday while riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle on westbound I-80 just east of Elkhorn Boulevard, the CHP is reporting.

The driver of the tan or beige mid-sized sedan struck Andres Gutierrez, 44, while traveling approximately 100 miles per hour, then continued westbound on I-80 and possibly exited on Madison Avenue, according to a California Highway Patrol news release.

The driver of the sedan - possibly a Honda or Mazda - was described in the release as a heavy-set black male adult with dark hair, approximately 25 years old. The license plate may read 4SWL or similar and the vehicle should have front-end damage.

Gutierrez's motorcycle traveled approximately 500 feet before coming to rest. He was taken to Mercy San Juan Medical Hospital with major, but not life-threatening, injuries. Gutierrez was wearing a helmet.

If you have information regarding this collision, please contact the North Sacramento Area CHP office at (916) 338-6710.

From Chelsea Phua:

An 18-year-old man died in an apartment complex near American River College on Wednesday afternoon in what Sacramento County sheriff's officials are calling a suspicious death.

According to a news release, a man called 911 at about 2:30 p.m. to report that his friend had died from a gunshot wound. Deputies found the victim in a second-story apartment in the 4600 block of Orange Grove Avenue with a wound to his upper body.

Paramedics arrived shortly after and pronounced the man dead.

Authorities did not release the man's identity Wednesday night, pending notification of next-of-kin. Authorities were also waiting for an autopsy to determined if the man was killed or his death was accidental.

Witnesses reported seeing two men leaving the apartment at the time of the shooting. One of the men was the caller who reported the shooting.

Department spokesman Sgt. Tim Curran said the caller told authorities in a second 911 call that he had run to an apartment in the 2900 block of Marconi Avenue.

A few hours later, authorities also found the other man whom witnesses reported seeing. Both men were questioned Wednesday and released, Curran said.

On Wednesday, neighbors lingered outside in the sweltering heat, watching crime scene investigators take pictures of the body, which lay near the door inside the apartment.

Tammy Chandler, 46, said the apartment unit where the shooting occurred was only recently occupied by two young men. One was slim and one was more heavyset and had a "rocker" look about him, Chandler said.

She was inside her apartment on her computer when the shooting happened.

"I kind of heard a loud noise but I didn't really pay attention to it," Chandler said.

From Julie Johnson:

Nine people were arrested Wednesday for allegedly growing a total of 1,400 marijuana plants inside their homes in Sacramento and Elk Grove.

Several tips led Elk Grove Police and SWAT teams to search one home in the 8800 block of Marlin Seas Court in Sacramento and three locations in Elk Grove: in the 4200 block of Zaccaro Way, 4700 block of Coppola Circle and the 5000 block of Efthemia Way. Police also found high-tech plant cultivation equipment.

Four children, ages 1, 3, 6 and 9, were present at the time of the arrests and are in custody of Child Protective Services.

The suspects were also arrested for utility fraud, but police couldn't confirm whether high water or power bills led them to the homes.

"Typically in these types of marijuana growing arrangements there are some kind of diversion of power that takes place, but I can't comment on this case," said Officer Christopher Trim, spokesman for the Elk Grove Police Department.

Trim confirmed that police suspected the operations among the homes were connected, but said they didn't seem gang related.

"It's assumed that the marijuana would be sold, but where is something our investigators are still pursuing," Trimm said.

Nhan Sinh Tang, 36; Hui Qing Chen, 28; and Phu Phung Tran, 50, were arrested under suspicion for utility fraud, marijuana cultivation, possession for sale and conspiracy to sell.

Ermei Yee, 67; Andy Cam Mach, 37; Kuntai Fan, 78; Ping Min Fan, 33; Jimmy Vy Tran, 48; Terrie Tran, 35 were also arrested for the same charges plus child endangerment.

From Julie Johnson:

An unmarked California Highway Patrol car was struck by a woman police suspect was driving under the influence Wednesday morning, a CHP spokeswoman said.

K.C. Tidwell (photo), 30, was booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail just before 11:30 a.m. under suspicion for a felony DUI.

Tidwell rear-ended the unmarked Crown Victoria while driving about 40 miles per hour on southbound Highway 99 near Interstate 5, according to Officer Lizz Dutton, spokeswoman for Highway Patrol.

Dutton said someone had called to report a drunk driver in a silver Toyota in the area of the crash.

The lieutenant in the car was not taken to the hospital, though he complained of back and knee pain after the collision, Dutton said.

From Andy Furillo:

A jury returned a first-degree murder conviction today against Bennett Louis Kovac in the June 11, 2006, shooting death of Gary R. Brooks in a south Sacramento electronics shop.

The verdict came in a retrial for Kovac. A different jury last year failed to reach a unanimous verdict and Sacramento Superior Court Judge Michael P. Kenny declared a mistrial.

Kovac, 45, was convicted on an aiding and abetting theory. According to evidence at trial, he drove his accomplice, Wayne Albert Caskey, to the shop where the victim was killed.

Caskey was convicted last year for shooting Brooks to death. He is now serving a sentence of 25 years to life.

Judge Gary S. Mullen will sentence Kovac on Aug. 28.

"I'm glad they finally got both guys," Brooks' sister, Nancy Brooks, said outside Mullen's courtroom today. "I feel like we got some justice. It doesn't bring my brother back, but we got some justice."

From Nicole Williams:

After three days of deliberation, a Yolo County jury has convicted a Sacramento man of first-degree murder in a 2007 stabbing of a mentally-ill woman, and could face life in prison when he is sentenced Aug. 28.

Luis A. Rodriguez, 25, was convicted Tuesday for his role in the stabbing death of 39-year-old Alexandra Cerda, a Yolo County District Attorney Office's press release states.

No official motive was ever established in the case, said prosecuting attorney Carolyn Palumbo.

"It could have been a number of things, but I really don't know," she said.

With a large network of friends and family in the area, the mentally ill Cerda often walked the streets of her south Sacramento neighborhood, according to earlier reports in The Bee. And on the night of July 8, 2007, Rodriguez and his friend Jose Madrigal offered her a ride home after a party they had all attended across from Max Baer Park near 34th Avenue.

After they picked her up, Madrigal stabbed Cerda more than 100 times with a knife as Rodriguez drove around Sacramento and then to Yolo County, where the two men dumped her body in some brush on the side of the River Road, the release states.

Cerda's body was discovered the July 9, 2007, by a probation officer who saw her body on the side of the road, the release stated.

"We have always maintained that Mr. Rodriguez's cold blooded decision to continue casually driving his van for over ten minutes, knowing that his accomplice was brutally stabbing the victim over 100 times just a few feet away from him, justified this most serious conviction under the law," said District Attorney Jeff Reisig said.

Due to her mental illness, Cerda lost custody of her seven children years ago. But her friends told The Bee in 2007 that she was never without support or a home to stay in.

Madrigal pleaded guilty to first-degree murder earlier and was sentenced to 25-years-to-life on Jan. 9.

Rodriguez is being held in jail, pending his sentencing in Yolo Superior Court.

From Nicole Williams:

A Citrus Heights resident and his friend were robbed at gun and knifepoint by two masked men, who entered his home on the 7300 block of Huntington Square Lane at about 11 p.m. Tuesday.

One man, holding a knife and a gun, forced the friend to the floor and emptied his pockets, while the second man took the resident into the bathroom and stole his medications and cash, according to a Citrus Heights Police Department news release.

The suspects fled the scene, possibly driving a blue '90s Ford full-size pick-up truck with a regular cab and a matching blue shell. The vehicle may have been driven by a third suspect, the release states.

The resident suffered a cut to his finger and was treated and released on site by the personnel from the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or has information about the suspect or the vehicle, is asked to immediately call the Citrus Heights Police Department, (916) 727-5500.

From Nicole Williams:

The Sacramento Police Department will conducting a sobriety and drivers license checkpoint today in the city's east area.

A specific location will be released two hours before the checkpoint begins, a police press release states.

"The purpose of the checkpoint is to promote public safety, increase awareness of the dangers associated with drinking and driving, and serves as a deterrent to potential impaired and unlicensed drivers," the release states.

From Nicole Williams:

More than 60 firefighters spent the night battling a fire on the Sutter Buttes mountain range in western Sutter County that has burned at least 1,200 acres, officials said.

The fire started about 7:45 p.m. Tuesday.

The steep, rugged terrain has kept crews from determining if the fire has been fully contained, said Lt. Ernie Lizarraga of the Sutter County Fire Department.

Sutter County asked California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to perform an aerial sweep of the range later to determine how many acres have been burned and whether further action is needed. Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said a helicopter is scheduled to make the reconnaissance this morning.

Cal Fire, Yuba City Fire Department and volunteers have helped battle the fire.

No damage to structures or injuries have been reported, officials said.

"We'll just wait and see what's going on and preparing ourselves down here," Lizarraga said.

There is speculation that a power line caused the fire, but that has not been confirmed, said Lt. Jonathan Miller of Sutter County Fire Deparment

Bee Staff:

Rocklin police detectives arrested Tuesday a Grass Valley man on suspicion of a number of charges related to the stalking of a minor and child pornography among other alleged crimes, according to a news release.

Steven Lawrence Elliot, 39, was arrested by Rocklin Police at his Grass Valley home, with the assistance of the Grass Valley Police Department and SWAT team, following a lengthy investigation, the release states.

Elliot was arrested on suspicion of distribution of obscene material, possession or control of child pornography, sending harmful matter to a minor, stalking, sending annoying messages, and identity theft, the release states.

