Suspect: Cesar Domingo    Adult

On 9/30/11, at approximately 0700 hours, Deputies responded to a residence in the 14700 block of Walker Road in Poplar and conducted a probation search of Cesar Domingo and the residence. The search yielded stolen items from a burglary that occurred just hours earlier from a residence in the 19000 block of Ave 146 in Poplar. Domingo was also found to be in possession of marijuana and under the influence of a controlled substance. Domingo was arrested on the above violations and booked at the Porterville Substation.
Domingo was also charged with burglary and identity theft charges on an unrelated incident. 

***Updated Information***
Victim Name:
Gutierrez, Sonny - 17 years - Lindsay

Autopsy is scheduled for Monday October 3, 2011

**Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Sheriff's Office at (559) 733-6218**

*Prior Release*
On 9-29-11 at approx. 0117 hrs. the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Lindsay cemetery for a report of a possible shooting.  The responding deputies subsequently located a deceased male juvenile with apparent gunshot wounds.  The investigation is in the early stages and further information will be released at a later time.    The case is under investigation by TCSO

Suspect:    Scott Chambers    Age:    47

On the above date and time Tulare County Sheriff Deputies investigated a possible elder abuse crime.  The above mentioned suspect is being investigated for forging multiple checks on the victim’s checking account and cashing them in.  This case is still under investigation.

On 9-29-11 at approx. 0117 hrs. the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Lindsay cemetery for a report of a possible shooting.  The responding deputies subsequently located a deceased male juvenile with apparent gunshot wounds.  The investigation is in the early stages and further information will be released at a later time.   

The case is under investigation by TCSO
    

UPDATE:
At 1533 hrs the subject was taken into custody without incident on scene at the 45000 block of Filer in ORange Cove.  The Subject was identified as Brian Dewayne Durham, age 46 of Orange Cove.  He was taken into custody for PC 422 and PC 245. 

PRIOR RELEASE:
ON 09-28-2011, at approximately 1213 hours, the Sheriff's Office received a call regarding a man who brandished a firearm and made threats to family members.  The sheriff's Office responded to the 45000 block of Filer in Orange Cove and made contact with the victim's. 

The Sheriff's Office was advised the last time the subject was seen was in his residence.  The Sheriff's Office has attempted to make contact with the subject but has met with negative results.  Due to the nature of the call and the possibility of the man being in possession of a firearm, the Sheriff's Tactical Enforcement Personnel Team and Airplane were called to respond to the scene. 

The subject is known to the victims.  His name is not being released at this time.  The subject is a Caucasian, male age 46 and lives at the location.

As additional information is made available an update will be issued. 

If anyone has information regarding this incident they are encouraged to call the Sheriff's Office at 800-808-0488.  Should anyone have information they would like to provide anonymously, they can text or e-mail the information through the TipNow program 559-725-4194 or tcso@tipnow.com.

Questions should be directed to the PIO Sgt. Chris Douglass a cdouglass@co.tulare.ca.us or 559-735-1825.

NAME: Abraham Lunar Chavez
Age: 37 years old
HEIGHT: 5'6"
WEIGHT: 160 lbs
EYES: Brown
HAIR: Brown
TATTOOS: None
LAST SEEN WEARING: A white t-shirt with blue stripes, blue jeans and boots

On 9/13/11 Abraham Lunar Chavez was reported missing by his friend. He was last seen
walking south from his home on 20400 block of Road 204 in Strathmore. According to his
friends and family members it is unlikely for him to not return or contact family and they
are concerned for his well being.

Anybody with information regarding the whereabouts of Abraham Lunar Chavez is
encouraged to contact Detective Maria Lomeli of the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department
Violent Crimes Unit at (559) 733-6218.

Should you wish to remain anonymous, you may test or e-mail your information to 559-725-4194 or tcso@tipnow.com.

A missing person flyer with photograph is also posted on the Sheriff's Flickr page at  http://www.flickr.com/photos/tularecountysheriff/6189482212/in/photostream

Suspect:    Cesar Vargas    Age:    24

Tulare county deputies were dispatched to the area of Ave 308 and Rd 71 for a reported disturbance in progress.

