YOUTH CHARGED: CERES - Ceres Police arrested several gang-affiliated youth early Thursday morning who were riding around in a stolen vehicle. Officer James Yandell was in the area of Whitmore Avenue and Lilac Court at 12:34 a.m. when he spotted a car with missing license plates. The driver of the car flipped a sudden turn upon seeing the officer and heightened Yandell's suspicions.
Four of the five subjects inside the car were taken in. Yandell recognized one of the boys as a member of the Surreno street gang from past contacts with him.
Francisco Garcia, 20, was arrested on charges of possession of an illegal weapon with gang enhancements. Two boys, aged 16 and 17, were taken into custody as ordered by Child Protective Services.
One of the boys had a screwdriver which he said was for in case of running into a Norteno, said Deputy Chief Borges.
A 17-year-old suspect was charged with possession of an illegal weapon.
Officers said the clothing worn by the five males was consistent with clothing worn by Surreno gang members.
GIRLS ACCOSTED ON WAY TO STORE: CERES - Two teen girls may think twice next time about violating the curfew since a harrowing experience Sunday on a trip to nearby Quik Stop at Service and Morgan roads. The girls, 13 and 14, walked to the store at 1:44 a.m. and were approached by Juan Alcaza, 30. He allegedly offered to buy the girls some booze. He followed the girls on their return back to a residence, grabbing one of the girls by the waist and started to rub her stomach and chest, said Deputy Chief Mike Borges. When they got to the house, they reported the incident to family members who chased Alcaza down and held him.
Alcaza was found in possession of methamphetamine. He was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and annoying / molesting a child.
TEEN HAS LOADED GUN: CERES - 18-year-old Jorge Villegas was arrested around midnight on Tuesday, March 11 after the car he was riding in was pulled over in the 3600 block of Waynesboro.
Officer Vanessa Garcia was making a license check on the car when Officer Joe Wren came up to assist. Wren watched Villegas, a backseat passenger, reach for his waistband to conceal something. After removing the subjects from the car they found a loaded .22 caliber handgun hidden underneath a towel in the car. Villegas was charged with carrying a concealed weapon on his person, and carrying a loaded firearm in a vehicle.
BIZARRE BEHAVIOR EXHIBITED: CERES - Police are searching for a man who assailed a teen in a bizarre incident in the 1600 block of Richland Avenue Friday morning.
A 17-year-old boy said he was approached at 8 a.m. by the odd man, who was wearing plaid red and white pajamas, white T-shirt and brown jacket. The white male, described as being in his 30s, 5-foot-8, 160 pounds with blonde hair, was armed with a large butcher knife and said he had a gun. He asked the boy if he smoked crank and when the kid said "no," the suspect started rambling and asked the boy to go across the street to kill someone or he would be shot. He produced a large kitchen knife. The boy escaped by running across the street where construction was going on. He saw the suspect go into an apartment complex in the block of Richland. Police did not locate the man. Those information on the case are asked to call Ceres Police at 538-5727.
SPIN-OUTS LEAD TO DRUG AREST: CERES - There's nothing like drawing attention to yourself when you're carrying cocaine in your car. That was the case when Angel Valenzuela, 22, decided to spin his tires at Fourth and El Camino on Saturday. Ceres patrol officer Travis Hudson saw the vehicle and tried to stop Valenzuela. The suspect lost control and ended up in a front lawn in the 3000 block of Sixth Street. Valenzuela was found with approximately 30 grams of cocaine in his possession. He faces charges of possession of a controlled substance, transporting an illegal narcotic, possession of illegal drugs for sale and driving under the influence.
TEEN ARSON CASE: CERES - A 12-year-old girl was arrested Tuesday, March 11 for arson after she allegedly attempted to light up a palm tree with a butane lighter in the 2800 block of Fowler.
A witness provided a description of three girls who ran from the 6:23 p.m. incident. As officials were on scene, a grandfather brought the three girls back. The girl responsible was cited, said Deputy Police Chief Mike Borges.
SPOUSAL ABUSE ALLEGED: CERES - Police had to beat down the door of a residence to arrest a man believed to be abusing a female Saturday. Arrested in the 11:23 p.m. incident in the 2700 block of Fowler was Federico Castillo Jr., 26, of Ceres.
