News

MERCED – Three gang members are off the streets of Merced thanks to the work of the Gang Violence Suppression Unit of the Merced Police Department. On Friday the 5^th of January, 2018, GVSU officers developed information that gang member Fredrick Gilchrist was selling drugs and had firearms at his residence.

GVSU officers authored a search warrant and served the search warrant at Gilchrist’s residence located in the 600 block of Loughborough Drive in Merced. During the search, officers located a handgun, ammunition, a digital scale and drugs inside his home. Gilchrist was arrested and booked at the Merced County Jail for sales of narcotics and gang inhancements.

FRESNO - On Wednesday, January 10, 2018, just after 7pm, Fresno Police Department Southwest Special Response Team (SRT) Officers Christopher Takemoto and Yessie Hernandez observed a wanted felon driving in the area of Jensen and Cherry Avenues.

Officers were able to identify the solo occupant driver as 32-year-old Randy Flowers, a Fresno resident and known TWAMP gang associate. Flowers was able to gain distance away from the officers before they could conduct a traffic stop.

OAKHURST - On January 8, 2018, at approximately 5:00am, Madera County Sheriff’s Office Deputies responded to a residence in the 39000 block of Manzanita Drive in Oakhurst for a report of a burglary. The owner of the property reported that two motorcycles and several pieces of equipment had been stolen from his garage.

During a subsequent search of the area, a U-Haul truck with two occupants was located. The two subjects, David Greene and Tama Lucas, refused a consensual search of the vehicle; however, enough probable cause existed to detain the vehicle. Madera County Sheriff’s Office Detectives obtained a search warrant for the U-Haul, and numerous stolen items, including the equipment and one motorcycle, were recovered and returned to the owner(s).

MADERA - The Madera County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to appoint District 5 supervisor Tom Wheeler to serve as the 2018 chairman of the board.  District 1 Supervisor Brett Frazier will serve as pro tem. The first supervisor meeting of the year is typically a reorganization meeting, with annual formalities on the agenda.

Tuesday’s meeting was no different, as 2017 chair Max Rodriguez passed the proverbial gavel to Wheeler. The supervisors presented Rodriguez with a plaque thanking him for his time leading the board. “It has been a pleasure to work with each of you,” said Rodriguez “I have no doubt Supervisor Wheeler will do an exceptional job as chairman.”

MADERA - In mid October of 2017, Madera County Sheriff’s Office Ag Crimes department received a report of numerous fuel thefts that had occurred at an equipment yard in the 28000 block of Avenue 14. Suspect and vehicle descriptions were derived during the course of the investigation.

The suspect was then observed on a neighboring property in early December, and Madera County Sheriff’s Office Detectives subsequently located the suspect vehicle parked at a residence 14000 block of Road 28, which was seconds away from the location of where the thefts had occurred.

SANGER - Detectives with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office Sex Crimes Unit have arrested 53 year old Edward Lira of Sanger. He is facing multiple felony charges, which include sex acts with a child under 14. On January 4th, the Sheriff’s Office received reports from two teenage girls who have suffered sexual abuse for several years, dating back to 2005.

The girls identified Edward Lira as the man responsible for committing the crimes against them. Lira is not a relative of the girls, but knew them from prior interactions with their family.