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CRIME DIGEST
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• BURGER KING ROBBED: CERES - Police are hoping to capture the man who held up the Hatch Road Burger King as he brandishd a small black handgun on Monday afternoon, Nov. 22.

The suspect walked into the eatery at 1421 E. Hatch Road at 2:44 p.m. and held a gun up in the air for all to see and demanded cash. He was given an undisclosed amount of money and fled on foot southbound into the CVS parking lot.

Police described the robber as a white male in his 30s or 40s with long brown hair, standing about 5-foot-8 and weighing 170 pounds. He was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, black gloves, blue jeans, black shoes and a fencing style mask.

• STOLEN CAR RECOVERED: CERES - Two Bay Area residents were arrested Nov. 22 after officers spotted them riding in a vehicle stolen in Oakland on Nov. 8.

An officer from the Stanislaus County Auto Theft Task Force (StanCATT) was on Hatch Road at 3:01 p.m. when he spotted a 2008 Chevy Malibu that later proved to be stolen.

As the unit tried to box in the suspects and the car at the AM-PM Mini Mart, the driver, Darren James, 31, of Pittsburg, drove onto the raised sidewalk in front and made his way east to the neighboring Prime Shine Car Wash where he bolted on foot. His female passenger, Tiffany Boulter, 26, of Oakland, tried hiding in the car wash's restroom but was apprehended.

James, a parolee in a prior auto theft conviction, was charged with auto theft, possession of stolen property, assault with a deadly weapon, resisting arrest and violating the terms of his parole.

Boulter was arrested and charged with resisting arrest and possession of stolen property.

• RESIDENCE BURGLARIZED: CERES - A resident of the 3200 block of Tenth Street nearly interrupted the burglary of her home on Monday, Nov. 22 when she saw a suspect leaving with her XBox console and two games.

The victim came home at 3 p.m. and saw a man in his mid-20s carrying off her items after he kicked open the door. He immediately began to run, reaching the apartments at 2717 Roeding Road. He slipped away despite a police perimeter set up around the area. A police canine was limited in tracking down the suspect, said Deputy Chief Mike Borges.

Cash was also taken in the burglary.

The suspect was described as Latino with black hair, 5-foot-6, 200 pounds, wearing blue jeans and a blue puffy jacket with white lettering.

Anyone with information on the suspect may call detectives at 538-5727.

• HUSBAND ARRESTED FOR BRANDISHING WEAPON: CERES - Frederick J. Burnton Jr. , 54, of Ceres, faces charges of brandishing a firearm and making terroristic threats toward his wife relating to a Nov. 21 incident at Voyager's Cove Mobile Home Park, 2845 Hatch Road.

Ceres 911 operators received a call from Burnton's hysterical wife at 7:45 p.m. reporting that her husband was armed with a shotgun and trying to kill her. As officers were en route, the woman reported that she had disarmed him. Previously Mr. Burnton was reportedly armed with a pistol but she was able to take it from him and hide it. That's when he fetched a shotgun and pointed it at her demanding to know where the pistol was, said Deputy Chief Mike Borges.

At one point during the investigation, the intoxicated suspect shut the door on officers, prompting them to break in to make an arrest.

• TEENS ARRESTED FOR AUTO THEFT: CERES - Two south Modesto teens were arrested after they were stopped on Nov. 21 in a car stolen hours prior on Ustick Road.

Officers Brian Albonetti and Ross Bays were patrolling at 11:58 p.m. when they followed a 1992 Honda Accord whose driver was making erratic movements. The driver then made a sudden turn into the Whitmore Apartments in the 2800 block of Della Drive as if to avoid the patrol car. Neither of the boys could produce an ID but the 17-year-old driver indicated that he was on probation for stealing cars.

The owner of the car reported the car stolen just after 6 p.m.

The teen driver was charged with auto theft, possession of stolen property and possession of burglary tools, which were shaved keys.

His 16-year-old passenger was charged with possession of stolen property.

The names of the minors were not released because of a state law that protects the identities of children.

• WIRE THEFT AT SCHOOL: CERES - Approximately $600 in loss was inflicted on taxpayers for the theft of wire at Don Pedro Elementary School last week.

Construction crews discovered the theft in an electrical box after they arrived for work at 6 am. on Wednesday, Nov. 23. Approximately 30 feet of heavy gauge wire was cut from the box sometime between then and 5 p.m. the night before.

• HUGHSON MAN FACES DUI CHARGE: CERES - A Hughson man who appeared to be under the influence of drugs denied that he hit a parked car in the 2100 block of Moffet Road even though evidence linked his car to the damage.

Noe Lopez, 34, of Hughson, was arrested at 9:29 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day and charged with DUI, being under the influence of a controlled substance and hit and run.

Lopez had called for a tow truck to take away his damaged vehicle when he was discovered by police. Lopez denied hitting the parked car but officers said the damage of the parked car was consistent with damage to his own.