News

MADERA – The Madera County Sheriff’s Department is currently investigating a California Highway Patrol officer involved shooting following a multiple-freeway high speed chase involving several officers an lasting over twenty minutes.

Early Saturday morning California Highway Patrol Officers initiated a vehicle stop for speeding on Highway 152 just West of Freeway 99. The vehicle failed to yield, increased its speed, and continued travelling southbound on Highway 99.

TEHACHAPI –  California Correctional Institution (CCI) officials are investigating the death of an inmate as a homicide. At 11:26 p.m., Friday, Feb. 16, staff conducting the institutional count on a Facility A housing unit discovered inmate Joshua Powers, 29, actively striking his cellmate Kevin Mansfield, 37, who was face down on the floor and appeared unconscious.

Staff ordered Powers to stop his assault and used pepper spray when he ignored commands. When Powers continued to strike Mansfield, staff made emergency entry into the cell and used batons and physical force to remove Powers from the cell and place him in restraints.

SACRAMENTO -   A federal grand jury returned five indictments today against six additional defendants arrested as part of last week’s multi-agency coordinated series of searches and arrests throughout Northern California, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

These new indictments arise from a multi-agency law enforcement investigation focused on Woodland, but which spread to multiple counties in Northern California and to two additional states.

OAKHUST -  On February 19, 2018, Madera County Sheriff’s Office received information from Colusa Police Department that a vehicle reported stolen from their jurisdiction was in the Oakhurst area. MCSO Deputies promptly began following leads to the location of the suspect, John Ruano. During the course of the investigation, deputies developed information that Ruano was going to drive the vehicle to a parking lot in Oakhurst.

When Ruano arrived driving the stolen vehicle, Sergeant Rob Blehm, Corporal Hernandez, Deputy Michael Murphy, Deputy Gerald Marin, Deputy Jose Villafan, and Deputy Eric Jackson with K9 partner Gaston were on scene and subsequently surrounded the vehicle. Ruano immediately surrendered and was taken into custody.

MADERA - Madera County District Attorney, David A. Linn, announced today that on Wednesday, February 21, 2018, in the Bass Lake Superior Court, Craig Anthony Fetty, 30, of Ahwahnee, was convicted following a jury trial, of one count of murder, one count of first degree burglary, and one count of first degree residential robbery.  This is the seventh successful major trial conviction in a row for D.A. Linn’s office.

Fetty was arrested on October 22, 2016, after an investigation by the Madera County Sheriff’s Department into the beating and stabbing of Dennis Dolan.  The victim was found unresponsive outside his residence on the 41000 block of Road 600 near Highway 49.  The death appeared to be a homicide and detectives were called to the scene.

MADERA -  The Madera Tractor Supply store is supporting Cesar Chaves Elementary School in developing a school garden that will provide students with an enriched, hands-on learning experience.

"The School Garden Program provides kids with an opportunity to use their hands and minds in a way that's not typically available in a traditional classroom setting," said James Weatherill, manager of the Madera Tractor Supply store. "We're hopeful that this garden will not only give students at Cesar Chaves Elementary School a better understanding of where their food comes from, but will also encourage them to continue exploring how the world around them works."