Sacramento
April 21, 2012
Sacramento judge sentences drug runners to 13 years each in ‘county jail prison’
Two men convicted of transporting 35 kilos of cocaine up Interstate 5 were each sentenced Friday to 13 years in "county jail prison," a new Sacramento record for the longest local term under the state's new realignment law.
Superior Court Judge Lawrence G. Brown said the sentences he handed down to David Ciarelli and Richard Wisneski "seems to flesh out and stretch out the contours of correctional realignment."
Brown said he had "no discretion" under the law but to sentence the two Los Angeles County men to county jail rather than state prison...
LINK - SacBee.com
March 29, 2012
Sacramento School Locked Down In Parolee Search
A Sacramento school was locked down Wednesday as deputies searched for a parolee on the run, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department said.
Trinity Christian School was placed on lockdown after deputies attempted to pick up a parolee...
LINK - KCRA.com
March 19, 2012
New lessons behind bars
At more than 50 years old, the Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center doesn't look ready for a new era in criminal justice.
Some of RCCC's buildings are decrepit. Some cells have bars instead of secured doors, a relic of construction at older prisons such as Alcatraz.
But look past the tall fences with razor wire and the center's nine jail facilities, and you can see a range of activities aimed at preparing inmates for life after lockup...
LINK - SacBee.com
October 14, 2011
Killers of CMF Officer sentenced to LWOP today
The brothers Gary and Chong Vue each were sentenced today to life terms without parole for the Oct. 15, 2008, shooting death of state correctional officer Steve Lo in the garage of his south Sacramento home.
Sacramento Superior Court Judge Steve White gave Gary Vue another 20 years for his personal use of a firearm in the killing of the 39-year-old victim.
The judge remanded both defendants to Minnesota to serve their sentences there first for their previous convictions in a 2001 gang murder in Minneapolis...
LINK - SacBee.com
December 28, 2010
Inspector general abruptly cuts short term in office
Inspector General David Shaw, whose office has come under scrutiny for assigning sworn peace officer status to its lawyers and auditors, on Monday told the department's staff that he is retiring.
Acting Chief Deputy Inspector General Bruce Monfross will take over for the 54-year-old Shaw, whose last day on the job is Thursday, said Laura Hill, special adviser to the inspector general.
"He's retiring after many years of state service to move on to other opportunities," Hill told The State Worker...
LINK - SacBee.com
December 9, 2010
Sacramento Deputy hurt during traffic stop
A Sacramento Deputy Sheriff was hurt Thursday morning during a traffic stop.
According to Sgt. Tim Curran, the Deputy stopped a car near the intersection of Greenback Lane and Illinois Avenue about 2:30 a.m. Curran says the driver was a man on parole...
LINK - News10.net
March 23, 2010
CCPOA Town Hall Meetings
February 12, 2010
Early county inmate releases illegal, says Sac judge
The Sacramento County Sheriff's Department announced Wednesday that it has stopped allowing inmates to get out of jail early for good behavior.
Sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Tim Curran said the decision came in response to a judge's finding earlier Wednesday that a government code section on the books since 1976 that allows local jurisdictions to grants the "good-time" credits "does not apply to County Jail inmates."
"If you're sentenced to do six months, you have to do six months," Curran said….
LINK - SacBee.com
February 9, 2010
Sacramento County Deputy Sheriffs Assn files lawsuit over early inmate releases
A hearing on a temporary restraining order that would stop Sacramento County from releasing non-violent inmates early has been postponed until Wednesday.
A judge continued the proceedings on Tuesday because he hadn't received all the paperwork yet.
Last Friday, the Sacramento County Deputy Sheriff's Association filed a lawsuit to stop Sacramento and other counties from releasing non-violent prisoners early under a new state law. They contend the law applies only to inmates in state prisons, and the Sacramento County is violating the law through the early releases…
LINK - News10.net
December 12, 2009
Suspect in killing of CMF officer convicted of murder in Minnesota
One of four defendants accused in the shooting death of a California prison guard in Sacramento has been convicted of another murder in Minnesota.