The investigation began when the mother of a minor female notified Rocklin Police of inappropriate text messages being sent to the girl regarding her underwear, the release states. The investigation included the service of eighteen search warrants of Internet providers, cell phone companies, residences, and a work location, Elliot to requests for underwear of young girls via e-mail and text messages, the release states.

Detectives determined that Elliot, posing as a teenage boy, text messaged or e-mailed many girls, teenage and pre-teenage, and solicited pictures of them in their underwear, the release states.

"He would also solicit girls for even just pictures of their panties," according to the release.

Elliot's e-mails and text messages could have gone to people nationwide, the release states.

Elliot may have stalked one family in Rocklin for years and obtained personal information regarding the daughters of the same family from Internet websites such as MySpace or Facebook, the release states.

"The investigation has led to information that shows former Rocklin High School cheerleaders and others, some now 28 years of age, being contacted electronically recently about panty thefts that occurred at their residents while they were still in high school," the release states.

"Elliot also created e-mail accounts using the names of innocent victims and used Internet connections in an attempt to hide his trail," the release states.

The connections were made from locations from Lake of the Pines, Nevada County. Investigators are also looking into the possibility that non-secure wireless connections may have been used, the release states.

A wireless connection used in a house can travel 100 feet or more and into the surrounding community, the release states.

"A hacker can search for non-secure wireless connections using a laptop computer while parked down the street," the release states. "Using this connection the hacker can access the world wide web using someone else's IP address. This makes the tracing of email origins and computer usage somewhat more difficult."

The most recent of e-mail names contained the name "MIKE," the release states, but others such as "GABE" were also used.

Rocklin Police Detectives are asking that any female who has been electronically solicited for these types of pictures to contact them.

Elliot was transported to the Placer County Jail where he is being held on $150,000 bail, the release states.

From Chelsea Phua and Julie Johnson:

Authorities say they have not yet determined a motive in the shooting death of a 39-year-old Elk Grove man, but they have arrested his ex-wife in connection with the killing.

Sacramento County Coroner's officials on Tuesday night identified the man who was shot just after 2 p.m. Monday as Craig A. Dalton.

Elk Grove police arrested Dalton's ex-wife, Jennifer Dalton (left photo), who is also known as Jennifer Ann Tate in property records, early Tuesday morning. The 40-year-old woman is being held without bail at the Sacramento County Main Jail on suspicion of murder, online jail records show.

Police said Jennifer Dalton called 911 after her ex-husband was shot in the upper torso inside her home in the 9300 block of Rainbow Falls Way. Neighbors reported hearing three shots being fired.

Jennifer Dalton was detained and then taken by ambulance to a local hospital for evaluation, police said. Meanwhile, police obtained a search warrant and found a firearm inside that they believed was used in the shooting.

From Julie Johnson:

Sacramento Fire Department investigators Monday identified the four juveniles who fire investigators say were responsible for throwing fireworks into a classroom at John Bidwell Elementary School on July 4.

The department cited the young people for "careless burning," and handed the case over to the Sacramento County District Attorney's office for further investigation.

"The District Attorney is reviewing the case, and it's totally up to them what to do with it," said Captain Jim Doucette, spokesman for the fire department.

On July 4, firefighters responded to a fire alarm at the school. They found smoke, spent fireworks, and scorch marks on the carpet inside a kindergarten classroom. Investigators said the suspects threw fireworks through an open window.

The juveniles were caught on the school's video surveillance system. Investigators sent the videos to the media and asked for the public's help in identifying the culprits.

The Sacramento Fire Departments Arson and the police-run Crime Alert tip lines received anonymous calls regarding the fires. One of these calls directed investigators to the juveniles.

Sacramento Unified School District officials confirmed that they were all students in the district. Two had attended Bidwell and the other two attended Cesar E. Chavez Elementary School, officials said.

Editor's note: This is another report in an occasional series on unusual events or people found by The Bee's police reporters and editors.

Bee Staff:

A Sacramento area jeweler showed some solid-gold smarts when he helped snare two credit-card theft suspects, investigators say.

On July 10, one of the suspects entered a jewelry store in the 2600 block of Marconi Avenue and asked the jeweler if he could make a purchase with a credit card that belonged to a dead person, who didn't share his last name. The suspect showed the jeweler the card and the driver's license of the deceased, an 80-year-old man, according to a Sacramento County Sheriff's Department report.

The jeweler put the suspect off by saying he couldn't make the transaction that day but could help him the next day.

The jeweler than contacted the Sheriff's Department, who arranged to have a plainclothes sergeant in the store the next day.

The suspect - identified as Radmehr Nejad - returned the next day, selected about $2,200 worth of jewelry and presented the dead man's credit card to pay. Instead, the suspect got an additional piece of jewelry in the form of the sergeant's handcuffs, the report states.

A second suspect - identified as Rechard Waydd - was arrested outside the store. The second suspect was on searchable probation and a search of his residence turned up a the dead man's driver's license, Social Security card, a second credit card belong to the dead man along with identification documents belonging to other people, the report states.

Nejad, 34, and Waydd, 38, were booked into jail on suspicion of theft and other charges, the report states.

Bee Staff:

Sacramento police investigators are asking the public's help in finding musical instruments stolen from a man who was slain last month.

After Sacramento Fire Department firefighters put out a house fire in the 7400 block of Carella Drive at about 1:28 p.m. on June 23 they found the body of Keith Fessler (photo left), 44, the homeowner, according to a Police Department news release.

Fessler's vehicle, a sunset orange 2004 Honda Element, was stolen and recovered 12 hours later, about a mile from his residence. The suspect or suspects burned the vehicle.

Fessler, who lived in the home for 15 years, was an avid musician, the release states.

Taken during the incident, were several distinctive string instruments (photos below), the release states.

A partial list of the items taken were:

-Dell Latitude D600 Notebook serial No. 3Z54J61

-Gibson Les Paul Guitar - #31602

-Gibson Acoustic Guitar- #91412043

-Jackson Guitar- #6717

-Carvin Custom Guitar- No serial number

-Takamine Santa Fe Guitar- #93121043

-Deering Banjo- #4041

-Flatiron Mandolin- #93071686

-Mitchell MD-100 Guitar- #302018

Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP or text in a tip to 274637 (CRIMES). Enter SACTIP followed by the tip information. Callers may remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000, the release states.

Bee Staff:

The Roseville Police Department will be out in force Friday evening for a DUI checkpoint.

Officers will conduct a sobriety and driver's license checkpoint on that evening at an undisclosed location where a significant number of DUI-related collisions and DUI arrests have occurred, according to a news release.

Officers will screen all drivers passing through the checkpoint for sobriety and for a valid driver's license, the release states.

"DUI arrests are embarrassing and expensive, but easy to prevent," said Roseville Police Chief Mike Blair. "If you're drinking, hand your keys over to a designed driver, or call a taxi or sober friend for a ride home. Don't risk an arrest ---or worse, a serious injury or even death."

The Roseville Police Department investigated 64 DUI-related collisions between January and May, in which 32 people were injured and one was killed, the release states.

Funding for Roseville's DUI enforcement efforts are provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the release states.

From Chelsea Phua:

Sacramento County coroner's officials have identified the 66-year-old man found dead on Saturday in rural El Dorado County.

He was Neil Lee Hayes of Sacramento. A deputy coroner said he did not have a permanent address.

Authorities have arrested a Carmichael couple, Charles Francis Gaskin, 44, and his wife, Sandra Sheaves, 40, in connection with Hayes' death.

Hayes was first reported missing Friday and his body discovered about 8 p.m. Saturday on Newtown Road near Placerville, authorities said.

Sacramento County sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Tim Curran said the victim is believed to have been killed in the couple's residence in the 4900 block of Whitney Avenue sometimes between June 29 and July 1.

Curran said the victim and Gaskin met in prison. Sacramento County online court records show that Gaskin had a misdemeanor theft case in 1997 that was dismissed and Hayes had court records dating back to 1989.

His last record showed he pleaded no contest to a felony sex-related offense in 2005. The records showed no filings on Sheaves. Curran said that the victim had been staying at the couple's residence for the past several months.

From Chelsea Phua:

Neighbors said the woman was meticulous in maintaining their Elk Grove neighborhood, helping to trim weeds and clear leaves from her neighbors' lawns.

On Monday afternoon, the woman, whom neighbors described as blond and slender, came out of her home in the 9300 block of Rainbow Falls Way distraught after gunshots were heard from the house.

"She looked paralyzed," said Mick Lo, 35, who said he was inside his house when he heard three shots being fired shortly after 2 p.m. "She fell down a couple of times on the ground."

When police arrived at the house after receiving a 911 call from a woman, they found a 39-year-old man shot in his upper torso, Elk Grove police spokesman Officer Christopher Trim said.

Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene and police detained the woman who reported the shooting for questioning, but Trim said Monday afternoon that no one has been arrested and investigators do not believe any suspects are at large.

Trim also said police are trying to determine what prompted the shooting, who shot the man and the relationship between the woman who made the call and the dead man, he said.

Authorities did not identify the victim or the woman. Property records show the house is owned by Jennifer Ann Tate, 40.

Monday evening, detectives were waiting for a warrant to enter the two-story stucco home with small purple flowers in its front yard. They stood talking to neighbors inside an area that was cordoned off.

Neighbors watched as crime scene investigators photographed the inside of an open garage, where the body laid. A blue Ford parked in the wrong direction blocked the driveway.

Erika Goodman, 16, said she was washing her car in the morning and noticed the Ford being driven up and down the street, stopping for about 20 minutes outside the woman's house, then going around the block and returning.

