• CHASE ENDS IN CERES: CERES - Three persons were arrested for the negligent firing of a rifle from a van that prompted a pursuit that ended in Ceres.
The shots were fired near Parklawn Park in northwest Modesto at approximately 3:30 p.m. on Saturday. A witnesses told Sheriff's deputies that men fired a gun from a white van. A citizen decided to follow the van while phoning in tips on the vehicle and direction of travel. When a deputy located the van its driver accelerated onto Highway 99. The chase ended when the driver stopped on southbound Highway 99 near the Pine Street overcrossing, and two occupants fled on foot. Ceres police assisted in apprehending the men, one captured at Industrial and Hemlock. The second managed to escape.
Two other suspects who were in the van during the shooting showed up at the scene of the crime and were arrested.
• CRASH TAKES BIZARRE TWIST: CERES - Details were sketchy about a Sunday solo rollover crash on Highway 99 in which the occupants fled but later turned up at a fast food place to report the crashed vehicle as stolen.
Ceres Police reported assisting the California Highway Patrol in the 4:57 a.m. crash at Highway 99 at Mitchell Road. The occupants fled the scene. Ceres patrol officers Freddie Ortiz and Coey Henson located the driver and passenger at Flip'n Burger attempting to use a phone to try to report the wrecked car as stolen.
• BURGLARY SUSPECT GETS AWAY: CERES - A residential burglary suspect managed to flee from a home where the resident interrupted a burglary.
The resident of the 1200 block of Aristocrat Drive came home at 8:30 a.m. on Dec. 6 and found a window ajar but walked inside only to hear noises. He grabbed a knife and began to look through the house when he heard a scream coming from the neighbor's yard. Apparently the suspect had bolted from the first home and jumped the fence to get away.
Police were unable to find the intruder. He was described as a Hispanic male in his late 20s, with dark hair, thick mustache, wearing a blue jacket and Dickie jeans.
• NIGHT FOR STEALING HONDAS: CERES - Four vehicles, were reported stolen on Dec. 6, three being 1990s Hondas, a highly targeted car for thieves.
A 1990 Honda Civic was stolen from the 1700 block of Richland Avenue.
In the 1700 block of Lois Way, a 1999 Honda Accord was stolen.
The 2800 block of Hatch Road witnessed the theft of a 1990 Honda Accord.
A 1996 Toyota was reported stolen at 7 a.m. in the 1700 block of Zona Bella.
• TEENS ARRESTED IN CAR THEFT: CERES - Two Patterson teenagers were arrested early Wednesday, Dec. 7 after an observant police officer saw suspicious activity while on patrol at 3:12 a.m.
Officer Lorenzo Beltran was patrolling southbound on Fifth Street near Caswell Avenue when he saw a teen running on the side of the road to a black 1996 Honda Civic facing the opposite direction. Beltran spotlighted the vehicle and saw the man jumped into the car. The officer flipped a U-turn and took off after the Honda which was driven without headlights. The short chase went onto westbound Acorn Lane and then onto northbound Myrtlewood Drive and onto Mauna Loa Court. The driver then pulled into a driveway at the end of the court and bailed as the car rolled into the house. The passenger tried to flee but was arrested.
Police set up a perimeter and a short while later Officer Brian Albonetti spotted the suspect hiding beneath an RV parked in a driveway at Lynley and Douglas drives. Abimael Flores, 18, of Patterson, was arrested and charged with auto theft, possession of stolen property, felony evasion of an officer, conspiracy to commit a crime, resisting arrest and possession of burglary tools.
The 16-year-old passenger was also found with shaved keys in his possession. He was booked into Juvenile Hall with similar charges.
• BICYCLIST HIT ON SERVICE ROAD: CERES - Police want to find the driver who struck a bicyclist while driving down Service Road on Dec. 6 but failed to stop. Hit and run charges await the driver, said Deputy Police Chief Mike Borges.
The crash occurred at 2:59 p.m. at Service and El Camino. The 66-year-old bicycle rider said he just made a left turn onto Service Road to pedal eastbound. He was struck from behind by a black Honda also headed eastbound. The driver kept going and may have steered south on Mitchell Road to get onto northbound Highway 99.
