• CAR LOT VEHICLES VANDALIZED: CERES - Police said 32 cars on two Mitchell Road car sales lots were damaged by vandals early Friday morning, March 23.
The damage was discovered and reported at around 9 a.m. at the 5 Star and Blue Diamond car lots on Mitchell Road. The vehicles sustained broken glass or paint job damage from being "keyed." Police believe a baseball bat was used to break the windows.
• BUSINESSES BROKE INTO: CERES - Two businesses in the shopping center at the southeast corner of Mitchell and Service roads were broken into and vandalized on Monday evening.
Windows on the south side of Valley Pizza Zone were smashed and intruders gained entry by forcing open a lock. Once inside power was shut off to the building.
The Blue Horse Saloon was then entered through a smashed window. Money was reportedly taken from the business.
• BUSINESS RANSACKED: CERES - A suspect "barely got away" from police yesterday morning after breaking into the Rent-A-Center on Whitmore Avenue, said Lt. Brent Smith.
Someone entered the business by knocking a hole in the wall from an adjacent vacant building space. Once inside the thief or thieves began ransacking the business in a search for valuables. Police found cash dropped near the exit hole.
• HOME ON QUILLINGS INVADED: CERES - A 59-year-old Ceres woman was assaulted in an attempted home invasion robbery in the 2300 block of Quillings Court late Sunday evening.
The victim's 57-year-old husband had just home to run an errand to the store when at 9:44 p.m. the door bell rang. The woman answered to find a tall dark-skinned male stranger at the door. When she started closing the door on the stranger, he pushed it in and knocked her to ground. He struck her in the head, possibly with a black handgun he was toting. The suspect then began talking to another male who then stepped inside the house.
A struggle ensued between the victim and first suspect, causing the suspect's handgun to be fired into the wall and stopped by the dishwasher. The gunshot caused the suspects to flee the home without taking a single item.
Police arrived and investigated the crime and found evidence of a struggle that included blood on the wall and a chair with broken legs. Officer Jon Vera found a roll of tape that the suspects intended to use to tie up to the woman.
The woman was transported to Doctors Medical Center for treatment of her injuries.
Lt. Brent Smith said the suspects were probably profiling the mature residents living off of Payne Avenue.
Anyone who may have information on the suspects are urged to call Ceres detective at 538-5727.
•AUTO THEFT STOPPED: CERES - A 32-year-old Farmington man was arrested early Monday after he was observed breaking into a vehicle on the sales lot of AZ Auto Sales, 2304 Mitchell Road.
Officer Brittany England rolled by the lot at 1 p.m. and observed Tony Rocha milling around a silver 2003 Jeep Wrangler. When she stopped to investigate, Rocha ran onto Dale Court where he tried hiding behind a truck. With Sgt. Pat Crane she helped take Rocha down at gunpoint and brought him back to the lot. The Jeep had been broken into through a vinyl top cut which had been slashed open. The ignition tumbler had been removed and was lying on the floor, along with a screwdriver and Rocha's wallet and ID.
Rocha admitted trying to steal the Jeep and taking a battery from another vehicle in order to jump start the Jeep.
In a search of the area, Officer Josh Kling found a stolen white 1995 Chevy Cavalier in the Del Taco parking lot. Rocha arrived in the Chevy, which had been stolen out of Turlock, and walked to the nearby car lot.
Rocha was arrested on charges of attempted auto theft, possession of a stolen vehicle, trespassing and delaying or obstructing an officer.
• STUDENT ARRESTED: CERES - Argus High School was placed on lockdown Friday morning after a disturbed 17-year-old student produced a knife in the school office and uttered threats.
The student was also found with a dead cat in his backpack which he claimed he killed.
The boy went to the office at 8 a.m. and requested to see a counselor. He then pulled a knife out while uttered strange statements to the counselor and making threatening statements.
