• LIGHT POLE TAKEN OUT IN DUI CRASH: CERES - An aluminum light pole was sheered off at the base in the 1600 block of Capital Drive after a driver allegedly fell asleep behind the wheel on Saturday afternoon.
Police said that Amanda Frantz, 30, of Ceres, was under the influence of methadone, a drug used to treat heroin addiction.
Frantz was driving westbound on Ridgeway Drive in a 2001 Acura at 4:20 p.m. when she drove the intersection of Ridgeway and Capital and struck the pole and then continued through a fence and into the corner of a home at 1621 Capital Drive. The pole was destroyed but the house and fence only sustained minor damage.
Frantz was arrested on charges of driving under the influence.
• SUSPECT PUNCHES OFFICER IN FACE: CERES - A homeless man was arrested Wednesday, Sept. 5 after he punched a Ceres police officer in the face during a call for a previous fight.
Dispatchers received a call at 2:16 a.m. about two men fighting in front of the Dollar Tree store on Hatch Road. Officers Brian Ferriera and Jon Vera found only one man. Mark Neto, 53, was acting strangely and yelling and was taken to the front of a patrol car where he punched Vera in the face.
Officers shot Neto with a Taser and struck him numerous times with batons to get control of him. Neto was handcuffed and placed under arrest for assault on a peace officer and delaying and obstructing a peace officer.
Lt. Brent Smith said Neto explained that he was upset because he had been kicked out of his tent by an unknown individual.
Neto was treated at the hospital for wounds before being booked.
• BATON BLOWS SUBDUE FLEEING SUSPECT: CERES - An anonymous tip made on Wednesday, Sept. 5 led to the arrest of Josh Robles, who had Sheriff's Department warrants for domestic violence and making terrorist threats, as well as resisting or delaying an officer.
The 3:12 a.m. tip pinpointed Robles at Whitmore Avenue and Moffet Road. Officers spotted Robles on Fowler Road where he began to run once he saw patrol cars. Officers cornered Robles at 1801 Fowler Road where he failed to obey police commands and had to be subdued by blows from a collapsible baton.
Robles told officers he ran because he had warrants.
• PIZZA ROBBERY FAILS: CERES - Two would-be robbers fled from a Whitmore Avenue pizza restaurant on Sunday after neither could not successfully jump over the counter to gain access to the cash drawer.
Two males in their early 20s walked into Little Caesar Pizza, 2909 Whitmore Ave., at 8:36 p.m. with their faces covered with jackets. One was possibly armed with a short barreled rifle. Lt. Brent Smith said one suspect tried to jump over the counter but tripped over a cash register or computer while another had the same trouble.
"Apparently they were scared off by the fact that they could not make it over," said Lt. Smith.
Police scoured the area for the suspects but did not find them. The suspects were described as Hispanic or one possibly African-American.
• METAL THIEF STRIKE SCHOOL: CERES - Two rooftop air conditioning units were damaged Tuesday, Sept. 4 at Mae Hensley Junior High School by thieves who cut out and helped themselves to copper and aluminum parts.
Ceres Unified School District maintenance director Keith Gibson said the damage on the roof of the 400 Building was estimated to be about $20,000 per unit.
Three weeks ago thieves ruined a HVAC unit at the school.
Police showed up to take a report at 6:43 a.m. but have no information on a suspect.
• DRUGS FOUND ON SUSPECT: CERES - An early Saturday morning stop of a bicyclist resulted in the seizure of drugs found on Richard Rainville, 44, and his arrest.
Street Crimes Unit officer Dirk Newenheis and Carlos Quiroz stopped Rainville at 1:18 a.m. in the 800 block of Bystrum Avenue. Rainville is on probation and may be searched without a warrant. The search turned up 1.5 grams of methamphetamine and 5.6 grams of heroin. He was booked on possession charges.
• JUVENILES ARRESTED FOR TRESPASSING: CERES - Two Ceres teenagers were arrested on Thursday after they were found trespassing in a vacant house in the 1500 block of Bernice Drive.
Officer Brian Peterson responded to a 3:30 p.m. call about three juveniles going into a vacant house. When he arrived he found only two.
A 16-year-old Argus High School student was taken into custody as a runaway and also faces charges of trespassing.
A Ceres girl, also 16, was arrested for trespassing, possession of burglary tools and giving the officer a false name. She also had a warrant for her arrest.
• CAFE DOOR SMASHED: CERES - A 4:18 a.m. alarm went off on Friday after someone smashed the front glass door of My Garden Cafe, corner of Whitmore and Moffet.