The victim was taken to the hospital for treatment of moderate head injuries.
Police said the Honda had pewter aftermarket wheels.
Anyone with clues as to the identity of the driver is urged to call traffic officer Trinidad Viramontes at 538-5670.
• TEEN WOULDN'T LEAVE CAMPUS: CERES - A 17-year-old boy was cited for trespassing on school grounds on Wednesday, Dec. 6 after he disobeyed orders to leave the campus of Central Valley High School.
At 1 p.m. the teen was on the campus refusing to leave. He told school officials that he believed students had made fun of him as they were on their way to campus but was unable to repeat what was said. He was told to leave and not return but he stood across the street. When school let out at 3:28 p.m. the suspect came back onto campus.
• TEEN CHARGED IN AUTO THEFT: CERES - Owners of two vehicles reported their cars stolen on Hatch Road, both which were linked and ultimately leading to the arrest of a 16-year-old male suspect.
The auto thefts were reported starting at 5:22 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 7. The owner of a 1990 Honda Accord said his missing from the Home Depot parking lot. Across the street in front of Factory-2-You, the owner of a 1993 Acura Integra reported his car stolen. Officers found the stolen Honda ditched near the site of the second car theft.
Sgt. James Yandell later checked the area of Sonora Avenue west of Ninth Street and spotted two teens who took off running from the stolen Acura. Yandell recognized the 16-year-old and later arrested him at his residence. He was booked into Juvenile Hall on charges of auto theft, possession of stolen property, conspiracy to commit a crime and resisting arrest.
• DUI ARREST: CERES - Monica Vargas, 25, of Ceres, faces drunk driving charges following her Thursday, Dec. 8 arrest in the area of Nadine and Musick avenues. Police spotted Vargas driving erratically and arrested her at 12:37 a.m. on charges of DUI and driving without a valid driver's license.
• BUS STRUCK: CERES - A Ceres school bus was involved in minor accident on Friday, Dec. 9 when a second driver ran a stop sign as he was hurriedly driving his child to school.
No students were on the bus at the time and nobody in either vehicle was hurt in the 8 a.m. crash at McCord Way and Kinser Road near Blake Kinser Junior High School.
Police said that John Arellano, 24, of Ceres, ran the southbound stop sign and ran his 2004 Jeep into the bus. Both vehicles sustained minor damage to the right front and were drivable.
• DRUG ARREST MADE: MODESTO - A Ceres detective was in the area of Briggsmore and Sisk in Modesto on Dec. 9 to interview a victim in an ID fraud case when he spotted who he thought was the suspect. Willi Andrews, 25, of Modesto, saw the detective approaching at 12:10 p.m., and he began to run. Andrews was apprehended and although was not the suspect in the ID theft, had methamphetamine and a meth pipe on his person.
• CRASHES LEADS TO CHARGES: CERES - A collision on Highway 99 led an Atwater man to commit a series of crimes on Friday, Dec. ,9 including two hit and run crashes.
At approximately 1 p.m., Manuel Saavedra, 35, of Atwater, rear ended a second vehicle on Highway 99 at Hatch Road, according to the California Highway Patrol. Saavedra and the victim pulled off the freeway and into the Chevron station as if to exchange driver information. However, Saavedra kept going eastbound on Hatch Road in his 1999 Toyota with the victim following as Saavedra turned north onto Payne Avenue and then onto Leeseme Street. Saavedra was driving erratically. At one point, the suspect stopped, allowing the victim driver to get out to talk to Saavedra, who the put it in gear and hit the victim's car again deliberately. Saavedra also struck a postal vehicle on the street and the bailed from his car.
Saavedra was arrested for hit and run, DUI, assault with a deadly weapon, and two hit and runs.
• LANE VISITORS RIPPED OFF: CERES - Owners of five vehicles parked in Smyrna Park during visits to nearby Christmas Tree Lane reported their cars were burglarized on Friday evening.
The thefts occurred between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. Taken were valuables such as purses and wallets.
A citizen later located purses dumped in the empty canal near Fowler and Mitchell roads minus cash and credit cards.