Another neighbor, Ray Jordan, 31, corroborated Goodman's account, but said he didn't think anything of it because he thought the man who was driving the Ford, who was later slain, lived in the house with the woman.

Jordan said the man and the woman who lived there were always well dressed and liked to work outside in the yard together.

Bee staff researcher Sheila A. Kern contributed to this report.

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From Chelsea Phua:

Sacramento police said they have arrested an 18-year-old man in connection with the May 1 stabbing death of a 21-year-old man in the College Greens-Glenbrook neighborhood.

Police arrested Gabriel Dominguez (left photo) on suspicion of murder after a traffic stop Saturday by Rancho Cordova police. Dominguez was a passenger inside the vehicle that was stopped.

Authorities said they believe that Dominguez was involved in a fight on May 1 outside a liquor store on Julliard Drive that killed Samuel Sanchez.

Investigators said Sanchez and several of his friends were involved in a fight with a rival gang member. During the fight, other members of the rival gang arrived and Sanchez was stabbed multiple times, authorities said.

All parties left the scene by the time police arrives. But shortly after, authorities received a call from UC Davis Medical Center reporting that three men who were stabbed in the fight had walked into the hospital. Sanchez was one of them.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP, or text a tip to 274637 (CRIMES). Enter SACTIP followed by the information. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,0000.

From Andy Furillo:

Two men convicted of second-degree murder in the knifing death of a popular homeless man in Sacramento's since-disbanded tent city north of downtown have been sentenced to state prison for 15-years-to-life terms.

Sacramento Superior Court Judge Marjorie Koller on Friday sentenced J. Douglas Halford, 67, and Mark Hernandez, 44. The two were convicted June 8 in the stabbing death of Michael Lawrence Wentworth, 47, better known on the streets by his nickname of "Gremlin."

From Bill Lindelof:

A man who police say killed the mother of his child in Novato was taken into custody in Citrus Heights this morning. The child also was recovered safely.

James Raphael Mitchell, 27, is in Novato police custody and will be booked into Marin County Jail, said Sgt. Oliver Collins of the Novato Police Department.

Collins said that at about 7 p.m. Sunday police received a report of a woman screaming at a home on Diablo Court in Novato. When police arrived a few minutes later, they found in the back yard a woman who had been beaten with a baseball bat. She died at the scene.

Police say they immediately suspected Mitchell of killing the woman and taking the couple's 1-year-old daughter when he fled. An Amber Alert bulletin to locate the child was issued, and about midnight Mitchell and the girl were located in Citrus Heights.

"The child was there, unharmed and taken into protective custody," Collins said.

Authorities provided no other details of the killing.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Mitchell is the son of the late Jim Mitchell, the pioneering pornographer who was convicted of killing his brother, Artie, with whom he built the Mitchell Brothers porn business. The brothers produced "Behind the Green Door" and other porn films during the 1970s.

From Andy Furillo:

Sacramento County sheriff's detectives have booked a Carmichael couple on suspicion of murder in the death of a 66-year-old man who was first reported missing on Friday.

Charles Francis Gaskin, 44, and his wife, Sandra Sheaves, 40, were taken into custody late Saturday night, sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Tim Curran said today. Gaskin was taken into custody in San Francisco, while Sheaves was arrested at the couple's home in the 4900 block of Whitney Avenue.

No identification was available on the slaying victim, whose body was discovered about 8 p.m. Saturday in rural El Dorado County, Curran said. The spokesman said investigators are not releasing the man's manner of death at this time. The victim is believed to have been slain in the couple's residence sometime between June 29 and July 1, Curran said.

Curran said sheriff's homicide detectives were first contacted about the case on Friday.

"That's when we got the information that a crime may have occurred," Curran said. "Based on that information, which they felt was very credible, they requested a search warrant."

The warrant was served on Saturday, Curran said.

Curran said the victim and Gaskin met in prison. Sacramento County online court records show that Gaskin only had a misdemeanor theft case in 1997 that was dismissed. The records showed no filings on Sheaves. Curran said that the victim had been staying at the Gaskin and Sheaves' residence for the past several months.

The heavily tattooed Gaskin had the numerals "2" and "3" inscribed on his neck. The number 23 is believed to be a prison insignia for the 23rd letter of the alphabet, W, which law enforcement officials say is a marker for white supremacist affiliations.

Editor's note: This is another report in an occasional series on unusual events or people found by The Bee's police reporters and editors.

Bee Staff

Sacramento police not only put an operator of a chop shop behind bars, but they took the punishment a step further - they destroyed his ride.

A news release from the Sacramento Police Department lays out this chain of events;

In early January, detectives from the department's auto theft unit identified an increase in stolen vehicle recoveries in the area of Fowler Court.

Creek Road.

Over about two months. 17 stolen cars were recovered, but the vehicles had been stripped and dumped.

Detectives tracked the thieves to a house in the 6200 block of Fowler Court, the residence of Spencer Saeyang, 18, and his brother, Choyfang Saeyang, 20.

"This residence proved to be a chop shop," the release states. "Auto parts from at least six stolen vehicles were recovered."

The brothers were arrested and eventually convicted, the release states. Spencer Saeyang is serving 18 months in jail and Choyfang Saeyang is serving 12 months, the release states.

But the Spencer Saeyang's problems didn't stop there. Detectives Identified a 1994 Acura Integra built from stolen parts, many of the identifiable numbers removed or destroyed.

Detectives determined the car belonged to Spencer Saeyang.

After a court agreed, the car was destroyed (see photos).

From Chelsea Phua:

A 26-year-old Red Hawk Casino dealer has been arrested for allegedly accepting counterfeit money knowing that the bills were fraudulent, authorities said.

Officials from the California Attorney General's office said Chi Yang (photo) of Carmichael and several accomplices defrauded the casino of about $3,000.

Yang was arrested shortly after midnight Friday and booked into the El Dorado County jail in Placerville on 10 counts of burglary, 10 counts of forgery, 10 counts of embezzlement and a conspiracy charge, authorities said.

Marty Horan, one of two assistant chiefs at the AG's Bureau of Gambling Control, said investigators plan to seek three more arrest warrants.

The investigation began in mid-June when the executive director of Red Hawk's tribal gaming agency reported the alleged fraud, Horan said.

Casino officials became suspicious when they discovered on a few occasions that a drop box from the Black Jack table where Chi Yang worked contained counterfeit $100 bills.

After reviewing the casino's reports and surveillance video footage, the bureau dispatched undercover agents to observe Chi Yang and his accomplices.

Agents noticed Chi Yang would receive two to five counterfeit bills at a time, hoping to avoid detection, Horan said.

The three-week long investigation also involved FBI agents.

If convicted of the counts, Horan said Yang could face at least five years in state prison.

From Chelsea Phua

Citrus Heights police have arrested three men who were allegedly involved in a shooting on July 4 that injured two other men.

According to a news release, a fight among three to five men broke out at an apartment complex in the 5800 block of Sunrise Vista at about 9:20 p.m.

Witnesses reported that someone had a gun. When officers arrived they found two victims with gunshot wounds and administered first aid until paramedics arrived. The victims were taken to Mercy San Juan hospital for treatment.

Officers arrested a 17-year-old male and 21-year-old Richard Horgan on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, the news release said.

Investigators said further investigation determined that another 17-year-old male was involved and had fled to Hawthorne. He was arrested Thursday and is currently in custody at the Los Angeles County Juvenile Hall. He is being held on two counts of attempted murder with a firearm.

The 17-year-olds' names are not being released because they are juveniles.

From Bill Lindelof:

A man on the way to the hospital this morning made an emergency stop on H Street to save lives.

Santino Deanda was on H Street about 12:10 a.m. when he noticed fire burning at the rear of a boarding house in the 3700 block of H Street. He pulled up to the home, asked his wife to summon firefighters on the cellphone and hurried to the front door.

When his knocks were unanswered, he entered the home, which was choked with smoke, and woke up the occupants, about six people.

Deanda inhaled smoke and was transported to the hospital. An elderly man from the house also suffered from smoke inhalation. Both men were expected to recover, a Sacramento Fire Department spokesman said.

No other injuries were reported.

Fire officials said the fire started on the exterior of the home at the rear of the structure and quickly spread up the side of the house.

Firefighters were on the scene in about 4 1/2 minutes and prevented the fire, which is under investigation, from spreading into the home.

Smoke detectors were in place within the boarding house, but it was unclear how many were operating, fire officials said.

From Bill Lindelof:

Roseville police area are advising city residents to be on the lookout for a couple suspected of talking their way into an elderly man's house this week and making off with his wallet.

The incident happened Tuesday afternoon when a man and a woman knocked on the door of a 90-year-old man's home in east Roseville. They convinced the man to let them inside after asking to do odd jobs around his house.

The woman then asked about a tree in the elderly man's front yard, and the two exited the home, leaving the male suspect inside. After the couple finally left, the resident discovered his wallet with a small amount of money, credit cards and identification had been taken.

The suspects drove away in a red, full-size pickup, possibly a Chevrolet or GMC.

Police are looking for a a Hispanic man in his 30s, about 5-feet-10 with brown hair. He was wearing shorts and a t-shirt.

The woman suspect was white, in her 30s and overweight. She had a swollen leg and had difficulty walking.

A similar incident occurred in March when three men in a red Chevy pickup talked their way into an elderly woman's home in the same east Roseville neighborhood on the pretext of checking the condition of her roof. They are suspected of stealing the woman's safe.