Police found nobody inside and were unable to determine if anything was taken. The owners came to secure the business.
Police said that Amanda Frantz, 30, of Ceres, was under the influence of methadone, a drug used to treat heroin addiction.
Frantz was driving westbound on Ridgeway Drive in a 2001 Acura at 4:20 p.m. when she drove the intersection of Ridgeway and Capital and struck the pole and then continued through a fence and into the corner of a home at 1621 Capital Drive. The pole was destroyed but the house and fence only sustained minor damage.
Frantz was arrested on charges of driving under the influence.
• SUSPECT PUNCHES OFFICER IN FACE: CERES - A homeless man was arrested Wednesday, Sept. 5 after he punched a Ceres police officer in the face during a call for a previous fight.
Dispatchers received a call at 2:16 a.m. about two men fighting in front of the Dollar Tree store on Hatch Road. Officers Brian Ferriera and Jon Vera found only one man. Mark Neto, 53, was acting strangely and yelling and was taken to the front of a patrol car where he punched Vera in the face.
Officers shot Neto with a Taser and struck him numerous times with batons to get control of him. Neto was handcuffed and placed under arrest for assault on a peace officer and delaying and obstructing a peace officer.
Lt. Brent Smith said Neto explained that he was upset because he had been kicked out of his tent by an unknown individual.
Neto was treated at the hospital for wounds before being booked.
• BATON BLOWS SUBDUE FLEEING SUSPECT: CERES - An anonymous tip made on Wednesday, Sept. 5 led to the arrest of Josh Robles, who had Sheriff's Department warrants for domestic violence and making terrorist threats, as well as resisting or delaying an officer.
The 3:12 a.m. tip pinpointed Robles at Whitmore Avenue and Moffet Road. Officers spotted Robles on Fowler Road where he began to run once he saw patrol cars. Officers cornered Robles at 1801 Fowler Road where he failed to obey police commands and had to be subdued by blows from a collapsible baton.
Robles told officers he ran because he had warrants.
• PIZZA ROBBERY FAILS: CERES - Two would-be robbers fled from a Whitmore Avenue pizza restaurant on Sunday after neither could not successfully jump over the counter to gain access to the cash drawer.
Two males in their early 20s walked into Little Caesar Pizza, 2909 Whitmore Ave., at 8:36 p.m. with their faces covered with jackets. One was possibly armed with a short barreled rifle. Lt. Brent Smith said one suspect tried to jump over the counter but tripped over a cash register or computer while another had the same trouble.
"Apparently they were scared off by the fact that they could not make it over," said Lt. Smith.
Police scoured the area for the suspects but did not find them. The suspects were described as Hispanic or one possibly African-American.
• METAL THIEF STRIKE SCHOOL: CERES - Two rooftop air conditioning units were damaged Tuesday, Sept. 4 at Mae Hensley Junior High School by thieves who cut out and helped themselves to copper and aluminum parts.
Ceres Unified School District maintenance director Keith Gibson said the damage on the roof of the 400 Building was estimated to be about $20,000 per unit.
Three weeks ago thieves ruined a HVAC unit at the school.
Police showed up to take a report at 6:43 a.m. but have no information on a suspect.
• DRUGS FOUND ON SUSPECT: CERES - An early Saturday morning stop of a bicyclist resulted in the seizure of drugs found on Richard Rainville, 44, and his arrest.
Street Crimes Unit officer Dirk Newenheis and Carlos Quiroz stopped Rainville at 1:18 a.m. in the 800 block of Bystrum Avenue. Rainville is on probation and may be searched without a warrant. The search turned up 1.5 grams of methamphetamine and 5.6 grams of heroin. He was booked on possession charges.
• JUVENILES ARRESTED FOR TRESPASSING: CERES - Two Ceres teenagers were arrested on Thursday after they were found trespassing in a vacant house in the 1500 block of Bernice Drive.
Officer Brian Peterson responded to a 3:30 p.m. call about three juveniles going into a vacant house. When he arrived he found only two.
A 16-year-old Argus High School student was taken into custody as a runaway and also faces charges of trespassing.
A Ceres girl, also 16, was arrested for trespassing, possession of burglary tools and giving the officer a false name. She also had a warrant for her arrest.
• CAFE DOOR SMASHED: CERES - A 4:18 a.m. alarm went off on Friday after someone smashed the front glass door of My Garden Cafe, corner of Whitmore and Moffet.
Police found nobody inside and were unable to determine if anything was taken. The owners came to secure the business.
