• SUSPECT RAMS PATROL CARS IN CHASE: CERES - A 28-year-old Oakdale man was arrested late Friday after leading police on a chase which ended when he rammed two patrol cars.
Kenneth Surrel, 28, of Oakdale, faces charges of assault on a peace officer, failure to stop for an emergency vehicle, and a parole violation.
The incident started at 11:30 p.m. when Officer Brian Albonetti was patrolling westbound on Evans Road and saw a 1992 Chevy Caprice coming his direction without headlights and swerving toward the officer.
"The officer thought the driver was trying to run him off the road," said Lt. Brent Smith.
Albonetti attempted to pull over Surrel but the driver rolled down Darrah Street where he dropped off an unknown hispanic male. Then the chase was on.
"This pursuit went all over the place," commented Lt. Smith.
The chase went onto Caswell and Moffet and ended at Rose and Villa Ramon. By then Officer Jon Vera caught up with the chase and did a pit maneuver to spin Surrel's vehicle around at Standford and Rose. There Surrel rammed the patrol car to cause moderate damage to the front end and hit another patrol car. In the intersection, Surrel jammed down the accelerator in an attempt to break free from being boxed in, smoke pouring from his burning tires. Officers managed to break into the Chevy and physically drag out the suspect - he is 6-foot-2 and weighs 270 pounds - who then fought officers.
"It was a dangerous situation," said Lt. Smith. "They tried to remove him while he was flooring it against our cars. Our guys did a very good job."
Surrel has allegedly breathed threats about killing officers and had been arrested for a similar incident.
• TEEN SHOT WHILE IN CAR: CERES - olice say the shooting of a teenager sitting in a car at Garrison Avenue and Moffet Road was likely gang related.
Jose Rios, 19, was treated at Memorial Medical Center for a gunshot wound to his left arm. Rios was one of three occupants in a car which was fired upon at midnight on Saturday. Police say four rounds were shot into the car.
Immediately after the shooting the carload of occupants rode to a residence on Glen Ridge Drive where police were called.
Rios' wound was not life threatening.
Detectives are continuing with an investigation. Anyone with information on the suspect or the shooting is urged to call the Detectives Bureau at 538-5727.
• PEDESTRIAN STRUCK BY CAR: CERES - A pedestrian was struck by a car as he attempted to cross Herndon Road on the morning of Wednesday, May 18.
Ronald Clark, 53, was walking eastbound on Joyce Avenue at 8:28 a.m. when he crossed Herndon against a red light and was hit by an eastbound motorist who could not brake in time. Clark rolled into the passenger side windshield of a 1990 Honda Civic and suffered a complaints of pain. He was taken to Doctors Medical Center in Modesto for treatment of his injuries.
Police determined that Clark was at fault.
• STOLEN CAR TORCHED: CERES - Ceres firefighters responded to a car fire which was set Thursday by thieves who took it from a Modesto home.
A green 1997 Pontiac Grand Am was set ablaze next to a vacant house in the 2900 block of River Road. Ceres dispatchers received a car about the fire at 2:05 p.m. Firefighters protected the nearby structure but the car was a total loss, said Ceres Police Lt. Brent Smith.
Modesto Police looked into the theft and learned that the owner hadn't reported it missing.
Kenneth Surrel, 28, of Oakdale, faces charges of assault on a peace officer, failure to stop for an emergency vehicle, and a parole violation.
The incident started at 11:30 p.m. when Officer Brian Albonetti was patrolling westbound on Evans Road and saw a 1992 Chevy Caprice coming his direction without headlights and swerving toward the officer.
"The officer thought the driver was trying to run him off the road," said Lt. Brent Smith.
Albonetti attempted to pull over Surrel but the driver rolled down Darrah Street where he dropped off an unknown hispanic male. Then the chase was on.
"This pursuit went all over the place," commented Lt. Smith.
The chase went onto Caswell and Moffet and ended at Rose and Villa Ramon. By then Officer Jon Vera caught up with the chase and did a pit maneuver to spin Surrel's vehicle around at Standford and Rose. There Surrel rammed the patrol car to cause moderate damage to the front end and hit another patrol car. In the intersection, Surrel jammed down the accelerator in an attempt to break free from being boxed in, smoke pouring from his burning tires. Officers managed to break into the Chevy and physically drag out the suspect - he is 6-foot-2 and weighs 270 pounds - who then fought officers.
"It was a dangerous situation," said Lt. Smith. "They tried to remove him while he was flooring it against our cars. Our guys did a very good job."
Surrel has allegedly breathed threats about killing officers and had been arrested for a similar incident.
• TEEN SHOT WHILE IN CAR: CERES - olice say the shooting of a teenager sitting in a car at Garrison Avenue and Moffet Road was likely gang related.
Jose Rios, 19, was treated at Memorial Medical Center for a gunshot wound to his left arm. Rios was one of three occupants in a car which was fired upon at midnight on Saturday. Police say four rounds were shot into the car.
Immediately after the shooting the carload of occupants rode to a residence on Glen Ridge Drive where police were called.
Rios' wound was not life threatening.
Detectives are continuing with an investigation. Anyone with information on the suspect or the shooting is urged to call the Detectives Bureau at 538-5727.
• PEDESTRIAN STRUCK BY CAR: CERES - A pedestrian was struck by a car as he attempted to cross Herndon Road on the morning of Wednesday, May 18.
Ronald Clark, 53, was walking eastbound on Joyce Avenue at 8:28 a.m. when he crossed Herndon against a red light and was hit by an eastbound motorist who could not brake in time. Clark rolled into the passenger side windshield of a 1990 Honda Civic and suffered a complaints of pain. He was taken to Doctors Medical Center in Modesto for treatment of his injuries.
Police determined that Clark was at fault.
• STOLEN CAR TORCHED: CERES - Ceres firefighters responded to a car fire which was set Thursday by thieves who took it from a Modesto home.
A green 1997 Pontiac Grand Am was set ablaze next to a vacant house in the 2900 block of River Road. Ceres dispatchers received a car about the fire at 2:05 p.m. Firefighters protected the nearby structure but the car was a total loss, said Ceres Police Lt. Brent Smith.
Modesto Police looked into the theft and learned that the owner hadn't reported it missing.