Police remind residents not to let strangers into their homes and to be willing to tell strangers to leave their property. In addition, be cautious of anyone offering to do unsolicited work.

From Bill Lindelof:

Smoke rising north of Woodland on Saturday more than likely will be from a big controlled burn on the Horgan Ranch where each year firefighters sharpen their skills.

For 25 years, firefighters from Yolo County fire departments have converged on the Horgan Ranch to conduct the burn. This year, crews will gather on County Road 17 near Interstate 5 and the Yolo exit to practice wildland firefighting.

More than 100 firefighters with 16 engines and water tenders will watch over a 400-acre training burn that starts at 8 a.m. Fire departments expected to participate include Arbuckle, Capay Valley, Clarksburg, Dunnigan, Elkhorn, Esparto, Knights Landing, Madison, Robbins, Rumsey Rancheria, UC Davis, West Sacramento, Williams, Willow Oak, Winters, Woodland, CAL Fire, West Plainfield and Zamora.

From Bill Lindelof:

His parents asked for leniency, but a Placer County judge didn't agree and sentenced a Citrus Heights man to a long state prison sentence for burglary and other crimes.

Superior Court Judge Larry D. Gaddis on Wednesday sentenced Daniel Joseph Homan, 21, to 17 years in prison after listening to pleas from the defendant and his family. Homan and his parents asked for counseling or drug and alcohol rehabilitation instead of prison time, citing what they said was the young man's lack of violence against others.

But Gaddis noted that Homan had once been involved in a robbery with an armed accomplice and that there is no indication Homan was under the influence when he committed burglaries and stole cars in May and June 2008.

Homan pleaded guilty on May 19 to two counts of burglarizing a home, one count of possession of a stolen vehicle and one count of fleeing from a police officer while driving recklessly.

In addition to committing the burglaries while the homeowners slept, Homan, while running from police, pushed a vehicle stopped at a red light into the intersection to continue his flight. Also, while fleeing from police, Homan, who had four passengers in his car, came to a dead-end street, smashed through a barrier, drove down an embankment and plunged into a creek bed where the vehicle caught fire.

He was caught when he tried to run away, a news release from the Placer County District Attorney's office states.

Deputy District Attorney Rick Opich said Homan has violated jail rules.

"He's demonstrated an inability to obey any rules -- either on the street or (in) the jail," Opich said.

From Denny Walsh:

Local, state and federal law enforcement agencies joined forces in June for an apprehension drive that netted more than 200 fugitives in the 34 California counties of the federal judicial district based in Sacramento, the U.S. Marshals Service announced Thursday.

It was the sixth such initiative, labeled Operation FALCON, which targets fugitives wanted for crimes of violence, sex offenders, gang members and dope pushers.

"Operation FALCON is one example of ... cooperative efforts in combating crime, thus taking the most serious criminals off the streets and making the public safer," said Antonio Amador, the district's U.S. marshal.

Since its inception, Operation FALCON nationwide has resulted in 91,086 arrests and cleared 117,874 warrants, and is the single most successful initiative aimed at apprehending violent fugitives in U.S. law enforcement history, according to Marshals Director John Clark in a related announcement.

"I continue to be impressed with the remarkable results that can be achieved when all of law enforcement comes together," Clark said.

From Chelsea Phua:

Sacramento police arrested a 23-year-old man who allegedly broke into a home early Thursday and tried to sexually assault a resident while she slept with her child.

Police said George Everett (left photo) entered an apartment in the 2600 block of Meadowview Road by unknown means shortly before 5:40 a.m. According to a news release, Everett entered the victim's bedroom, where she was sleeping with her 8-week-old child, and got on top of her. The victim fought back and hit Everett with a lamp, prompting him to flee, police said. The victim suffered minor injuries and the child was not hurt, police said.

When officers arrived, they cordoned off an area and used surveillance footage from the apartment complex to obtain a description of the attacker.

Shortly after, officers spotted Everett running within the cordoned area.

Everett was arrested on suspicion of burglary and attempted sexual assault.

From Kim Minugh:

A man suspected of robbing banks in Sacramento and Davis has used a fake British accent to conceal his voice, according to authorities.

The first robbery occured shortly after 11 a.m. on April 5 at the Tri Counties Bank on Sacramento's Arena Boulevard, according to a news release issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The suspect passed a note to the teller demanding that she put money in his bag and then - using a fake British accent - told her "not to make a scene," the release states.

The second robbery occured about 1:30 p.m. on April 22 at the Bank of America on Anderson Road in Davis, according to the release. The suspect again used a note and a fake British accent to demand money. After that robbery, he was seen running through the parking lot carrying a dark-colored backpack, the release states.

According to the FBI, the suspect is described as a white man, 22 to 30 years old, 5-foot-7-inches to 5-foot-11-inches tall and weighing 160 to 200 pounds. He has short, dark hair, with a receding hairline and a goatee. He wore dark sunglasses during both robberies, and a black, long-sleed T-shirt with "Las Vegas, Sin City" on the front during the Davis robbery, the release states.

The case is being investigated by the Sacramento Violent Crimes Task Force - composed of FBI agents and robbery detectives from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department - and Davis police detectives.

Anyone with information is asked to call the FBI in Sacramento at (916) 481-9110, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department at (916) 874-5115 or the Davis Police Department at (530) 747-5400.

From Andy Furillo:

Rashard Delrico Mack was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole, plus 25 more years, for his shotgun murder of Jesse Reiter during a robbery two years ago in Sacramento's Valley Hi neighborhood.

"Your senseless act of murder shattered all of us and left a gaping hole in our lives forever," Reiter's mother, Mary Carol Reiter, said during the Sacramento Superior Court sentencing in front of Judge Lloyd G. Connelly.

A second defendant in the case is awaiting a retrial. A separate jury in April could not reach a verdict in the case against Mack's co-defendant, Ulysses Peter Walker, 21, and Judge Connelly declared a mistrial. Jurors had voted 11-1 to convict Walker. His retrial is set for Aug. 21.

Reiter, 36, was shot and killed around 5 a.m. on March 24, 2007. Reiter and a friend had started drinking in bars in Woodland, then went to a Richards Boulevard strip club in Sacramento and then ventured into the South Sacramento area in pursuit of strippers.

According to testimony at trial, Reiter met Walker outside the club and then followed him to Valley Hi into what prosecutors described as a robbery setup.

From Chelsea Phua:

Sacramento police are looking for four men who reportedly sexually assaulted a woman in her 50s over the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

The woman was walking home from a party at about 3 a.m. Sunday when she was attacked on Dixieanne Avenue near Oakmont Street in North Sacramento, Sgt. Norm Leong said.

The men grabbed her, took her to a secluded parking lot area and sexually assaulted her, authorities said. They also beat and robbed her before fleeing the scene in a 1980s to 1990s burgundy Cadillac, police said.

All the attackers were described as African American men.

The first man is described as being 23 to 25 years old, 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighing between 165 to 170 pounds. He has a stocky build, tiny black "twisties" in his hair and a mustache. He was wearing a black T-shirt with a silver design in the front.

The second man is described as being in his early 20s, 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighing 175 pounds. He also has a stocky build and his hair was pulled back in a ponytail. He was wearing a gray sweat shirt.

The third man is described as 19 to 21 years old, 5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 7 inches tall weighing 160 pounds. He is light-skinned, slim and has long stringy black shoulder-length braids. He was wearing a red sweat shirt.

The fourth man is described as 19 to 21 years old. He was wearing a dark blue sweat shirt.

Police are preparing sketches of the men.

From Chelsea Phua:

It was a busy Fourth of July holiday weekend for Elk Grove fire and law enforcement agencies.

According to a news release, they responded to 135 fireworks-related incidents, seized about 300 pounds of illegal fireworks, put out five fireworks-related fires, arrested a man on suspicion of possessing illegal fireworks and cited three juveniles for allegedly setting a Dumpster fire.

Cosumnes Community Services District Fire Marshal George Apple said he believed that a joint task force between police and fire "was successful in getting some of the illegal fireworks off the street and hopefully prevented some fires from occurring."

Police arrested Johnny Chuong, 20, of Rancho Cordova, after they stopped him July 4 for a vehicle code violation and found illegal aerial fireworks devices in his vehicle's trunk. He was arrested on suspicion of possession of illegal fireworks with a combined weight of 25 pounds, Elk Grove police Officer Christopher Trim said. Chuong was already on searchable probation.

The three juveniles who allegedly started a Dumpster fire on Second Avenue in Elk Grove were cited on arson-related charges.

Elk Grove police and fire officials are also investigating a July 2 fire at the Elliott Ranch Elementary School on East Taron Drive. The fire caused moderate damage to an outside wall at the school's cafeteria, authorities said.

Anyone with information about the school fire is asked to call the arson tip line at (916) 405-7118.

Editor's note: This is another report in an occasional series on unusual events or people found by The Bee's police reporters and editors.

From Kim Minugh:

Taser International was in town today to demonstrate three new "stun gun" products to local law enforcement officers.

Representatives from a handful of area agencies - including the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department, the California Highway Patrol and the Rocklin Police Department - attended the demonstration, which took place at the Sheriff's Department's firing range.

Taser employees introduced three new products, all of which involved technology that induces "NMI," or neuromuscular incapacitation. In technical terms, that means electricity interrupts the communication between the brain and muscles, causing muscles to freeze. In law enforcement terms, it means making people comply.

The product that appeared to draw the most attention from the 30-or-so officers present was the "X12 LLS" pump-action shotgun - made by firearms manufacturer Mossberg -which fires "XREP" 12-gauge rounds that basically are mini Tasers.

