Public Safety
February 3, 2012
Inmate pleads guilty to murdering killer of Novato girl
A San Quentin inmate who stabbed a Novato girl's killer to death on a prison yard pleaded guilty Thursday in a deal to avoid the death penalty.
Frank Souza, 33, admitted to first-degree murder with special circumstances in the death of Edward Schaefer in 2010. The attack occurred shortly after Schaefer started his prison sentence for killing 9-year-old Melody Osheroff in a Novato crosswalk during a drunken motorcycle ride...
LINK - MarinIJ.com
February 2, 2012
Police Seek Public’s Help Locating Dangerous Bulldog Gang Member
Fresno police have released photos to the public of a suspect they say murdered a Fresno man on Sunday hoping someone can help lead to his whereabouts and arrest.
Police say Fernando Figueroa, a parolee and known gang member is responsible for the shooting death of Sergio Lopez, 30, who was found suffering from a gunshot wound in an apartment at 5145 E Lane in south east Fresno...
LINK - KSEE24.com
February 2, 2012
Man suspected of Bay Area crime robbery spree faces 37 felonies
A parolee suspected of committing dozens of Bay Area robberies using a chrome revolver has been charged with 37 felony counts in San Mateo County Superior Court.
In the most serious case, Ricky Renee Sanders, 34 -- known as the "chrome revolver bandit" because of the silver-barreled revolver he allegedly used in some of the holdups -- is accused of shooting a store clerk while robbing a PetSmart store in San Mateo on Oct. 8, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office.
The employee was shot in the leg and survived, but suffered a severed femoral artery, prosecutors said...
LINK - MercuryNews.com
February 2, 2012
another realignment parolee sought - this one for domestic violence, assault with a deadly weapon
The Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office is considering 33 year old Joshua Lee of Montague to be “armed and dangerous” after he allegedly assaulted his wife and drove her towards Hawkinsville Tuesday night, Jan. 31, 2012.
She got away and was picked up on Hwy 263 by a passing “good samaritan,” who kept driving, dragging Lee along, after he lunged into the car through an open passenger window, according to a press release from Sheriff’s Office public information officer Allison Giannini...
LINK - MTShastaNews.com
February 2, 2012
Realignment presents challenges in housing, mental health treatment
After four months of California’s realignment program, jail overcrowding, homelessness and inadequate mental health reporting have overburdened local agencies now responsible for prisoners shifted from state to local institutions.
County parole agents and mental health workers have had to deal with a growing number of state prison returnees who have mental health issues, which county officials say were poorly described in their state prison information packets that preceded release...
LINK - PE.com (The Press-Enterprise)
February 1, 2012
Deputy punched, suspect Tasered
Sheriff’s deputies arrested a parolee on drug and other charges on Tuesday after he punched a deputy and had to be subdued with a Taser, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office said.
Deputies were sent to a report of a possibly wanted male sitting in his car and smoking drugs on Newlyn Street in North Salinas...
LINK - TheCalifornian.com
February 1, 2012
Tech tool helps nab parolee in stolen car
Pasadena police arrested a parolee in a stolen car last week, using a computerized license plate readers inside a patrol car. On Friday at 10 p.m. the automated license plate reader in a patrol car alerted a patrol officer to a stolen car driven by Christopher Castillo, 24, a Pasadena resident on active parole.
Castillo was arrested. The license plate reader can check thousands of license plates each day, leaving officers to focus on other aspects of their patrols...
LINK - PasadenaSun.com
February 1, 2012
UPDATE: Burglary Suspect Not Found in Search
Police continue to search for a high-risk parolee as part of a burglary investigation, Livermore Police Officer Dave Blake said.
At around 11 a.m. Wednesday, a SWAT team was called to the 700 block of Holmes Street, near Aaron Street. Officers believe the wanted parolee, Jay Marcus Johnson, was inside his home in the area.
Johnson, 22, was not found in the search. He is a suspect in a Jan. 10 burglary and is considered armed and dangerous, Blake said...
LINK - Livermore.Patch.com
February 1, 2012
Parolee booked for having drugs, stolen property
A parolee was booked into County Jail Tuesday after an officer found him with stolen property and methamphetamine, police said.
Christopher Page, 33, was seen by an officer acting suspiciously over by Laurel and Center streets late Tuesday afternoon. Page fled when the officer tried to contact him and he was eventually apprehended by the river levee. Officers found him in possession of a file of paperwork that had been stolen from a local title office. He also had a credit card belonging to someone other than himself and had an identification card belonging to yet another person, Santa Cruz Police Deputy Chief Steve Clark said. Officers also found hydrocodone in Page's possession...
LINK - MercuryNews.com
February 1, 2012
Inmate Fire Crews Focus Of New Bill From Lake Elsinore Lawmaker
Lake Elsinore Assemblyman Kevin Jeffries introduced legislation Monday that would put in place one option for keeping inmate fire crews up and running.
The bill, AB 1562, was drafted to address anticipated cuts in the number of inmate fire crews available to Cal Fire as a result of a new law that shifts prisoners from state-run fire conservation camps into county jails, according to Jeff Greene, spokesman for the Assemblyman’s office.
The legislation gives counties an option over the current alternatives of hiring added fire personnel or losing the inmate firefighters altogether, Greene said....
LINK - LakeElsinore-Wildomar.Patch.com
February 1, 2012
Man arrested after short chase in American Canyon
A man was arrested at about 1:15 a.m. Wednesday after a short pursuit that ended when the suspect crashed the car he was driving near American Canyon Road and Elliott Drive, according to the American Canyon Police Department.
Steven Young, 39, of Fairfield, allegedly tried to flee on foot before he was taken into custody, Police Chief Jean Donaldson said...
LINK - NapaValleyRegister.com
February 1, 2012
Parolee arrested after fleeing from cops
Police arrested a 25-year-old man who was on parole for sex trafficking after he saw the officers and ran the other way.
The man, Von Correia, is on parole for a 2010 conviction for assault with a deadly weapon and was talking on a cell phone about 12:35 a.m. on the 1600 block of East Colorado Street when he saw a patrol car, turned around and began running, according to Glendale police reports...
LINK - GlendaleNewsPress.com
February 1, 2012
Redding parolee crashes, keeps going with toddler in car, police say
A 39-year-old Redding parolee was arrested today on suspicion of child abuse and drug charges after he crashed his car and allegedly drove off with his 2-year-old daughter inside.
Around 11 a.m., James Richard Atkinson Jr. was driving erratically when he crashed his 2001 Suzuki Esteem into a car near the intersection of Park Marina Drive and South Street, Redding police say...