A Hennepin County District Court jury returned the verdict Thursday against Gary Vue, 28.
His older brother, former Sacramento County Sheriff's Deputy Chu Vue, 44, is accused of arranging the Oct. 15, 2008, Sacramento slaying of correctional officer Steve Lo…
LINK - SacBee.com
November 11, 2009
Crime Alert: Authorities seek suspected sex offenders
The California Department of Corrections and Sacramento Police Department are seeking two suspects wanted on felony warrants for reportedly failing to register as sex offenders ($20,000 bail) and violating parole (no bail), Sacramento Crime Alert officials report.
Juan Torres is described as age 40, 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighing 172 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. He is also known as Juan Soto Torres, Juan Torres Soto and Juan Soto. According to authorities, he was last known to live in the 5900 block of Sampson Boulevard in the Fruitridge area of Sacramento.
Robert Morris Dickson (right photo) is described as age 41, 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighing 145 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. old white male. He is 5′ 8″ tall and weighs 145, with brown hair and brown eyes. He is also known as Robert Morriss Dickson and Bobby Dickson…
LINK - SacBee.com
October 20, 2009
Parolee Caught After Break-In Attempt
A parolee who allegedly tried to smash in the door of his girlfriend's Natomas apartment was captured by Sacramento police early Tuesday, officials said.
Carl Leroy Batiste, 34, was booked into jail on suspicion of vandalism, resisting police and a parole hold.
According to a police report, officers were called to an apartment complex in the 2600 block of Millcreek Drive by a woman who said Batiste was trying to force his way into her apartment…
LINK - KCRA.com
October 19, 2009
Man Arrested For Sexual Assault On Elderly Woman
Sacramento police have arrested a man who they say sexually assaulted an elderly woman.
Police got several calls on Sunday of a man exposing himself and harassing people in the area near 10th and J Streets in downtown Sacramento. Officers located 42-year-old Kevin Dresdner, a parolee.
Dresher has been identified as the suspect in the sexual battery of a 78-year-old woman.
LINK - CBS13.com
October 12, 2009
Correctional officers highlighted in “Battle of the Badges”
Once the sun set in West Sacramento, the stage lights flickered on and the red boxing gloves came up.
Saturday's Raley Field Rumble pitted firefighters, corrections officers and law enforcement officers from all over Northern California against one another, all in the name of Sacramento charities.
"We like to support different charities each year," said Isreal Montes Jr., creator of the event. "We keep it local in Sacramento. This year we're supporting the Firefighters Burn Institute, Sheriff Toy Project and Sacramento Fallen Officers Resource Fund."
Correction officers Montes and Yvonne Vasquez, from California State Prison Sacramento, started the city's "Battle of the Badges" in 2003. The inspiration for it struck Montes after he won a gold medal at the Western States Police and Fire Games that same year…
LINK - SacramentoPress.com
September 23, 2009
Prosecution starts in murder trial of ex-deputy
Prosecutors called their first witnesses today in what is expected to be a two-day preliminary hearing to determine if former Sacramento County sheriff's deputy Chu Vue will be tried for murder in last year's purported love-triangle shooting death of California correctional officer Steve Lo.
Most of the morning's Sacramento Superior Court testimony in front of Judge Ronald W. Tochterman had a Sacramento police sergeant recounting the extensive cellular telephone records and video surveillance footage. Prosecutors contend this evidence will show a pattern of Vue and three co-defendants, including two of his brothers, casing out the victim's house weeks before the Oct. 15 shooting and then carrying out the attack.
Investigators believe Vue plotted the killing because Lo was having an affair with the ex-deputy's wife…
LINK - SacBee.com
September 15, 2009
At-Large Parolee Caught In Sacto
An at-large parolee has been caught breaking into a vacant home Tuesday.
Deputies said shots were fired after the at-large parolee attempted to run over an officer in Sacramento County.
It happened at Vince's Motel on Folsom Boulevard at about 8:45 p.m. when officers attempted to pickup the at-large parolee.