The rounds projects "probes" that embed in a person's skin, attached by copper wires. Needles then pop out of the round, which swings in a pendulum motion and attaches to the skin, creating the closed circuit that Tasers need to effective conduct electricity.

Taser representatives tout the technology for its accuracy and its long-range capabilities for when police want to use weapons far less potentially lethal than firearms. According to the company's data, the XREP rounds are effective up to 100 feet, whereas "bean bag" rounds are only effective 35 to 55 feet, and rubber bullets are only effective 50 to 70 feet.

Officers in the crowd were interested in the shotgun's long-range power, given that the traditional hand-held "X26" Tasers typically are used at close range. But some seemed concerned by the 20-second duration of the shock: The current continues for 20 seconds and can't be stopped sooner by the officer.

Another product that raised eyebrows was the "Shockwave" - a stack of boxes that can deploy up to 18 Taser darts in fan-like formation at one time. Taser is marketing it as an "area denial system," a device that covers a large area that is forbidden to entry. Taser folks acknowledged the technology is, for the most part, designed for military or corrections officials.

Lastly, Taser representatives introduced a new version of the hand-held Taser, this one called the "CDPM" that has built-in safety measures that deactivate the device if taken out of the officer's hands. That, too, is mostly for corrections, the representatives said.

And in case you're wondering, no one was hurt - or Tased - during the course of the demonstration. The only willing volunteer was a wooden fence.

For more information about the products, visit. www.taser.com.

Editor's note: This is another report in an occasional series on unusual events or people found by The Bee's police reporters and editors.
Bee Staff

One of the frustrations for police in catching credit-card thieves is they tend to use the cards and quickly move on. But one suspect slowed down enough to, uh, well enough anyway for Sacramento County Sheriff's Department deputies to catch up with him.

Here's the chain of events reported in a crime summary released this week:

At about 11:30 a.m. Monday, deputies received information from the Rocklin Police Department that a credit card reported stolen was being used at a "massage parlor" on Greenback Lane.

Deputies arrived and found the suspect in possession of the victim's identification, credit cards and a receipt for a "massage transaction in his pocket."

The victim told deputies that her purse was stolen that morning.

Sharma Nilesh, 30, was booked into jail on suspicion of a variety of charges. His car also was towed.

From Bill Lindelof:

Teens and adults are invited to meetings later this month to develop information on alcohol and drug abuse in the Rocklin area.

The meeting on July 22 sponsored by the Rocklin Police Department and the Coalition for Placer Youth will seek answers to a variety of questions including:

-Is underage drinking and drug use a problem in Rocklin?

-What are the teen attitudes toward the abuse?

-Where are teens drinking alcohol and taking illegal drugs?

-How are teens getting alcohol and drugs?

-Are parents allowing their children to take illegal drugs and drink alcohol?

-What are the root causes of such abuse?

The teen focus group meeting occurs 5 to 6 p.m. July 22. The adult focus group occurs 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. the same evening.

Both are at the Rocklin Police Department, 4080 Rocklin Road. Both focus meetings will be held in a large community meeting room.

The information on abuse trends and issues will be used to prepare an agenda for a later large-scale community drug forum in the fall.

Those planning to attend either forum July 22 are urged to call (916) 625-5416.

From Bill Lindelof:

Redding police are looking for a man who they say tried to kidnap a 2-year-old in a stroller.

Police said that on the Fourth of July at the Redding Convention Center a foster mother attending an event about 8 p.m. went inside a tent to get some water. She momentarily left behind her 2-year-old foster child who was sitting in an umbrella stroller.

While she was not watching the child, a man walked up and pushed the boy in the stroller a short distance away to a spot near a portable restroom. Police believe that the man noticed that others were watching him. He abandoned the child and fled.

The boy was not harmed, police said.

Initially, police investigated friends and relatives of the child's biological family but no suspect has been identified. Police now suspect that the man may have been a stranger.

The suspect (artist rendering below) is described as white, about 40 years old, 5-feet, 11 inches tall and weighing about 190 pounds. He had brownish-gray hair and was last seen wearing a yellow tank top, tan shorts and black sandals (artist rendering below).

Anyone who saw the kidnapping or recognizes the man depicted in the police composite drawing is asked to call the Redding police at (530) 225-4214. Shasta County Secret Witness is offering a reward up to $5,000 for information leading to an arrest. Secret Witness can be reached at (530) 243-2319.

From Bill Lindelof:

Aficionados say the burger sold at the Squeeze Inn is perfection, the consummate marriage of bun, ground meat and melted cheddar cheese.

But a disabled woman has filed suit, saying the one-time coffeehouse with 450 square feet of space at 7918 Fruitridge Road (left) is anything but perfect. She says the kitschy confines where photos of fishermen, fighters and racers abound break federal law and violate her civil rights.

Among allegations in the suit filed in federal court are the following:

* No required accessible parking

* The main entrance is not accessible to the disabled

* The inside seating area, which has only about a dozen stools, should have accessible tables.

* The outside seating area is hard to navigate due to a gravel surface.

* Not enough floor space for someone in a wheelchair at outside tables.

* The route to the restroom is not accessible.

* The restaurant has room insufficient to accommodate patrons in wheelchairs.

In the lawsuit, Kimberly Block is described as a person with disability with severely limited in the use of her legs. The suit alleges that Block, who could not be reached for comment, is being discriminated against because of her disability in violation of California law and the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Block is represented by Jason K. Singleton, a Eureka-based attorney who has filed other ADA suits in the state.

The suit asks the court to force Squeeze Inn owner Travis E. Hausauer to make the fixes and to and award an unspecified amount for damage.

Hausauer has told reporters that to make the required changes would be too expensive and force him to move. The suit comes at a time when the always-busy hamburger joint is enjoying its greatest run of business.

For years, the Squeeze Inn has been named to lists of best burgers in town. Most days, people in suits join high schoolers and blue collar workers waiting outside for a stool, a Squeezeburger and fries.

But national exposure has brought people from all over the country to "the Squeeze" -- the name given by longtime customers. Business has soared this year since the Food Network featured the Squeeze Inn on its popular "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" program with host Guy Fieri.

From Chelsea Phua:

Investigators from the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force on Tuesday seized more than 40,000 pirated DVDs that were dubbed into Russian from three Sacramento-area stores.

Sacramento County Sheriff's department spokesman Sgt. Tim Curran said the raids took place at a store on Greenback Lane and another on Watt Avenue in Sacramento County. The third store was on Sacramento Avenue in West Sacramento.

The investigation started last week, when Rancho Cordova police officers responded to a disturbance call at a video store on Coloma Road, Curran said.

A customer was unhappy with the quality of a DVD that he had bought from the store and an argument ensued.

Police officers determined that the copy was pirated. On Thursday, Rancho Cordova police, which contracts with the sheriff's department, and task force members raided the store and confiscated more than 8,000 pirated DVDs, Curran said.

Investigators also found out that the Coloma Road store owner ran other stores in the Sacramento area.

Curran said authorities have interviewed the store owner, but no arrests have yet been made. His businesses have been operating in the Sacramento area for 10 years, but it's not clear how long he may have been selling pirated DVD copies, Curran said.

The majority of the DVDs come from out of state, but investigators believe the store owner may have produced some, Curran said.

The case will also be referred to the FBI, Curran said.

By Kim Minugh

Sacramento police are asking for the public's help in identifying a theft suspect who struck on a Regional Transit bus last month.

The suspect (top photos) was a passenger on a bus traveling toward south Sacramento on June 10 when he stole the bus operator's backpack, according to a Sacramento police news release. The backpack contained daily passes and miscellaneous personal property, the release states.

Police described the suspect, who was caught on videotape, as a Hispanic male in his 30s, 5-feet-5-inches tall and weighing 150 to 160 pounds. He has black hair and a medium complexion and was wearing a gray sweatshirt and gray sweatpants, the release states.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP or text in a tip to 274637 (CRIMES). Enter "SACTIP" followed by the tip information. Callers can remain anonymous and might be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

From Kim Minugh:

The District Attorney's Office has cleared of criminal liability two Folsom police officers who shot and killed 23-year-old Joseph Han in his Folsom home, the office announced today.

After reviewing evidence -- including crime scene video and photos, 911 calls and recorded interviews -- the district attorney concluded that Officer Paul Barber and Sgt. Ron Peterson "were justified in using deadly force in self-defense and defense of others," a news release states.

The officers shot Han on April 12 after family members called police for help. They reported that Han had been hallucinating, hadn't eaten in days and was locked in his bedroom with a knife.

Police said Han threatened the officers with that knife, prompting them to use a Tazer stun gun on him. Seeing no effect, they shot him. He later died at the UC Davis Medical Center.

From Bill Lindelof:

Stepped-up enforcement by the California Highway Patrol over the Fourth of July weekend holiday netted more than 1,000 arrests statewide for suspicion of driving under the influence.

Independence Day is a maximum enforcement period, which this year began 6 p.m. Friday and ended midnight Sunday. All available officers were on the road, including a healthy contingent on July 4 on Highway 50 from El Dorado Hills to Kyburz.

Before the holiday began, CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow warned motorists to buckle up and refrain from drinking and driving. Some failed to heed his words.

During the holiday period, 24 people were killed in traffic accidents, a CHP spokesman said. Fifteen of those motorists were in CHP jurisdiction and 12 were not wearing seat belts.

CHP officers also arrested 1,239 motorists for driving under the influence.