LINK - Redding.com
February 1, 2012
Parolee arrested after scuffle with deputies
A Salinas man was arrested Tuesday after he allegedly punched a sheriff's deputy and was subdued with a Taser, the Sheriff's Office said.
Deputies spotted the man, a parolee, smoking drugs while sitting in a car on Newlyn Street in North Salinas about 10 a.m...
LINK - MontereyHerald.com
January 31, 2012
Parolee leads officers on chase
A 29-year-old man wanted for an alleged parole violation was arrested early Sunday after trying to flee police, authorities said.
A Watsonville police officer spotted Iran Cota Perez behind the wheel of a white Chevrolet Sebring at an East Lake Avenue market and followed him when he left the market, deputy April Skalland said. Perez had a female passenger...
LINK - SantaCruzSentinel.com
January 31, 2012
Corning parolee arrested for allegedly carrying billy club
A 27-year-old Corning parolee was arrested early this morning by Tehama County sheriff's deputies for allegedly carrying an illegal billy club.
About 1 a.m., deputies pulled over Jonathan Michael Stamper in a traffic stop on Hall Road in Corning, deputies said...
LINK - Redding.com
January 31, 2012
Deputies: Realignment parolee caught with stolen property
Deputies said they caught a man who was recently paroled because of realignment after he allegedly stole several items from a Shasta Lake home.
David Weston Allen Jones, 27, allegedly stole several miscellaneous items and clothing from a home on the 4100 block of Willamette Street at around 11 a.m. today, said Tom Short, a sergeant with the Shasta County Sheriff's Office...
LINK - Redding.com
January 30, 2012
Traffic stop leads to chase, crash
A parolee led police in a brief car chase Saturday evening before crashing into a truck. There were no injuries.
Police officer Joseph Silva noticed a vehicle exit the parking lot of a convenience store at 500 Rimrock Road at about 7:30 p.m. Saturday night without its lights operating, according to a Barstow police report.
Silva attempted to stop the vehicle, but it fled the scene, crossing the center lane divider and nearly crashing with an oncoming vehicle, according to the report...
LINK - DesertDispatch.com
January 30, 2012
Wanted parolee leads officers on chase
A 29-year-old man wanted for an alleged parole violation was arrested early Sunday after trying to flee from police, authorities said.
A Watsonville police officer spotted Iran Cota Perez behind the wheel of a white Chevrolet Sebring at an East Lake Avenue market and followed him when he left the market, Sheriff's deputy April Skalland said.
Perez had a female passenger, Skalland said...
LINK - SantaCruzSentinel.com
January 30, 2012
Man sought for breach in second-strike parole
U-T San Diego is profiling a wanted suspect each week in an effort to make our community safer. We are partnering with Crime Stoppers and local law enforcement to profile known fugitives as well as draw attention to unsolved crimes committed by unknown suspects. This week’s most wanted suspect:
Harold Grigsby, 43
Wanted: Grigsby is wanted for violating parole. He is a second-strike parolee with a criminal history that includes armed robbery, auto theft, making threats and multiple narcotic- and firearms-related charges...
LINK - UTSanDiego.com
January 30, 2012
Hundreds Of Calif. Prison Employees Get Layoff Notices
California prison officials sent layoff notices to 545 employees, including 140 guards, as the inmate population declines to comply with a federal court order.
Corrections officials told KSBW on Friday that all 33 of California's prison institutions, including Salinas Valley State Prison and the correctional training facility near Soledad, will be impacted by the layoffs.
Layoffs will take effect Feb. 29, although some of those affected can transfer to other prisons that have vacancies...
LINK - KSBW.com
January 28, 2012
West Covina parolee arrested following 10-hour stand-off in Whittier
A sheriff's SWAT team, with the help of a K-9, found and arrested a West Covina parolee Friday who barricaded himself in a Whittier garage for more than 10 hours after shooting at police, authorities said Saturday.
Matthew Cloutman, 36, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder of a peace officer and a parole warrant, Whittier police officials said in a written statement.
He was found hiding in a crawl space and bitten by a sheriff's K-9 shortly before 11 p.m. in the garage in the 6200 block of Washington Avenue where he had remained barricaded since about 12:30 p.m., according to Los Angeles County sheriff's Capt. Mike Parker...
LINK - SGVTribune.com
January 27, 2012
Public Officials Talk About Public Safety Realignment
"If California took the resources made available for prison expansion or realignment, and invested them in re-entry services, affordable housing and jobs and all of the programs that are being cut ... that's going to have much more impact on public safety than building law enforcement.” Emily Harris, Statewide Coordinator for Californians United for a Responsible Budget Daily Breeze, Christina Villacorte, January 25, 2012
“We’re going to make some adjustments, and sometimes they will be some fairly large adjustments. With sufficient resources, I do believe counties can and do already perform some of these services.” Sacramento County Supervisor Don Nottoli Elk Grove Citizen, Brian M. Gold, January 25, 2012...
LINK - Turnto23.com
January 27, 2012
Skinheads arrested after chance encounter with deputies
Two white supremacist gang members — one a parolee at large — were arrested as authorities investigated what first appeared to be a vehicle burglary, San Bernardino County Sheriff's Hesperia station officials said Friday.
Hesperia SMASH Gang Team members on Thursday arrested transient Jeremy Hagen, 31, and Glenn Petrak, also 31, of Victorville after Petrak was found allegedly trying to break into a vehicle in the 13000 block of Trona Court.
At about 3 p.m., officials spotted Petrak outside a vehicle, according to Susan Rose, spokeswoman for the Hesperia station. It turned out Petrak — a documented skinhead gang member on parole — was working on the vehicle, she said....
LINK - HesperiaStar.com
January 27, 2012
Man barricaded in Whittier house, wanted in connection to a West Covina crime
Residents in the quiet historic Uptown Whittier neighborhood said they heard gunshots Friday afternoon on Washington Avenue just south of Beverly Boulevard.
Whittier Police officials said that at approximately 12:15 p.m., U.S. Marshals were shot at during the surveillance and attempted arrest of a male parolee wanted for carjacking in Whittier.
The incident took place in the 6000 block of Washington Ave in Uptown Whittier...
LINK - SGVTribune.com
January 27, 2012
Parolee barricaded after allegedly firing on U.S. marshals in Whittier
U.S. marshals trying to arrest a parolee in Whittier early Friday afternoon were fired on by the man, who then barricaded himself, police said.
The incident took place in the 6000 block of Washington Avenue, where marshals had been conducting surveillance of the man, who was wanted for a carjacking in the City of Industry.
When they tried to arrest him about 12:15 p.m., the man allegedly opened fire on them, according to a Whittier police statement...
