Keep Bailing

Fresno, CA — There’s one less early release for Sheriff Mims. This one actually made bail, but maybe he’ll get lucky down the road.

A Fresno County jail correctional officer who she explains has been charged and jailed for embezzlement.  Alfonso Alanis, 28 was arrested by Fresno County Sheriff’s detectives at approximately 8:20 a.m. on Tuesday. His bail was set at $50,000.

The drama unfolded and Read more »

OAKLAND, CA — 126 people have been issued felony arrest warrants which have lead to the recovery of over 12 pounds of cocaine, two pounds of methamphetamine, two pounds of marijuana and seven firearms. The drug sweep began early Monday.

The goal was to clean up the street-level drug dealers and keep the narcotics off the streets. Oakland Police Chief Anthony Batts said ultimately, officials will aim for the “big fish,” but first have to identify any key players. Batts  also stated, “I’ve asked the Oakland PD to focus on drugs, guns and gangs in order to save lives.”

On Monday, 120 police officers went in search for 101 known and wanted dealers. The results Read more »

On October 23, 2009, Damon Nicholson, 41, a catering manager at the Hotel Laguna, was killed during a home robbery in Laguna Beach, California.  According to police, the victim knew at least one of the men who killed him. 

On December 4, 2009, his second attacker, Jacob Quintanilla, 20, was arrested by the Laguna Beach Police Department.  He has been booked on suspicion of murder. Police say Quintanilla was allegedly present while Matthew Dragna, 19, perpetrated the crime.   The duo then robbed the man’s home, taking Read more »

A BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) Police Officer, who’s name has not been released, was injured by shards of falling glass Saturday at the West Oakland BART station. The laceration injury to his head and face occured during the arrest of 37-year-old, Michael Joseph Gibson, a San Leandro man who was claimed to have been shouting at other riders – and the entire incident was caught on tape.

The video, which was uploaded to YouTube, shows the officer entering the train and grabbing Gibson. He then lead him to the opposite side of the platform. The YouTube video, which was titled to suggest the officer forced Gibson’s head into the glass, actually appeared to show Gibson throwing his right arm forward right before the glass shattered.

Gibson, who’s had a history of mental problems was also injured in the arrest and taken to a hospital. He was later transported to the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin on battery and Read more »

Senator John Kerry’s daughter, Alexandra Forbes Kerry, was pulled over in the wee-hours in Hollywood by Los Angeles Police Department  for a traffic violation.

Police reported having “detected signs and symptons” of her being under the influence. She was given a breathalyzer test and charged with a misdemeanor DUI at the LAPD Hollywood Station. Ms. Kerry, an indpendant filmmaker is known for her documentaries and short films.

She was released after Read more »

What have we come to in a world where a mother of five children will resort to guerrilla tactics and air-headed iron will just to make a living? Maybe the money is good? At any rate, (bank rate that is), Roxanne Pennock, age 37 pleaded not guilty to a Riverside County Court Judge yesterday on charges she robbed two Temecula banks on October 22nd and again on November 6th.

She’s also suspected of holding up two more banks in Poway which she’s not officially been charged for, yet. Pennock was arrested in Temecula on November 6th, just minutes after a woman robbied Temecula Chase Bank. She was later stopped in a van that witnesses identified at the crime scene.

Guilty or not, Pennock is out of jail on a $25,000 bail. Her lawyer, declined to comment after she was ordered back to court on December 17th.  Officials have some further investigations to do. The FBI is now on the case along with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.

To top it all off, Read more »

A fire in the City of Vista allegedly set by 3 teen vandals has been estimated to have caused $50,000 in damages. San Diego Sheriff’s deputies in Vista are investigating the three teens  boys as the cause of the August 19th blaze.  The boys, ages 16 and 17 were arrested on Tuesday and Wednesday. Sheriff’s investigators reported the youths were booked into juvenile Hall on suspicion of arson and vandalism.

A reward of $10,000 Read more »

They say hindsight is 20-20 and almost all of us can pinpoint one pivotal moment in time that has entirely changed our lives.  For S.E. Missouri school teacher, Healther Ellis,  it was the moment she switched checkout lines in her local Wal-Mart store, three years ago. (Perhaps it was the same moment for the “Walmart Slapper“.)

Ellis’ alleged line-cutting launched what she claims is a racially charged dispute between herself, white customers and police, that could land her a 15-year prison sentence for assaulting two officers.  She has since filed a formal written complaint with the NAACP.

Heather Ellis goes on trial in the Dunklin County Circuit Court this month.  Several groups Read more »

Typical Hollywood? It’s sounds like a scene from a movie as LAPD officers cuff a man dressed as Spiderman and place him in a squad car.

According to the Los Angeles Times, LAPD patrol officers received a call reporting an incident between a tourist and a a man in a Spiderman costume. When they arrived, they encountered four different people dressed Spidey.  

“They stopped one, it wasn’t him,” LAPD Lt. Beverly Lewis said. “They stopped the second, and it was the suspect.”

The victim, who said he was hit in the face and arms, refused to press charges. But Lewis said that when they discovered the warrants, he was booked at the LAPD Hollywood Station Jail. Christopher Loomis, 39, was being held on outstanding misdemeanor warrants in lieu of $5,500 bail.

I think this LA Times photo is priceless; look at the woman’s face: Read more »

A PROBLEM WITH AUTHORITY OR IS AUTHORITY THE PROBLEM?

Sometimes an officer’s reaction to a potentially dangerous situation is pretty clear cut.  Wading into fights, stopping domestic violence, and running across wanted suspects often requires a stronger response  than the spoken word. But an officer who is too hasty to jump to conclusions only serves to fan the fires of police-distrust, especially among minorities. 

Reportedly, several hundred times a year, small interactions between  San Jose Police and the public, like jay walking or failing to signal in traffic, turn violent.  Even more surprising: it’s being alleged that it is the police who strike the first blow.  While many continue to debate whether or not the officers’ actions are excessive, detractors say the San Jose Police Department  routinely dismisses complaints and limits real public investigation — strong and reaching allegations.

In 2007, over 117 complaints about the use of excessive force during resisting arrest were filed in San Jose, but the department sustained just two cases.  A Santa Clara County civil grand jury report cited widespread community concern about racial profiling in San Jose.  It concluded that citizens feel too discouraged by the city’s rubber-stamp rejection of their complaints  to continue reporting perceived officer  misconduct.

The San Jose Mercury News recently investigated Read more »