DRUG HOUSE SHUT DOWN: CERES - Tips to the CPD's Street Crimes Unit (SCU) resulted in the arrest of three persons last week.
The SCU executed a search warrant on Wednesday, Jan. 21 in the 1600 block of Daisy tree after receiving tips from neighbors about possible drug sales at the residence. Police were also led to the home after tracing a suspect involved in forgery case in which he was accessing someone else's checking account.
At 5:30 p.m. police popped in and found evidence of drug sales, various types of narcotics and a sawed-off shotgun and ammunition. The forgery suspect was not at home.
Arrested were:
• Eric Branham, 31, of Modesto, charged with unlawful possession of controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance for sale, and being an ex-felon in possession of a firearm.
• Kimberly Johnson, 25, of Modesto, charged with being an ex-felon in possession of a firearm.
• Sabrina Bench, 27, of Ceres, charged with possession of a controlled substance, and possession of a narcotic controlled substance.
"This was a heck of a job by our Street Crimes Unit guys and our detectives," said Deputy Chief of Police Mike Borges.
CARJACKING SUSPECT ARRESTED: CERES - The victim of a December carjacking could hardly believe it when he spotted the suspect walking down the street on Jan. 17. At 2:21 p.m. the 30-year-old victim called police to have him arrested. A perimeter was set up in the area of Magnolia and Ninth streets to find the suspect. Not able to find him after a search, police left empty-handed. But at 4:35 p.m. when Sgt. Danny Vierra went back to have a look, the suspect was located him.
Albert Thompson, 21, was booked for carjacking after he was turned over to the Sheriff's Department.
DRUGS FOUND IN CAR: CERES - A random traffic stop on Jan. 16 led to the arrest of a 34-year-old Delhi woman on drug charges.
At 11:16 p.m. Officer Joshua Kling stopped a driver in the 3500 block of Mitchell Road with the belief that she was driving under the influence. Marisa Gonzalez was taken into custody for DUI and illegally possessing Vicodin and other pills.
CAR STUCK IN FIELD: CERES - Police arrested a driver they believe was intoxicated as he got his vehicle stuck in a dirt field on the west side.
The arrest came at 9:57 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 19. Police dispatchers received a call about a vehicle that crashed near the Union Pacific Railroad tracks off of Whitmore Avenue. Police arrived and found that the driver moved on and got stuck in a dirt field near McDonalds at Morgan and Whitmore.
Officers found Rafael Lopez, 33, of Ceres, near the car, which sustained a flat front tire. Lopez was arrested on charges of DUI and being an unlicensed driver.
AUTO THEFT SUSPECT ARRESTED: CERES - Suspicious behavior led Officer Dan Fairchilds to make an auto theft arrest on Saturday, Jan. 17 in the 3900 block of Collins Road.
Fairchilds was patrolling at 1:34 a.m. and noticed a man slump down in a 1994 GMC pickup he was passing. His suspicions led him to run the license plate number into the statewide system and it came back as being stolen the day before in Sheriff's Department jurisdiction.
Driver Michael Colin, 37, of Modesto, was arrested for auto theft, possession of stolen property, petty theft with a prior, and violating the terms of his parole.
Passenger Shaina Culpepper, 22, of San Francisco, was charged with possession of stolen property.
MOTORCYCLE FOR PLAY STATION: CERES - A plot to steal a motorcycle and then trade it for PlayStation equipment put 18-year-old Richard Werton behind bars on Jan. 15.
According to police, Werton took a motorcycle on Jan. 13 belonging to a relative in the 2600 block of Standford Avenue. Deputy Police Chief Mike Borges said that Werton made a trade of property with another person. Two days after the alleged theft two acquaintances of Werton's went to retrieve the stolen property in the 2500 block of Ninth Street.
Police got involved and at 3:48 p.m. they arrested Werton. He was charged with possession of stolen property. The district attorney's office added an auto theft charge.
SCHOOLS LOCKED DOWN AS SUSPECT ESCAPES: CERES - Both Ceres High School and Caswell Elementary School were locked down on Wednesday, Jan. 21 as police scurried to locate a criminal suspect. The suspect got away and the lockdown lasted only 30 minutes, said Deputy Chief of Police Mike Borges.
At 11:29 a.m. Officer Jason Brock was sent to the 1800 block of Weathervane Lane after someone reported a suspicious man going door to door. Borges said the area has been experiencing a series of auto burglaries where windows have been smashed. Brock spotted a suspect in the area of Southlawn and Evans who was carrying a river rock. Officer Brock stopped to search the suspect and found that he had .22-caliber bullets in his pocket at which time the teen bolted southbound. Brock deployed his Taser gun but it had no effect. The officer struck the suspect with a baton but he continue to run and he jumped over fences. Police set up a perimeter around the area that included Richland/Evans, down to the former hospital site.