LINK - LATimes.com
January 27, 2012
Parolee linked to six Altadena burglaries
A man who deputies say was caught in the act of burglarizing a home Jan. 20 has been linked to five other burglaries in Altadena.
Jeremiah Billingslea, 20, was arrested by sheriff's deputies during an attempted burglary of a home on the 300 block of East Calavaras St. according to Lt. Duane D. Allen of the Altadena sheriff's station. Subsequent investigation linked Billingslea to five other burglaries clustered in the Morada Place neighborhood in recent weeks...
LINK - AltaDenaBlog.com
January 26, 2012
Female parolee arrested following police pursuit
A wanted parolee led police on a chase through Whittier on Wednesday before she ultimately pulled over and surrendered, authorities said.
Monique Ramos, 30, was booked on suspicion of evading police and violating parole, Whittier police Sgt. Gregg Hamilton said.
An officer tried to stop her car for running a red light about 9:35a.m. at Whittier Boulevard and Mar Vista Street, police said...
LINK - WhittierDailyNews.com
January 26, 2012
‘Puffy Coat Bandit’ suspect indicted for seven bank robberies
A federal grand jury has indicted a 46-year-old parolee known as the "Puffy Coat Bandit" for seven bank robberies across Southern California.
Steven Dwayne Paulson was arrested Jan. 10 by an Upland police detective who spotted him driving shortly after authorities released a description of the "Puffy Coat Bandit," the Press-Enterprise reported.
The nickname was created by FBI agents because of a ski parka worn by the robber in several heists...
LINK - LATimes.com
January 26, 2012
Police looking for missing registered sex offender
Local law enforcement is searching for parolee and registered sex offender, Gilbert Avalos Jr., who removed his GPS tracking ankle monitor and his whereabouts are unknown.
Avalos is a Hispanic male, 23 years old, 5’8” tall, 195 pounds with black hair, brown eyes...
LINK - KGET.com
January 26, 2012
Visalia standoff with parolee in garage ends
A standoff with parolee at a southwest Visalia home ended about 11:10 a.m. today when police found Michael Nash, 35, hiding in the back of a car in a garage.
An ambulance took Nash to a hospital because he was in "some sort of medical distress," police Sgt. Amy Watkins said.
Visalia animal control was called to the home to deal with a vicious pit bull dog...
LINK - FresnoBee.com
January 26, 2012
Sheriff releases inmates to avoid overcrowding
A recent surge in the population at county jails has prompted Sheriff Bill Gore to start shaving up to 10 percent off jail terms for some inmates to avoid overcrowding.
The number of men held in custody this month in San Diego County swelled to 96 percent of capacity. Most of the increase can be traced to a law Gov. Jerry Brown sought and the Legislature approved last year that allows some lower-level criminals to be sentenced to local jail instead of state prison.
Around Jan. 19, Gore authorized the release of about 260 inmates, most of whom were serving misdemeanor sentences or were nonviolent felons ordered to serve jail time as a condition of probation. The average number being released now is about 35 to 40 a day, he said...
LINK - UTSanDiego.com
January 26, 2012
SFPD arrests 20 CDCR parolees
The San Francisco Police Department announced Thursday that it led a multi-agency operation the previous evening that target wanted suspects throughout the city, netting 70 arrests.
According to a press release issued Thursday, the operation was led by the department's violence reduction team and utilized officers from all ten district stations in partnership with the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department, state parole agents, and San Francisco adult probation officers...
LINK - KTVU.com
January 25, 2012
Parolee arrested in theft from 104-year-old coast man
The son of a 104-year-old Little River man's care giver was arrested Tuesday for allegedly charging thousands of dollars to the elderly man's credit card, according to the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.
A deputy was assigned to investigate the reported fraud and responded to the man's home in the 5000 block of Albion Little River Road at 3:20 p.m.. Friday.He learned that the victim, William Wesatfall, had a caretaker who managed his credit card, according to the MCSO...
LINK - UkiahDailyJournal.com
January 25, 2012
Parolee arrested in Santa Cruz on suspicion of possessing drugs, firearm
A 28-year-old man was arrested after officers conducting a parole compliance search turned up ammunition, a firearm and drugs, according to Sheriff's deputy April Skalland.
Officers conducted the search at the Santa Cruz residence of Daniel James Mendoza just before 1 p.m. Tuesday. Mendoza was suspected of being under the influence when officers arrived at the residence...
LINK - MercuryNews.com
January 25, 2012
Parolee convicted of murder for killing his wife in front of children
A paroled rapist who shot his wife to death in front of her two young children in Oceanside as the family prepared to go to church was convicted Tuesday of first-degree murder.
After a day of deliberations, a jury found Dontaye Henderson guilty in the Jan. 1, 2011, death of his wife.
Henderson, 29, was also convicted of being a felon in possession of a gun. He faces up to 82 years to life in prison when he is sentenced Feb. 23 by Superior Court Judge Robert Kearney....
LINK - 760kfmb.com
January 25, 2012
Parolee arrested after car chase in Fairfield
Fairfield police arrested an El Sobrante parolee Monday night after a short car chase through the city that ended with the suspect running from the car, which had been reported as stolen, and apprehended by a Fairfield K-9, authorities said.
An officer spotted Kevin Panlaqui, 34, in the Travis Boulevard area at about 8:30 p.m., said Fairfield Sgt. Matthew Thomas. The officer attempted to stop Panlaqui, who was driving a 1994 Acura Integra, after he noticed one of the car's lights were out, Thomas said.
Rather than pulling over, Panlaqui led officers on a pursuit that wound through the streets of Fairfield, during which an officer had to dive out of the way to avoid being hit, before he was finally boxed into the Chamberland Drive area by seven Fairfield officers, Thomas said...
LINK - TheReporter.com
January 25, 2012
More parolees than expected entering Yolo County
While Yolo County officials have more figures concerning prison realignment, the full effects won't be known for at least several more months, if not years.
Chief Probation Officer Marjorie Rist presented the latest update on AB 109 to the Yolo County Board of Supervisors Tuesday. Prison realignment, which was implemented in October, transfers the state's responsibility for non-violent, non-sexual and non-serious inmates to county jurisdictions.
As of Dec. 11, Yolo County had 89 parolees on post-release community supervision, said Kevin O'Connell, a probation department data analyst. This is 16 more than expected...
LINK - DailyDemocrat.com
January 25, 2012
Four months in, some California judges want more say over state’s new sentencing rules
Some California Superior Court judges are calling for a major shift in Gov. Jerry Brown's 4-month-old realignment policy -- the power to keep track of certain nonviolent felons for a lot longer than the policy now calls for.
