Crime
Steven Norman Blais, called the poster boy for inmates released early from the Fresno County Jail, received yet another free pass from the Sheriff's Office on Monday.
That is at least the sixth time that Blais has been released early from the jail since he turned 18 in February and became eligible for booking in the adult facility. Blais and more than 3,000 inmates have been released early because of overcrowding at the jail.
According to Fresno Police, Blais was booked into the jail Monday morning, the day after The Bee featured him in a story about inmates arrested for new crimes after being released early. He was arrested on suspicion of possessing stolen property.
Blais told a Fresno police officer, "Oh good, I get to eat lunch then be released and go back home," according to Capt. Dennis Bridges.
He actually had to wait until dinner for his early release. Jail records show Blais was released by 6 p.m. Monday.
Blais has been charged with more than 20 offenses in Fresno County, including auto theft, receiving stolen property and drug possession.
Fresno County correctional officer Anna Casey told county supervisors today that Blais' behavior is representative of repeat offenders, who no longer take punishment seriously because of early releases.
Bee reporter Brad Branan wrote today about his analysis of Fresno County Jail data. He found that about 20% of inmates released early over the last year were booked again into the jail. One reader asked for more context about recidivism rates. Here's a note from Brad on the question:
Continue reading "How do recidivism rates compare?" »
I'm stepping out of strictly the "health" realm here to write a blog about robberies, but stories about two with very different endings warrant discussion -- I think.
The first is the case of the Oklahoma pharmacist, Jerome Jay Ersland, who shot a 16-year-old unarmed robber.
As reported in a story that ran in The Bee on May 30, Ersland confronted by two holdup men, pulled a gun, shot one of them in the head and chased the other away. Then, in a scene recorded by the drugstore's security camera, he went behind the counter, got another gun, and pumped five more bullets into the wounded teenager as he lay on the floor.
The 16-year-old Ersland shot was unarmed and unconscious when the fatal shots were fired, according to prosecutors. Ersland now is charged with first degree murder.
Now to the second robbery that caught my attention.
A Long Island convenience store owner confronted by a bat-wielding would-be robber said he decided to show mercy on the man after he collapsed in tears claiming he was only committing the crime to support his starving family, according to a story on www.fresnobee.com that appeared Wednesday.
Mohammad Sohail, owner of the Shirley Express convenience store about 65 miles east of New York City, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview that he gave the stickup man $40 and a loaf of bread -- and tried to give him a carton of milk before the tearful robber ran off.
I'm not judging Ersland for his decision to shoot or making Sohail a hero for putting his gun down. Each made a decision while they had a gun in their hands.
I only wonder if the idea of guns behind the counters of pharmacies and convenience stores bothers anyone? Where else are there guns -- behind the receptionist desk at the doctor's office, the cashier counter at the hair dresser's?
Does this make anyone feel safe or safer?
A load of shoes that apparently fell from a vehicle on Highway 99 in Madera caused a brief traffic hazard this morning when people reportedly stopped to pick up a free pair.
California Highway Patrol officers were sent to northbound 99 just north of Avenue 16 when the department received a call at 7:01 a.m. about people darting out on the roadway trying to get the shoes.
When officers arrived less than five minutes later, the road was clear and no one was in the area, officer Scott Jobinger said.
-- Louis Galvan
Fresno police targeted tagging groups in an anti-graffiti operation launched Wednesday in a bid to end assaults between rival groups.
Sgt. Pete Boyer said 20 officers from crime suppression teams and the anti-graffiti unit made 10 felony arrests and 22 parole and probation searches as part of the operation. Two Bulldog gang members were also arrested.
Fresno police used undercover officers to look for drunken drivers leaving night spots in northeast Fresno Thursday night, Sgt. Dave Gibeault said. Ten officers took part in the department's "Barwatch" operation. Gibeault said the good news was that only three people were arrested while many more got home by taxi or designated driver.
There's no excuse for vandalism ... or is there?
Retired Cal Fire Capt. Dale Drozen said that during frequent trips along Highway 41 below Coarsegold, he's noticed that a display of a fiberglass horse on a wagon with other smaller figurines often was knocked down.
Drozen was dismayed by the obvious repeat vandalism. But whoever owns the little roadside display always restored it.
This week, Drozen saw the vandal, obviously getting ready to do his dastardly deed again. But it wan't what he expected.
Standing on the wagon was a very determined billy goat, head down and tail wagging furiously.
As Drozen drove past, that goat was about to give the old plastic horse another thrashing.
-- Charles McCarthy
Fresno police were conducting an operation against members of the Bulldog and Asian Boys street gangs Wednesday night in Fresno. Officers reported making 15 arrests.
Paramedics treated a woman for a pellet gun wound she received Friday night at Blackstone and Bullard avenues in north Fresno. Police were seeking a gray Toyota pickup truck in the incident.
