WASHINGTON — “SKYROCKETING MURDER RATES,” claimed the National Fraternal Order of Police. “An explosion of violent crime," said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. “Democrat-run cities across the country who cut funding for police have seen increases in crime,” tweeted U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C. On social media and in political...
Visalia Police Shoot and Kill Man They Say Charged Them
VISALIA — Police shot and killed a 27-year-old man accused of attacking a Visalia officer after an officer who arrived at the scene said the man charged him. Family members called 911 on Wednesday afternoon to report that Ivan Cuevas was trying to break into a home and that he...
Seen This White 2002 Suburban? It’s Key to a Homicide Probe
A woman found dead in an orchard near Easton was identified as Tina Woods, 39, of Fresno on Wednesday. Now, Fresno County Sheriff's detectives are seeking help in finding Woods' vehicle. It's a white 2002 Chevrolet Suburban not seen since her death. No Motive, No Arrests A farmer discovered Woods'...
Sheriff's Detectives Track Down Homicide Suspect in Arizona
Julian Torres, the prime suspect in a Huron homicide, might have thought he could dodge the law when he fled to metropolitan Phoenix in January. But, after getting a tip, Fresno County homicide detectives told the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force to be on the lookout for Torres there. Task...
CHP: Driver Rammed Into Car, Killing 3 Teens
TEMESCAL VALLEY — A Southern California driver intentionally rammed a Toyota Prius with six teenage boys inside, killing three and injuring three others before fleeing, authorities said Monday. The Prius went off the road and slammed into a tree at around 10:30 p.m. Sunday in Temescal Valley in Riverside County,...
Three Men Shot and Killed South of Bakersfield
LAMONT — Authorities are investigating the shooting deaths of three men whose bodies were found in a car and a nearby vineyard Friday evening. Kern County Sheriff's spokeswoman Angela Monroe said someone reported hearing gunshots in Lamont, a farming community of 15,000 people 10 miles southeast of Bakersfield. Deputies Found...
Death Penalty Possible for Six Arrested in Hmong Murders
UPDATE After 44 days, and 5,000 hours of investigative work, Fresno Police say they have solved a quadruple homicide that gripped the city and the nation. At a New Year's Eve news conference, Fresno Police Chief Andrew Hall announced the arrest of six suspects in the Nov. 17 homicides. The...
California's Dive Boat, Ghost Ship Fires Share Legal Lessons
LOS ANGELES — One was a ship in name only, an artist commune set up in an Oakland warehouse. The other was a bona fide boat afloat on the ocean off Santa Barbara. Both became fiery death traps for a combined 70 souls, two of the worst disasters in modern...
Governor Offers $50,000 Reward in Unsolved Fresno Killings
Gov. Gavin Newsom hopes a $50,000 reward might solve a three-year-old cold case in Fresno County. Two teenagers were shot and killed Jan. 29, 2016, at a house party eight miles south of Fresno, in the 7200 block of South Orange Avenue near Easton. According to the sheriff's office, 35...
Stabbing, Robbery Rampage Leaves 4 Dead in SoCal
LOS ANGELES — A man "full of anger" stabbed, slashed and robbed his way across two Southern California cities in a bloody rampage that killed four people and wounded two others who were apparently targeted at random, authorities said. The 33-year-old man from the city of Garden Grove robbed more...