Deputies arrived on scene and learned suspect Cesar Vargas forced his way into a neighboring home and assaulted two subjects. Cesar fled the area on foot prior to Deputies arrival. Cesar was later located at a relative’s home and taken into custody without incident and booked at the main jail.

During the week of 9-21-11 through 9-24-11, personnel from the North End - Gang Violence Suppression Unit concentrated their efforts in the communities of Cutler, Orosi, London, Ivanhoe and Farmersville.  Overall, there were ten arrests for various misdemeanors, warrants and civil gang injunction violations. 

The subjects were booked into the Tulare County Main jail and Juvenile Justice Center without incident.

Male Juvenile (16 yrs) violation of preliminary gang injunction / court order. No Bail
Male Juvenile (16 yrs) violation of preliminary gang injunction / court order. No Bail
Male Juvenile (17 yrs) violation of preliminary gang injunction / court order. No Bail
Luis Ramirez (26 yrs) violation of preliminary gang injunction / court order. No Bail
Felipe Rivera (26 yrs) violation of preliminary gang injunction & poss. of marijuana. No Bail
Oscar Tlehuatle (26 yrs) driving under the influence of alcohol.  Bail $10,000
Romero Ramirez (50 yrs) driving under the influence of alcohol.  Bail $10,000
Damian Lopez (28 yrs) misdemeanor arrest warrant.  Bail $35,000
Yanira Garza (29 yrs) misdemeanor arrest warrant (cited)
Juan Villarreal (37 yrs) misdemeanor arrest warrant (cited)

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Sheriff’s Department at 559-733-6218 or you can remain anonymous by sending your information to tcso@tipnow.com or by texting to (559) 725-4194.

Narrative:

On the above date and time, Tulare County Sheriff's Deputie's were dispatched to the above location regarding a burglary.  Victim stated sometimes between Thursday 9/23/11 and Friday 9/24/11, unknown suspect(s) removed miscellaneous tool's and equipment from a storage building on the property.  The investigation revealed the suspect Kevin Joshua Glick from Exeter was involved in the theft.  The property was located and returned to the victim. Glick was booked into the Tulare County Main Jail. This case is currently under investigation.

In Custody: Glick, Kevin Joshua    DOB: 03-02-1982    Exeter, Ca.

On Friday, September 23, 2011 at 1437 hours, deputies responded to a report of a missing 2 year old. The victim’s mother reported that she and the child laid down for a nap and when she awoke the child was gone. It appeared the child climbed through a hole from a small missing plate of glass in the front door that had not yet been repaired.

The search included the sheriff’s department aircraft, K-9’s, patrol deputies, Search and Rescue and volunteers. The child was found at about1650 hours by deputies on foot being led by a K-9. He was found lying under a tree approximately ¼ mile away in same orange orchard the residence was located in. The child was in good health and unharmed.

During the week on September 18th the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department S.T.E.P. Unit completed three lengthy investigations in areas scattered around the county. These investigations resulted in the eradication of over 28,500 marijuana plants

The various operations are as follows:

1.  Case # 11- 60667 - On 9/19/11 S.T.E.P. Detectives along with assisting personnel responded to two locations in the 21000 block of Rd. 252 near Lindsay for reported large scale marijuana cultivations. The investigation was initiated after local residents reported they were concerned for their safety because of the nearby marijuana grows. They reported suspicious vehicles coming and going at all hours of the day and night and gun shots being fired in the area on a regular basis. Upon arrival search warrants were served at both locations. The listed suspects were detained and questioned. It was quickly found that the two sites were connected and in fact run as one operation, a plant count at the locations found a total of 2,282 live marijuana plants, some of which were 15 feet in height. A check of the medical recommendations at the sites found multiple expired, fake, duplicate and in some cases triple copied. Several of the detained subjects stated they had never seen the recommend holders.  Recommendation holders at the location were allowed 835 plants. Children's toys were found in and around the grow sites and processed marijuana was within easy reach of the children throughout the homes.

The marijuana plants at this location were in excess of 13 feet tall.  From both locations a total of 15 dump truck loads of marijuana, weighing 35,200 pounds were removed for destruction.

