A morning of residential burglaries in rural Turlock reportedly staged by four persons Friday ended in rural Ceres when a victim chased them down and a wide manhunt ensued.
Two Ceres schools - Central Valley High School and Joel Hidahl Elementary School - were locked down as Ceres police and Sheriff's deputies hunted for two suspects who weren't immediately captured.
The drama unfolded when a resident of the 800 block of West Monte Vista Avenue west of Turlock called 911 at 10:23 a.m. to report that he was following a carload of persons who broke into his house and fled. During the chase, a male with a tattoo on his face began shooting at the victim, striking his car. The chase ended seven minutes later when the suspects pulled over in the area of Grayson and Morgan roads and all occupants bailed on foot.
Police, including 12 Ceres officers, swarmed the area with police canines and within a half hour two suspects were apprehended. A third suspect was arrested approximately an hour after the chase while the fourth was found by 4:30 p.m. Police said the final suspect had peeled off three shirts which gave four police canines plenty of scent for tracking.
Arrested were Richard Garcia, 23, Shawna Herdig, 19, and Christine Coito, 25, all of Modesto; and Fernando Servin, 28, of Ceres. All four were charged with assault with a deadly weapon, burglary, criminal conspiracy and receiving stolen property, said Sheriff's Department spokesman Anthony Bejeran. Garcia received an added charge of violating probation.
Goods taken in the burglaries included a TV, computer equipment, and a safe containing an automatic pistol.
Two Ceres schools - Central Valley High School and Joel Hidahl Elementary School - were locked down as Ceres police and Sheriff's deputies hunted for two suspects who weren't immediately captured.
The drama unfolded when a resident of the 800 block of West Monte Vista Avenue west of Turlock called 911 at 10:23 a.m. to report that he was following a carload of persons who broke into his house and fled. During the chase, a male with a tattoo on his face began shooting at the victim, striking his car. The chase ended seven minutes later when the suspects pulled over in the area of Grayson and Morgan roads and all occupants bailed on foot.
Police, including 12 Ceres officers, swarmed the area with police canines and within a half hour two suspects were apprehended. A third suspect was arrested approximately an hour after the chase while the fourth was found by 4:30 p.m. Police said the final suspect had peeled off three shirts which gave four police canines plenty of scent for tracking.
Arrested were Richard Garcia, 23, Shawna Herdig, 19, and Christine Coito, 25, all of Modesto; and Fernando Servin, 28, of Ceres. All four were charged with assault with a deadly weapon, burglary, criminal conspiracy and receiving stolen property, said Sheriff's Department spokesman Anthony Bejeran. Garcia received an added charge of violating probation.
Goods taken in the burglaries included a TV, computer equipment, and a safe containing an automatic pistol.
