Local News

FRESNO STATE - David W. Huerta, chief of the Fresno State Police Department since August 2004, passed away on Aug. 16 surrounded by his family and close friends, after 13 months of hospitalization at UCSF Medical Center. He was 68.

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.

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.

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.