Local News

Freno Officer Involved Shooting Leaves One Suspect Dead

FRESNO – Friday evening the Fresno Police Department Dispatch received three different 911 calls at The Parkway Inn located at 959 North Parkway near Freeway 99, regarding a man threatening people and pointing a scope rifle at at least three different people in the parking lot, to include a child.

It was later determined that the suspect, a Hispanic male adult with a shaved head, wearing dark clothing was indiscriminately firing the weapon at windows of other rooms, cars and other objects within the parking lot area. Patrol officers and special response team officers arrived within two minutes of the call.

Fresn DUI Checkpoint Nets 5 Arrests

FRESNO - The Fresno Police Department Traffic Unit conducted a DUI/Driver’s License checkpoint on 7/14/18, at First St./Tulare Ave. between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m. Checkpoints are placed in locations that have the greatest opportunity for achieving drunk and drugged driving deterrence and provide the greatest safety for officers and the public.

In recent years, California has seen a disturbing increase in drug-impaired driving crashes. Fresno PD supports the new effort from the Office of Traffic Safety that aims to educate all drivers that “DUI Doesn’t Just Mean Booze.” If you take prescription drugs, particularly those with a driving or operating machinery warning on the label, you might be impaired enough to get a DUI. Marijuana can also be impairing, especially in combination with alcohol or other drugs, and can result in a DUI.

Tulare County Men Indicted for Series of Armed Robberies in Tulare and Kern Counties And In Nebraska

FRESNO - A federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment Thursday against Javier Beltran, 34, of Strathmore, and Ulises Medina, 24, of Earlimart, charging them with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, interference with commerce by robbery, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, Beltran and Medina were members of a conspiracy that committed a series of armed robberies of gas stations, convenience stores, and liquor stores from May 19, 2016, until July 22, 2017.

Guilty Plea in Multimillion Dollar Movie Studio Construction Scam in Northern California

SACRAMENTO - Carissa Carpenter, 55, formerly of Malibu, pleaded guilty today to two counts of mail fraud and one count of lying to a federal agent, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. According to court documents, from 1997 until October 24, 2014, Carpenter represented to investors and others that she had a project to build a movie studio in Northern California. As a result of the scheme, investors, firms who did work for Carpenter, and municipalities collectively lost millions on the project.

According to the factual basis in support of the plea, Carpenter claimed that her projected movie studio complex was supported by well-connected people in the entertainment industry and that she had invested hundreds of millions of dollars of her own money in the project and that she had arranged financing for the project but needed investment or bridge loans until the alleged financing was complete.

Merced DA Files Charges in March AM/PM Incident

MERCED - William Terrell Colbert, 39, of Merced was charged Friday with two felonies and two misdemeanors stemming from an altercation with Merced police which began late in the evening of March 12th at the AM/PM Mini Mart on G Street and Olive. Merced Police were dispatched to the convenience store after receiving a frantic phone call from the store clerk who said that an irate customer had threatened him with a gun after his credit card had been declined for a purchase. The clerk advised dispatch that he had locked the doors to the business after the customer, identified as Colbert, had gone to his car to retrieve what the clerk believed was a gun. The clerk can be heard on the 911 call telling dispatch that he was hiding in the cooler and to send officers immediately.

Several police units responded to the scene and the clerk then opened the door to let other customers enter the store. Once Colbert saw the door being unlocked, and in the presence of police officers, he charged the clerk who quickly retreated back into the store. Colbert was escorted out of the store by a police officer. When an effort was made to physically detain Colbert while police investigated the incident, Colbert resisted.