News

FRESNO – A Greyhound Bus driver was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs following a single vehicle accident Sunday morning on Highway 180 east of Freeway 99. Ten people were injured; one was transported to Community Regional Medical Center.

According to the California Highway Patrol, thirty-five people were aboard the bus that was traveling from Sacramento to Fresno. As the bus was entering a transition road to Highway 180, the driver lost control of the vehicle as the road veered to the left, smashing into a guardrail.

MERCED - Early Wednesday morning Merced Police Department Officers responded to a report of a carjacking that occurred in the area of “Q” Street & West 5th Street in Merced.

Officers made contact with the male victim who told them he had met up with an individual, later identified as Ernesto Antonio Zaragoza Guzman (19) of Merced. As the two of them were sitting in the victim’s vehicle, Guzman motioned like he had a gun and told the victim to get out of the car. Guzman then fled the area with the victim’s vehicle.

MADERA RANCHOS - On March 4, 2019, the Madera County Sheriff’s Office received a call for service for a commercial burglary at the Rice Bowl Restaurant, a local family-owned business in the Madera Ranchos. The owner of the restaurant reported to MCSO Cadet I Brandon Smith that an unknown adult male entered the business earlier that day and took approximately $1,500 cash.

Security footage was obtained, and after a several week investigation by MCSO Detectives, a possible identification of the suspect was made. In cooperation with the Fresno area M.A.G.E.C. Team, Jacob Sonny Lopez, a 34 year old Clovis resident, was taken into custody on an unrelated charge. While in custody in Fresno County, MCSO Detective Luis Padgett interviewed Lopez regarding the burglary at the Rice Bowl.

SACRAMENTO -  After a seven–day trial, a federal jury found Erik Hermann Green, 37, of Roseville, guilty on Tuesday of three counts of wire fraud in a mortgage fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.  According to evidence presented at trial, Green was part of a large-scale mortgage fraud scheme to defraud the New Century Mortgage Company by submitting false documentation about employment, income and assets, including fraudulent loan applications and other altered bank documents.

Around October 2006, when Green submitted his fraudulent loan applications to obtain a loan for $820,000, he was a licensed real estate sales person and managed approximately 15 loan officers. As part of the scheme, Green received a check for $100,000 that was funneled through a shell company at the close of escrow. Green used the funds for personal expenses.

ATWATER - The son of former Merced County District Attorney Larry Morse II was found fatally shot Friday morning at an Atwater home. At approximately 9:56 AM Friday morning, Atwater Police began receiving reports of shots fired in the area of Winton Way and Fir Avenue.

Officers arrived on scene and found a male seated in the driver’s seat of a black sedan who had sustained at least two gunshot wounds. Cal-Fire personnel and Riggs Ambulance arrived at the scene and began life saving efforts before the victim was ultimately transported to a Merced hospital where he was later pronounced dead.