The CHP conducts six maximum enforcement efforts each year during heavy travel periods: Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year, Fourth of July, Memorial Day and Labor Day.

From Bill Lindelof:

Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation are looking for help identifying two men who robbed the Bank of America in Lincoln on June 25.

Two suspects (left) armed with semi-automatic handguns and wearing masks and hoods entered the bank at 685 South Highway 65 that day about 9:45 a.m. The robbers ordered people onto the floor, and one of the suspects jumped over the teller counter.

He instructed tellers to remove money from drawers before both suspects fled from the bank and drove off in a silver or gray sedan.

One suspect is only described as a 5-foot, 7-inch black man. The second is described as a black man in his late 20 or early 30s, about 5-7 and more than 200 pounds. He wore loose-fitting khaki pants, white running shoes with a blue Nike swoosh logo and carried a black airplane carry-on bag.

Anyone with information is asked to call the FBI at (916) 481-9110, the Sacramento Sheriff's Department at (916) 874-5115 or the Lincoln Police Department at (916) 645-4040.

From Bill Lindelof:

As expected, Fouth of July was a busy night for Sacramento firefighters as engines and amubulances were kept rolling at a good clip from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Here are the calls by the numbers for that five-hour span:

Structure fires: four

Grass fires: 11

Vehicle fires: two

Dumpster fires: six

Fence fires: one

Trash fires: one

Calls for emergency medical: 37

Others, including helping law enforcement and hazardous material response: 21

That's a total of 83 calls for firefighters.

From Bill Lindelof:

A repeat offender will be sentenced to 21 years in state prison for stealing someone's identification and using it to create a credit line at a casino, Yolo County prosecutors announced.

David Nishioka, 42, has been convicted of identity theft and other crimes, the Yolo County District Attorney's office said Monday. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 10 but the prosecutor and Nishioka's attorney have agreed to a term of 21 years and four months in prison for the ex-felon.

"While this term is quite lengthy, Mr. Nishioka faced a possible 29 years to life because of his prior record, so we believe justice is served by this agreement," said Deputy District Attorney Clinton Parish.

Nishioka was convicted in 1989 of involuntary manslaughter. He also had felony convictions in 1993, 1997 and 1999.

The most recent conviction stemmed from a Sacramento home burglary in which military identification, a driver's license and a checkbook were stolen. Shortly after that, prosecutors said, Nishioka was at Cache Creek Casino in Yolo County and used the identification to secure $13,000 in credit in the name of the burglary victim.

Casino security discovered the fraud and stopped Nishioka.

The Sacramento Police Department Warrant's Unit is seeking Ruben Jimenez on a $15,000 felony arrest warrant for suspicion of possessing a completed check with intent to defraud and unlawful use of personal information, Sacramento Crime Alert officials report.

Jimenez (left photo), also known as Ruben Gonzaga, also has a no-bail misdemeanor arrest warrant for suspicion of traffic violations from the Sacramento Sheriff's Department.

Jimenez is described as age 39, 5 feet, 5 inches tall, weighing 185 pounds with black hair and brown eyes, authorities said.

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

From Christine Vovakes:

A Red Bluff woman is in critical condition after she allegedly was set on fire in bed by the man living with her, Red Bluff police reported.

Officers were called to Kimball Crossing Apartments at 12:23 a.m. Monday to investigate a domestic disturbance and a fire alarm that was ringing in one of the apartments. When they arrived they learned that the male resident had poured a flammable liquid on the victim as she was laying in bed and set her on fire, a Red Bluff Police Department news release said.

The man burned his arm during the incident. Both were taken to a local hospital and transferred to UC Davis Medical Center, where the unidentified woman is in critical condition, the police report stated.

Two young children living in the residence were not injured. They were taken into protective custody and released to Tehama County Child Protective Services.

The injured man, who was not identified in the news release, is being investigated for attempted murder, willful infliction of corporal injury on a cohabitant, arson in an inhabited dwelling and child endangerment.

The case remains under investigation.

From Bill Lindelof:

An autopsy today failed to reveal what killed a woman whose body was found dumped on a rural road in Loomis, said Placer County sheriff's officials.

"There was no obvious signs of trauma that would indicate foul play," said sheriff's Lt. Jeff Ausnow.

The body of Charsha Rene Smith, 20, of Del Paso Heights discovered early Thursday morning by a woman walking in the area of Boyington Road and King Road, near Interstate 80.

Detectives are awaiting a toxicology report to help pinpoint Smith's cause of death.

Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff's department at (530) 886-5375.

Callers who wish to remain anonymous and be eligible for a cash reward for information leading to an arrest can call Placer County Crime Stoppers at (800) 923-8191.

From Bill Lindelof:

A man who ran out of gas in Del Paso Heights was the victim of robbery when two culprits took his van.

The motorist was returning to his van with a can of gas about 2:45 a.m. today in the 3700 block of Cypress when he saw a man in the road, Sacramento police said. A man near the van said his friend had been hit by a car.

As the motorist got closer, the supposedly injured man jumped to his feet and pointed a gun at him. The pair took the motorist's keys and wallet, filled the van with gas from the can and drove away.

The suspects were described as two African-American men in their early 20s. One of the suspects was described as being about five-feet, nine-inches tall with a medium build, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt. The other suspect was wearing a red t-shirt and light colored shorts.

From Bill Lindelof:

The pilot killed in a plane crash near the South Lake Tahoe Airport was identified today as Casey William Daggett, a 41-year-old physician from Davis.

The aircraft piloted by Daggett crashed about 1 p.m. Sunday in a meadow southeast of the airport near the Upper Truckee River. The single-engine Cessna with only Daggett on board was attempting a take off from the airport when the crash occurred, the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office states.

The aircraft was recently purchased by Daggett. It previously was registered to the Winterset Aero Club, based in Winterset, Iowa.

A cardiothoracic surgeon Web site indicates that Daggett's specialties were adult cardiac surgery, pediatric cardiac surgery and general thoracic surgery.

From Bill Lindelof:

Sacramento County park rangers are seeking more information about a large fight that left one man in critical condition.

The fight occurred about 8:15 p.m. June 27 at River Bend Park, formerly known as Goethe Park, involving 15 to 20 people. During the fight, a man authorities say is in his 20s was hit in the head with a large flashlight, suffering major trauma.

The person suspected of wielding the flashlight fled before rangers and officers from the Rancho Cordova Police Department and Sacramento Sheriff's Department arrived. Since then, he has been located and spoken with investigators.

However, what happened leading up to the assault remains unclear, and park rangers are asking anyone who may have been at the park at the time and witnessed the fight to call (916) 875-7275. A $1,000 reward is being offered for help solving the crime.

From Bill Lindelof:

A Sacramento man has been arrested on suspicion of attempting to injure a Woodland police officer with a tree limb.

Milton Jordan, 29, was arrested on suspicion of attempted assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer, resisting an officer and vandalism.

Police were called to the County Fair Mall about 1 p.m. Sunday to investigate reports of a man throwing objects at a store. When they arrived, police said they found Jordan and attempted to speak with him.

However, Jordan allegedly picked up a large branch and advanced toward the officer in a threatening manner before authorities arrested him.

Authorities also say they suspect that Jordan damaged a nearby utilities box.

Services for a skydiver who died in a horrific accident June 27 at the Yolo County Airport are scheduled for Tuesday.

Ken Knigge, 48, a plant manager from Martinez, died after his parachute became entangled with the chute of another skydiver during a group maneuver at the American Boogie festival, an annual event hosted by SkyDance SkyDiving.

The two plummeted to the ground under partially opened parachutes at speeds estimated at up to 60 mph, said SkyDance owner Ray Ferrell

Knigge's family said a public funeral service is planned for 2 p.m. Tuesday at Creekside Church, 444 Fig Tree Lane, Martinez.

"He died doing what he loved," said his sister, Karen Davis.

Knigge grew up in Idaho. He left behind two daughters, ages 22 and 14, and was divorced, she said.

The other skydiver involved in the accident, Jon Hartman, 54, a postal worker from Roseville, was discharged from UC Davis Medical Center last week after undergoing surgery for a fractured spine, according to fellow skydivers.

Knigge's death was the sixth skydiving fatality since SkyDance opened at the Yolo airport in 1987.

From Gina Kim:

A 22-year-old Yuba City woman died Saturday after swerving into on-coming traffic on State Route 20 and losing control of her vehicle.

Lorretta Deniz was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Sutter County Sheriff's Department.

Just after 8 p.m., Deniz was driving east on what's known as Colusa Highway, near Drexler Road, according to the California Highway Patrol.

A witness told police that Deniz crossed the center line into on-coming traffic, swerved right in response and then overcorrected, ending up in the wrong lane again. The front left of Deniz's Chevrolet hit the front left of a Ford van driven by Adolfo Jimenez, 23, of Oakland, police said.

The van, which had 10 passengers including an infant, flipped over Deniz's vehicle, skidding to a stop on the dirt shoulder.

Nine out of the 11 people people in the van suffered injuries and were taken to five hospitals. Most were not wearing seatbelts, police said.

Jimenez, the driver, suffered a broken leg and was taken to Rideout Memorial Hospital in Marysville. The other passengers received spine and pelvic fractures, police said. The infant, a 6-month-old girl who was not in a car seat, was taken to UC Davis Medical Center with a skull fracture, according to police.

The passenger in Deniz's vehicle suffered minor injuries.

From Gina Kim:

Firefighters were forced to 4-wheel drive their emergency vehicles over the bike trail Saturday to reach a two-alarm wildfire along the American River Parkway North.

