Sacramento police officers were trailing a stolen bait vehicle Wednesday night but the real arrest bonanza was one vehicle behind, a crime summary indicates.

Just after 11 p.m. on Wednesday near 32nd Avenue and 79th Street, officers spotted a stolen bait vehicle being followed by a blue van.

Officers conducted a felony stop on the stolen vehicle taking the driver into custody, who they identified as Rickey Gasaway, 38.

But the blue van was subsequently spotted by the police helicopter and officers stopped the vehicle.

Ernest Young, 57, was arrested on suspicion of DUI, parole violation and vehicle theft.

Online jail records showed Young still in a custody Thursday night on about $150,000 bail while Gasaway had been released or freed on bail.

The law of unintended consequences was in full operation when a 68-year-old man threw a flammable liquid on his roommate during an argument - and the roommate lit himself on fire, a Sacramento Police Department crime summary indicates.

At about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, officers were called to a residence in the 200 block of Arrowrock Road.

Officers gave this chain of events:

The victim was drinking with his roommate when they got into an argument. The suspect threatened to throw camping fuel on him and then did.

The victim took out his lighter and lit his own clothes on fire, not expecting the clothes to ignite "quite so rapidly."

The victim stripped off his burning clothes and then called police.

The suspect, Johnny Davis, 68, was booked into jail on suspicion of assault with caustic chemicals, a felony. Online jail records indicate he is being held on $120,000 bail.

The victim apparently was not seriously hurt.

The Roseville Police Department's K9 unit has announced the death of retired police canine "Zig," who survived a burglary suspect's attempt to drown him. But the dog held onto the suspect until officers arrived.

Zig, affectionately called Ziggy, started his career as a Roseville Police Department canine in 1999, according to a Police Department news release.

He was retired in 2005 due to a leg injury and other medical problems. Zig continued to live with his handler, Roseville Police Officer Chris Nowicki (in photo bottom with Zig), and Nowicki's active-duty police dog Eivo, until Zig's death Monday at age 12 .

Once Roseville K9 units responded in the middle of the night to assist the Placer County Sheriff's Department with an in-progress burglary of a business on Cincinnati Avenue. Nowicki and Zig pursued one of the burglary suspects into a flooded field.

Zig located the suspect, who was totally concealed among reeds, waist-deep in cold water. Zig latched on to the suspect and refused to let go, even when the suspect tried to drown him, the release states. Thanks to Zig, officers located and arrested the suspect.

On another night, Roseville officers pursued a car burglar, who crashed his car in the area of Lead Hill and Harding, and fled on foot into the creek area. It was pitch-dark and officers were unable to see anything in the unlighted open space area.

Zig tracked the suspect and then almost pulled officers over the edge of a ravine, barking ferociously in the direction of a downed tree. Officers shined their flashlights around the area for several minutes, seeing nothing, until eventually they spotted a sock sticking out of a pile of debris. Attached to the sock was their suspect - who was then taken into custody, thanks to Zig.

But Ziggy's health declined until the decision was made to have him euthanized, the release states.

On Monday, Nowicki took Ziggy on a last ride in his police K9 vehicle before taking him to the veterinarian.

Woodland police are seeking a gunman who robbed a pizza restaurant after the eatery closed on Wednesday.

Police were called about 10:08 p.m. on that date to the Little Caesar's Pizza in the 1800 block of E. Gibson Road. The caller said they had just been robbed at gunpoint, according to a news release.

Though the store had closed for the evening and the front doors were locked, the robber was able to enter the store through an unlocked back door, the release states.

The release gives this chain of events:

The robber pointed a black semi-automatic handgun with silver detailing at the employees, and demanded money. The suspect also ordered all the employees to the front of the store.

One employee, who had her hands up, was told by the robber to put her hands down and act normal. One of the employees filled a plastic bag with an undisclosed amount of cash from both the register and the safe. The robber then fled the store on foot to a waiting dark-colored SUV, where he got into the passenger's side.

Police are looking for a white male adult, approximately 5'8" tall and 150 lbs., wearing a black, hooded, long-sleeved sweatshirt with a "Famous / Stars & Straps" logo on the front. He was wearing the hood over his head.

The suspect's face was covered by a bandana with an Oakland Raiders logo at the forehead. He was described as having "piercing blue/green eyes". The suspect was also wearing black gloves.

Police said the suspect's description matches almost exactly the suspect description from the robbery of the West Main Street AM/PM on Nov. 20.

Anyone with any information related to this case is asked to call the Woodland Police Department at (530) 666-2411.

Sacramento County Sheriff's officials are looking for a 25-year-old man who allegedly abducted his two children during a court-supervised visit Wednesday.

According to a news release, Daniel Gwilliam (left photo) took his 6-year-old son and 20-month-old daughter from a visitation facility in the 2300 block of Glendale Lane about 4 p.m. Authorities said he walked out of the building with his children, who became wards of the court in February.