The judges say the change is necessary because it's nearly impossible to rehabilitate some offenders and discourage them from committing new crimes in the limited time the new realignment system allows...
LINK - MercuryNews.com
January 25, 2012
Chowchilla gets temporary restraining order on state’s plan to convert female prison to male
The city of Chowchilla said it was granted a Stipulation and Order temporarily prohibiting the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) from proceeding with the conversion of a women’s prison to a men’s prison as a part of the state’s prison realignment plan.
On Jan. 6, a petition for a Writ of Mandate was filed for CDCR’s failure to comply with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Later, the city said it learned that CDCR was moving forward with the conversion. On Jan. 24, the city filed a Temporary Restraining Order against CDCR...
LINK - MercedSunStar.com
January 24, 2012
Testimony starts in grand theft trial of Westlake Village parolee
Testimony began Monday in the trial of a parolee on charges he stole thousands of dollars from a woman.
Prosecutors allege Daniel R. Coffman, 57, convinced the woman his wife froze his assets and that he needed to pay an attorney to free up his account, which had $700,000, including money to run his Agoura Hills business....
LINK - VCStar.com
January 24, 2012
Investigators: Man shot in Selma was a wanted Parolee
Action News has acquired cell phone video showing what happened at a Selma hotel right after police shot and killed a suspect.
A resident of the Villager Inn Motel shot the video after hearing gunshots. Officers can clearly be heard yelling at a woman who was in the room with 32-year-old Clayton Cass.
Fresno County Sheriff's investigators are looking into the officer-involved shooting. They say Cass was a wanted parolee out of Tulare County. That agency asked Selma Police to find Cass...
LINK - ABCLocal.go.com
January 24, 2012
Suspect killed by Selma cops was wanted parolee
Fresno County authorities say the man fatally shot by police officers at a motel over the weekend was a parolee wanted for burglary and sexual assault.
The coroner on Monday identified the man as 32-year-old Clayton Cass of Exeter.
Cass was wanted by the Tulare County Sheriff's Department, who alerted Selma police that he was staying at a motel in town...
LINK - MercuryNews.com
January 24, 2012
Parolee Cruises Sierra Madre
An officer stopped a 26-year old Los Angeles motorist for a Vehicle Code violation in the Orange Grove Ave. and Orlando Dr. intersection at 11:35 p.m. on Thursday January 19.
Further investigation revealed that the driver had three outstanding no-bail warrants. Also, the 26-year old passenger was a parolee-at-large...
LINK - SierraMadre.Patch.com
January 23, 2012
Prisoners ride shift; inmates return to Shasta County under new state law
Randy Cates, a 38-year-old homeless man staying at the Good News Rescue Mission in Redding, has been in and out of prison before. But this time it's different.
Cates was among the first of Shasta County's recently released state prison inmates to return this fall under a contentious new law that transferred responsibility of some of those who once were called parolees to the county's probation department.
Cates, who has a lengthy history of drug-related crimes, is now assigned to probation's "post release community supervision" program. The state classifies him as a "nonserious" offender...
LINK - Redding.com
January 23, 2012
Suspect was recently released from prison
A man Butte County Sheriff's deputies arrested Thursday night following a brief vehicle and foot chase is a low-level offender recently released to the area from prison.
Officials said Stephen Clifford Miller, 28, is currently suspected of selling methamphetamine.
A confidential informant revealed details of his activities to sheriff's investigators, and said the man was driving a light-colored Chevrolet Impala...
LINK - ChicoER.com
January 23, 2012
Police briefs: Man arrested after foot chase
Salinas police and county probation officers captured a parolee Thursday after a chase that started when he climbed out a second-story window.
Probation officers went to an apartment in the 900 block of Rider Avenue about 2 p.m. They spotted a man climbing out of an upstairs window, then someone threw a backpack to the man, and he jumped down and started running, police said.
Salinas police joined the chase and cornered the man at Gee Street and Rider, taking him into custody after a struggle...
LINK - MontereyHerald.com
January 23, 2012
Milpitas parolee arrested, three handguns seized
Milpitas Police Department officers arrested 53-year-old Milpitas resident Johnny Munoz on charges of being a felon in possession of weapons and drugs on Jan. 17 at about 11 a.m.
Munoz, a known parolee, and Ramon Garcia, a 21-year-old transient, were stopped by officers on the 900 block of Jacklin Road. Officers allegedly found brass knuckles in Munoz's possession. He was arrested for possession of an illegal weapon.
Garcia, who was also on parole, was allegedly in possession of several baggies of methamphetamine, police said...
LINK - MercuryNews.com
January 23, 2012
Newark burglary suspect involved in fatal crash dies
One of three burglary suspects involved in a police chase and car crash that killed a Pleasanton man last week has also died, police said.
Rajwaun Watkins, 20, of Oakland and Hayward, died Friday at Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley of injuries from the crash, according to a Newark police press release.
The two other burglary suspects, Deshon Collier, 20, and Jabrie Watts, 20, are in jail on probation and parole violations, according to the release. Watts lived in Oakland and Hayward; Collier listed addresses in San Leandro, Union City and Hayward....
LINK - ContraCostaTimes.com
January 23, 2012
Man arrested in Facebook threat on ex-girlfriend’s family
A 22-year-old parolee was arrested Sunday when he allegedly made threats via Facebook to “put a hit” on his 15-year-old girlfriend’s family after they forbade him from seeing her, police said.
Raul Reinoso of Glendale was arrested at his home in the 300 block of East Chestnut Street on suspicion of making a criminal threat, unlawful sex with a minor and oral copulation with a minor, according to Glendale police.The girl’s parents told police that Reinoso threatened them on Facebook after they logged into their daughter’s social network account and sent him a message saying that he was not allowed to see her again, Sgt. Tom Lorenz said...
LINK - LATimes.com
January 23, 2012
UPD officers ‘maxed-out’ with each handling 1,200 calls a year
Chief Dewey exploring ways to ease burden on his staff
The Ukiah Police Department "has maxed-out its officers' time" and is looking for ways to reduce their workload by enlisting interns, volunteers and expanding its Community Services Officer (CSO) program.
"I think we're doing a fantastic job handling the calls we have," said Public Safety Director Chris Dewey, addressing the Ukiah City Council Saturday during a special meeting to discuss ways to streamline city operations...
LINK - UkiahDailyJournal.com
January 23, 2012
Shooting death of unarmed parolee being investigated
An investigation was under way today into the death of a wanted parolee and suspected gang member who turned out to be unarmed when he was shot and killed by Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies in Lancaster while allegedly running away and appearing to reach for a weapon.