It’s important to note that plants of this size yield more than the commonly accepted one to two pounds of processed bud per plant used for legal purposes. These plants would have easily yielded five or more pounds of bud per plant. In addition, the suspects were collecting trimmings commonly called “Shake”. In recent years suspects have begun the chemical processing of “shake” using butane fuel to extract and produce concentrated marijuana called “Honey Oil” which can then be smoked. This in effect makes all parts of the marijuana plant usable to produce several types of controlled substances. This ability generates huge profits for suspects.

Several of the listed suspects held medical marijuana recommends allowing them to grow enough medical marijuana to cover their current medical needs.  All were found to be clearly over their recommended amounts. In addition, approximately 650 pounds of processed marijuana was packaged for sales and partially processed marijuana was discovered on the properties. This amount of marijuana was clearly in excess of the above listed suspects medical needs. Scales, packaging materials, pay/owe sheets, assault weapons, shotguns, rifles and handguns were found at the locations. A large amount of U.S. Currency was also seized.

The suspects were arrested and charged with cultivation of marijuana and possession for sales. The marijuana, bud if allowed to mature would have a street value in excess of $3,000 per plant

It is an ongoing problem that drug trafficking organizations and individuals are obtaining medical marijuana recommends from doctors who allow them to grow plants well in excess of their medical needs. The doctors who do this routinely tell these people that they can donate their excess marijuana back to a dispensary for cash.

A new twist on this issue is that large drug trafficking organizations with ties to Mexico are paying subjects to obtain medical recommendations. The group then makes copies and posts them in various grow locations around the valley. California law has no requirement for a medical marijuana grower to register their grow sites. This allows criminals to hide behind California’s medical marijuana laws and use a single recommendation at many different sites. Growers then sell their excess marijuana to buyers on the street, directly to dispensaries and out of state where profits are many times greater than in California.  A typical medical marijuana user reportedly uses between 3 and 5 pounds of marijuana per year. This amount can be obtained from 2 to 5 marijuana plants.

Suspects Arrested:

S-1:  Erick Magdaleno Arias  26 yoa, Lindsay,  HS 11358. 58, 12276, PC 273A 
S-2:  Ana Magdaleno  24 yoa, Lindsay,   PC 273A
S-3:  Armando Valle  23 yoa,  Lindsay,  HS 11358
S-4:  Carlos Arturo Gomez Lopez  29 yoa  Lindsay, HS 11358 / INS Hold
S-5: Noel Galvan Gomez 19 yoa-Mexico, HS 11358 / INS Hold
S-6: Carlos Deniz Chavez 23 yoa,-Mexico, HS 11358 / INS Hold
S-7: Manuel Salvador Patricio Sanchez 23 yoa,-Mexico, HS 11358 / INS Hold
S-8: Manuel Carlos Sanchez Mendoza 24 yoa,-Mexico, HS 11358 / INS Hold
S-9: Sandra Paniagua 33 yoa-Mexico, HS 11358 / INS Hold
S-10: Jose Corona 18 yoa-Mexico, HS 11358 / INS Hold
S-11: Adan Sierra Barajas 42 yoa-Mexico, HS 11358 / INS Hold
S-12:Eduardo Giovanni Garcia 21 yoa,-Mexico, HS 11358 / INS Hold
S-13: Jose Luis Rangel 19 yoa-Mexico, HS 11358 / INS Hold

2.  On 9/20/11 S.T.E.P. Detectives responded to and eradicated 4,597 marijuana plants from a large garden site high in the mountains near Cholollo campground on the Tule River Indian Reservation. The marijuana plants at this location were heavily budded with each plant producing several pounds of bud per plant. No suspects were in the grow site at the time detectives arrived, however numerous items of evidence were collected.   This case is still under investigation.

3.  On 9/21/11 S.T.E.P. Detectives responded to and eradicated 21,647 marijuana plants from a large garden site high in the mountains above the Kern River. The marijuana plants at this location were camouflaged deep in the native vegetation to avoid aerial detection. The plants were completely budded, with some being processed and packaged for sale. Suspects fled the area as detectives entered the site. Detectives found that a small stream had been dammed and diverted to water the extensive grow site. Numerous chemical pesticides, fertilizers and rodent poisons were found scattered around the area.  This case is still under investigation.