Investigators say they believe that the children are not in imminent danger.

Gwilliam is described as 6 feet tall and weighing 170 pounds. He has short brown hair, hazel eyes and a pierced eyebrow. He was last seen wearing a black T-shirt with white printing on it and dark jeans.

His son has brown hair and hazel eyes. He was last seen wearing a red hooded jacket with stripes on the sleeves, a tan T-shirt, blue jeans and white tennis shoes with blue soles.

His daughter has curly blond hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing a lavender hair bow, a pink and green windbreaker, a light pink "onesie," dark blue pants and white tennis shoes with pink on the soles.

Gwilliam may be driving one of three vehicles: A light blue Ford Explorer with Florida license plates, a dark blue 1980s van or a tan 1986 Chevrolet van.

Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff's department at (916) 874-5115, Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP or send a text message to 274637 (CRIMES). Enter SACTIP followed by the information. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

Placer County sheriff's deputies have arrested a Lincoln landfill employee on suspicion of embezzlement.

Detectives believe John Alcocer, 38, of Plumas Lake, stole $2,000-$3,000 a month over three or more years from his Western Regional Sanitary Landfill worksite, according to a Sheriff's Department news release. Alcocer was arrested Tuesday.

The investigation into Alcocer began internally and was then handed over to the Sheriff's Department, the release states.

Alcocer was booked into Placer County Jail and subsequently released due to over crowding, the release states.

No other details were provided.

Alcocer is scheduled to appear in court Dec. 8 at the 8:30 a.m.

Woodland police investigators are looking for the gunman who robbed a gas station Tuesday.

Around 10 p.m. on that date, a gunman robbed the Gas Plaza in the 400 block of East Street, according to a news release.

The robber wielded a large handgun and took an undisclosed amount of money from the clerk. The robber fled on foot.

The suspect was described as possibly being a white male adult wearing a black mask, white gloves and having a black jacket, shirt and pants. It is unknown if the suspect had a vehicle, the release states.

After reviewing the surveillance video officers learned there was a second suspect that was waiting outside during the robbery, possibly as a lookout.

This suspect was described as possibly being a black male adult wearing a white hat, white gloves and blue jeans.

If anyone has information regarding this robbery they are asked to call the Woodland Police Department at (530) 661-7800.

Rocklin police officers, working under their department's contract to provide police service to Sierra College, have recovered a student's stolen $1,000 bicycle that was advertised on Craigslist.

On Nov. 16, a student reported the bicycle stolen from his truck while it was parked in the college's dorm parking lot, according to a Police Department news release.

Rocklin Police detectives said they found the stolen bicycle being offered for sale on Craigslist.com.

Detectives, posing as potential buyers, contacted the Lincoln-area seller. The stolen bike was identified by distinctive markings and it is was recovered, the release states.

The case has been forwarded to the Placer County District Attorney's Office for possession of stolen property charges.

The college's contract with the Police Department began this month.

Sacramento police officers will be conducting a DUI and driver's license checkpoint on Friday in the south area of the city.

The checkpoint is another that law enforcement agencies in the regions are conducting, thanks to grants from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Approximately four hours prior to the setting up of the checkpoint, police will specify the location and approximate duration of the operation, according to a Police Department news release.

Sacramento police investigators released surveillance photos today of a suspect who is suspected of punching a convenience store clerk and fleeing with stolen items.

At 8:47 p.m. on Oct. 12 in the 2900 block of Stockton Boulevard, the suspect (see surveillance photos below) entered the store and selected a few items, according to a Sacramento Police Department news release.

Before the clerk finished ringing up the items, the suspect grabbed them and started walking towards the door, the release states. The clerk confronted the suspect and the suspect punched the clerk in the face, the release states, and the suspect fled on foot from the store with the stolen items.

The suspect is described as black, in his late 20s to early 30s, 5'6", medium build, with a beard or goatee. He was wearing a gray sweatshirt with white lettering, a black t-shirt with a gold-colored emblem and black jeans.

The Sacramento Police Department asks anyone with information to 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 Sacramento Police Department reports that a missing 88-year-old man has been found

At 4 p.m. Tuesday, Maynard Augustine left his home near 25th Avenue and 78th Street, according to a police news release.

Augustine was driving to the Food Source at 4401 Broadway and surveillance video shows that he made it to the store but it is unknown where he went afterward.

Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies found Augustine in the 1300 block of Fulton Avenue, police officials said.

Roseville police officers have arrested on suspicion of parole violation an Auburn man convicted of misdemeanor child molestation and other crimes, according to a news release.

Jonathan Regent Tyrell (photo left), 42, was arrested Nov. 17 and is in the custody of the California Department of Corrections awaiting a parole violation hearing, the Roseville Police Department release states.