The man killed late Saturday night was Christian Cobian, 26, of Lancaster, the Los Angeles County coroner's office said this morning.
Cobian was on probation following felony convictions and was wanted on a narcotics warrant, according to the Sheriff's Department...
LINK - ContraCostaTimes.com
January 23, 2012
Parolee and Companion Arrested, Guns and Drugs Seized
Two men were arrested in Milpitas this week, and police officers seized firearms, other illegal weapons and drugs in their possession.
On Tuesday, Jan. 17 at approximately 11:06 a.m., Milpitas Police officers performed a traffic stop on the 900 block of Jacklin Road. The vehicle they stopped contained 53-year-old Johnny Munoz of Milpitas - a former convicted felon out on parole - and 21-year-old Ramon Garcia, a transient...
LINK - Milpitas.Patch.com
January 23, 2012
Parolee pleads no contest in Hillsborough slaying
A parolee faces seven years in prison after pleading no contest to voluntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of his longtime friend in Hillsborough.
Bradley Kleiman, 31, entered his plea Friday in San Mateo County Superior Court while pretrial motions were being heard in advance of his trial in Redwood City.
Kleiman also admitted a firearm allegation in connection with the June 15, 2010, slaying of Christopher Calvache, 30, who was shot at the De Sabla Road home where Kleiman lived with his parents, authorities said...
LINK - SFGate.com
January 23, 2012
Man suspected of DUI to face trial in woman’s death
A 39-year-old man will be tried in Napa Superior Court in connection with a fatal collision in March at the intersection of the Redwood Road and Linda Vista Avenue that killed a local woman, a judge ruled Thursday.
Christiaan Dewet faces charges of vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence causing injury with special allegation in connection with the death of 59-year-old Sandra Hamilton when he allegedly ran a red light, according to court records and court testimony...
LINK - NapaValleyRegister.com
January 20, 2012
Video: Meet a Town Bankrupted by Private Prisons
Real video from the town of Littlefield, Texas and the story of how the town was left with $10 million in debt by GEO Group after they built and abandoned a private prison in the community...
LINK - TheRealNews.com
January 20, 2012
Parolee pleads no contest to auto theft, evading arrest
A Taft man arrested after a high speed car and foot chase has pleaded no contest to two felony counts.
Anthony James Lemler (also known as Anthony James Grajczyk) entered the pleas to felony evading arrest in a motor vehicle and auto theft charges in Taft branch of Kern County Superior Court on Tuesday.
Lemler, who was also wanted on a no-bail parole hold, was arrested just after midnight on Jan. 3 after he led Kern County Sheriff's deputies on a high-speed chase east from South Taft on Petroleum Club Road where the stolen car he was driving overturned...
LINK - TaftMidwayDriller.com
January 20, 2012
Parolee arrested for depositing stolen check
A parolee was arrested Wednesday after trying to pass a fraudulent check at a local bank, police said.
Jacinto Marquez, 31, entered Chase bank, 17599 Monterey Road, Saturday and tried to deposit an "obviously forged or altered" check, Morgan Hill police Sgt. Troy Hoefling said.
Marquez allegedly attempted to deposit the $550 check into his own account...
LINK - MorganHillTimes.com
January 20, 2012
Parolee Arrested After Foot Pursuit
Monterey County Probation Officers were preparing to contact one of their clients at an unrelated residence when they saw Abelardo Rodriguez, 31, climb out of a second story window at 942 Rider.
At that time, someone threw a backpack to Rodriguez from inside the apartment. Rodriguez jumped down and began running with probation in pursuit. When Salinas Police officers arrived they began looking for Rodriguez.
Officers found Rodriguez hiding and another foot pursuit began. He was cornered at Gee and Rider. He struggled with officers, but was quickly arrested...
LINK - KIONRightNow.com
January 18, 2012
Florida again seeks to privatize 29 state prisons
Florida lawmakers are reviving the largest prison privatization plan in the country, with a Senate committee Wednesday voting to file two bills that would turn over 29 correctional facilities in an 18-county region — including Southwest Florida — to private companies.
The vote by the Senate Rules Committee — which was opposed by two Democratic members — is aimed at reversing a court ruling last year that negated the Legislature's effort to carry out the massive privatization plan through the state budget.
Rules Chairman John Thrasher, R-Jacksonville, said the new legislation would "remedy" the objections raised by the courts, including the argument that lawmakers should have used separate legislation — not the budget bill — to authorize the private prisons...
LINK - TheLedger.com
January 18, 2012
Parolee gets tasered at Riverside Mall
Guy David Reed, 31, was arrested after a confrontation Tuesday afternoon at the Tyler Mall.
Reed is being held without bail at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside.
According to Riverside police, mall security guards requested help from patrol officers around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday after Reed allegedly brandished a knife at them...
LINK - SWRNN.com
January 18, 2012
Another “Non-Non-Non” parolee gang member arrested for burglary
A 21-year-old woman and a reputed gang member who was recently released on unsupervised parole were charged Wednesday with receiving stolen property, officials said.
Ryan Ogden, 24, of Canoga Park and Christina Holliday, 21, of Tujunga both face two felony counts of receiving stolen property, according to a Los Angeles County Superior Court criminal complaint.
The pair, along with a 16-year-old girl, were likely driving around Glendale and breaking into cars early Monday before they were stopped by police, Sgt. Tom Lorenz said...
LINK - GlendaleNewsPress.com
January 18, 2012
Lynwood Shooting Victim Declared Dead
A good Samaritan shot at a Lynwood meat market during a weekend robbery has died, authorities said today. George Alvarado, 43, of Lynwood died about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday at St. Francis Medical Center, said coroner's Chief Craig Harvey.
Alvarado was one of two good Samaritans shot about 7 p.m. Sunday in the 11800 block of Atlantic Avenue, the Sheriff's Department reported. The other survived.
Two men and a woman were arrested and held without bail. They were scheduled to appear in court in Compton today...
LINK - BaldwinPark.Patch.com
January 17, 2012
Covina parolee accused of removing GPS ankle bracelet
Police arrested a wanted parolee with convictions for home-invasion robbery and auto theft early Tuesday on suspicion of removing a GPS tracking device, officials said.
Francisco George Munoz, 30, of Covina was being held without bail at the Covina Police Department's jail following his 3 a.m. arrest at 7-Eleven on Rowland Street, just west of Barranca Street, according to Covina police and county booking records.
Covina police received word last week that Munoz had removed or tampered with a court-ordered GPS ankle bracelet, Covina police Lt. John Curley said. Police and state parole officials carried out a search for him with no success...
