Local News

Two Men Indicted for Conspiracy to Traffic Methamphetamine and Fentanyl in Tulare County: 160 Pounds of Methamphetamine, 300 Fentanyl Pills Seized

FRESNO - A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today against Saul Giovanni Solis Ontiveros, 24, of Pixley, and Eduardo Garcia, 20, of McFarland, charging them with conspiring to distribute over 160 pounds of methamphetamine and approximately 300 fentanyl pills, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, the defendants were stopped in a routine traffic stop in Pixley. Through the rear windows of the car, officers saw two buckets with a white crystalline substance on the rim of the lids. Eventually, further searches of the car and two residences located over 160 pounds of methamphetamine, over 200 pounds of liquid methamphetamine, and approximately 300 pills containing fentanyl. Inside both residences, law enforcement officers found active methamphetamine conversion laboratories.

Tulare Man Convicted of Methamphetamine Trafficking

FRESNO - A federal jury returned a verdict on Thursday finding Jose Roberto Arreola-Serrato, 31, of Tulare, guilty of a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents and evidence produced at trial, Arreola-Serrato worked with other members of a Tulare County-based conspiracy to supply methamphetamine for a large-scale drug trafficking organization, which was responsible for distributing methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin in California and Washington.

Valley Children’s Opens New Inpatient Unit for Epilepsy Monitoring

MADERA - This week, Valley Children’s Hospital unveiled a new Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU) with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. This new facility, located in the Voyager Unit of the Madera hospital, is a designated area for epilepsy patients who need to be monitored over longer periods of time.

This unit includes six rooms with hard-wired beds, nine portable machines, and a play area. There are also video cameras in each room and throughout the hallways, allowing patients more freedom to roam while still being monitored over multiple consecutive days and ensuring no data is lost. This facility creates a more comfortable environment, conducive to optimal seizure monitoring.

Man Sentenced for Conspiring to Assist Flight of Man Charged With Murdering Police Officer

FRESNO - Erik Quiroz Razo (Quiroz), 28, an illegal alien from Michoacán, Mexico residing in Merced, was sentenced yesterday to 21 months in prison for conspiring with others to assist Paulo Virgen Mendoza’s flight from California to Mexico after he allegedly committed a felony: the murder of Newman Police Corporal Ronil Singh during a traffic stop, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

“The murder of a police officer in the line of duty is an assault on the entire community. This defendant, a convicted felon and previously deported alien played a critical role in helping a man accused of killing a police officer to elude apprehension,” said U.S. Attorney Scott. “He disposed of the murder weapon, and he urged those close to him to not tell anyone about his activities. The successful prosecution of this defendant sends a message to the community that this behavior will not be tolerated.”

Assemblymember Gray Seeks Audit of State Regulator’s Failure to Prevent Utility Wildfires

SACRAMENTO - Assemblymember Adam C. Gray (D-Merced) has submitted a request to the Joint Legislative Audit Committee seeking a state audit of the California Public Utilities Commission. As the state’s primary entity tasked with the regulation of public utilities, Gray’s audit letter seeks information about the commission’s role in PG&E’s inadequate and dangerous management of its power lines which sparked some of the most destructive wildfires in California history.

“A lot of the conversation around utilities and wildfires has focused on shareholders and executives at PG&E placing their own profits over the public’s safety,” said Gray. “That criticism is well deserved. Shareholders are just now realizing it would have cost a lot less to make responsible safety improvements over time rather than go through bankruptcy with multi-billion dollar settlements.