News

First Lady Barbara Bush Remembered

WASHINGTON D.C. - The White House Historical Association joins the nation in its remembrance of First Lady Barbara Bush and the warmth, care for others, love of country, and humor she brought to her roles as Second and First Lady of the United States.

Beginning, APRIL 18, 2018 at 9:00AM, an official condolence book for First Lady Barbara Bush will be available for the public to sign at the White House Visitor Center, located at 1450 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C., 20230. The Center is open daily from 7:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and is free to the public.

Laton Man Stabs Family Members, Fights Deputies, Gets Bit by K-9 and Arrested

LATON - Fresno County Sheriff’s deputies have arrested 26 year old Edson Sandoval and his 30 year old brother Carlos Sandoval, both of Laton. The two men are being treated at the hospital for dog bite injuries and will later be booked into the Fresno County Jail. Edson Sandoval faces three felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon and five felony counts of battery on an officer. Carlos Sandoval faces five felony counts of battery on an officer.

Around 2:30 pm on Friday, a woman ran for help from a home on Bliss Avenue to nearby Laton Elementary School. There she found a group of Fresno County Sheriff’s deputies who were participating in a K-9 handling demonstration for students. The woman told deputies a fight was taking place at her home and one of the men had a knife.

Fresno PD Proactive Against Drunk Drivers

FRESNO - The Fresno Police Department took a proactive stance against drunken or impaired driving this last weekend with DUI checkpoints and bar watches. On Friday April 13, 2018, the Fresno Police Department Traffic Unit conducted a Bar Watch operation in the Northwest Policing District. Several establishments that serve alcohol were monitored throughout the evening.

The Bar Watch Program is designed to bring awareness to the dangers of drinking and driving. It exists to deter, prevent, and remove impaired drivers from our roadways through a highly publicized educational campaign and vigorous enforcement. These operations utilize plain clothes and uniformed officers positioned outside drinking establishments looking for impaired drivers.

Bicyclist Beaten and Robbed; Public’s Help Needed to Solve Case

FRESNO - Just before 6:30 am on Sunday, April, 15th, a man in his early 60s was riding his bicycle north along Friant Road. Shortly after passing Sumner Peck Ranch Winery, the man noticed a light-colored, older model compact SUV on the shoulder of the road with its hood up and rear hatch open. Two man were standing near the vehicle.

As the bicyclist attempted to pass by, one of the men rushed toward him. He later woke up to medical personnel and citizens helping treat his injuries, which included a wound to his head, a fractured arm and collarbone. The man’s bike and wallet were gone, which held his badge identifying him as a retired officer with the California Highway Patrol. The man was taken to the hospital and is currently listed in stable condition. There is no information to show that this rider was specifically targeted.

Madera "Man" Arrested After Assaulting School Prinicpal

MADERA – Madera Police officer’s responded to Cesar Chavez Elementary School Thursday regarding a battery on a school official. The altercation occurred when a parent, identified by police as Gregory Smith (27), was escorting his child across campus. The school's principal was trying to bring Smith and the student to the school's office to talk when she was assaulted.

After the incident, Smith left school grounds. Madera Police attempted to contact Smith at an apartment complex on Wood Street in Madera and observed him leaving in a vehicle. Officers initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle just outside the complex.

Rocklin Man Sentenced for Mortgage Fraud Scheme

SACRAMENTO - Aleksandr Kovalev, 54, of Rocklin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. to three years and 10 months in prison for wire fraud involving financial institutions, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. According to court documents, Kovalev was in the business of developing, building and selling real property in Sacramento, Fairfield, and Stockton.

As the real estate market began to weaken, Kovalev offered to make incentive payments to purchasers, through “down payment assistance” or by making other payments to the buyers to be used in whatever manner the buyers wanted. Most of the payments to the buyers were out of escrow and were often paid through intermediaries, originating in Kovalev’s bank account.

Chico Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Filming his Sexual Abuse of a Child

SACRAMENTO - Nathan Alexander Drury, 39, of Chico, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. to 15 years in prison for production of child pornography, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. According to court documents, between January 1, 2012, and December 1, 2014, Drury filmed images of a child engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including a 47-second video of a nude child who was under the age of 12. That video that Drury produced shows Drury sexually abusing the child.

“Homeland Security Investigations will do whatever it takes to investigate these people who are a scourge to society and prey on innocent children,” said Ryan L. Spradlin, Special Agent in Charge for HSI in Northern California and Northern Nevada. “This type of crime is way too prevalent; but let this serve as a warning for any of those engaged in this illicit and egregious activity – the investigators of the federal government will hold you responsible for your actions.”