The boy was arrested without incident when police arrived. He is expected to be charged with cruelty to animals, making terrorist threats, burglary, and assault with a deadly weapon.
The damage was discovered and reported at around 9 a.m. at the 5 Star and Blue Diamond car lots on Mitchell Road. The vehicles sustained broken glass or paint job damage from being "keyed." Police believe a baseball bat was used to break the windows.
• BUSINESSES BROKE INTO: CERES - Two businesses in the shopping center at the southeast corner of Mitchell and Service roads were broken into and vandalized on Monday evening.
Windows on the south side of Valley Pizza Zone were smashed and intruders gained entry by forcing open a lock. Once inside power was shut off to the building.
The Blue Horse Saloon was then entered through a smashed window. Money was reportedly taken from the business.
• BUSINESS RANSACKED: CERES - A suspect "barely got away" from police yesterday morning after breaking into the Rent-A-Center on Whitmore Avenue, said Lt. Brent Smith.
Someone entered the business by knocking a hole in the wall from an adjacent vacant building space. Once inside the thief or thieves began ransacking the business in a search for valuables. Police found cash dropped near the exit hole.
• HOME ON QUILLINGS INVADED: CERES - A 59-year-old Ceres woman was assaulted in an attempted home invasion robbery in the 2300 block of Quillings Court late Sunday evening.
The victim's 57-year-old husband had just home to run an errand to the store when at 9:44 p.m. the door bell rang. The woman answered to find a tall dark-skinned male stranger at the door. When she started closing the door on the stranger, he pushed it in and knocked her to ground. He struck her in the head, possibly with a black handgun he was toting. The suspect then began talking to another male who then stepped inside the house.
A struggle ensued between the victim and first suspect, causing the suspect's handgun to be fired into the wall and stopped by the dishwasher. The gunshot caused the suspects to flee the home without taking a single item.
Police arrived and investigated the crime and found evidence of a struggle that included blood on the wall and a chair with broken legs. Officer Jon Vera found a roll of tape that the suspects intended to use to tie up to the woman.
The woman was transported to Doctors Medical Center for treatment of her injuries.
Lt. Brent Smith said the suspects were probably profiling the mature residents living off of Payne Avenue.
Anyone who may have information on the suspects are urged to call Ceres detective at 538-5727.
•AUTO THEFT STOPPED: CERES - A 32-year-old Farmington man was arrested early Monday after he was observed breaking into a vehicle on the sales lot of AZ Auto Sales, 2304 Mitchell Road.
Officer Brittany England rolled by the lot at 1 p.m. and observed Tony Rocha milling around a silver 2003 Jeep Wrangler. When she stopped to investigate, Rocha ran onto Dale Court where he tried hiding behind a truck. With Sgt. Pat Crane she helped take Rocha down at gunpoint and brought him back to the lot. The Jeep had been broken into through a vinyl top cut which had been slashed open. The ignition tumbler had been removed and was lying on the floor, along with a screwdriver and Rocha's wallet and ID.
Rocha admitted trying to steal the Jeep and taking a battery from another vehicle in order to jump start the Jeep.
In a search of the area, Officer Josh Kling found a stolen white 1995 Chevy Cavalier in the Del Taco parking lot. Rocha arrived in the Chevy, which had been stolen out of Turlock, and walked to the nearby car lot.
Rocha was arrested on charges of attempted auto theft, possession of a stolen vehicle, trespassing and delaying or obstructing an officer.
• STUDENT ARRESTED: CERES - Argus High School was placed on lockdown Friday morning after a disturbed 17-year-old student produced a knife in the school office and uttered threats.
The student was also found with a dead cat in his backpack which he claimed he killed.
The boy went to the office at 8 a.m. and requested to see a counselor. He then pulled a knife out while uttered strange statements to the counselor and making threatening statements.
The boy was arrested without incident when police arrived. He is expected to be charged with cruelty to animals, making terrorist threats, burglary, and assault with a deadly weapon.