A lockdown was also put into effect at the Ceres Community School at the former Memorial Hospital Ceres site. A Sheriff's Department helicopter was called in to help locate the suspect to no avail.
The suspect, who was described as an Hispanic boy around the age of 15 or 16 with a brown puffy jacket and black pants, either hid or got away.
Borges said the lockdowns were lifted at 11:51 a.m. and were probably of an "overly cautious nature." The action prompted a flurry of calls and texts from scared students and parents.
MAN ASSAULTS DAD: CERES - A 26-year-old son was arrested Saturday after he shook his 60-year-old dad and threw him on the floor when he declined to give him $20, possibly for drugs.
Police arrested the man in the 1400 block of Vlach Way at 8:50 a.m. The two had argued earlier about money, the physically disabled father saying he wouldn't give him any money with which to go buy drugs. When he said no, his son allegedly shook his father and threw him down, hitting his head on the couch.
The suspect was charged with assaulting an elder and violating the terms of his violation.
RASH OF HONDA THEFTS: CERES - Police took a number of stolen Honda reports Saturday evening.
The first report was taken at 10:18 p.m. in the 3000 block of Glenpark Way. It was recovered a block away.
At 11:06 p.m. someone in the 3600 block of Macademia reported a stolen 1997 Honda Accord.
At 12:42 a.m. Sunday a third report was taken regarding a stolen 1997 Honda at 1625 Richland Avenue.
The last report was taken at 12:58 a.m. in the 1300 block of Richland Avenue.
No suspects in the Honda thefts had been arrested as of press time. However, Officer Josh Klinge spotted a stolen 1997 Mitsubishi at Roeding and Sixth and made an arrest when the driver stopped it in the 3400 block of Dirk Court. When he made the 11:42 p.m. arrest of Anthony Conley-Mackey, 21, of Ceres, the suspect said it was his girlfriend's car. The victim told police that she is an ex-girlfriend of the suspect.
The vehicle had been stolen about seven hours earlier in the area of Fifth and Whitmore.
Conley was charged with auto theft, being under the influence of a controlled substance, and possession of stolen property.
The SCU executed a search warrant on Wednesday, Jan. 21 in the 1600 block of Daisy tree after receiving tips from neighbors about possible drug sales at the residence. Police were also led to the home after tracing a suspect involved in forgery case in which he was accessing someone else's checking account.
At 5:30 p.m. police popped in and found evidence of drug sales, various types of narcotics and a sawed-off shotgun and ammunition. The forgery suspect was not at home.
Arrested were:
• Eric Branham, 31, of Modesto, charged with unlawful possession of controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance for sale, and being an ex-felon in possession of a firearm.
• Kimberly Johnson, 25, of Modesto, charged with being an ex-felon in possession of a firearm.
• Sabrina Bench, 27, of Ceres, charged with possession of a controlled substance, and possession of a narcotic controlled substance.
"This was a heck of a job by our Street Crimes Unit guys and our detectives," said Deputy Chief of Police Mike Borges.
CARJACKING SUSPECT ARRESTED: CERES - The victim of a December carjacking could hardly believe it when he spotted the suspect walking down the street on Jan. 17. At 2:21 p.m. the 30-year-old victim called police to have him arrested. A perimeter was set up in the area of Magnolia and Ninth streets to find the suspect. Not able to find him after a search, police left empty-handed. But at 4:35 p.m. when Sgt. Danny Vierra went back to have a look, the suspect was located him.
Albert Thompson, 21, was booked for carjacking after he was turned over to the Sheriff's Department.
DRUGS FOUND IN CAR: CERES - A random traffic stop on Jan. 16 led to the arrest of a 34-year-old Delhi woman on drug charges.
At 11:16 p.m. Officer Joshua Kling stopped a driver in the 3500 block of Mitchell Road with the belief that she was driving under the influence. Marisa Gonzalez was taken into custody for DUI and illegally possessing Vicodin and other pills.
CAR STUCK IN FIELD: CERES - Police arrested a driver they believe was intoxicated as he got his vehicle stuck in a dirt field on the west side.
The arrest came at 9:57 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 19. Police dispatchers received a call about a vehicle that crashed near the Union Pacific Railroad tracks off of Whitmore Avenue. Police arrived and found that the driver moved on and got stuck in a dirt field near McDonalds at Morgan and Whitmore.