The blaze near Highway 160 and Northgate Boulevard was reported just after 7 p.m., said Capt. Jim Doucette of the Sacramento Fire Department. It was difficult for firefighters to access the flames because they were burning deep inside thick brush, Doucette said. The firefighters finally drove their vehicles over the bike trail along the American River and were able to put the fire out quickly.

Officials are still determining the cause of the fire.

From Gina Kim:

A two-story Oak Park home burned Saturday, capping off a busy Fourth of July for the Sacramento Fire Department but ending the day with no one hurt.

"It definitely could have been a lot worse," said city Fire Capt. Jim Doucette. "We were lucky and hopefully people are paying attention to the messages we've put out."

The two-alarm fire in the 3400 block of 12th Avenue was reported at 10:18 p.m. About 50 firefighters were successful in keeping the blaze from spreading to a home next door, Doucette said. The fire burned heavily in the back of the house and probably left about $65,000 worth of damage, he said.

The residents weren't at home when the fire sparked but there were illegal fireworks going off throughout the neighborhood when firefighters arrived, Doucette said.

"There's a good chance it was fireworks related, but I haven't been able to confirm that yet," Doucette said.

From Chelsea Phua

A 45-year-old man drowned at Camp Far West in Placer County Saturday evening, Placer County Sheriff's officials said.

Sgt. John Weaver said the man, whose identity has not been released pending notification of next-of-kin, slipped and fell off a cliff of the lake near a private camping ground at about 5:20 p.m.

The sheriff's dive team recovered the man's body in 25 feet of water about an hour later, Weaver said.

From Gina Kim:

A scuffle at a Citrus Heights apartment complex near the Sunrise Mall on Saturday night sent two men to the hospital with gunshot wounds and two others to jail.

Police were called to the apartments in the 5800 block of Sunrise Vista at about 9:20 p.m. to investigate reports of a fight, according to Sgt. Eric Mattke of the Citrus Heights Police Department.

Police found two men with gunshot wounds. They were taken to Mercy-San Juan Medical Center. The wounds were not life-threatening, police said.

Police apprehend two suspects as they drove away from the scene, Mattke said.

A 17 year old was taken to juvenile hall and a 21 year old was booked into Sacramento County Jail.

Neither the suspects nor the victims lived at the complex, police said.

From Chelsea Phua:

More people have been arrested for driving under the influence during the first 12 hours of California Highway Patrol's maximum enforcement period this Fourth of July weekend than the same period last year, according to CHP data released Saturday night.

Statewide, officers have made 454 DUI arrests between 6 p.m. Friday, when the enforcement period started, and 6 a.m. Saturday, CHP spokeswoman Fran Clader said. That's almost a 33 percent increase from the first 12 hours of last year's Independence Day weekend, when 342 DUI arrests were made.

In the CHP's Valley Division, which covers areas including Sacramento and Stockton, 60 DUI arrests have been made. That's more than double the 36 arrests made last year during the same period.

No fatalities have been reported in the Sacramento area, but already crashes this weekend has claimed five lives in the state, CHP officials said. It's not clear if alcohol is involved in the fatal crashes, Clader said.

"If you are going to celebrate, designate a non-drinking driver before the celebration begins," Clader said.

The increase in arrests is disheartening, Clader said, adding that if drivers continue to drink and drive, "we will continue to arrest them before they can injure or kill somebody."

The maximum enforcement period, when all available officers patrol the roadways, continues until midnight on Sunday.

From Chelsea Phua

Sacramento fire department officials are investigating who threw fireworks through a window of an elementary school on this afternoon, according to a news release.

Firefighters were alerted shortly before 2 p.m. by a fire alarm at John Bidwell Elementary School on 65th Avenue, officials said. They arrived and found light smoke and remnants of fireworks in a kindergarten classroom.

The fireworks burned two small portions of carpet in the classroom. Firefighters said the damage was minimal, even though the classroom had many boxes with paper goods that could have been easily ignited.

Fire officials said they have not identified any suspects, but said witnesses reported children in the area playing with fireworks.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Sacramento Fire Department's Arson Tip Line at (916) 808-8732.

Bee Staff

Officers of the Sacramento Police Department's North Command may not have swept the streets clean of criminals Friday, but they showed a penchant for variety as they netted suspects in a hit-and-run DUI, a vandalism, a burglary and arrested a suspected parolee at large.

Here's how the events went down according to crime summaries:

At about 9:20 a.m. in the 1900 block Delgado Way, patrol units caught a vandalism suspect in the spray painting of a fence and a city bridge. The 19-year-old suspect was cited for misdemeanor vandalism.

At about the same time in the 4500 block of Tynebourne Street, officers arrested a juvenile in a burglary.

At about 6:46 p.m. near Del Paso Boulevard and Taft Street, patrol units saw a vehicle hit a pedestrian and then flee. California Highway Patrol units joined the hunt and found the driver, who officers determined to be drunk.

The passenger was found turned out to be a parolee at large. Both were arrested.

The pedestrian was transferred to the UCD Medical Center with moderate injuries.

From Julie Johnson:

A 52-year-old beating victim found Wednesday has died.

Sacramento County Sheriff's Department officials have tentatively identified the man but are waiting to release his name until the Coroner's Office can confirm his identity with fingerprinting.

Deputies discovered the victim lying on the ground in the 8400 block of Florin Road.

They reported he was bleeding from the head and barely breathing.

Witnesses told homicide detectives that the victim was beaten during a fight earlier that day, according to a department news release.

Investigators said they believe the victim was involved in an ongoing dispute.

He remained on life support until he died Friday.

The Coroner's Office said it expects to confirm the man's identity this weekend.

From Stan Oklobdzija:

The body of a woman was found dumped on a rural road in Loomis early this morning, Placer County Sheriff's Department officials said.

The woman was discovered at about 6:30 this morning by a woman out walking near the intersection of Boyington Road and King Road, near Interstate 80, said Lt. Jeff Ausnow, sheriff's spokesman.

"It appears to have been dumped in the evening hours," Ausnow said.

The woman, described as black and in her 20s, had no obvious signs of trauma on her, Ausnow said. Detectives are treating the case as a homicide, he said.

From Sarah Frier:

A Sacramento man with dementia who has been missing since Sunday has turned up at a medical facility, police said.

The 63-year-old man previoulsy was last heard from when he spoke to his daughter on the phone Sunday, saying he couldn't talk because he was being contacted by the California Highway Patrol, a news release states. He said he would call her back but he never did.

From Sarah Frier:

Nearing the finale of the Folsom Rodeo fireworks show Thursday night, a shell propelled into the stands, causing minor burns to six people, according to the Folsom Fire Department.

The children and adults were treated by Folsom Fire Department paramedics who were on the scene, Fire Chief Dan Haverty said.

There will still be fireworks at the show tonight, but the fireworks contractor has proposed shielding the fireworks trailer with heavy plywood so this doesn't happen again, Haverty said.

"In general (when handling fireworks) just make sure you follow directions and use caution," Battalion Chief Bret Worthington said.

The Sacramento Police Department is seeking Andrew Lee Young Jr. on a $600,000 felony arrest warrant for suspicion of carjacking and robbery, Sacramento Crime Alert officials report.

Young (left photo), also known as "YB" or "Drew Young," is described as age 21, 5 feet, 11 inches tall weighing 195 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. He should be considered armed and dangerous, officials said.

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

From Chelsea Phua:

A 74-year-old man from London was arrested at Sacramento International Airport Wednesday night after allegedly hitting a flight attendant who told him he could not use the bathroom, authorities said.

Sacramento County Sheriff's department spokesman Sgt. Tim Curran said Gordon Taylor needed to go to the bathroom about three hours into a five-hour flight on US Airways from Philadelphia to Sacramento.

Passengers weren't allowed out of their seats at that time, Curran said.

Taylor allegedly started a "verbal altercation" with the 49-year-old female flight attendant, and then physically assaulted her when he shoved and hit her, Curran said. Other crewmembers stepped in and told Taylor to return to his seat, which he did, Curran said.

The flight landed at about 8:30 p.m. in Sacramento and Taylor was cited on an assault and battery misdemeanor charge. He was released and scheduled to appear in court in August, Curran said.

The case has also been forwarded to the FBI, but no federal charges against Taylor have been filed yet, Curran said.

It's a federal offense to interfere with a flight crew, authorities said.

From Hudson Sangree:

In response to the defendant's request for a speedy trial, an Aug. 31 trial date has been set for a Winters man accused of murdering his wife earlier this year.

Leticia Barreles Ramos, a 28-year-old bakery worker and mother, was last seen April 12 and is presumed dead.

About six weeks later, police arrested her husband, Felipe Cruz Hernandez, 39, after carting off blood-stained evidence from the apartment the couple shared with their 10-year-old daughter.

The girl was placed in the custody of Child Protective Services.

It was the first homicide case in the little town of Winters since 1997.

Yolo Superior Court Judge Paul Richardson ruled last month there was sufficient evidence for Cruz Hernandez to stand trial on a single charge of first-degree murder.

This week, Cruz Hernandez was re-arraigned and insisted on his constitutional right to a speedy trial.

At a preliminary hearing, a defense lawyer called witnesses to suggest that Barreles Ramos may have gone to Mexico and had difficulties returning across the border.

Because of delays in DNA tests, the blood stains found in the apartment have not been matched with any individuals, prosecutors said.

Searches for Barreles Ramos' body have failed.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Winters police at (530) 795-4561 or (530) 795-2261.