Photographs of the evidence seized on this case can be viewed on the Sheriff's Flikr page under the title Maijuana Detail 09-2011:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tularecountysheriff/sets/72157627613270825/ 

Video footage of the evidence seized on this case can be viewed on the Sheriff's YouTube channel under the title Marijuana Detail 09-23-11:
http://youtu.be/eRaI4ML3Hng

Additional video footage and interviews regarding marijuana suppression can be found at these links:
Undersheriff Dahl Cleek http://youtu.be/Vm0lHwsmwQM
Lieutenant Tom Sigley  http://youtu.be/dihsxiUPXyg
Lieutenant Tom Sigley http://youtu.be/oH0K9c4kbLE
Supervisor Phil Cox http://youtu.be/wF2A6-3k7lQ
AG Commissioner http://youtu.be/nRM8Z55FQI0
Animal Control  http://youtu.be/fRKXxHQTuAQ

Suspect: Mateo Lara    Age:    36

On 9-22-2011 at approximately 2300hrs deputies from the Pixley Substation began surveillance on Road 160 north of Ave 24 where grape packing materials were being stored. The surveillance was conducted due to recent thefts of the packing materials. During the surveillance the suspect was seen arriving in a vehicle, stopped next to the packing materials, exited the vehicle and placed packing materials valued at approximately $72 into the vehicle and began driving away.

    The deputies conducting the surveillance conducted a vehicle stop and contacted the suspect, later identified as Mateo Lara, 36 years old from Delano, Ca., and detained him pending further investigation.  In the vehicle deputies located the packing materials. A representative from VB Zaninovich and Sons was contacted. Upon arrival to the crime scene the representative identified the packing materials belonging to VB Zaninovich and Sons. The suspect was then arrested and later booked at the Tulare County Main Jail for possession of stolen property and larceny.

    Anyone with information regarding this investigation or any other theft in the area is urged to contact the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department at 559-733-6218 or 1-800-808-0488.

On 9-21-2011 at 1759 hours, Deputies responded to a residence on Anderson Rd in Exeter, for a reported disturbance.

On arrival, Deputies contacted the victim who advised when the suspect was confronted about trespassing on his property, the suspect, John Burns, threatened to kill the victim.  The suspect was placed under arrest for outstanding warrants and criminal threats.  The suspect was later booked into the Main Jail.

Suspect:    JOHN BURNS    Age:    45
City:        FARMERSVILLE

Suspect arrested:
(S) Juan DelaCruz Nemecio, age 24 of Orosi area

Narrative:
On 9-21-11 at approx. 1000 hrs. Deputies responded to the 40700 block of Rd. 124 regarding a suspicious vehicle occupied by a Hispanic male adult, who was reportedly annoying and/or molesting children at the bus stops.  The suspect was identified as using verbal and physical motions toward the victims.  Deputies located the suspect vehicle in the area of Rd. 124 and Ave. 416.  The suspect was later positively identified along with his vehicle as being involved in the current case and several previously unreported similar incidents in the Orosi/ Cutler areas. Deputies have identified at least eight juvenile female victims ranging in ages from ten to twelve.

The Sheriff's Office has an ongoing investigation regarding these incidents.  If anyone has information regarding this case we ask you contact Deputy Woolem at the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputy Woolem (Orosi Substation)
Phone number: (559)733-6218 or (559)591-5811
(Media is directed to the PIO Sgt. Chris Douglass at cdouglass@co.tulare.ca.us or 735-1832)

The suspect vehicle is described as a red/orange colored Chevrolet Tahoe. 

Suspect:    
Valdez, Robert    
Age:    
34

On above date and time the above suspect drove to the victim’s residence and became involved in a verbal argument with the victim.  The suspect retrieved a gun from his vehicle and shot the victim one time.  The victim was taken by ambulance to the hospital and he is expected to survive.  The suspect was later located by family members of the victim in the Strathmore area and he was detained until law enforcement arrived and he was arrested.