News

SACRAMENTO -   A federal grand jury returned five indictments today against six additional defendants arrested as part of last week’s multi-agency coordinated series of searches and arrests throughout Northern California, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

These new indictments arise from a multi-agency law enforcement investigation focused on Woodland, but which spread to multiple counties in Northern California and to two additional states.

OAKHUST -  On February 19, 2018, Madera County Sheriff’s Office received information from Colusa Police Department that a vehicle reported stolen from their jurisdiction was in the Oakhurst area. MCSO Deputies promptly began following leads to the location of the suspect, John Ruano. During the course of the investigation, deputies developed information that Ruano was going to drive the vehicle to a parking lot in Oakhurst.

When Ruano arrived driving the stolen vehicle, Sergeant Rob Blehm, Corporal Hernandez, Deputy Michael Murphy, Deputy Gerald Marin, Deputy Jose Villafan, and Deputy Eric Jackson with K9 partner Gaston were on scene and subsequently surrounded the vehicle. Ruano immediately surrendered and was taken into custody.

MADERA - Madera County District Attorney, David A. Linn, announced today that on Wednesday, February 21, 2018, in the Bass Lake Superior Court, Craig Anthony Fetty, 30, of Ahwahnee, was convicted following a jury trial, of one count of murder, one count of first degree burglary, and one count of first degree residential robbery.  This is the seventh successful major trial conviction in a row for D.A. Linn’s office.

Fetty was arrested on October 22, 2016, after an investigation by the Madera County Sheriff’s Department into the beating and stabbing of Dennis Dolan.  The victim was found unresponsive outside his residence on the 41000 block of Road 600 near Highway 49.  The death appeared to be a homicide and detectives were called to the scene.

MADERA -  The Madera Tractor Supply store is supporting Cesar Chaves Elementary School in developing a school garden that will provide students with an enriched, hands-on learning experience.

"The School Garden Program provides kids with an opportunity to use their hands and minds in a way that's not typically available in a traditional classroom setting," said James Weatherill, manager of the Madera Tractor Supply store. "We're hopeful that this garden will not only give students at Cesar Chaves Elementary School a better understanding of where their food comes from, but will also encourage them to continue exploring how the world around them works."

MADERA – The Madera Police Department is reaching out to the community for information that will lead to the arrest of the individuals involved in a drive by shooting that claimed the life of a nine year old boy and put his father in a local hospital with nonlife-threatening wounds.

Nine year old Leonardo Morales was in a car with his father on Tozar Avenue near Olive Avenue in Madera Sunday night when an unidentified vehicle pulled alongside them and opened fire. Multiple rounds were fired into the victim’s car by the suspect striking the father and son several times.