Tyrell was convicted of misdemeanor child molestation, forgery, possession of methamphetamine, and battery causing serious bodily injury, all related to Roseville Police investigations conducted in 2005, the release states.

The release gave this background to Tyrell's case:

Tyrell represented himself as a scientific researcher and recruited teenagers and young adults for a study.

He paid his "research subjects," which included teenagers as young as 15, to immerse themselves in a bathtub and hold their breath, while he photographed and videotaped them.

His conviction for misdemeanor child molestation was related to his recruitment and videotaping of minors for his "research". Tyrell is a former attorney who was disbarred in 2007 due to his criminal convictions.

Roseville detectives arrested Tyrell after they learned that Tyrell recently cultivated a friendship with a 19-year-old male, and tried to recruit him to participate in research involving "underwater apnea testing," the release states.

Roseville detectives are concerned that Tyrell is exhibiting the same pattern of behavior that led to his previous arrests, and may have contacted other young people, including minors, in order to recruit them for "underwater research," the release states.

Anyone who has had such contact with Tyrell or has any information that could assist in this investigation is asked to call the Roseville Police Investigation Unit at (916) 774-5070.

More than a month has passed since Ravinder Singh Banga was gunned down while trying to ward off a convenience store robber, and Sacramento County sheriff's detectives say they are nearing a dead end in the case.

Banga, 44, had just recently begun working behind the counter at the MC Discount Liquor and Food Minimart on 47th Avenue in south Sacramento when a hooded assailant entered the store the night of Oct. 19.

The assailant pointed a gun at Banga as he looked for a cash-drop box behind the counter. Video surveillance footage shows Banga trying to intervene, and eventually getting shot by the assailant.

Banga died shortly after being transported to a local hospital.

Banga's niece, Garinder Kaur, told The Bee that her uncle, his wife and two teenaged children had arrived in the United States from their native India just four months before the shooting. They had plans to stay in the Sacramento area, visiting family, for about a year before returning to India.

Kaur said Banga had left behind a good job and a good life in India to be with family. Here, he struggled to find a job, and only recently had begun working at the liquor store.

Sacramento County sheriff's detectives are asking for the public's help in identifying the shooter, who has only been described as a man who was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and dark pants.

Detective Paul Belli encouraged people to call with any potential tips about the case, "however insignificant they may seem."

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP of homicide Detective Jason Cvitanov at (916) 874-3778. Callers can remain anonymous and might be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

To see an earlier Bee story about this crime, as well as the surveillance video, go here. http://www.sacbee.com/crime/story/2267723.html

The war against drunken drivers takes on a new dimension tonight as the police who patrol Cal Expo take to nearby streets.

Officers of the California Exposition and State Fair Police Department will patrol the Cal Expo neighborhoods around Exposition Boulevard, Arden Way and Howe Avenue from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. tonight with an eye toward DUIs.

The department has been awarded an $81,000 grant for a year-long anti-DUI program, according to a news release. Tonight's patrol will be the first activity under the grant.

"The Cal Expo Police Department is dedicated to keeping our streets safe through enforcement and public awareness," said Cal Expo Police Chief Robert L. Craft.

Cal Expo will enhance its existing partnerships with the Sacramento Police Department, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department, and the California Highway Patrol to reduce the number of DUI deaths and injuries in and around the California Exposition and State Fair grounds, Craft said.

Police Officers from the Cal Expo Police Department will be conducting special DUI enforcement and saturated patrols to provide additional safety to the visitors at Cal Expo and the surrounding neighborhood during the annual state fair and during large events where DUI is a concern, he said.

Funding for the grant comes from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

A: On July 10, 2002, Sacramento weight-loss doctor Dennis Jay Tison was sentenced to six years in prison, The Bee reported. Tison was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and child endangerment after his 14-month-old daughter fell to her death from the second-story window of the Tison family home.

Deputy Sacramento County District Attorney Mike Savage argued during the trial that Tison, then 36, either assaulted the child or threw her out of the second-story window in a drunken rage on Jan 12, 2001.

Despite warnings from his wife to stop drinking alcohol, Tison persisted and after the girl's death in their Orangevale home, he lied to cover it up, the prosecutor said.

Tison's lawyer, Donald Heller, described his client as a "drunk parent" who made a mistake he will have to live with for the rest of his life.

Heller maintained that Tison had placed his daughter on top of a desk to play while the doctor was checking his stocks on a computer. On the desk, next to an open window, were a loaded handgun and a knife.

Tison was guilty of drinking and using bad judgment, but he never intended to hurt his daughter, Heller argued.

The girl mistook the open second-story window for a sliding-glass door on the ground floor and leaped or fell to her death on the wooden deck 12 feet below, the defense attorney said.

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