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CRIME DIGEST
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SUICIDAL MAN TALKED OUT OF HOME: CERES - Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department hostage negotiators talked down a barricaded, suicidal man on Thursday afternoon in rural Ceres.

At 2:44 p.m., Sheriff's deputies were dispatched to the 5300 block of Blaker Road in rural Ceres to investigate the report of a suicidal man. The man's mother said that he was locked in his room with a firearm and refused to come out. Negotiators were able to convince the man to throw the firearm out of his bedroom window. Several minutes later he voluntarily walked out and surrendered.

"This is exactly how we want these situations to turn out," said Lt. Mario Cisneros, who also commands the Sheriff's Department's Hostage Negotiation Team.

After being taken into custody the young man was transported to Doctors Behavioral Health Center in Modesto.

The Sheriff's Department has had a Hostage Negotiation Team since the early 1980's.

CHASE ENDS IN ARREST: HUGHSON - California Highway Patrol officers engaged in a high-speed pursuit of a driver Thursday who said he ran because he was scared to go back to jail.

At 10:15 a.m. a CHP officer saw a white Jeep Cherokee speeding on Santa Fe Avenue north of Berkeley Road in the Hughson area. The driver refused to pull over and accelerated to speeds up to 80 mph. The pursuit went westbound on Keyes Road out to Jennings Road where the Jeep blew a front left tire. The driver kept going and reached the end of Keyes Road and went north onto Laird Road, winding onto Grayson, and Carpenter. The pursuit lasted 20 minutes.

Kevin Lynn Grissom, 24, of Modesto, was arrested for driving on a suspended license, and reckless evading of a police officer.

HOME INVASION ROBBERY: CERES - Police are looking for Hispanic suspects who staged a home invasion robbery in the 2900 block of Ambleside Way. The robbery occurred at 10:41 p.m. on Monday, April 27.

Four persons were home at the time. An armed man confronted one of the occupants after parking in the driveway of his nephew's home. The man was forced into the home, where the other victims were confronted by three suspects. All of the suspects were described as Hispanic males, 5-foot-5 to 5-foot-8, 115 to 175 pounds in weight, all wearing dark-colored sweatshirts and partially covering their faces. They made demands for money and drugs they thought were in the home. One occupant of the house was pistol whipped and but refused medical care.

GANG ACTIVITY INVOLVES GUNS: CERES - Two men with gang affiliations and carrying guns were arrested April 28 after they were reported doing gang activity in Riverpark Park.

A caller dialed 911 at 4:25 p.m. to report a group of gang members yelling and flashing gang signs. Officer Jonathan Vera arrived and spotted a group of seven to eight subjects, two of which ran off with their hands under their shirts.

Officers Greg Yotsuya and Bryan Ferreira found Leonard Saucedo, 20, of Modesto, hiding in bushes in front of a home in the 900 block of Valley Wind Way. Saucedo was in possession of a .45 caliber Ruger pistol. He was taken into custody and charged as an ex felon being in possession of a gun.

About 20 minutes later Anthony Jaramillo,19, of Modesto, was found hiding in an adjacent yard by Officer Jason Brock.

As Jaramillo was sitting in the back of the patrol car officers searched for his gun - they later found a loaded .40 caliber handgun in a backyard - his 17-year-old girlfriend showed up and let Jaramillo escape. As they were attempting to run away, Brock and Ferreira saw them getting into another car and Jaramillo was tasered to stop. The girlfriend was arrested for helping Jaramillo escape and booked into Juvenile Hall.

Jaramillo was charged with being in possession of a loaded firearm, violating his parole and escape.

KIRKLAND CHARGED IN AUTO THEFT: CERES - Charles Kirkland, 21, of Modesto was arrested a day after he allegedly stole a 2002 Chevy pickup on April 28.

