News

ATWATER - After nearly eight weeks of investigation the Atwater Police Department has identified its prime suspect in the homicide of the former Merced Couny District Attorney’s son Ethan Morse. Surveillance cameras captured video the suspect Dagoberto Franco Penaloza (26) near the crime scene the day of the murder. 

Atwater Detectives say he did not attempt to make a quick getaway. In fact, Atwater's police chief thinks he may have actually passed him. "He did walk out of the area, and he walked through town. If we'd had a better description, I might have caught him," said police chief Michael Salvador. "He walked right by my position as I was driving to the homicide scene."

MADERA - On May 6^th, 2019 at about 8:45 pm officers from the Madera Police Department were dispatched to the 800 block of South D Street regarding a large pool of blood located in a family’s driveway.  When the officers arrived and contacted the residents of the property they were informed a cousin to the family, identified as Ambrocio Hernandez, was standing near their fence line when they arrived home.

Hernandez was not allowed at the property due to his extensive drug use and aggressive demeanor. After Hernandez was told to leave the property (which he did), law enforcement was contacted regarding the blood found on scene. Officers investigated the scene and followed the blood trail to a garbage can. Inside the garbage can they found the family dog, deceased, with extensive blunt force trauma. It was believed Hernandez may have killed the animal and an investigation was started to attempt to locate him. 

HILMAR – A former Madera resident was killed in Merced County in a collision with a big rig just south of Hilmar on Highway 165. Fred Gleason (82), now a resident of Stevinson was driving a 2008 Lexus sedan when the driver of a big rig hauling milk pulled into an intersection at Crane Avenue where the two vehicles collided.

Gleason’s identity was confirmed by Deputy Daryl Allen with the Merced County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office. The crash happened Saturday March 2, 2019 around 6:40 p.m. The driver of the 2013 Peterbilt big rig truck was identified by the California Highway Patrol as Aurelio Barajas-Zapien (43) of Turlock.

FRESNO -  On Thursday, May 2, 2019, at approximately 1950 hours, Northeast Patrol Officers from the Fresno Police Department were dispatched to 4300 block of East Buckingham Way regarding a victim of a shooting.  The 911 call was placed from the Buckingham address and when officers arrived they discovered a deceased male inside the residence.  The male was identified as 42 year old Elden Baker III.  Officers contacted the mother and stepfather who both stated that the stepfather shot Baker in self-defense. 

Detectives learned that during the disturbance, Baker become enraged and began hitting himself in the face and slamming his head into the refrigerator.  Baker turned his anger towards his mother and began assaulting her while forcing her to the floor.  It should be noted; the mother has a medical condition which could become life threatening if attacked in such a manner. 

SACRAMENTO -  Following a nearly two-year international investigation involving U.S. law enforcement and authorities in Germany and the Netherlands, federal prosecutors have charged three German nationals with being the administrators of Wall Street Market (WSM), which was one of the world’s largest dark web marketplaces that allowed vendors to sell a wide variety of contraband, including an array of illegal narcotics, counterfeit goods and malicious computer hacking software. A Brazilian national was also charged for allegedly acting as a moderator for WSM.

A criminal complaint filed Wednesday in United States District Court in Los Angeles alleges that the three defendants, who currently are in custody in Germany, were the administrators of WSM, a sophisticated online marketplace available in six languages that allowed approximately 5,400 vendors to sell illegal goods to about 1.15 million customers around the world.

FRESNO - The warmer weather means a lot more motorcycles will be out on the road across California. May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, and the Fresno Police Department is taking the opportunity to remind drivers and motorcycle riders to share the road and look out for one another.

During the month of May, the Fresno Police Department will step up enforcement specifically geared toward stopping drivers and motorcycle riders for traffic violations that increase the risk of crashes. A motorcycle safety enforcement operation is planned for May 5th, 2019 to coincide with motorcycle club festivities scheduled in Fresno over the Cinco de Mayo weekend.