• TWO DUI ARRESTS MADE: CERES - Separate DUI arrests were made within an hour of each other late Friday and early Saturday.
Miguel Magana, 28, of Modesto, was arrested for allegedly driving drunk at 11:36 p.m. at Seventh Street and Morgan Road.
The second DUI occurred in the 3200 block of Valley Brook at 12:32 a.m. Saturday. Driver Eric Lamb, 19, of Ceres, was also arrested for DUI.
• FIGHT AT BAR: CERES - A 33-year-old Modesto man was jumped Saturday night by four men inside the La Cueva Bar, located in the 3500 block of S. Central Avenue.
The attack occurred at approximately 5:07 p.m. The victim was not cooperative with police and could not describe the assailants who allegedly mentioned being Norteno gang members. The victim reportedly told the men that he is of Italian descent and not a gang member.
A witness at the bar said the victim may have known the responsibles.
• VANDALISM ARREST: CERES - Managers of the McDonalds restaurant on Hatch Road called police Saturday to report a case of felony vandalism. After collecting evidence and tips in the 7:36 p.m. call, police developed a lead on the suspect, Cory Bridgeman, 24, of Ceres, who was arrested at his home at Lawrence and Fifth streets.
• DRUG ARREST IN PARK: CERES - An officer checked out a suspicious man and woman in Mancini Park in the 1200 block of River Road, at 11:13 p.m. on Saturday, the female was found with heroin and cocaine.
Wendy Cromp, 29, of Modesto, a parole at large from Oregon, was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance.
• STABBING AT YOUTH FIGHT: CERES - A person was stabbed at a large fight during an early Sunday morning street party held outside of an industrial building which serves as a motorcycle group clubhouse.
Police received a call at 1:54 a.m. about a fight in the intersection of Whitmore Avenue and Rockefeller Drive, which led to the discovery of the party in the 2200 block of Rockefeller. Police detained 23 persons, all under the age of 21, who were questioned.
Meanwhile, police were notified that a stabbing victim turned up at a local hospital for treatment.
No arrests were made but the host of the party - his name was not released - could be charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Police seized several pieces of body armor inside the building, said Deputy Chief Mike Borges.
The shots were fired near Parklawn Park in northwest Modesto at approximately 3:30 p.m. on Saturday. A witnesses told Sheriff's deputies that men fired a gun from a white van. A citizen decided to follow the van while phoning in tips on the vehicle and direction of travel. When a deputy located the van its driver accelerated onto Highway 99. The chase ended when the driver stopped on southbound Highway 99 near the Pine Street overcrossing, and two occupants fled on foot. Ceres police assisted in apprehending the men, one captured at Industrial and Hemlock. The second managed to escape.
Two other suspects who were in the van during the shooting showed up at the scene of the crime and were arrested.
• CRASH TAKES BIZARRE TWIST: CERES - Details were sketchy about a Sunday solo rollover crash on Highway 99 in which the occupants fled but later turned up at a fast food place to report the crashed vehicle as stolen.
Ceres Police reported assisting the California Highway Patrol in the 4:57 a.m. crash at Highway 99 at Mitchell Road. The occupants fled the scene. Ceres patrol officers Freddie Ortiz and Coey Henson located the driver and passenger at Flip'n Burger attempting to use a phone to try to report the wrecked car as stolen.
• BURGLARY SUSPECT GETS AWAY: CERES - A residential burglary suspect managed to flee from a home where the resident interrupted a burglary.
The resident of the 1200 block of Aristocrat Drive came home at 8:30 a.m. on Dec. 6 and found a window ajar but walked inside only to hear noises. He grabbed a knife and began to look through the house when he heard a scream coming from the neighbor's yard. Apparently the suspect had bolted from the first home and jumped the fence to get away.
Police were unable to find the intruder. He was described as a Hispanic male in his late 20s, with dark hair, thick mustache, wearing a blue jacket and Dickie jeans.
• NIGHT FOR STEALING HONDAS: CERES - Four vehicles, were reported stolen on Dec. 6, three being 1990s Hondas, a highly targeted car for thieves.
A 1990 Honda Civic was stolen from the 1700 block of Richland Avenue.