Police dispatchers were called by someone who heard a distressed female calling for help in an assault by a man. While offices were enroute they received a second call saying the man was dragging the female into a house by her hair. Officers Joe Wren and Julio Amador arrived and knocked on the suspect's door but he refused to open the door and told police to go away.
When Sgt. Pat Sullivan arrived the three forced entry into the residence to check on the female's welfare. Castillo tried to block the door. He was arrested and booked on charges of spousal abuse, false imprisonment, felony vandalism and resisting arrest.
SUSPECT BOLTS ACROSS FREEWAY IN CHASE: CERES - A 24-year-old Modesto man was arrested after a short police vehicle pursuit and running on foot across the lanes of Highway 99 on Tuesday, March 11.
Officer Yandell spotted a vehicle at 1:02 a.m. in the area of Collins and Don Pedro and learned that the license plates were expired. The vehicle was followed to Service Road where Yandell tried to make a traffic stop. Branham continued on, leading the officer on a chase to Keyes Road, and then on Monte Vista, and Central Avenue. Police terminated the pursuit but Yandell went back to the area. Officer Steve Carvalho picked up the suspect's abandoned vehicle at Hackett and West Avenue. Apparently two suspects had bailed on foot. Police set up a perimeter and spotted Harold Branham, 24, running on the train tracks that parallel Highway 99. Yandell recognized him as the driver of the car. He was arrested at Third and El Camino after charging over fences and running across the freeway.
Branham was arrested for violating the terms of his parole, possession of burglary tools, felony evasion in a pursuit, DUI and resisting arrest.
WINDOWS BASHED IN: CERES - At least 13 vehicle owners were victimized Saturday morning in a window-breaking crime spree reported Ceres Police.
Ceres Deputy Police Chief Mike Borges said that there is no suspect information. Earwitnesses believe that the window breaking took place between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m.
One vehicle sustained over $2,000 damage with multiple windows bashed in.
Borges said that nine of the breakings occurred in the area of Payne, Moffet and Rivercreek while four more occurred on Ambleside, Sanko, and Larrynell.
The suspects may have beat out the windows randomly with a baseball bat, said Borges. The cars which were hit were parked on the street.
Anyone with information on the suspects is urged to call Officer Darren Venn at 538-5700, ext. 5135.
Four of the five subjects inside the car were taken in. Yandell recognized one of the boys as a member of the Surreno street gang from past contacts with him.
Francisco Garcia, 20, was arrested on charges of possession of an illegal weapon with gang enhancements. Two boys, aged 16 and 17, were taken into custody as ordered by Child Protective Services.
One of the boys had a screwdriver which he said was for in case of running into a Norteno, said Deputy Chief Borges.
A 17-year-old suspect was charged with possession of an illegal weapon.
Officers said the clothing worn by the five males was consistent with clothing worn by Surreno gang members.
GIRLS ACCOSTED ON WAY TO STORE: CERES - Two teen girls may think twice next time about violating the curfew since a harrowing experience Sunday on a trip to nearby Quik Stop at Service and Morgan roads. The girls, 13 and 14, walked to the store at 1:44 a.m. and were approached by Juan Alcaza, 30. He allegedly offered to buy the girls some booze. He followed the girls on their return back to a residence, grabbing one of the girls by the waist and started to rub her stomach and chest, said Deputy Chief Mike Borges. When they got to the house, they reported the incident to family members who chased Alcaza down and held him.
Alcaza was found in possession of methamphetamine. He was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and annoying / molesting a child.
TEEN HAS LOADED GUN: CERES - 18-year-old Jorge Villegas was arrested around midnight on Tuesday, March 11 after the car he was riding in was pulled over in the 3600 block of Waynesboro.
Officer Vanessa Garcia was making a license check on the car when Officer Joe Wren came up to assist. Wren watched Villegas, a backseat passenger, reach for his waistband to conceal something. After removing the subjects from the car they found a loaded .22 caliber handgun hidden underneath a towel in the car. Villegas was charged with carrying a concealed weapon on his person, and carrying a loaded firearm in a vehicle.
BIZARRE BEHAVIOR EXHIBITED: CERES - Police are searching for a man who assailed a teen in a bizarre incident in the 1600 block of Richland Avenue Friday morning.
