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CRIME DIGEST
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ROBBERY LEADS TO TWO ARRESTS: MODESTO - A Ceres man was one of two suspects arrested Monday night, July 1 on suspicion of robbing a Modesto gas station.

David Moreno, 19, of Ceres, and Monica Santana, 19, of Modesto, were arrested after the Shell station in the 1400 block of Coffee Road near Orangeburg Avenue was robbed. The crime took place at 8:50 p.m. after two men drove up in a red Honda Civic. A black bandana concealed the face of the man who walked into the store and demanded money, then went behind the counter and grabbed a cash box.

Modesto Police Sgt. Craig Gundlach said the robber didn't use a weapon.

Witnesses said they saw the suspects in the 1500 block of El Pueblo Drive, took money from the box and abandoned the box. Police stopped a red Honda matching the description of the robbers' vehicle near Rose and Briggsmore avenues. The stolen cash was located inside the Honda by officers.

HIT & RUN DRIVER ARRESTED: CERES - After allegedly driving recklessly at high rates of speed and hitting a vehicle, Andy Holson, 28, of Ceres, was arrested Saturday, July 2. Holson was arrested in the 2600 block of Casa Verde and charged with hit and run, driving under the influence and resisting arrest.

Police dispatchers were called at 7:03 p.m. by a driver who had been hit by Holson and who was following the suspect. The crash occurred in the area of Tenth and Whitmore. Other callers reported Holson speeding and driving up on curbs.

SHOTS FIRED NEAR TUOLUMNE SCHOOL: SOUTH MODESTO - Stanislaus County Sheriff's officials said nobody was hurt when someone fired a gun from a moving vehicle near Tuolumne Elementary School on Herndon Road north of Ceres.

The shooting took place near the west end of school at approximately 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 1. Deputies found five .45-caliber shells in an alley adjacent to a home.

Investigators are unsure if the shots were intended to hit eight people seen walking and carrying baseball bats and crowbars. Some of the bullets were found embedded in a telephone pole.

The shots were fired from a black Suburban carrying three men.

Anyone with information on the shooting is urged to call the Sheriff's Department or to call CrimeStoppers at 521-4636.

ARSON AT CENTRAL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL: CERES - Police would like to find the two young men who were seen leaving Central Valley High School after setting a fire on Friday, July 4.

Witnesses said two male juveniles aged 16 to 20 years of age were seen running from the school with gasoline cans in hand at 11:02 a.m. The suspects apparently poured gas on the outside of the School Resource Officer's office at the southwest corner of the school's administration building and set at on fire. The fire caused minor damage to the exterior of the stucco and brick exterior and burned some bark and plants.

A surveillance video camera captured images of the suspects, which are being enhanced to help make an identification.

BURGLARY SUSPECT ARRESTED: CERES - A 30-year-old Modesto man was arrested by Ceres police on Tuesday, July 1 for committing several burglaries of laundry businesses. Elmer Savage was arrested at 5:56 p.m. after officers served a search warrant at his residence.

ARSON PLAY LANDS YOUTH IN TROUBLE: CERES - Three Ceres juveniles were cited into the juvenile justice system Tuesday evening, July 1 after they were found setting small fires near River Tree Lane and Peter John Way. Deputy Chief of Police Mike Borges said the three kids were setting fires in piles of twigs and debris in a small vacant lot at 6 p.m.

ATTEMPTED BURGLARY: CERES - A Ceres parolee was arrested Monday, June 30 after he was seen attempting to break into a vehicle in the 2000 block of Venus Drive.

At approximately 8:30 p.m., officer Josh Kling observed Tommy Taylor, 29, standing near a vehicle acting suspiciously. At that moment, Taylor took off running and dashed into a house. He was arrested and charged with violating the terms of his parole, possession of a controlled substance, resisting arrest, possession of burglary tools, and trespassing.

RECKLESS DRIVER ARRESTED: CERES - A Ceres patrol unit was damaged during a Sunday, June 29 pursuit of reckless drivers.

At 12:40 a.m., officer John King saw two vehicles traveling at a high rate of speed on westbound Whitmore Avenue from Sixth Street. Initially the officer thought the two were racing but noted that one of the drivers was chasing the other. King pursued both vehicles. Near the Whitmore overpass, both vehicles made U-turns, causing motorist Mario Valermo to be cut off from the opposite direction. Officer King struck Valermo's vehicle, causing minor damage.

Jose Manriquez, 37, of Ceres, was stopped at Mitchell and Fowler and arrested for reckless driving and other vehicle code violations. Deputy Chief of Police Mike Borges said Manriquez was allegedly chasing his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend.

GUN DRAWN IN SMYRNA PARK: CERES - Two men were arrested June 27 after they attempted to engage people into fighting at locations in Ceres.

At 9:30 p.m. officers received a call from a woman saying that a suspect had just pointed a gun at her boyfriend and her as they sat in Smyrna Park. The woman said the suspects drove off, going back and forth near the park. Officer Lorenzo Beltran spotted the black Chevy pickup at Moffet and Parkway. One of the subjects had an empty holster on his right hip. Inside the car a .45-caliber handgun and loaded magazine was located.

Deputy Chief of Police Mike Borges said that Angel Montes, 22, of Tracy, Salvador Puga, 23, of Ceres, and a 14-year-old Las Vegas boy were driving around Ceres to see if someone would spar with the boy because the teen boxes in his spare time. The trio confronted customers in the Wal-Mart parking lot but nobody called police, he said. They then drove to Smyrna Park where they confronted a couple. Montes allegedly pushed the male in an attempt to get him to fight and then pulled out a gun and pointed it at his chest at close range. Montes also pointed the gun at the woman and said he was going to rape her, said Borges. Montes then reportedly told the male victim that he would fight him without a gun and handed the gun to the 14-year-old. No fight occurred so the trio took off northbound on Moffet until they spotted three males wearing red colors walking down the street. That's when Beltran caught up with the suspects.

Montes was arrested for criminal threats of violence, assault with a deadly weapon, criminal conspiracy, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Police are seeking street gang enhancement charges.

Puga, 23 was arrested for carrying a concealed weapon while driving and criminal conspiracy.

The 14-year-old was released.

"Actually it was a good job by the officers that night because they probably diverted a shooting by finding these clowns," said Borges.

WOMAN REPORTS ROBBERY: CERES - Police are searching for two Hispanic males who robbed a woman between South Modesto and Ceres on June 28.

At 5:10 p.m. the victim flagged down a bystander at Central and Nadine saying she had just been robbed. The bystander called police. The woman told officers that she was at a South Ninth Street motel and two Hispanic males showed up whom she didn't know, looking to buy drugs. After she told them that she didn't know anything about drugs, she asked them for a ride to McDonalds on Hatch Road. She got into their vehicle and somewhere on Nadine they pulled over and pulled out a knife and robbed her. She jumped out of the vehicle and they took off westbound on Nadine.

The only description of the car is that it was a four-door. One suspect was described as light complexed with blue eyes, wearing a white shirt. The other man was bald headed with a tatooed neck and wearing a black shirt.

Suspect tips may be phoned into Ceres Police Detectives Bureau at 538-5727.