In the 1700 block of Lois Way, a 1999 Honda Accord was stolen.
The 2800 block of Hatch Road witnessed the theft of a 1990 Honda Accord.
A 1996 Toyota was reported stolen at 7 a.m. in the 1700 block of Zona Bella.
• TEENS ARRESTED IN CAR THEFT: CERES - Two Patterson teenagers were arrested early Wednesday, Dec. 7 after an observant police officer saw suspicious activity while on patrol at 3:12 a.m.
Officer Lorenzo Beltran was patrolling southbound on Fifth Street near Caswell Avenue when he saw a teen running on the side of the road to a black 1996 Honda Civic facing the opposite direction. Beltran spotlighted the vehicle and saw the man jumped into the car. The officer flipped a U-turn and took off after the Honda which was driven without headlights. The short chase went onto westbound Acorn Lane and then onto northbound Myrtlewood Drive and onto Mauna Loa Court. The driver then pulled into a driveway at the end of the court and bailed as the car rolled into the house. The passenger tried to flee but was arrested.
Police set up a perimeter and a short while later Officer Brian Albonetti spotted the suspect hiding beneath an RV parked in a driveway at Lynley and Douglas drives. Abimael Flores, 18, of Patterson, was arrested and charged with auto theft, possession of stolen property, felony evasion of an officer, conspiracy to commit a crime, resisting arrest and possession of burglary tools.
The 16-year-old passenger was also found with shaved keys in his possession. He was booked into Juvenile Hall with similar charges.
• BICYCLIST HIT ON SERVICE ROAD: CERES - Police want to find the driver who struck a bicyclist while driving down Service Road on Dec. 6 but failed to stop. Hit and run charges await the driver, said Deputy Police Chief Mike Borges.
The crash occurred at 2:59 p.m. at Service and El Camino. The 66-year-old bicycle rider said he just made a left turn onto Service Road to pedal eastbound. He was struck from behind by a black Honda also headed eastbound. The driver kept going and may have steered south on Mitchell Road to get onto northbound Highway 99.
The victim was taken to the hospital for treatment of moderate head injuries.
Police said the Honda had pewter aftermarket wheels.
Anyone with clues as to the identity of the driver is urged to call traffic officer Trinidad Viramontes at 538-5670.
• TEEN WOULDN'T LEAVE CAMPUS: CERES - A 17-year-old boy was cited for trespassing on school grounds on Wednesday, Dec. 6 after he disobeyed orders to leave the campus of Central Valley High School.
At 1 p.m. the teen was on the campus refusing to leave. He told school officials that he believed students had made fun of him as they were on their way to campus but was unable to repeat what was said. He was told to leave and not return but he stood across the street. When school let out at 3:28 p.m. the suspect came back onto campus.
• TEEN CHARGED IN AUTO THEFT: CERES - Owners of two vehicles reported their cars stolen on Hatch Road, both which were linked and ultimately leading to the arrest of a 16-year-old male suspect.
The auto thefts were reported starting at 5:22 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 7. The owner of a 1990 Honda Accord said his missing from the Home Depot parking lot. Across the street in front of Factory-2-You, the owner of a 1993 Acura Integra reported his car stolen. Officers found the stolen Honda ditched near the site of the second car theft.
Sgt. James Yandell later checked the area of Sonora Avenue west of Ninth Street and spotted two teens who took off running from the stolen Acura. Yandell recognized the 16-year-old and later arrested him at his residence. He was booked into Juvenile Hall on charges of auto theft, possession of stolen property, conspiracy to commit a crime and resisting arrest.
• DUI ARREST: CERES - Monica Vargas, 25, of Ceres, faces drunk driving charges following her Thursday, Dec. 8 arrest in the area of Nadine and Musick avenues. Police spotted Vargas driving erratically and arrested her at 12:37 a.m. on charges of DUI and driving without a valid driver's license.
• BUS STRUCK: CERES - A Ceres school bus was involved in minor accident on Friday, Dec. 9 when a second driver ran a stop sign as he was hurriedly driving his child to school.
No students were on the bus at the time and nobody in either vehicle was hurt in the 8 a.m. crash at McCord Way and Kinser Road near Blake Kinser Junior High School.