At around 7:35 a.m. the owner reported his pickup was stolen during the night from his driveway. At 7:13 a.m. on April 29, the victim's son spotted the stolen pickup in the Sequoia Market parking lot and saw the suspect go inside. The victim's son got into the pickup and drove it away but police detained him, thinking he was the thief. At 4:20 p.m. in the area of Evans and Richland the victim, his son and a friend saw Kirkland walking and chased him to the 1700 block of Herndon where they detained him until the police arrived. The suspect attempted to discard a backpack which contained items taken from the stolen pickup.

CAR STOP NETS WEAPONS: CERES - A May 1 traffic stop for expired registration netted arrests and a gun.

At 1:22 a.m. officer Dan Fairchild made the traffic stop in the 1400 block of Herndon Road with four people wearing gang attire inside. Two of the four were on probation. One passenger told officers that he had a loaded gun under his seat. The .22 revolver had one fired casing and seven loaded cartridges. Also found was a 20-inch billy club.

Driver Ignacio Torres, 33, of Modesto, was arrested for contributing to the delinquency of a minor and probation violation. Paul Ramirez, 30, of Modesto, was arrested for contributing to the delinquency of a minor, possession of illegal weapon, and possession of marijuana.

A 17-year-old Ceres boy was arrested for possession of a weapon with an altered serial number, carrying a concealed firearm in vehicle, carrying a loaded weapon with a gang enhancement.

A 15-year-old Modesto male was cited and released to his parents for curfew violation.

DRUNK DRIVER CRASHES CAR: CERES - Two men were arrested after they fled a DUI-related solo auto crash in the 1400 block of Bluejay.

The crash occurred at 10:45 p.m. on May 1. Driver Froilan Villasenor, 25, of Ceres and the passenger Enrique Vargas, 33, of Modesto, both climbed out and fled the area. Residents tried to keep them at the scene but were unable to do so.

Officer Vanessa Garcia found Villasenor running down Nadine Avenue and arrested him. Villasenor led police to Vargas who was at his home. Vargas, who owned the car, was extremely intoxicated and attempted fight with Garcia during an interview. Villasenor was arrested for driving under the influence, and Vargas for public intoxication and resisting arrest.

TEENS ARRESTED FOR BURGLARY: CERES - Police arrested two Ceres teens who were caught trying to break into a home in the 2300 block of Glasgow Drive on Saturday evening.

Police were tipped off at 11:57 p.m. that somebody wearing a bandanna over his face was trying to get into the back of the house. The suspects left the yard prior to police arrival but Street Crimes Unit officers found the two nearby. The suspects had a detailed map of other houses in the 2400 block of Mauna Kea to target along with potential victims' names, addresses and phone numbers. They appeared to be targeting homes where the occupants were gone.

The two 16-year-olds were booked into Juvenile Hall for possession of burglary tools, attempted burglary, and conspiracy.

ARMED ROBBERY OF COUPLE: CERES - A couple was robbed early Saturday morning in the 3100 block of Fowler by a man who pointed a gun at them.

The incident happened at 2:59 a.m. on May 2. A 28-year-old woman, and a 27-year-old man were approached by a Hispanic male, 18 to 21 years old, approximately 5-foot-6 to 5-foot-8, weighing about 135 to 150 pounds, with long black hair, wearing a red shirt, white hat and black pants. He pulled a Glock 9mm handgun on them saying "give me all your s---." The woman gave up her purse and the suspect told them to run the other way.

SHOTS FIRED AT PARTY: CERES - Police are searching for two vehicles involved in a drive-by shooting on Sungate Drive early Sunday morning.

At 3:42 a.m. officers were flagged down by several persons saying they had been shot at in the 1600 block. The victims said several persons showed up at their party uninvited and then left in two vehicles. As they were leaving, a suspect stood up through the sun roof of a dark-colored four-door Honda or Lexus and fired three to five rounds at the party-goers. No one was struck.

The second vehicle was a dark-colored pickup truck. Two Hispanic males were seen in one of the vehicles, one wearing a black and yellow Pittsburgh Steelers jersey.

Ceres Police Detectives ask that anyone with information regarding this incident to contact them at 538-5727.