Local News

Two Tulare County Men Sentenced for Series of Armed Robberies in Tulare and Kern Counties

FRESNO - Today, U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill sentenced Javier Beltran, 25, of Strathmore, to 23 years in prison for his conviction for two counts of use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and he sentenced Ulises Medina, 25, of Earlimart, to 15 years in prison for his conviction for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott and Tulare County District Attorney Tim Ward announced.

U.S. Attorney Scott said, “Today’s sentences are the result of our commitment to work with our federal, state and local partners to identify and prosecute cases that will help to reduce violent crime in our communities. We are confident that these efforts will continue to reduce crime, save lives, and restore safety to our communities.”

Atwater Man Pleads Guilty to Offenses Related to the Sexual Exploitation of Children Through Social Media

FRESNO - Nikko Adolfo Perez, 26, of Atwater, pleaded guilty today to the sexual exploitation of children, coercion, and enticement of a minor, and receipt and distribution of child pornography, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. According to a criminal complaint, Perez, using the Instagram screen name captainamerica272018, victimized two boys, ages 8 and 10, in Utah by coercing them to create and send him images of them engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Perez offered to pay the boys with Google Play credits if they engaged in requested sexual acts or poses, and when one of the victims said he would call 911, Perez threatened to disseminate the sexually explicit images of the victims. He also threatened to harm family members of the victims.

Historic Downtown Madera Building Lost to Fire

MADERA – One of the city of Madera’s longest standing buildings was destroyed by fire Monday afternoon. The Madera Mini-Mall building originally built by Captain Russell Perry Mace at the turn of the 20^th century caught fire somewhere near the back of the building, near the old Madera Bowling Alley (Believer's Church), around 3:00 pm and by 5:00 pm the structure was a total loss. Thankfully, no one was injured during this tragic event.

The Mace Hotel, as it was first known, played host to Royalty, Business Tycoons, Presidents, and Presidential hopefuls during its early history. The original wooden structure burnt down in 1885 but was rebuilt at the corner of North ‘E’ Street and Yosemite Avenue soon after, this time using brick. It was one of the first stops for the stagecoach ride that would take tourists up to the newly created Yosemite National Park. That two-story building stood at the entrance to Downtown Madera until 3:00 pm Monday. Now like the 350 pound Captain Russell Perry Mace who built it, the building is a part of history.

Chowchilla High School Precautionary Lockdown Following Gun Threats

CHOWCHILLA – The Chowchilla Police Department notified the Chowchilla Union High School District administration of a violent threat to the high school populations Thursday evening. The police department with the Madera County Sheriff's Department responded to this threat and a suspect was taken into custody by 10:00 p.m. that night.

Friday morning a rumor of a second possible threat and possible weapon on the campus at CUHS was spread through social media. These social media posts had few facts and no specific names of alleged suspects. To rule out the possible threat and any weapons on campus, the Chowchilla Police Department along with the administration decided to call a precautionary lockdown. During this precautionary lockdown, all classrooms were searched as well as all students and their belongings.

Eight Year Old Boy Killed By Habitual Drunk Driver

SELMA – An eight-year-old was killed Saturday night when a suspected drunk driver crashed into the car the boy was riding in with his parents near Selma. According to the California Highway Patrol, the boy and his parents, Meghan Martzen (29) and driver Scott Martzen (33) were in their Kia Optima eastbound on Rose Avenue at Bethel Avenue just after 10 p.m.

The suspect, Karmjit Singh (35), failed to stop at a flashing stop sign on northbound Bethel Avenue at speeds near 100 mph. Rose Avenue is not controlled by a stop sign.