An eyewitness said a man rammed the officer's car, disabling it, in the parking lot. An officer, on foot, fired shots at the man as he fled heading east on Folsom…
LINK - KCRA.com
August 2, 2009
Lawmakers thinking about prison system cuts
Before the full State Assembly and Senate get to work later this month, a few lawmakers will be discussing how to cut $1.2 billion from the state prison system. The cuts have already been approved, but the Legislature must still decide on how precisely to make them.
Assemblyman Curt Hagman, R-Walnut, vice chairman of the Assembly Public Safety Committee, said Republicans want to make cuts to prison programs, while committee Chairman Juan Arambula, D-Fresno, said he wants to save money by granting some form of early release for elderly, ill and non-violent offenders…
LINK - DailyBulletin.com
March 9, 2009
Tasers finally down Sacramento parolee after rampage
A parolee who had been out of prison barely two weeks crashed his car into two other vehicles along the Capital City Freeway, then slugged a California Highway Patrol officer into unconsciousness before he was subdued with Taser guns Sunday, authorities said.
Andreas Tillman, 39, had been to prison three times since 2002 before his most recent release, all on convictions for driving under the influence, according to Sacramento County court records.
CHP officials said they received several calls around 12:55 p.m. Sunday of a reckless driver behind the wheel of a Mazda Tribute, swerving across all the lanes of the eastbound freeway south of Watt Avenue before rendering his car inoperable after colliding with the two other vehicles…
LINK - SacBee.com
January 8, 2009
Former Sacramento deputy arrested again
A former Sacramento sheriff's deputy who police have called a "principal" in the slaying of a California Medical Facility correctional officer last October was arrested Wednesday in connection with misusing Sheriff's Department computers.
Chu Vue, 43, was taken into custody around 8:30 a.m. in front of his Elk Grove residence on a warrant citing 23 counts of computer access violations.
"We believe that he accessed work computers to locate variations of the name Steve Lo and that he used that information to access Steve Lo's address," said Sgt. Norm Leong, spokesman for the Sacramento Police Department…
LINK - The (Vacaville) Reporter
December 1, 2008
California State Prison Sacramento Medical Inspection
Enclosed is the Office of the Inspector General's final report on its inspection of medical care delivery at California State Prison Sacramento (CSP-SAC). Consistent with our agreement with the receiver, the purpose of our inspection was to evaluate and monitor the progress of medical care delivery to inmates at the institution. The report finds that based on our weighted scoring system encompassing 18 components, California State Prison Sacramento (CSP-SAC) received 65.2 percent of the total weighted points possible. The report contains a detailed breakdown of the institution's score in each of the 20 relevant categories, including the results of all 145 questions...
November 18, 2008
Former state employee sentenced for data theft
A former Consumer Affairs employee was sentenced to a year in Sacramento County Jail and five years probation today for illegally downloading a personnel file with the names and Social Security numbers of 5,500 state employees and sending it to her private e-mail account.
Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Steve White gave Rachael Dumbrique, 33, the maximum sentence and ordered her to pay full restitution of up to $122,000 to the state of California. The judge ignored a plea from defense attorney Jeremiah Van Etten to give Dumbrique a sentence of between six and nine months because she had no prior criminal record and was the mother of three children…
LINK - SacBee.com
November 18, 2008
The California Budget Crisis - Sunday Floor Sessions Scheduled
Though no agreement has been announced on any solution to bridge a budget shortfall of over $11 billion in the current State budget year, both houses of the Legislature tentatively plan floor sessions on Sunday afternoon, November 23. The Assembly plans a floor session at noon on Sunday, while the State Senate has scheduled a floor session for 4:00 PM. With no agreement in sight it is not certain if the floor sessions will actually be held – or if they are held, what action would be taken.