Police said that John Arellano, 24, of Ceres, ran the southbound stop sign and ran his 2004 Jeep into the bus. Both vehicles sustained minor damage to the right front and were drivable.
• DRUG ARREST MADE: MODESTO - A Ceres detective was in the area of Briggsmore and Sisk in Modesto on Dec. 9 to interview a victim in an ID fraud case when he spotted who he thought was the suspect. Willi Andrews, 25, of Modesto, saw the detective approaching at 12:10 p.m., and he began to run. Andrews was apprehended and although was not the suspect in the ID theft, had methamphetamine and a meth pipe on his person.
• CRASHES LEADS TO CHARGES: CERES - A collision on Highway 99 led an Atwater man to commit a series of crimes on Friday, Dec. ,9 including two hit and run crashes.
At approximately 1 p.m., Manuel Saavedra, 35, of Atwater, rear ended a second vehicle on Highway 99 at Hatch Road, according to the California Highway Patrol. Saavedra and the victim pulled off the freeway and into the Chevron station as if to exchange driver information. However, Saavedra kept going eastbound on Hatch Road in his 1999 Toyota with the victim following as Saavedra turned north onto Payne Avenue and then onto Leeseme Street. Saavedra was driving erratically. At one point, the suspect stopped, allowing the victim driver to get out to talk to Saavedra, who the put it in gear and hit the victim's car again deliberately. Saavedra also struck a postal vehicle on the street and the bailed from his car.
Saavedra was arrested for hit and run, DUI, assault with a deadly weapon, and two hit and runs.
• LANE VISITORS RIPPED OFF: CERES - Owners of five vehicles parked in Smyrna Park during visits to nearby Christmas Tree Lane reported their cars were burglarized on Friday evening.
The thefts occurred between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. Taken were valuables such as purses and wallets.
A citizen later located purses dumped in the empty canal near Fowler and Mitchell roads minus cash and credit cards.
• TWO DUI ARRESTS MADE: CERES - Separate DUI arrests were made within an hour of each other late Friday and early Saturday.
Miguel Magana, 28, of Modesto, was arrested for allegedly driving drunk at 11:36 p.m. at Seventh Street and Morgan Road.
The second DUI occurred in the 3200 block of Valley Brook at 12:32 a.m. Saturday. Driver Eric Lamb, 19, of Ceres, was also arrested for DUI.
• FIGHT AT BAR: CERES - A 33-year-old Modesto man was jumped Saturday night by four men inside the La Cueva Bar, located in the 3500 block of S. Central Avenue.
The attack occurred at approximately 5:07 p.m. The victim was not cooperative with police and could not describe the assailants who allegedly mentioned being Norteno gang members. The victim reportedly told the men that he is of Italian descent and not a gang member.
A witness at the bar said the victim may have known the responsibles.
• VANDALISM ARREST: CERES - Managers of the McDonalds restaurant on Hatch Road called police Saturday to report a case of felony vandalism. After collecting evidence and tips in the 7:36 p.m. call, police developed a lead on the suspect, Cory Bridgeman, 24, of Ceres, who was arrested at his home at Lawrence and Fifth streets.
• DRUG ARREST IN PARK: CERES - An officer checked out a suspicious man and woman in Mancini Park in the 1200 block of River Road, at 11:13 p.m. on Saturday, the female was found with heroin and cocaine.
Wendy Cromp, 29, of Modesto, a parole at large from Oregon, was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance.
• STABBING AT YOUTH FIGHT: CERES - A person was stabbed at a large fight during an early Sunday morning street party held outside of an industrial building which serves as a motorcycle group clubhouse.
Police received a call at 1:54 a.m. about a fight in the intersection of Whitmore Avenue and Rockefeller Drive, which led to the discovery of the party in the 2200 block of Rockefeller. Police detained 23 persons, all under the age of 21, who were questioned.
Meanwhile, police were notified that a stabbing victim turned up at a local hospital for treatment.
No arrests were made but the host of the party - his name was not released - could be charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Police seized several pieces of body armor inside the building, said Deputy Chief Mike Borges.
