• FOUR SEARCH WARRANTS EXECUTED: CERES - Ceres police served four search warrants Monday but failed to come up with additional suspects relating to a rash of residential burglaries.
Sgt. Pat Sullivan said the burglaries have occurred on the west side of Ceres as far back as two weeks ago. Evidence pointed police in the direction of gang members living in and outside of Ceres.
The warrants were executed from 8:30 a.m. until mid afternoon in the 700 block of Parklawn, 1700 block of Midway, 2800 block of Glider Court and 3100 block of Kimball Hill.
Officers were hoping to find stolen property taken from the homes. One of the homes yielded a small amount of marijuana. One 18-year-old was cited and released. Police also found evidence indicating that the suspects were affiliated with a gang.
Earlier this month four adults and three juveniles were arrested for their involvement in one of the residential burglaries. It was committed Dec. 7 in the 2000 block of Ariano Lane in Eastgate. Several suspects broke into side garage door and entered the house and removed a number of items, including a .22 caliber Ruger rifle, a 47-inch flat screen TV and a Dell computer. The thieves also found the homeowner's keys and drove off with their 2002 Volvo 560.
Police looked for the vehicle and found it in the driveway at 1708 Midway. While police were trying to get a read on the license plate, a man got in the car and drove off. Officers engaged in a short pursuit in the area of Church Street. The chase ended when Rafael Avina Jr., 31, of South Modesto, crashed the car in an alleyway behind a residence and had his pinned in by the crumpled door. Avina was charged with auto theft, evading an officer and driving on a suspended license.
Officers Freddie Ortiz and Pat Dayton descended on the Midway residence and arrested three men and three teenagers. Charged were Eric Rocha, 18, of Ceres, who was charged with obstructing and delaying an officer, and possession of marijuana; Hector Rocha, 20, of Ceres, possession of stolen property, conspiracy to commit a crime, and obstructing and delaying an officer; and Johnny Montavo, 19, possession of stolen property, conspiracy to commit a crime, and obstructing and delaying an officer.
• OFFICER ASSAULTED: CERES - An officer was punched in the face Friday afternoon by a man who was carrying a stolen credit card.
At 3:40 p.m. Officer Brinton Moore went to the 2400 block of Wise Oak for reports of a male acting crazy and talking to himself. Moore located Rodolfo Gaona, 38, of Ceres, in the area of Whitmore Avenue and Boothe Road. Moore found Gaona with a credit card stolen in April 2008 which had been used to make illegal purchases last year. He also had an arrest warrant relating to a charge of prowling. When Moore tried to arrest Gaona he tried running away but was caught. Deputy Chief of Police Mike Borges said Gaona fought the officer and began punching him in the face. At one point Gaona knocked the radio out of Moore's hand as he called for backup.
At that time a citizen rider saw Moore was in trouble and got on the radio and summoned help. Gaona dropped Moore to the ground by grabbing his legs and jumped on top of him. A bystander, Coit employee Johnny Ortiz, 36, stopped and jumped out of his truck and assisted Moore by wrestling the suspect off Moore.
Gaona was charged with battery on a peace officer, resisting arrest, possession of stolen property and the warrant.
Sgt. Pat Sullivan said the burglaries have occurred on the west side of Ceres as far back as two weeks ago. Evidence pointed police in the direction of gang members living in and outside of Ceres.
The warrants were executed from 8:30 a.m. until mid afternoon in the 700 block of Parklawn, 1700 block of Midway, 2800 block of Glider Court and 3100 block of Kimball Hill.
Officers were hoping to find stolen property taken from the homes. One of the homes yielded a small amount of marijuana. One 18-year-old was cited and released. Police also found evidence indicating that the suspects were affiliated with a gang.
Earlier this month four adults and three juveniles were arrested for their involvement in one of the residential burglaries. It was committed Dec. 7 in the 2000 block of Ariano Lane in Eastgate. Several suspects broke into side garage door and entered the house and removed a number of items, including a .22 caliber Ruger rifle, a 47-inch flat screen TV and a Dell computer. The thieves also found the homeowner's keys and drove off with their 2002 Volvo 560.
Police looked for the vehicle and found it in the driveway at 1708 Midway. While police were trying to get a read on the license plate, a man got in the car and drove off. Officers engaged in a short pursuit in the area of Church Street. The chase ended when Rafael Avina Jr., 31, of South Modesto, crashed the car in an alleyway behind a residence and had his pinned in by the crumpled door. Avina was charged with auto theft, evading an officer and driving on a suspended license.
Officers Freddie Ortiz and Pat Dayton descended on the Midway residence and arrested three men and three teenagers. Charged were Eric Rocha, 18, of Ceres, who was charged with obstructing and delaying an officer, and possession of marijuana; Hector Rocha, 20, of Ceres, possession of stolen property, conspiracy to commit a crime, and obstructing and delaying an officer; and Johnny Montavo, 19, possession of stolen property, conspiracy to commit a crime, and obstructing and delaying an officer.
• OFFICER ASSAULTED: CERES - An officer was punched in the face Friday afternoon by a man who was carrying a stolen credit card.
At 3:40 p.m. Officer Brinton Moore went to the 2400 block of Wise Oak for reports of a male acting crazy and talking to himself. Moore located Rodolfo Gaona, 38, of Ceres, in the area of Whitmore Avenue and Boothe Road. Moore found Gaona with a credit card stolen in April 2008 which had been used to make illegal purchases last year. He also had an arrest warrant relating to a charge of prowling. When Moore tried to arrest Gaona he tried running away but was caught. Deputy Chief of Police Mike Borges said Gaona fought the officer and began punching him in the face. At one point Gaona knocked the radio out of Moore's hand as he called for backup.
At that time a citizen rider saw Moore was in trouble and got on the radio and summoned help. Gaona dropped Moore to the ground by grabbing his legs and jumped on top of him. A bystander, Coit employee Johnny Ortiz, 36, stopped and jumped out of his truck and assisted Moore by wrestling the suspect off Moore.
Gaona was charged with battery on a peace officer, resisting arrest, possession of stolen property and the warrant.