LINK - SGVTribune.com
January 17, 2012
Sex offender arrested after failing to register
A 40-year-old parolee remained today in Tehama County jail after being arrested on Friday for failing to register as a sex offender, deputies said this morning.
Dwayne Lawrence Dillman, who had resided in Redding, allegedly failed to register with authorities as a sex offender after moving from Shasta County to the Bowman Road area of Cottonwood, deputies said...
LINK - Redding.com
January 17, 2012
SAN JACINTO: Shooting wounds 2, jails parolee
Gunfire at a San Jacinto home last night led deputies to a hospital where two victims – both reluctant to talk – were being treated, including a parolee who was jailed in connection with the incident, sheriff's officials say.
The shots were reported at 7:50 p.m. Monday along the 600 block of Mistletoe Avenue and is being investigated as a negligent firing of a gun, rather than an intentional attack...
LINK - PE.com
January 17, 2012
Oft-released nonviolent offender now accused in mail-theft ring
The accused woman at the center of a recently busted fraud and mail-theft ring has spent the last decade in and out of prison for forging checks.
Tracy Lynn Cross benefited from a state law that allows people who are convicted of less serious, nonviolent crimes to receive one day credit for each day in prison.
As California struggles to reduce its prison population, Cross is just the kind of person who public safety officials talk reassuringly about releasing — a nonviolent offender...
LINK - MyDesert.com
January 17, 2012
Parolee shot in struggle with deputy booked on firearm, resisting arrest charges
The man shot during a violent struggle with a Sacramento County sheriff's deputy last weekend has been booked into jail, according to authorities.
After treatment for his non-life-threatening injuries, 23-year-old Lonnie Hammett, pictured at left, was arrested and booked on suspicion of resisting a peace officer, possession of stolen property, unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and violating parole, said sheriff's spokesman Deputy Jason Ramos.
On Sunday morning, a deputy patrolling the Arden-Arcade area saw two men walking away from a closed county building on Fulton Avenue, Ramos said. As the deputy tried to talk to them, one of them, later identified by authorities as Hammett, punched the deputy and ran, Ramos said...
LINK - SacBee.com
January 17, 2012
Arrest Made in ‘Rolls Royce’ Murder of Prominent Nightclub Owner
A parolee and reputed gang member was charged with capital murder Tuesday in the 2011 slaying of an Inglewood nightclub owner.
Alonzo Ester, 67, also known as Dicky McKnight, was found shot to death inside a Rolls-Royce in front of his Baldwin Hills home last May.
Police say he was driving home from his club, Dynasty, around 3 a.m. when he was shot several times from the passenger side of the car...
LINK - KTLA.com
January 16, 2012
Behind the Badge: Rise in burglaries a sign of prison realignment failing
My wife went to her exercise class last Monday but found the gym was closed for the day as they repaired the damage from a burglary during the night. An hour later she tried to take our van to the mechanic, but found he was not going to open for business because someone tunneled through a wall and burglarized his shop. A few days later a neighbor came up to my door and wanted to know what he could do about the guy who broke into four cars on the street near his house.
People want to know what's happening and who is responsible for the increase in theft-related crime. A couple of incidents over the past few weeks might help answer those questions...
LINK - LodiNews.com
January 16, 2012
Behind the Badge: Rise in burglaries a sign of prison realignment failing
My wife went to her exercise class last Monday but found the gym was closed for the day as they repaired the damage from a burglary during the night. An hour later she tried to take our van to the mechanic, but found he was not going to open for business because someone tunneled through a wall and burglarized his shop. A few days later a neighbor came up to my door and wanted to know what he could do about the guy who broke into four cars on the street near his house.
People want to know what's happening and who is responsible for the increase in theft-related crime. A couple of incidents over the past few weeks might help answer those questions....
LINK - LodiNews.com
January 16, 2012
Police arrest parolee after high-speed chase ends in Sacramento
A parolee led officers from three police agencies on a high-speed chase this morning that ended in Sacramento when the suspected carjacker pulled over and surrendered on eastbound Interstate 80 at El Camino Avenue, according to Fairfield Police Officer Cleo Mayoral.
Jamaal Storms approached a parked car occupied by three young women about 7:45 a.m. in a commercial strip on North Texas Street in Fairfield, pounded on the driver's window and yelled at the women to get out of the car, Mayoral said...
LINK - SacBee.com
January 16, 2012
Cutler parolee sought in drug possession
Tulare County sheriff's detectives are looking for a Cutler parolee after they said a search Friday evening found an ounce of methamphetamine in his home.
The suspect, Angel Alonzo, is also believed to be sought by the California Department of Corrections, according to reports filed with the Tulare County Sheriff's Department...
January 14, 2012
Prison realignment is the best way - says CDCR
The recent opinion piece by a psychologist at the California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi about California's program for reducing prison overcrowding was full of inaccuracies ("What has realignment of prisons wrought? More than state warned," Jan. 9). As a corrections professional, Brik McDill should know better. Some of his claims were unsubstantiated, and some describe problems not attributable to public safety realignment. The bottom line is that California is legally required to reduce prison overcrowding, and realignment is preferable by far to a large-scale release of inmates.
Here's how realignment works. Starting Oct. 1, many low-level offenders who would previously have gone to state prisons were sent to the counties. The prison inmate population has now fallen 11,000 and should fall an additional 23,000 over the next 18 months...
LINK - Bakersfield.com
January 14, 2012
SWAT, standoff, shooting, sex crimes, speedsters and other incidents encountered Jan. 8 to 14.
Relax, Livermore. The week is over.
Along with an arrested local teacher, a mid-town shooting and a drag-racing collision on the east side, the Livermore Police Department also nabbed a wanted parolee deemed armed and dangerous on Elizabeth Court.
A reportedly stolen vehicle, spotted in a driveway on the 300 block of Elizabeth Court Jan. 9 at 1 p.m., led police to determine wanted suspect Eric Ontiveros, 24, was inside the residence, authorities said...
LINK - Livermore.Patch.com
January 14, 2012
Parolee Arrested After Sexual Activity With Teen Girl
Officers responding to reports of shots fired Friday night instead found a parolee engaged in sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl inside a vacant Sacramento home, according to police logs.
Sacramento police officers responded to a residence in the 2600 block of Altos Avenue shortly after 8 p.m. and found a man in his 30s with the girl. They reportedly told officers the sexual conduct was consensual...
LINK - CBSLocal.com
January 13, 2012
Parolee arrested in Gilroy
A parolee was arrested in Gilroy Wednesday after a brief attempt to flee from police.