From Chelsea Phua

A 52-year-old Sacramento man is on life support and not expected to survive following an attack on Wednesday, sheriff's officials said.

According to a department news release, witnesses told homicide detectives that the victim was beaten during a fight earlier in the day.

At about 8:30 p.m., deputies found the victim lying on the ground in the 8400 block of Florin Road. He was bleeding from the head and barely breathing, authorities said.

Investigators said they believe the victim was involved in an ongoing dispute, but have not identified who was involved in the fight or determined a motive for the crime.

Anyone with information is asked to call sheriff's homicide detectives at 916-874-5115, or Crime Alert at 916-443-HELP. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

From Chelsea Phua

Sacramento County Sheriff's officials have arrested a 27-year-old man suspected of killing his father on Wednesday, authorities said.

According to a Sheriff's Department news release, Nicholas Farrell Emmett (photo) called 911 about 6 p.m. and told operators his 56-year-old father was dead in an apartment complex in the 2900 block of Marconi Avenue.

Deputies arrived to find an unresponsive Douglas Farrell Emmett in the apartment. Paramedics pronounced the father, who did not have visible signs of trauma, dead at the scene, spokesman Sgt. Tim Curran said.

As a standard procedure, deputies detained Nicholas Emmett until homicide detectives arrived. Shortly after midnight, Nicholas Emmett was arrested on suspicion of murder after being interviewed by detectives.

Curran said investigators believe that father and son had a "contentious" relationship and Nicholas Emmett killed his father following an argument. Detectives are not disclosing the nature of the argument.

The Sacramento County Coroner's office will perform an autopsy to determine Douglas Emmett's cause of death.

Nicholas Emmett is being held without bail at the Sacramento County Main Jail and scheduled to be arraigned on July 7.

From Bill Lindelof:

A would-be robber shot at a woman in Natomas after she resisted the culprit's efforts to steal her purse as she entered her home, according to Sacramento police.

The 48-year-old woman was in the entry of her home in the 1700 block of North Bend Drive shortly after midnight Thursday when she sensed someone behind her tugging on her purse.

She then dropped to the floor, regaining control of her purse, Sacramento police said.

The suspect took out a handgun and aimed it at the woman, firing one shot. The shot missed the woman, the slug striking the floor of the home.

The suspect fled on foot. Police described the suspect as a "male of unknown race, 5'5" wearing a dark hoodie pulled down around his face."

Bee Staff

A quiet getaway attempt failed for a suspected car thief, according to an Elk Grove Police crime summary.

The summary gave this chain of events:

At about 4:45 p.m. on Tuesday, officers responded to a call of someone pushing a neighbor's car down the street in the 9700 block of Roedell Way.

The officers found the car, now being driven, in the area of Elk Grove Boulevard and Porto Rosa Way.

The driver jumped from the vehicle and fled from officers. However, hiding in some bushes didn't work and he was taken into custody.

The owners verified that no one had permission to take their vehicle.

Officers said they booked Paul Thao, 23, into jail on suspicion of various charges.

From Chelsea Phua

A former Roseville man convicted of molesting teenage boys was sentenced Tuesday to five years and eight months in state prison, according to the Placer County District Attorney's office.

Prosecutors said Michael David Harrison, 41, of North Highland, pleaded guilty to six counts of child molestation for acts that occurred between September 2006 and March 2008.

Superior Court Judge Larry D. Gaddis ordered Harrison to register as a sex offender and to pay $1,200 of restitution to a state fund.

Deputy District Attorney Jeff Wood said Harrison worked at a video store in Roseville and met at least two of his four victims, ages 14 to 16, there. Harrison even used a storage room to engage in the lewd acts, prosecutors said. Some other acts took place at his home and a vehicle.

Three of the victims eventually reported the crime, according to prosecutors.

From Kim Minugh:

A 25-year-old man was booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail this morning after striking a person with his car following a bar fight and then fleeing from officers, according to Citrus Heights police.

Anthony George Todd (left photo) was booked on charges of attempted murder, driving under the influence causing injury, and evading police, according to a police news release.

About 1:40 a.m., Todd allegedly revved his engine and drove toward his victim, striking that person, after a local bar fight spilled into the parking lot on the 7700 block of Sunrise Avenue, the release states.

Todd then fled the scene and led officers on a short vehicle pursuit, according to the release.

He was later taken into custody and showed "objective signs and symptoms of intoxication," the release states.

The victim was taken to Mercy San Juan Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to the release.

Todd is being held without bail. He is scheduled to be arraigned Monday, according to booking records.

Editor's note: This is another report in an occasional series on unusual events or people found by The Bee's police reporters and editors.

Bee Staff

Another rule of life: If you are stupid enough to cheat on your wife, don't call her to pick you up at your girlfriend's apartment.

Sacramento police spent a lot of time on Tuesday sorting out a mess that apparently stemmed from just that.

Here's how a crime summary explains the events:

Just after midnight, officer responded to the area of Bicentennial Circle to a report of a woman waving a knife and stabbing car tires before fleeing in a vehicle.

A short time later, another caller reported a hit-and-run incident on Power Inn Road and indicated the knife-waving suspect was involved.

During what officers described as a "lengthy investigation," they were able to figure out that the "suspect had found that her husband was having an affair with a female from the apartments on Bicentennial Cir(cle). He had allegedly called her to come pick him up."

At the apartments, the wife allegedly confronted the girlfriend and two other women. At that point, the wife also allegedly brandished the knife.

The friends of the girlfriend allegedly followed the wife and her husband, ramming her vehicle as "the vehicles raced down Folsom Boulevard" near the intersection with Power Inn Road.

The wife's vehicle spun out of control and hit a third vehicle. Apparently no one was injured.

However, the girlfriend with more "friends" came to the crash scene and the argument started again.

Eventually, the wife was arrested on suspicion of brandishing a weapon. Officers are looking for the driver who rammed her vehicle.

From Chelsea Phua

A Sacramento County jury convicted a 25-year-old man on Tuesday of voluntary manslaughter with an enhancement for using a knife in the killing of a 61-year-old man, according to court records and the District Attorney's office.

Armand Marcello Powers, who was initially charged on a second-degree murder count in the Aug. 16, 2007, stabbing death of Julian Maisonet, faces a maximum of 12 years in state prison, according to the District Attorney's office.

A neighbor saw Maisonet, a father of four and grandfather of 10, stumble out of his truck in the driveway of his south Sacramento home that night, covered in blood, the family said in an earlier interview with The Bee.

Maisonet died several days after the stabbing, which detectives say they initially believe was a self-defense killing.

Maisonet's family said they did not know where he was the night he was stabbed.

Powers is scheduled for sentencing on Aug. 13, District Attorney's spokeswoman Shelly Orio said.

Bee Staff

A bicycle-theft victim went too far in trying to get his bike back and ended up in jail, according to Sacramento police.

Here's the chronology laid out by a police report:

At about 7 p.m. Saturday near Danbrook and Club Center drives , the victim was driving in the area when he spotted a juvenile riding the stolen bike.

"The victim intentionally hit the kid on the bike with his car (bumper to back bicycle tire), causing him to crash and sustain minor injuries," the officer reported.

The 28-year-old victim was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon. The 15-year-old juvenile was not arrested, "pending further investigation."

Sgt. Norm Leong, Sacramento Police Department spokesman, later told The Bee that "in general terms, these are always tough situations" for officers.

Even assuming that the juvenile riding the bike was the person who stole it, "the force was excessive for the type of crime," he said.

Leong said the victim had the right to use "reasonable force" in trying to recover his property but not "potentially deadly force."

From Bill Lindelof:

The Truckee River and the American River are dry this weekend.

That has nothing to do with water. It has everything to do with drinking.

A temporary alcohol ban will be in effect during the Fourth of July weekend on both rivers to cut down on boisterous, boozy rafting.

On the American, from Friday through Sunday, alcohol is banned on the river and on the shore from Hazel to Watt avenues. Park rangers will patrol to make sure rafters and others abide by the law.

In Placer County, officials remind residents and visitors to the Tahoe area that a ban on alcoholic beverages is in place Friday through Sunday.

Possession of open or closed containers of alcohol is prohibited on the Truckee River from Lake Tahoe to the Alpine Meadows Bridge.

County officials cite state law as banning possession of alcohol on the river and islands. County ordinance bans alcohol on riverbanks, islands and bridges.

The Fanny Bridge in Tahoe City is the only bridge excluded from the ban.

Both counties sought the Fourth of July ban in recent years to discourage driving under the influence, drunkenness and fighting associated with drinking and partying on the rivers.

From Bill Lindelof:

A Roseville man was sentenced to 10 years and four months in state prison for impersonating a SureWest Communications employee, driving a company car and using a company credit card.

Preston Douglas Vandeburgh, 27, was sentenced Tuesday in Placer Superior Court after pleading guilty last month to five felony charges, including burglary, identity theft, taking a vehicle and computer fraud. He also admitted to enhancements to his sentence related to having a previous strike for burglary and of having served a prior prison sentence.

"Since he pled to a strike, Mr. Vandeburgh will have to serve 80 percent of his 10-year term, meaning he will serve a little over eight years in prison," said Deputy District Attorney Rick Opich.

Vandeburgh broke into SureWest offices in June 2008, the district attorney's office said. He then took equipment and employees' confidential code information.

At times, he came onto SureWest property, posing as an employee. His criminal activity ended in December when SureWest officials detected someone using one of their computers off-site.

The computer had been stolen. When police went to the home, they found SureWest items taken in a burglary from company offices and arrested Vandeburgh.