The last time both houses met in a floor session, and then just briefly, taking no action, was November 6th, after the Governor issued his proclamation calling them back into a special or extraordinary session to deal with the growing budget crisis…
LINK - CaliforniaProgressReport.com
November 10, 2008
Man Faces More Charges In Correctional Officer’s Death
Officials said new criminal charges have been filed against a former Sacramento County sheriff's deputy allegedly linked to the murder of a correction's officer.
Chu Vue pleaded not guilty on Friday to a charge that he manufactured an illegal assault weapon. The new charge is on top of the original charge of possessing an illegal weapon.
Police said Vue is not believed to be the killer of a corrections officer, but investigators do believe he played a role in the killing of Steven Lo…
LINK - KCRA.com Sacramento News
October 28, 2008
Deputy Investigated in Killing is Fired
A Sacramento deputy implicated in a murder investigation was hit by a double whammy Monday: he was
arraigned on a gun charged and fired on the same day.Sacramento County Sheriff John McGinness confirmed to News10 that he fired Deputy Chu Vue, a 13-year veteran of the department. Vue, currently in custody on a felony weapons charge, was served termination papers around the same time he was arraigned Monday afternoon.
McGinness declined to give the reason for termination, other than to say it has to do with the department's "administrative investigation." Vue had been placed on paid administrative leave when he was arrested October 22. McGinness, however, said it's his duty to the taxpayers to move swiftly when an officer's integrity and trustworthiness is in question…
LINK - News10.net
October 23, 2008
Deputy in Murder Probe Arrested - But Not for Murder
A Sacramento County sheriff's deputy that was questioned in connection with the murder of a correctional officer has been arrested - but not for murder.
According to Sacramento police, 43-year-old Chu Vue, a 13-year-veteran of the sheriff's department, was arrested Thursday morning for possession of an unregistered illegal assault rifle. The rifle was discovered during a search of Vue's home on October 15.
Bail was set at $500,000 for Vue. The standard bail for this kind of weapons offense is $50,000…
LINK - News10.net
October 17, 2008
Deputy Placed On Leave In Prison Guard Murder Case
A Sacramento County Sheriff's department deputy, Chu Vue, has been placed on administrative leave while he is being investigated in connection with the shooting death of correctional officer Steven Lo, according to sources.
The Sacramento Sheriff's Department is not commenting on the case, saying it is not within their jurisdiction.
Sacramento County Sheriff's Deputy, Chu Vue's daughter says Sac PD Crime Scene investigators showed up at his Elk Grove home the night of the shooting…
LINK - CBS13.com
October 16, 2008
Sacramento Deputy Under Investigation in Officer’s Murder
Law enforcement sources confirmed to News10 Thursday that police investigators were looking into a Sacramento County sheriff's deputy in connection with the murder of a state prison correctional officer gunned down in front of his Sacramento home Wednesday.
The sources told News10 a search warrant was served at the home of the veteran deputy, who reportedly works at the Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center in south Sacramento. His locker at work was also searched as part of the investigation into the killing of Steve Lo early Wednesday morning.
The possible motive in Lo's killing is said to be a "personal relationship" that may have become an issue between the two men…
LINK - News10.net (News 10 Sacramento)
October 16, 2008
Source: Deputy Investigated In Correctional Officer’s Death
A Sacramento County sheriff's deputy is being investigated in the shooting death of a correctional officer, a source said.
Steve Lo, 39, was in full uniform and standing in his garage in the 8400 block of Tambor Way shortly before 5 a.m. Wednesday when he was fatally wounded by gunfire, police Sgt. Matt Young said.
The Sacramento County Sheriff's Department would not comment on the case, as it was being handled by the Sacramento Police Department…
LINK - My58.com (KCRA News)
July 10, 2008
California state worker probed in ID security breach
A state worker recently married to a member of the Mexican Mafia who is in Corcoran State Prison for a gang murder is herself under investigation for downloading more than 5,000 names, addresses and Social Security numbers belonging to Department of Consumer Affairs staff, The Bee has learned.
The Department of Consumer Affairs disclosed that it suffered a data security breach last month, but at the time released few details about the incident.