The Gilroy Police Department reports that members of the department’s Anti-Crime Team spotted known gang member James Bob Lucio, 35, allegedly behind the wheel of a stolen car....
LINK - Examiner.com
January 13, 2012
Two Arrested After Being Discovered With Stolen Car
Glendora Police arrested a man and woman around 7:15 a.m. Friday after officers discovered the vehicle they were in as having been stolen.
Officers arrested Falecia Pinces, 33, from Pomona, and Shannon Mendoza, 45, from Glendora, on suspicion of possessing known stolen property.
Pinces was a parolee and was also booked on suspicion of possessing brass knuckles and methamphetamine. Additionally, Pinces had a grand theft auto warrant, said Lt. Rob Lamborghini of Glendora Police...
LINK - Glendora.Patch.com
January 13, 2012
Parolee arrested after removing ankle bracelet
A convicted sex offender who removed his ankle monitor and failed to report to his parole officer was arrested at a Santa Cruz motel Thursday night, Santa Cruz Deputy Police Chief Steve Clark said.
Kevin Allen, 45, was on parole for felony sexual battery, false imprisonment and corporal injury to a spouse. He was being monitored via ankle bracelet...
LINK - SantaCruzSentinel.com
January 13, 2012
Parolee arrested in connection with drug violations
A 49-year-old man on California State parole was arrested at about 4 a.m. Thursday at Walmart Supercenter in American Canyon on suspicion of being under the influence, according to the American Canyon Police Department.
An officer at Walmart investigating another case found Kenneth Gatchek, of Benicia, displaying symptoms of being under the influence, acting erratically, sweating profusely and jerking his arms around, American Canyon Police Chief Jean Donaldson said...
LINK - NapaValleyRegister.com
January 11, 2012
Savings from ‘3 strikes’ reform may be smaller than claimed
Prisoners serving long sentences under California’s “three strikes” law are so expensive that legislative analysts say releasing some of them early could eventually save the state $100 million.
A proposed ballot measure, called the Three Strikes Reform Act of 2012 [PDF], would amend the landmark sentencing law that brought jail terms of 25 years to life to criminals convicted of three offenses.
Major savings to California taxpayers are central to proponents’ pitch for the measure. But if it passes, the big reduction in state prison spending is not guaranteed...
LINK - CaliforniaWatch.org
January 11, 2012
Crime renews lawmaker’s concerns about shifting felons to counties
A Republican lawmaker who opposes shifting supervision of many felons from the state to counties voiced concern Wednesday over the arrest of a Sacramento man this week on sexual assault charges a month after he was released from state prison.
Aaron Suggs had been designated a non-serious, nonviolent felon when he was released from state prison Dec. 8 after serving a sentence for drug possession. That designation resulted in his supervision, upon release, being assigned to the Sacramento County Probation Department rather than state parole agents under a program adopted by the state last year to cut its costs...
LINK - LATimes.com
January 11, 2012
Counties Struggle With New Probationers
County parole departments in California are in the third month of trying to integrate former prison inmates into county probation systems. Such inmates are classified as non-violent, non-serious, non-sex-offenders. So far, Sacramento County has processed 700 of them, including one man, Aaron Suggs, who was arrested this week for sexually assaulting a woman and robbing her in her home.
Suggs was released to Sacramento County Probation as a non-serious offender under the state's new "re-alignment" policy. He had been in prison for drugs.
Alan Seeber is with Sacramento County probation. He says the state's classification of some parolees is flawed...
LINK - CapRadio.org
January 10, 2012
Redding man finds parolee in his garage, police say
A Redding man found a Redding parolee burglarizing his garage Monday evening, and officers had to zap the alleged burglar with a stun gun to arrest him, police said.
Just after 6 p.m., officers were called to an interrupted burglary that had taken place on Kerryjen Court, said Cpl. Phil Eoff with the Redding Police Department.
The man who lived at the residence, James Jenkins, 61, found a burglar in his garage when he got home, Eoff said. The alleged burglar, 42-year-old Jason Driskell of Redding, began fighting with Jenkins and some neighbors after Jenkins found him, Eoff said...
LINK - Redding.com
January 9, 2012
Town Hall Meeting Set to Discuss Inmates Coming to the County
The plan to move inmates from overcrowded state prisons into county correctional situations is still a work in progress.
This Tuesday night, a countywide town hall meeting in Redwood City will address what's been done so far in San Mateo County, and request public input on where we should be going.
"Yes, it will be two-way discussion," says San Mateo County Chief Probation Officer Stuart Forrest. "Now that we have more specifics of expectations and assumptions surrounding this population, we've begun working on the local plan."
AB 109, signed by Governor Jerry Brown last year, pushed so-called "low-level" inmates out of state prisons, and into the hands of counties throughout California...
LINK - HalfMoonBay.Patch.com
January 9, 2012
Car theft, chase ends in arrest of Fairfield parolee
A Fairfield man, out of prison for just three days, was arrested Monday morning after allegedly forcing three young women out of a parked car in Fairfield and leading authorities on a multi-county chase that ended when he was taken into custody in Sacramento, authorities said.
Jamaal Storms, 27, was arrested by California Highway Patrol officers after the chase, which started with sheriff's deputies in Vacaville and ended more than half an hour later after covering an estimated 30 miles at speeds ranging from 55 to 80 mph, authorities said...
LINK - TheReporter.com
January 9, 2012
Parolee, Woman In Custody After Del Cerro-Area Standoff
Federal agents trying to capture a parolee-at-large at a Del Cerro motel Monday heard what sounded like gunfire from inside his room, prompting a SWAT standoff that ended with the fugitive's peaceful surrender about 90 minutes later.
Deputy U.S. marshals reported the possible shooting at Days Inn & Suites Mission Valley, 5343 Adobe Falls Road, shortly after 11:30 a.m. and requested assistance from the San Diego Police Department, SDPD Detective Gary Hassen said...
LINK - 10News.com
January 9, 2012
Parolees nabbed after shoplifting at K-Mart
Michael Knight, 39, of Vacaville and Scott Sweed, 42, of Fairfield were arrested Sunday afternoon while attempting to shoplift items at the K-Mart on Pacific Street, reported Rocklin Police Lt. Lon Milka.
When Rocklin Police officers responded to the report of a theft in progress at 2:58 p.m., they learned a male suspect had fled on foot after being confronted by the store’s loss prevention staff.
While searching for the suspect, he continued, officers spotted two suspicious individuals sitting in a vehicle in the parking lot...
