News

FRESNO COUNTY - Gerardo G. Alvarez (56) of Fresno has been charged in a Felony Complaint with charges related to the embezzlement and misappropriation of funds from the Parlier Unified School District’s “Sunshine Club” account, the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office has announced.

The alleged criminal conduct came to light after a Fresno County Grand Jury report in 2015, as well as an audit that was requested by the Fresno County Office of Education in 2016. A nearly two year investigation by the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office’s Public Integrity Unit culminated in the filing of criminal charges and the arrest of Gerardo Alvarez at his home without incident today, January 4, 2019. Mr. Alvarez was employed as the Superintendent of the Parlier Unified School District from 2013-2015.

FRESNO - As we said goodbye to 2018 and hello to the new year, California Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) agents and the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office will be doing their part to ensure safety in Fresno County.ABC agents are partnering with the Fresno County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office Special Investigations Task Force (SITF) to conduct undercover operations at bars, restaurants and liquor stores throughout the Fresno County to help prevent minors from obtaining alcoholic beverages.

Recent operations in Sanger and Reedley resulted in two businesses and one person being cited for furnishing alcoholic beverages to a minor.  Businesses are reminded to have policies in place to ID their customers to verify they are of legal drinking age. 

SACRAMENTO – The California Attorney General joined a $575 million nationwide settlement with Wells Fargo, recovering $148.7 million for California, because of the bank’s systematic misconduct exploiting its own customers. Wells Fargo has acknowledged opening millions of deposit, credit card, and other accounts, and conducting transfers of funds without customer authorization over various periods from 2002 through 2017.

“Wells Fargo customers entrusted their bank with their livelihood, their dreams, and their savings for the future,” said Attorney General Becerra. “Instead of safeguarding its customers, Wells Fargo exploited them, signing them up for products - from bank accounts to insurance - that they never wanted. This is an incredible breach of trust that threatens not only the customers who depended on Wells Fargo, but confidence in our banking system. As our investigation found, Wells Fargo’s conduct was unlawful and disgraceful.”

NEWMAN – A valley-wide manhunt has resulted in the capture of Gustavo Perez Arriaga (32) and two other men that helped the suspected cop killer flee the Stanislaus area. Arriaga is suspected of the killing of Newman Police Officer Ronil Singh (33) during a traffic stop just before 1:00 AM on Wednesday morning 12/26/18.

The Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office says that Arriaga was taken into custody in Cpl. Singh's handcuffs in Kern County early Friday morning. The suspect was found nearly 200 miles away in the Kern County town of Lamont in a house that was being monitored by law enforcement for the last 24 hours. Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson says Arriaga was attempting to make his way to Mexico when he was arrested.

SELMA - Property crimes detectives with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office are asking for the public to help them find 26 year old Marco Antonio Perez of Selma. Around 12:30 pm on December 6th, a group of workers were pruning a vineyard off a dirt road north of Floral Avenue, west of S. Jameson Ave. 

Three men in a black Dodge Durango drove up, got out and demanded the workers hand over their money.  The suspects, two Hispanic and one African American, wore hooded sweatshirts and masks.  One was armed with a handgun and another man had a knife.  A contractor, who was paying the employees at the time, had a large amount of cash taken from them.