Officials sent a letter to employees, warning them to watch their credit for signs of identity theft, offering them free credit reports and $25,000 worth of fraud insurance…
LINK - SacBee.com (The Sacramento Bee)
May 21, 2008
FBI: New gangs emerge
The FBI has warned law enforcement agencies that two groups of ex-Norteño gang members gaining strength in the prison system could spur more violence in Monterey County and elsewhere in Northern California.
A May 5 classified report, intended only for gang-intelligence officers, says Norteño "dropout" groups such as Nuevas Flores (New Flowers) and Northern Riders pose an increasing threat on the streets of Monterey, Santa Clara, San Francisco, Sacramento and Mendocino counties as they gain influence within the state's lockups, attracting large numbers of recruits.
The groups are made up of ex-Norteños and former members of Nuestra Familia who've joined forces, in part, to offer each other protection from their former gangs.Once released from prison, the report says, these gang dropouts aspire to establish official territory in areas already occupied by Norteño and Sureño street gangs…
LINK - TheCalifornian.com
April 17, 2008
Remembering victims…
The California Correctional Peace Officers Association, which represents more than 30,000 correctional employees, sponsored the 19th annual crime victims rally Wednesday outside the Capitol.
During the event, a top official in a crime victims group criticized Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger over his proposal to release 22,000 inmates as a budget-reduction measure. Nina Salarno Ashford, an executive board member of Crime Victims United of California, said it is a "lie" that the governor's early release proposal would affect only nonviolent inmates. Schwarzenegger spokeswoman Lisa Page later said that the governor, who conducted his own crime victims event on Tuesday, "has been a strong ally for crime victims and protecting public safety."
LINK - SacBee.com (The Sacramento Bee)
March 28, 2008
Gang Initiation E-mail Causes Concern
Local authorities have not verified the veracity of an e-mail/text message making the rounds that warned of a potentially violent gang initiation Thursday night but a word of caution is going out nonetheless.
News10 is posting this information in part because at least five inquiries have come into the station about it.
The message reads:
"A correctional officer at one of the Northern California area's institutions intelligence division just intercepted a message from the national known South American gang "MS13″. The gang is expanding into the Northern California region rapidly. The message to the members "outside" was to hold gang initiations tonight…
LINK - News10.net (Sacramento)
March 13, 2008
Legislative analyst leaving at end of year
Legislative Analyst Elizabeth Hill announced Thursday that she will retire from her "dream job" at the end of the year.
"It's time for a new chapter in my life," said Hill, 58, who has served as the Legislature's nonpartisan budget analyst for 22 years.
Hill, who recently released her own alternative to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposed state budget, said she was under no pressure to resign.
LINK - SacBee.com (The Sacramento Bee)
March 13, 2008
Union decries increasing number of outsourced IT contracts for state of California
The number of information technology contracts awarded by the state of California has tripled since 2003, and the state could save up to $100 million annually by reducing its reliance on contractors, according to a new union study.
The report, titled "Too Many, Too Costly, Too Little Oversight," was compiled by the Service Employees International Union in preparation for a hearing today in the Legislature and based on information provided by the Department of General Services.
SEIU represents 7,800 state IT employees, 80 percent of whom work in the Sacramento region. The union is sponsoring AB 2603 by Assemblyman Mike Eng, D-Monterey Park, that would require state departments to report IT contract expenditures so that they could be compared to the cost of state employees doing the work…
LINK - SacBee.com (The Sacramento Bee)
February 6, 2008
“Defeat of Prop 93 will bring wholesale leadership changes”
It failed by about 7 percentage points, despite support from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and a who's who of labor unions, corporations and professional groups that poured nearly $16 million into the Yes-on-93 campaign. Opponents raised more than $7 million, fueled primarily by $2.5 million from state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner and $2 million from the prison guards' union. Defeat of the initiative means that Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, D-Los Angeles, Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, D-Oakland, Senate Minority Leader Dick Ackerman, R-Tustin, and 31 other incumbents will be barred from running for re-election this year…
LINK - SFGate.com