LINK - PlacerHerald.com
January 9, 2012
Parolee and Woman Arrested in Corcoran on Drug Charges & Child Endangerment
On Friday, Corcoran PD detectives assisted California Department of Corrections state parole agents with checking an apartment in the 2500 block of Hanna Avenue for a parolee who was out of compliance with his conditions of parole.
Officers searched the apartment and the parolee, 25-year-old Kyle Leon Gear, was found inside his bedroom, with 27-year-old Nahiely Diaz. Two other people were contacted inside the living room of the apartment, identified as 25-year-old Robert Rogers and 29-year-old Jessica Rogers. Six children were inside the apartment ranging in age from 6-months-old to 5-years-old...
LINK - KSEE24.com
January 9, 2012
Parolee arrested this morning for evading Eureka officer
A short car chase in Eureka this morning ended when the driver of an SUV jumped from his vehicle and entered a nearby residence through a window.
Zachary Scott, 31, was arrested for felony evading, resisting arrest, hit and run, driving on an expired license and parole violation. According to a press release from the Eureka Police Department, Scott was driving a white 1993 Isuzu Rodeo near the 100 block of West Harris Street around 2:30 a.m. when an officer began following him.
Scott drove northbound on California Street from a gas station, turned west on West Henderson Street and then made a quick southbound turn onto Union Street. The release said the officer witnessed Scott slide through the intersection of Union and West Russ streets, striking the curb of West Russ Street...
LINK - Times-Standard.com
January 9, 2012
Parolee Living in Parent’s Driveway Arrested in Woman’s Death
A 38-year old parolee living in an RV outside of his parents house is being held in the death of a 21-year-old woman whose body was found inside his trailer.
The body of the young woman was discovered by the parents of 34-year old Ean Keith Brown.
The parents told police their son lived in the RV, but he was not home...
LINK - KTLA.com
January 9, 2012
Parolee surrenders in San Diego SWAT standoff
Authorities say a parolee has surrendered after a brief standoff with a San Diego police SWAT team at a motel. No injuries are reported.
U.S. Marshals Service spokesman Omar Castillo said officials heard two shots from a room at the Days Inn & Suites in the city's Del Cerro area Monday morning. Officials were there to serve a warrant on 30-year-old Cecil Wiley for violating parole on a state firearms conviction...
LINK - MercuryNews.com
January 9, 2012
Swat Team Surrounds Del Cerro Motel After Reports Of Gunfire
A SWAT team took up positions around a Del Cerro motel today after federal agents heard what sounded like gunfire sounding from inside a room believed to be occupied by a parolee-at-large and another person.
Deputy U.S. marshals reported the possible shooting at Days Inn & Suites Mission Valley, 5343 Adobe Falls Road, shortly after 11:30 a.m. and requested assistance from the San Diego Police Department, SDPD Detective Gary Hassen said. It was not immediately clear if anyone was wounded...
LINK - KPBS.org
January 9, 2012
Parolee arrested after three-hour standoff with Livermore police Sunday
After a three-hour standoff Sunday, Livermore police arrested a wanted parolee who had previously threatened a shootout with police, officials said.
Eric Ontiveros, 24, was arrested around 4:20 p.m. at a house on Elizabeth Court. Starting at 1 p.m., police had blocked the street off with help from the East County SWAT team, an East Bay regional parks helicopter, and the Newark and Union City police departments, according to a news release from Livermore police...
LINK - MercuryNews.com
January 8, 2012
Tehachapi prison psychologist on realignment problems
Well, golly, gee whiz -- AB 109 is still a newborn and here's what we have already found:
* That California counties north to south have received two to three times the number of realigned triple-nons -- nonserious, nonviolent, nonsexual felons -- and parolees estimated by California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. This at a time when city and county law enforcement and court budgets are being shrunk.
* That counties are suddenly recognizing that the health and mental health needs (and costs) of the CDCR transferees far exceed needs and costs estimated and funded for by the state...
LINK - Bakersfield.com
January 8, 2012
A risky shift in criminal justice
Not that many years ago, California legislators worked themselves into a law-and-order frenzy, and with voters' help, infused the justice system with steroids by approving the nation's toughest "three-strikes" sentencing measure.
How the pendulum has swung.
After unrelenting prison growth dating back decades, Gov. Jerry Brown proposed a budget last week that would slash $1.1 billion from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, paring its annual budget to $8.7 billion...
LINK - SacBee.com
January 8, 2012
State convicts arrive in L.A. County with costly mental illnesses
As California begins shifting supervision of thousands of newly released state prisoners to local probation agencies, ex-convicts are arriving with incomplete medical records and more serious mental illnesses than anticipated. And mental health officials are scrambling to provide appropriate — and often costly — treatment.
"At the start, every day ... there was a crisis," said Dr. Marvin Southard, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. "There was somebody we didn't know what to do with."
In some cases, he said, released inmates have had to be immediately transferred to hospitals or residential centers for psychiatric care...
LINK - LATimes.com
January 8, 2012
Watsonville parolee caught hiding gun
An 18-year-old parolee was found hiding a handgun under a mattress during a search, the County Gang Task Force reported.
About 6:45 p.m. Wednesday, Gang Task Force members went to the home of 18-year-old Hulysis Martinez on the 900 block of Trafton Road near Watsonville in North Monterey County, said Gang Task Force Commander Mario Sulay. An officer noticed Martinez hide a loaded, 9mm semi-automatic handgun under a mattress, Sulay said. The gun was seized and found to be registered to someone else, Sulay said...
LINK - TheCalifornian.com
January 6, 2012
Jails get a bit of relief as inmate influx slows after realignment
The wave of inmates arriving in Orange County jails as part of a wide-ranging overhaul of the state correctional system slowed in December, as local law-enforcement officials continued to adjust to increased responsibility for confining and monitoring convicts.
After two months of inmates arriving faster than expected in Orange County jails, the number of newly sentenced prisoners and those sent away for parole violations began to taper off last month, said Cmdr. Steve Kea of the Orange County Sheriff's Department.
In an effort to ease crowding in the California prison system, state officials in October began requiring county law-enforcement agencies to house more nonviolent, non-sex-offender inmates in local jails...
LINK - OCRegister.com
January 5, 2012
Felony parolee arrested in Pismo Beach
A Santa Paula man on felony parole was arrested today in Pismo Beach on suspicion of burglary and possession of stolen property, according to police.
Jason Kohr, 31, was arrested during a routine traffic stop, after police discovered the vehicle he was driving had been reported stolen.
Kohr was taken into custody without incident and transferred to County Jail, where he's being held in lieu of $70,000 bail. He is currently on nonrevokable felony parole for auto theft, according to police...
LINK - SantaMariaTimes.com