A 17-year-old boy said he was approached at 8 a.m. by the odd man, who was wearing plaid red and white pajamas, white T-shirt and brown jacket. The white male, described as being in his 30s, 5-foot-8, 160 pounds with blonde hair, was armed with a large butcher knife and said he had a gun. He asked the boy if he smoked crank and when the kid said "no," the suspect started rambling and asked the boy to go across the street to kill someone or he would be shot. He produced a large kitchen knife. The boy escaped by running across the street where construction was going on. He saw the suspect go into an apartment complex in the block of Richland. Police did not locate the man. Those information on the case are asked to call Ceres Police at 538-5727.
SPIN-OUTS LEAD TO DRUG AREST: CERES - There's nothing like drawing attention to yourself when you're carrying cocaine in your car. That was the case when Angel Valenzuela, 22, decided to spin his tires at Fourth and El Camino on Saturday. Ceres patrol officer Travis Hudson saw the vehicle and tried to stop Valenzuela. The suspect lost control and ended up in a front lawn in the 3000 block of Sixth Street. Valenzuela was found with approximately 30 grams of cocaine in his possession. He faces charges of possession of a controlled substance, transporting an illegal narcotic, possession of illegal drugs for sale and driving under the influence.
TEEN ARSON CASE: CERES - A 12-year-old girl was arrested Tuesday, March 11 for arson after she allegedly attempted to light up a palm tree with a butane lighter in the 2800 block of Fowler.
A witness provided a description of three girls who ran from the 6:23 p.m. incident. As officials were on scene, a grandfather brought the three girls back. The girl responsible was cited, said Deputy Police Chief Mike Borges.
SPOUSAL ABUSE ALLEGED: CERES - Police had to beat down the door of a residence to arrest a man believed to be abusing a female Saturday. Arrested in the 11:23 p.m. incident in the 2700 block of Fowler was Federico Castillo Jr., 26, of Ceres.
Police dispatchers were called by someone who heard a distressed female calling for help in an assault by a man. While offices were enroute they received a second call saying the man was dragging the female into a house by her hair. Officers Joe Wren and Julio Amador arrived and knocked on the suspect's door but he refused to open the door and told police to go away.
When Sgt. Pat Sullivan arrived the three forced entry into the residence to check on the female's welfare. Castillo tried to block the door. He was arrested and booked on charges of spousal abuse, false imprisonment, felony vandalism and resisting arrest.
SUSPECT BOLTS ACROSS FREEWAY IN CHASE: CERES - A 24-year-old Modesto man was arrested after a short police vehicle pursuit and running on foot across the lanes of Highway 99 on Tuesday, March 11.
Officer Yandell spotted a vehicle at 1:02 a.m. in the area of Collins and Don Pedro and learned that the license plates were expired. The vehicle was followed to Service Road where Yandell tried to make a traffic stop. Branham continued on, leading the officer on a chase to Keyes Road, and then on Monte Vista, and Central Avenue. Police terminated the pursuit but Yandell went back to the area. Officer Steve Carvalho picked up the suspect's abandoned vehicle at Hackett and West Avenue. Apparently two suspects had bailed on foot. Police set up a perimeter and spotted Harold Branham, 24, running on the train tracks that parallel Highway 99. Yandell recognized him as the driver of the car. He was arrested at Third and El Camino after charging over fences and running across the freeway.
Branham was arrested for violating the terms of his parole, possession of burglary tools, felony evasion in a pursuit, DUI and resisting arrest.
WINDOWS BASHED IN: CERES - At least 13 vehicle owners were victimized Saturday morning in a window-breaking crime spree reported Ceres Police.
Ceres Deputy Police Chief Mike Borges said that there is no suspect information. Earwitnesses believe that the window breaking took place between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m.
One vehicle sustained over $2,000 damage with multiple windows bashed in.
Borges said that nine of the breakings occurred in the area of Payne, Moffet and Rivercreek while four more occurred on Ambleside, Sanko, and Larrynell.
The suspects may have beat out the windows randomly with a baseball bat, said Borges. The cars which were hit were parked on the street.
Anyone with information on the suspects is urged to call Officer Darren Venn at 538-5700, ext. 5135.
