A teenager who had run away from a Solono County group home was captured Dec. 3 after he was spotted trying to break into cars in the Kmart parking lot.
At 5:30 p.m. someone called 9-1-1 to report what was believed to be a "man" attempting to break into vehicles. Officers Mike Vierra and Brittney England found a 14-year-old boy - who was 202 pounds at 5-foot-8 - but he took off running. The officers caught up with the teen behind the 99 Cents Only store on the south side of Hatch Road. The boy was positively identified as the suspect seen trying to enter three vehicles.
The teen was found with a large kitchen knife concealed in forearm area of his sleeve. He was arrested and booked into Juvenile Hall on charges of resisting arrest, providing false Information to officer, possession of burglary tools, vandalism, automobile tampering, carrying a concealed weapon and attempted theft.
Other cases worked on by Ceres Police are as follows:
• POLICE CANINE AIDS IN ARREST - Police canine Duke and handler Officer Josh Klinge helped apprehend a suspect wanted by the Sheriff's Department after a Dec. 3 chase.
At 6:21 a.m. deputies were in pursuit of a vehicle matching the description in a shooting in Riverbank the night before. Since the car was headed toward Ceres from Hughson, Ceres police joined the pursuit.
The chase was picked up by Ceres officers as it moved into Keyes and then to the 5500 block of ‘A' Street where the suspect stopped and bailed on foot. The suspect was found hiding in a backyard where he refused to give up. Officer Klinge sent in Duke who bit him and pulled him into view.
Samuel Batson, 39, of Oakdale, was then turned over to the Sheriff's Department jurisdiction.
• DRUG SALES ALLEGED - Ceres parolee Brian Coker, 33, was arrested Dec. 3 on drug charges after a Ceres police officer saw him in a car with methamphetamine and baggies filled with marijuana.
Officer Michael Vierra saw Coker at 1:53 p.m. sitting in a car parked across from Colony Park Estates Mobilehome Park at 3939 Central Avenue. At the same time, information was supplied by police about a man in the area selling drugs.
Coker was on probation and searchable. He was arrested and booked on charges of possession of meth and possession of marijuana for sale.
• POLICE SEIZE GUN - A man who had a legal right to carry a concealed weapon had his gun taken by police on Dec. 3 after he became involved in an altercation behind Denny's restaurant.
At 9:22 p.m. police received a call about a domestic fight with one man who was armed. Police arrived and learned that a husband was confronting his wife who was seen in a vehicle with another man. The man believed that an inappropriate relationship was taking place. The wife told police that her husband slapped her in the face but that she did not want to press charges.
Nobody suggested indicated that the man pointed his gun at anyone. However, police confiscated the gun and CCW permit for review by the police agency which issued it.
• WARRANT ARREST MADE - A police officer's sweep of a makeshift homeless encampment behind the Blue Horse Lounge on Wednesday, Dec. 4 resulted in one man being hauled off to jail.
Officer Joe Wren saw a bunch of people in the encampment at Service and Mitchell roads at 1:05 p.m. He learned that Frank DeJesus, 56, was in possession of methamphetamine and had a warrant for his arrest for theft issued by Ceres police.
• FEMALES ACCUSED OF ASSAULT, ROBBERY - One woman was arrested and a second one sought after two female victims reported they were assaulted and an expensive car key was stolen from them on Dec. 5.
Deputy Police Chief Mike Borges said the two victims knew their assailants in the 8:19 p.m. attack in the 2800 block of Hatch Road. They said they were jumped as they tried to get into a vehicle. A 24-year-old woman said her hair was pulled from behind and that she was punched and kicked by the two women. One of the suspects grabbed the specialty car key and ran off with it.
The next day police found and arrested Sarvia Guzman, 23, of Atwater, and charged her with robbery.
A second suspect, identified as Aiden Mendoza, 23, of Atwater, was expected to surrender.
• OFFICER SNEAKS UP ON CAR WHERE DRUGS ARE - The sight of three suspicious men sitting inside a car parked in the 2800 block of Alphonse Drive caused Officer Brian Peterson to check it out on Dec. 6. When he walked up to the car at 9:01 p.m. the occupants were so "intent on rolling a marijuana cigarette," said Deputy Police Chief Mike Borges, they were unaware of Peterson's presence.
Patrick Johnson, 21, of Ceres, was found in possession of a "molly," or a capsule filled with methamphetamine inside. He was arrested for possession of methamphetamine.
• ALERT NEIGHBOR KEYS IN TO THEFT - A Ninth Street resident reported seeing a man reach over his neighbor's fence and snatch a bike. He reported the action to police on Dec. 7, which prompted police to make an arrest.
Responding to the 11:45 a.m. theft in the 2500 block of Ninth Street were officers Jon Vera and Ross Bays. In a short time, Bays spotted the suspect, Jose Ruiz-Medina, 31, of Ceres, with the bike and arrested him. Ruiz-Medina was charged with theft, possession of stolen property, possession of methamphetamine and providing a false name to police.
• BUSINESSES BURGLARIZED - Two businesses in the 1500 block of Hatch Road were burglarized early Monday morning.
Police say the thief entered the first business at 2:50 a.m. as that's when the cables to the store's alarm system and surveillance cameras were cut at the control panel. Money was taken from a cash register before the thief bashed a hole in the wall of the business restroom to access the neighboring business. In the second business the thief found the keys to the cash register and stole sports hats and jerseys.
