News

MADERA COUNTY - Beginning in November of 2018, the Madera County Sheriff’s Office received several reports of victims being pulled over by an adult male subject driving a white truck in various locations in Madera County, including the areas of Avenue 14 and Road 23, and CA-145 and Avenue 7. 

The vehicle was described as a white single cab pickup, possibly a Ford, with front and rear facing red and blue flashing lights, and a blue stripe along the side.  On January 3, 2019 and January 4, 2019, MCSO Deputies responded to several calls for service with similar circumstances. 

FRESNO - Early on the morning of December 17, 2018 the Fresno Police Department received a 911 call regarding a single vehicle traffic collision at the intersection of Third/ Mono.  Officers arrived and discovered 25 year old Steven Anthony Banda of Fresno in the back seat of the vehicle suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Banda was transported to CRMC where he was pronounced deceased hours later.   

Homicide Unit Detectives Manny Romero and Loren Kasten responded to the scene and took over the investigation.  Detectives later discovered that Banda was shot in the area of Butler/ Third in Southeast Fresno.  Detectives worked diligently on the case and were able to identify 24 year old Matthew Gonzales as the person responsible for the murder of Steven Banda. A Ramey Warrant was issued for Gonzales’s arrest on Thursday, December 27, 2018.   

FRESNO COUNTY - Gerardo G. Alvarez (56) of Fresno has been charged in a Felony Complaint with charges related to the embezzlement and misappropriation of funds from the Parlier Unified School District’s “Sunshine Club” account, the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office has announced.

The alleged criminal conduct came to light after a Fresno County Grand Jury report in 2015, as well as an audit that was requested by the Fresno County Office of Education in 2016. A nearly two year investigation by the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office’s Public Integrity Unit culminated in the filing of criminal charges and the arrest of Gerardo Alvarez at his home without incident today, January 4, 2019. Mr. Alvarez was employed as the Superintendent of the Parlier Unified School District from 2013-2015.

FRESNO - As we said goodbye to 2018 and hello to the new year, California Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) agents and the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office will be doing their part to ensure safety in Fresno County.ABC agents are partnering with the Fresno County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office Special Investigations Task Force (SITF) to conduct undercover operations at bars, restaurants and liquor stores throughout the Fresno County to help prevent minors from obtaining alcoholic beverages.

Recent operations in Sanger and Reedley resulted in two businesses and one person being cited for furnishing alcoholic beverages to a minor.  Businesses are reminded to have policies in place to ID their customers to verify they are of legal drinking age. 

SACRAMENTO – The California Attorney General joined a $575 million nationwide settlement with Wells Fargo, recovering $148.7 million for California, because of the bank’s systematic misconduct exploiting its own customers. Wells Fargo has acknowledged opening millions of deposit, credit card, and other accounts, and conducting transfers of funds without customer authorization over various periods from 2002 through 2017.

“Wells Fargo customers entrusted their bank with their livelihood, their dreams, and their savings for the future,” said Attorney General Becerra. “Instead of safeguarding its customers, Wells Fargo exploited them, signing them up for products - from bank accounts to insurance - that they never wanted. This is an incredible breach of trust that threatens not only the customers who depended on Wells Fargo, but confidence in our banking system. As our investigation found, Wells Fargo’s conduct was unlawful and disgraceful.”