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CRIME DIGEST
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• STUDENTS INVOLVED IN CARJACKING: CERES - Four male Central Valley High School students were arrested last week after they allegedly staged a carjacking not far from the school.

Deputy Police Chief Mike Borges said that his department received a 911 call at 7:32 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 13 about a large fight in the 1800 block of Don Pedro Avenue. As police checked the area and found no fight, they received a report of a stolen 2001 Nissan Maxima. The owner of the car said he took his brother to Central Valley High School and on his way back home something was thrown at his car. When he stopped to check on what hit his car he was rushed by four men, all identifying as Norteno gang members, who wanted to fight. They then stole the car.

At 8:30 a.m. the School Resource Officer was investigating students who had been in a previous fight. Four males were identified -- two 15-year-olds, and a 14-year-old male. They were linked to the auto theft and all booked into Juvenile Hall on charges of carjacking.

Also arrested was 18-year-old Fernando Hermosillo of Ceres. He was booked into County Jail on charges of carjacking.

The Nissan was found partially stripped the next day by the California Highway Patrol.

• TWO ARRESTED AFTER TRYING TO PASS BAD CHECK: CERES - Two men were arrested by Ceres police on Tuesday, Nov. 14 after they allegedly attempted to pass a stolen check in Modesto.

A check cashing business said two men came in with a check issued by Central Valley Recycling. It seemed suspicious and the manager of the firm was alerted. Investigators tracked down one of the suspects down to his house in the 1400 block of Mullen Way. They made an arrest at 10:58 a.m. of George Stevenson, 30. Stevenson had an arrest warrant for parole violation. He was also taken in on charges of possession of stolen property. While at the residence, police found a partially stripped 1997 Chevy Camaro that had been stolen in Tracy in August. The home yielded additional property stolen from a Modesto auto burglary.

His alleged accomplice, Ruby Gutzman, 24, of Patterson, was arrested for forgery and possession of stolen property.

"It was a good investigation by the officers," said Chief Borges.

• DRUGS FOUND DURING CAR STOP: CERES - Officer Jon Vera pulled over a car last week and ended up finding a small cache of drugs which led to the arrest of the driver.

At 1:13 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 14, Vera spotted a violation at Moffet Road and Garrison Avenue and attempted to make a stop 1:13 p.m. The driver stopped on Thomas Avenue but a male passenger bailed from the car and ran westbound. Police arrested driver Susan Duffey, 48, of Modesto, after police found methamphetamine, marijuana, hash, scales and a meth pipe in the car. She was booked on charges of possession of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance for sale and transportation of a controlled substance, possession of drug smoking paraphernalia, possession of cannabis and driving on a suspended license.

Evidence in the car suggested that Duffey knew the identity of her passenger, described as a Hispanic male in his 30s 5-foot-10, and 180 pounds, but she said she only knew him as "Caz."

• PAIR ARRESTED FOR BURGLARY: CERES - Two men were arrested on Wednesday, Nov. 14 after they allegedly broke into and removed property from John F. Kennedy School.

A citizen called police at 10:35 p.m. after seeing three males park in the 1300 block of Stonum Road and jump a fence into the school yard. Police searched and found the men outside the school grounds. Suspect Chad Niedert, 37, of Modesto, was found on Hatch Road. Anthony Zinlove, 31, of Modesto, the owner of the car, was located in the area of Chardonnay Way. Deputy Police Chief Mike Borges said that the men entered a building under construction and removed a tool box, shop light and shop vacuum and placed them by the chain-link fence to be later removed but the items were left when they saw police.

The 16-year-old nephew of one of the suspects was brought along and was not arrested.

Both Niedert and Zinlove were charged with burglary, conspiracy to commit a crime, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Niedert received the added charge of violating the terms of his probation.

• MAN ASSAULTS OFFICERS: CERES - An out-of-control Ceres man was arrested Thursday after he tore up his grandmother's house and then assaulted two Ceres officers as they confronted him.

The incident unfolded when intoxicated parolee Donovan Saldana, 24, of Ceres, began destroying things in his grandmother's house where he was staying. Fearful of Saldana, the grandmother called 911 at 4:54 p.m. but dispatchers could only hear a disturbance and the cupping of the mouthpiece before the line went dead. After Officer Brittney England arrived and knocked on the door, an aggressive and irate Saldana threw the door open and was yelling and using obscenities. He then came toward her in a threatening manner. England drew her service revolver and pointed it at him, ordering him to drop what was in his hands. He threw a jacket down. That's when England used her baton to get Saldana under control. She managed to get one handcuff on the suspect as additional units arrived. Saldana continued fighting and ranting and began kicking officers as they searched him. Officers England and Norbert Castro were each kicked by Saldana, who was placed in the back of a patrol car where he continued kicking windows and threatening to kill England and making note of his Surreno gang ties. Saldana was booked into the County Jail on charges of parole violation, resisting arrest, battery on a peace officer and destruction of a phone.

• PAROLEE IN HIT & RUN: CERES - A 37-year-old man released recently from prison by the state's early release program was involved in a Friday hit and run crash and had apparently been stealing just prior as well.

At 9:37 a.m. a 1999 Honda Civic driven by Ricardo Berber 24, of Modesto, was rear-ended by a 2001 Ford van driven by Mark Smith, 37, of Modesto, at Hatch Road and Central Avenue. Smith fled the scene but later ditched his van in the area of JFK School on Stonum Road. Police searched the area and located Smith in a backyard of a home on Hatch Road. Officer Coey Henson and new police canine Dex got control of Smith who fought arrest and was subsequently bitten.

Smith was wearing an ankle monitor during the arrest. A search of the van turned up a coin change machine apparently taken from a car wash but police are unsure where.

He was arrested and charged with felony hit and run, resisting arrest and violating parole.

• DIABETIC SAYS POLICE SAVED HER: CERES - A diabetic Ceres woman says Ceres police probably saved her life when they broke into her house during a Sunday morning security check requested by her family and found her medically in jeopardy.

The woman's husband was on a trucking run and could not reach his way by phone and feared for her because of her medical condition. At 11:08 a.m. Officers Ron Collins and Officer Norbert Castro went to the woman's house in the 1700 block of Margaret Way and knocked on the door. There was no answer. They gained entry through an unlocked door. The woman was asleep and her blood sugar levels were dangerously low, prompting her to call the watch commander to thank the officers for "basically saving her life," said Deputy Chief Mike Borges.

• FIGHT ENDS IN STABBING: CERES - A Sunday afternoon fight at 1615 Richland Way ended with a non-life threatening wound suffered by a 29-year-old man.

The victim and a 27-year-old acquaintance got involved in a fight at 7:03 p.m. The suspect ran from the scene after stabbing his victim near the neck. Police know the identity of the suspect but did not release it pending an arrest.

• DOMESTIC CASE TURNS SOUR: CERES - A man who was estranged from his girlfriend and mother of his child was arrested Sunday evening after he allegedly broke into her Tenth Street apartment unit and take their daughter.

Police were called in at 11:25 p.m. after Ivan Lara, 21, went to the woman's house, repeatedly rang the door bell and entered through a screened window. He wrestled with the woman for the child and then threw her cell phone into the toilet. Police say he was attempting to take the child even though the mother has full custody of the girl and a court restraining order against Lara, who tried to leave the area. Officer Ross Bays stopped the suspect, who allowed his car to rolled into a parked car. After struggling with the officer, Lara was arrested on charges of burglary, violation of a domestic violence order, attempted kidnapping, child endangerment and DUI.