• SHORT PURSUIT ENDS IN ARREST: CERES - A stolen pickup was retrieved by Ceres police after its driver led officers on a chase that lasted several minutes on Friday evening.
The owner had reported his 2006 Ford F-350 pickup stolen in Modesto on Dec. 27. He spotted his pickup being driven in the area of Richland Avenue and Evans Road and decided to follow it while giving 9-1-1 dispatchers a call at 7:54 p.m.
Police officer Coey Henson found the pickup in the area of Caswell Avenue and Fifth Street but the driver refused to pull over. The pursuit lasted a few minutes and went on Caswell Avenue, Acorn Lane, Wallace Avenue, Vaughn Street, and through Berry Grove Park. Officer Henson made a pit maneuver to stop the pickup, which caused a tire to blow out and vehicle spin-out at Caswell and Central avenues. Driver Christopher Garcia, 42, of Modesto, was arrested and charged with leading police on a pursuit, resisting arrest, possession of stolen property, and a parole violation.
Passenger Aaron Groomes, 35, of Empire, tried to run away but was apprehended and arrested for possession of stolen property, resisting or delaying police, and a parole violation.
Both the police cruiser and the stolen pickup sustained some damage in the chase.
• WOMAN STRUCK IN THE FACE: CERES - Leonardo Lara, 32, of Ceres, was arrested and charged with domestic violence after alleging punching his girlfriend in the face.
Ceres police were called at 2:30 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 31 to a home in the 2200 block of Lunar Drive. A woman reported that she was battered by Lara and knocked unconscious. She sustained a cut near her eye which required stitches at a local hospital.
Lara fled the house but was apprehended about 30 minutes later on Boothe Road. He had left the house with 18 beers and his pit bull.
Lara was charged with felony domestic violence and violating the terms of his parole. His dog was impounded.
• CAR SLAMS INTO PARKED CAR, HOUSE: CERES - A parked vehicle and a neighboring house were struck New Year's Day by a driver who fled the scene.
The crash occurred at 7 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 1 when a driver lost control of a stolen car on a curve and careened into 2544 River Road, shoving a parked 1999 Saturn SL1 into the garage door and then sliding into the neighboring house at 2542 River Road.
The stolen car was a 1997 Acura ATL taken from a Modesto owner.
Police have no suspect information.
• ASSAULT REPORTED: CERES - An attempt to retrieve his stolen bicycle from a suspect resulted in a beating and wounding of the bike's owner on Thursday.
The Ceres man said he was in the 1900 block of Hackett Road at 5 p.m. when he spotted his bike which had been previously stolen. He confronted a person at the door of the home where the bike was spotted and an argument escalated into a fight. Others came out of the house to fight the victim. The reporting party said one suspect was armed with a knife and the other a bat. The victim sustained a fist punch to his eye and wounds on his forearms as he fended off blows.
The subjects scattered before police arrived.
• ARREST AFTER PREGNANT WOMAN ASSAULTED: CERES - A man faces charges of assault with a deadly weapon after he allegedly kicked a 25-year-old pregnant woman in the stomach during an argument over a vehicle.
The incident occurred at 10:55 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 2 in the 2700 block of Whitmore Avenue. Detective Dan Fairchild later spotted suspect Johnny Palacio, 53, of Modesto, at Sixth and Lawrence streets, and he took off running, leaping over fences and into backyards in an attempt to get away. Police set up a perimeter to capture Palacio. He later surrendered to face a felony charge.
• MARIJUANA GROW FOUND: CERES - A sophisticated indoor marijuana growing operation was discovered in the 2500 block of Fiesta Court by police on Thursday, Dec. 29.
Police were called at 7:30 p.m. for a security check on the house since the front door was open. Police entered the house and spotted a multitude of pot plants.
A search warrant was obtained to seize the plants.
• DUI ARREST IN PARK: CERES - Robert Chandler, 51, of Ceres, was arrested for drunk driving Monday afternoon after he backed into his own mobile home unit inside the Las Casitas Mobilehome Park in the 2800 block of Fowler Road.
The incident occurred at 1:30 p.m., at space #98, prompting another park resident to call 9-1-1. Police found Chandler and administered a breathalyzer test which showed a 0.30 blood alcohol content level, over three times the legal limit of 0.08.
