News

SAN FRANCISCO - The Trump administration settled with the plaintiffs last week in the first legal challenge to the president’s original executive order, which sought to bar travelers from certain majority Muslim countries from entering the United States and to dramatically curtail the admission of refugees. The settlement ensures that all travelers who were barred from the country on the basis of the ban and have not since returned to the United States are informed of their right to reapply for a visa and provided with a list of free legal services organizations that can help them do so.

The settlement came in the case o Darweesh v. Trump, which was filed as a nationwide class-action in federal district court in New York City on the morning of January 28, 2017, only hours after the first Muslim ban went into effect. The ban had plunged airports across the country into chaos as the Trump administration haphazardly implemented its discriminatory policy, leading to the separation of families and exclusion of refugees fleeing persecution. By the evening of January 28, the court had issued a nationwide injunction prohibiting the Trump administration from removing anyone from the country on the basis of the Muslim ban. As a result, the administration’s effort to bar Muslims and refugees from the country was halted barely 24 hours after it went into effect.

FRESNO - Southeast District Officers Keosoy Saechao and Chadwick Chang from the Fresno Police Department where conducting proactive patrol in the area of Orange Avenue and Lowe Avenue. Officers conducted a traffic stop on 34 year old Brandon Sepulveda from Fresno while riding his bike and being in violation of vehicle code laws. Sepulveda refused to stop and rode away from the officers but was subsequently arrested just a short distance away.

While conducting a search incident to Sepulveda’s arrest officers found a Chiappa 1911 22LR semi auto handgun loaded with seven rounds in the magazine. Sepulveda a self-admitted Bulldog gang member who stated he is homeless, is a prior felon and is on active felony Post Release Community Supervision probation for narcotic sales. Sepulveda was released from Fresno County jail on August 26th, 2017 for having a no bail warrant issued by probation for absconding.

FRESNO COUNTY - The Fresno County Search and Rescue (SAR) team and the California Highway Patrol will attempt a recovery operation along Highway 180 and the Kings River today. Officers and deputies will be working to extract two bodies from a car located in the river. The bodies are presumed to be that of a 28 year old man and 24 year old woman, both residents of Thailand who were enrolled as exchange students at the University of South Florida.

It was on the night of July 26th that the California Highway Patrol and Fresno County Sheriff’s Office were notified of a traffic accident. A vehicle traveling on Hwy. 180 near Convict Flat and Horseshoe Bend went through a guard rail, off a 500 foot cliff and into the Kings River. CHP immediately contacted the Sheriff’s Office and asked deputies to search the canyon for a vehicle. Members of the Sheriff’s Office performed a search the next day and did locate a red car in the river; a 2016 Hyundai Sonata.

FRESNO - On Sunday, August 27, 2017 at approximately 8:55 p.m. the suspect vehicle was travelling southbound on Blackstone Avenue from Griffith Way in the number 3 lane of traffic. The victim was a pedestrian walking northbound in the southbound number 3 lane attempting to cross the street (from the west towards the east side) in front of the Carl’s Jr. fast food restaurant.

As the pedestrian was attempting to cross the street the suspect truck struck the victim pedestrian. The suspect truck fled the collision scene southbound on Blackstone Ave to an unknown location. The victim died from injuries sustained from the impact.

MADERA - School officials from Madera High School were alerted Tuesday morning to a situation that may involve a school security officer improperly contacting a 14 year-old female student via social media. The administration contacted the student's parents and law enforcement to begin the investigation.

Following the meeting of school officials, law enforcement and the student's parents, the child's mother “went live” in front of the school with a Facebook video that has now been seen by over 3000 social media users.

MADERA - The Madera Police Department in conjunction with the California Highway Patrol will be conducting a DUI/Drivers License checkpoint on Saturday, September 2nd, 2017, in the City of Madera.  In an effort to reduce the number of persons killed and injured in alcohol involved crashes, DUI checkpoints are conducted to identify offenders and get them off the street, as well as educate the public on the dangers of impaired driving.

All too often, members of our community are senselessly injured or killed on local roadways by impaired drivers. This DUI/Drivers License checkpoint is an effort to reduce those tragedies, as well as insuring drivers have a valid driver’s license.  A major component of these checkpoints is to increase awareness of the dangers of impaired driving and to encourage sober designated drivers.