A 15-year-old Tranquillity girl was killed and two other teens were hospitalized Friday afternoon after the vehicle they were riding in plunged into a canal near San Joaquin.
The California Highway Patrol said Rubycela Ramirez, 15, of Tranquillity was driving a 1967 Chevrolet westbound on Dinuba Avenue east of Sutter Avenue at about 40 mph. She lost control of the vehicle and drove it into a canal, where it overturned.
The 15-year-old girl died in the crash and Jose Bickerton, 16, of San Joaquin and Diana Rodriguez, 15, of Tranquillity received moderate injuries. They were taken to Community Regional Medical Center.
What could have been a fiery disaster Thursday morning luckily ended only as a car crash with minor injuries.
A pickup driver who apparently had a seizure while driving on Mooney Boulevard lost control and plowed into a car at the AM-PM gas station at Caldwell Avenue -- narrowly missing the gas pumps.
Dario Ceballos, 19, of Woodlake was driving the pickup about 10:30 a.m., said Visalia police officer Joe Paddock, when it slammed into the rear of a car getting gas at the station. Police said 79-year-old Maxcine Manley, standing near the car, received minor injuries.
Viola Roach, 74, sitting in the car's driver's seat suffered a minor head injury and was treated at the scene by emergency personnel.
Just to be safe, Ceballos and Manley were both taken to the hospital, where they were treated and released, Paddock said.
Damage to the gas station: a bent safety pole and minor curb damage.
Fresno police are investigating a fatal shooting that happened Wednesday evening in central Fresno.
The male victim was shot near Rowell and Olive avenues about 5:30 p.m., a spokesman said. Police later stopped a vehicle at HIghway 168 and McKinley Avenue, detained three males and searched their vehicle before concluding they were not involved in the shooting, the spokesman said.
Police in southeast Fresno made 29 felony arrests and 12 misdemeanor arrests Wednesday in response to citizens' complaints about robberies and assaults in the area around Lane and Winery avenues, Sgt. Alex Robles said.
Officers concentrated on apartment complexes that included the Ranch Wood Condos, the Wineries Apartments and the Cedar Creek Apartments. Robles said the apartments have a high concentration of gang members, parolees and felony probationers.
Of those arrested, eight were probation suspects, eight were parolees, 11 were gang members and seven were Bulldogs. Officers also made issued 32 traffic citations, made 3 DUI arrests and impounded 10 vehicles.
Tulare County firefighters were busy Tuesday evening rescuing a man who fell into a sewer hole and a baby whose head got stuck in a bird cage.
Units responded to a Cutler home around 5:30 p.m. after a baby stuck his head inside a cage, Tulare County firefighters said Wednesday morning.
But the small child wasn't alone. Before getting stuck, he put a Chihuahua into the cage with two birds.
Firefighters were able to get both the baby and dog out safely.
Less than an hour later, firefighters in Porterville rescued a man about 6:44 p.m. who fell into a 2-foot by 3-foot sewer pipe opening along South Main Street.
The cover to the opening was missing, county fire officials said, causing the man to fall in shoulder deep.
The man was lifted from the pipe, decontaminated and then transported to Sierra View Hospital for arm and elbow injuries.
The property owner placed a temporary cover over the opening after the incident, officials said.
Monday afternoon, a Fresno police bicycle officer noticed that a panhandler on the Fulton Mall looked a lot like a man who had just attempted to rob the nearby Long's drug store.
Turned out it was the same man, police reported.
After noting the similarity, police brought the assistant manager of the store to the scene, who identified Nechi Greenwood, 46, of Fresno as the bandit, police said. Greenwood was booked into the Fresno County Jail.
Two suspected Bulldog gang members were sought by Fresno police after one of the men pulled a handgun on a customer at a Wendy's restaurant at Shaw Avenue and El Capitan Monday afternoon.
Police reported that the driver, who was wearing a red Fresno State Bulldog cap backward, confronted the customer just after 4 p.m. The gunman was at the wheel of a 1992 Mercury Marquis.
Norton Kemble, 25, was arrested Thursday by the Fresno police grafitti team in connection with $3,500 in vandalism in the Tower District on Feb. 4.
Kemble was taken into custody after an investigation of the grafitti resulted in a warrant being issued for his arrest on felony charges.
Fresno police were on the lookout for a coyote near College and Alhambra avenues late Thursday night.
Fresno police were checking reports Friday night that a car went out of control and slammed into a curb while at least three people inside were throwing eggs at a house.
A caller told police the crash happened at Paula and Alluvial avenues in northeast Fresno just after 9 p.m. One person was seen running from the vehicle.
Fresno police Sunday arrested four former students of Centennial Elementary School at 3830 E. Saginaw after neighbors complained that the juveniles were tagging the school.
Arriving officers discovered $1,500 in damage caused by vulgar graffiti and arrested the four nearby. They face felony charges.
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