The owner had reported his 2006 Ford F-350 pickup stolen in Modesto on Dec. 27. He spotted his pickup being driven in the area of Richland Avenue and Evans Road and decided to follow it while giving 9-1-1 dispatchers a call at 7:54 p.m.
Police officer Coey Henson found the pickup in the area of Caswell Avenue and Fifth Street but the driver refused to pull over. The pursuit lasted a few minutes and went on Caswell Avenue, Acorn Lane, Wallace Avenue, Vaughn Street, and through Berry Grove Park. Officer Henson made a pit maneuver to stop the pickup, which caused a tire to blow out and vehicle spin-out at Caswell and Central avenues. Driver Christopher Garcia, 42, of Modesto, was arrested and charged with leading police on a pursuit, resisting arrest, possession of stolen property, and a parole violation.
Passenger Aaron Groomes, 35, of Empire, tried to run away but was apprehended and arrested for possession of stolen property, resisting or delaying police, and a parole violation.
Both the police cruiser and the stolen pickup sustained some damage in the chase.
• WOMAN STRUCK IN THE FACE: CERES - Leonardo Lara, 32, of Ceres, was arrested and charged with domestic violence after alleging punching his girlfriend in the face.
Ceres police were called at 2:30 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 31 to a home in the 2200 block of Lunar Drive. A woman reported that she was battered by Lara and knocked unconscious. She sustained a cut near her eye which required stitches at a local hospital.
Lara fled the house but was apprehended about 30 minutes later on Boothe Road. He had left the house with 18 beers and his pit bull.
Lara was charged with felony domestic violence and violating the terms of his parole. His dog was impounded.
• CAR SLAMS INTO PARKED CAR, HOUSE: CERES - A parked vehicle and a neighboring house were struck New Year's Day by a driver who fled the scene.
The crash occurred at 7 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 1 when a driver lost control of a stolen car on a curve and careened into 2544 River Road, shoving a parked 1999 Saturn SL1 into the garage door and then sliding into the neighboring house at 2542 River Road.
The stolen car was a 1997 Acura ATL taken from a Modesto owner.
Police have no suspect information.
• ASSAULT REPORTED: CERES - An attempt to retrieve his stolen bicycle from a suspect resulted in a beating and wounding of the bike's owner on Thursday.
The Ceres man said he was in the 1900 block of Hackett Road at 5 p.m. when he spotted his bike which had been previously stolen. He confronted a person at the door of the home where the bike was spotted and an argument escalated into a fight. Others came out of the house to fight the victim. The reporting party said one suspect was armed with a knife and the other a bat. The victim sustained a fist punch to his eye and wounds on his forearms as he fended off blows.
The subjects scattered before police arrived.
• ARREST AFTER PREGNANT WOMAN ASSAULTED: CERES - A man faces charges of assault with a deadly weapon after he allegedly kicked a 25-year-old pregnant woman in the stomach during an argument over a vehicle.
The incident occurred at 10:55 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 2 in the 2700 block of Whitmore Avenue. Detective Dan Fairchild later spotted suspect Johnny Palacio, 53, of Modesto, at Sixth and Lawrence streets, and he took off running, leaping over fences and into backyards in an attempt to get away. Police set up a perimeter to capture Palacio. He later surrendered to face a felony charge.
• MARIJUANA GROW FOUND: CERES - A sophisticated indoor marijuana growing operation was discovered in the 2500 block of Fiesta Court by police on Thursday, Dec. 29.
Police were called at 7:30 p.m. for a security check on the house since the front door was open. Police entered the house and spotted a multitude of pot plants.
A search warrant was obtained to seize the plants.
• DUI ARREST IN PARK: CERES - Robert Chandler, 51, of Ceres, was arrested for drunk driving Monday afternoon after he backed into his own mobile home unit inside the Las Casitas Mobilehome Park in the 2800 block of Fowler Road.
The incident occurred at 1:30 p.m., at space #98, prompting another park resident to call 9-1-1. Police found Chandler and administered a breathalyzer test which showed a 0.30 blood alcohol content level, over three times the legal limit of 0.08.
