Local News

Two Indicted for Growing Marijuana in Sequoia National Forest in Fresno County

FRESNO - A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment today against Marino Cruz Diaz, 21, and David Moreno Florez, 25, both residing in Salinas, charging them with manufacturing more than 1,000 marijuana plants, conspiracy to manufacture more than 1,000 marijuana plants, and depredation of public lands and resources, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. Moreno Florez was also charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

According to court documents, law enforcement officers located a clandestine marijuana grow site in Sequoia National Forest in Fresno County. On Aug. 2, 2019, officers hiked into the grow site, where they found and arrested Cruz Diaz and Moreno Florez. Moreno Florez was carrying a loaded, AR-15 style rifle. Officers also found a loaded shotgun in the area. The cultivation site was secured, and 2,448 live marijuana plants were eradicated.

Arrest Made in February Madera County Murder

MADERA - Following a months-long investigation, Madera County Sheriff’s Detectives arrested two suspects for a February homicide on Avenue 9 in Madera County. Alan Gustavo Mendez has been charged with murder in the first degree. Bridy Juletzi Cruz Arzate has been charged as an accessory to murder.

On February 1, 2019 shortly before 8:00AM, the Madera County Sheriff’s Office received a call for service reporting a possible deceased individual located near an abandoned house in the 21000 block of Avenue 9 in Madera County. Deputies located a deceased male Hispanic adult, later identified as Sergio Lopez, a 30 year old South Gate, CA resident. Due to the nature of Lopez’s injuries, MCSO Detectives classified his death as a homicide. Detectives and CSI technicians recovered evidence from the scene and initiated an investigation.

Man Booked for Occupied Residential Burglary & Car Theft

CHOWCHILLA - On Saturday, August 10th, Officers from the Chowchilla Police Department were dispatched to a residence where an occupied burglary had just occurred, meaning the resident/occupants were present when the suspect made illegal entry. After a verbal exchange between the victim and suspect, it was determined the suspect stole keys from the residence and then took the victim’s car without consent.

The suspect fled the scene and the victim’s vehicle was later recovered in the City of Madera. Officers continued follow up investigation into the following day, when they received information that the suspect was in a local store in the city prior to this event. Officers responded to the store for follow up and when they entered the store, the suspect was inside the store again and fled from officers out the back door of the store.

CDCR Investigating Large-scale Riot at Correctional Training Facility

SOLEDAD – Officials are investigating a brief large-scale riot that occurred at 11:03 a.m. today on the Facility C recreation yard at Correctional Training Facility (CTF) in Soledad. The incident began when approximately 200 inmates began fighting on the yard. Responding staff immediately gave participants of the riot multiple orders to stop fighting. When they did not comply, staff deployed chemical agents, non-lethal weapons and discharged nine rounds from the state-issued Ruger Mini-14 rifle as warning shots to end the incident.

Once the warning shots were fired, one group of inmates immediately complied with the orders of responding staff, lying face down on the yard. Another group backed away from the complying inmates, but continued to ignore the orders of staff to lie down on the ground.

Madera County Proactive Traffic Stop Resulting in Pursuit and Felony Arrest

MADERA COUNTY - On August 3, 2019 around 12:45 a.m., Madera County Sheriff’s Deputy Ryan Vermeulen was at the stop light at CA-41 and CA-49 when he observed a U-Haul truck speed out of the Dyno Mart parking lot and drive over the center divider of north and south bound CA-41. When Deputy Vermeulen activated his lights and sirens to attempt to conduct a traffic stop, the vehicle sped up and continued to travel along CA-41.

A pursuit reaching speeds up to 75 MPH traveled through the towns of Coarsegold and Raymond, eventually concluding in neighboring Merced County, approximately 68 miles in total. CHP Officers successfully deployed spike strips which deflated the vehicle’s front tires and caused the driver to come to a stop in the area of Q and 12th Streets in Merced. Merced County Sheriff’s Deputies subsequently took the driver, later identified as John Nevis, a 22-year-old Oakhurst resident, into custody without further incident.