Local News

Eight Year Old Boy Killed By Habitual Drunk Driver

SELMA – An eight-year-old was killed Saturday night when a suspected drunk driver crashed into the car the boy was riding in with his parents near Selma. According to the California Highway Patrol, the boy and his parents, Meghan Martzen (29) and driver Scott Martzen (33) were in their Kia Optima eastbound on Rose Avenue at Bethel Avenue just after 10 p.m.

The suspect, Karmjit Singh (35), failed to stop at a flashing stop sign on northbound Bethel Avenue at speeds near 100 mph. Rose Avenue is not controlled by a stop sign.

Additional Charges Filed in Case of Seven Aliens Who Conspired to Harbor Newman Police Officer’s Alleged Killer

FRESNO - A federal grand jury returned a nine-count superseding indictment today against Erik Razo-Quiroz, 29, of Merced; Adrian Virgen-Mendoza, 25, of Fairfield; Conrado Virgen Mendoza, 34, of Chowchilla; Erasmo Villegas-Suarez, 36, of Buttonwillow; Ana Leydi Cervantes-Sanchez, 31, of Newman; Bernabe Madrigal-Castaneda, 59, of Lamont; and Maria Luisa Moreno, 57, of Lamont, adding six new charges relating to fraudulent identification documents to the previous charges of conspiring to harbor an alien and, as to Razo, being a felon and an alien in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents, between December 26, 2018, and December 28, 2018, the defendants conspired to harbor and conceal Paulo Virgen Mendoza as he attempted to flee from California to Mexico to avoid prosecution for the murder of Newman Police Corporal Ronil Singh. It is alleged that in the early hours of December 26, 2018, Mendoza, an alien not lawfully present in the United States, shot and killed Corporal Singh.

Ceres Man Pleads Guilty To 15-Pound Methamphetamine Deal In Kern County

FRESNO - Jose Manuel Sotelo-Mendoza, 26, of Ceres, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. According to court documents, Sotelo and his co-defendant Oscar Ivan Salazar-Avalos, 28, a citizen of Mexico, delivered 15 pounds of methamphetamine to an undercover officer in Delano after Salazar negotiated with the officer to sell the drug for $3,400 per pound.

In pleading guilty, Salazar acknowledged that he and Sotelo had met his source of supply in Castaic in the northern part of Los Angeles County to obtain the 15 pounds of methamphetamine. In addition, Salazar indicated that they intended to make $51,000 on the deal.

Indiana Man Charged with Sexual Exploitation Involving a Minor from Madera County

FRESNO - A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today against Scott Matthew Trischler, 24, of Ft. Wayne, Indiana, charging him with one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, one count of enticement of a minor, and one count of receipt of child pornography, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to a criminal complaint, Trischler developed a relationship with a minor in Madera County while playing an online game with her. Trischler then communicated with the minor through Kik Messenger, Skype, TextNow, and Google Hangouts. He convinced her to create and transmit to him images of herself engaging in sexually explicit conduct from approximately December 2017 through March 2018.

Madera Bank America ATM Robbery Suspects Arrested

MADERA – Two individuals are now behind bars following a series of ATM robberies at the Madera Bank of America. Detectives have been actively investigating two robberies that took place at the East Yosemite Avenue bank but their big break came from video of an earlier robbery of a Valero gas station in Tracy California.

The first ATM robbery occurred on February 10th, and the most recent on February 17th. The suspect would walk up to patrons as they approached the ATM and demand the money they withdrew, even going as far as to demand they withdraw more on one occasion.