Officers found Rafael Lopez, 33, of Ceres, near the car, which sustained a flat front tire. Lopez was arrested on charges of DUI and being an unlicensed driver.
AUTO THEFT SUSPECT ARRESTED: CERES - Suspicious behavior led Officer Dan Fairchilds to make an auto theft arrest on Saturday, Jan. 17 in the 3900 block of Collins Road.
Fairchilds was patrolling at 1:34 a.m. and noticed a man slump down in a 1994 GMC pickup he was passing. His suspicions led him to run the license plate number into the statewide system and it came back as being stolen the day before in Sheriff's Department jurisdiction.
Driver Michael Colin, 37, of Modesto, was arrested for auto theft, possession of stolen property, petty theft with a prior, and violating the terms of his parole.
Passenger Shaina Culpepper, 22, of San Francisco, was charged with possession of stolen property.
MOTORCYCLE FOR PLAY STATION: CERES - A plot to steal a motorcycle and then trade it for PlayStation equipment put 18-year-old Richard Werton behind bars on Jan. 15.
According to police, Werton took a motorcycle on Jan. 13 belonging to a relative in the 2600 block of Standford Avenue. Deputy Police Chief Mike Borges said that Werton made a trade of property with another person. Two days after the alleged theft two acquaintances of Werton's went to retrieve the stolen property in the 2500 block of Ninth Street.
Police got involved and at 3:48 p.m. they arrested Werton. He was charged with possession of stolen property. The district attorney's office added an auto theft charge.
SCHOOLS LOCKED DOWN AS SUSPECT ESCAPES: CERES - Both Ceres High School and Caswell Elementary School were locked down on Wednesday, Jan. 21 as police scurried to locate a criminal suspect. The suspect got away and the lockdown lasted only 30 minutes, said Deputy Chief of Police Mike Borges.
At 11:29 a.m. Officer Jason Brock was sent to the 1800 block of Weathervane Lane after someone reported a suspicious man going door to door. Borges said the area has been experiencing a series of auto burglaries where windows have been smashed. Brock spotted a suspect in the area of Southlawn and Evans who was carrying a river rock. Officer Brock stopped to search the suspect and found that he had .22-caliber bullets in his pocket at which time the teen bolted southbound. Brock deployed his Taser gun but it had no effect. The officer struck the suspect with a baton but he continue to run and he jumped over fences. Police set up a perimeter around the area that included Richland/Evans, down to the former hospital site.
A lockdown was also put into effect at the Ceres Community School at the former Memorial Hospital Ceres site. A Sheriff's Department helicopter was called in to help locate the suspect to no avail.
The suspect, who was described as an Hispanic boy around the age of 15 or 16 with a brown puffy jacket and black pants, either hid or got away.
Borges said the lockdowns were lifted at 11:51 a.m. and were probably of an "overly cautious nature." The action prompted a flurry of calls and texts from scared students and parents.
MAN ASSAULTS DAD: CERES - A 26-year-old son was arrested Saturday after he shook his 60-year-old dad and threw him on the floor when he declined to give him $20, possibly for drugs.
Police arrested the man in the 1400 block of Vlach Way at 8:50 a.m. The two had argued earlier about money, the physically disabled father saying he wouldn't give him any money with which to go buy drugs. When he said no, his son allegedly shook his father and threw him down, hitting his head on the couch.
The suspect was charged with assaulting an elder and violating the terms of his violation.
RASH OF HONDA THEFTS: CERES - Police took a number of stolen Honda reports Saturday evening.
The first report was taken at 10:18 p.m. in the 3000 block of Glenpark Way. It was recovered a block away.
At 11:06 p.m. someone in the 3600 block of Macademia reported a stolen 1997 Honda Accord.
At 12:42 a.m. Sunday a third report was taken regarding a stolen 1997 Honda at 1625 Richland Avenue.
The last report was taken at 12:58 a.m. in the 1300 block of Richland Avenue.
No suspects in the Honda thefts had been arrested as of press time. However, Officer Josh Klinge spotted a stolen 1997 Mitsubishi at Roeding and Sixth and made an arrest when the driver stopped it in the 3400 block of Dirk Court. When he made the 11:42 p.m. arrest of Anthony Conley-Mackey, 21, of Ceres, the suspect said it was his girlfriend's car. The victim told police that she is an ex-girlfriend of the suspect.
The vehicle had been stolen about seven hours earlier in the area of Fifth and Whitmore.
Conley was charged with auto theft, being under the influence of a controlled substance, and possession of stolen property.
