Sonora PD press release re: felony arrest from battery resulting in great bodily injury

Since 1 October 2014, there have been five cases in which two suspects had assaulted local homeless people. One victim was beaten so severely he was transported to a Modesto area hospital for treatment of a skull fracture. The victim’s descriptions of the suspects were extremely vague. However, the police department developed two persons of interest and was following up on leads.
On 18 November 2014, at approx. 7:17 pm, in the area of Save Mart on Stockton Road, the victim who had suffered the skull fracture in an earlier attack was assaulted again by the same two suspects.
Officers were able to locate and detained two 17 year old male juveniles from Sonora, who matched the description of the latest assault. One of which was a person of interest in the five previous assaults committed on homeless people. Both juveniles were identified by the victim as being the subjects who had attacked him. The juveniles were taken into custody for felony battery resulting in great bodily injury and turned over to the Tuolumne County Probation Department.

Sonora PD press release re: Major injury accident

1 November 2014, at approx. 5:30 pm, emergency personnel responded to the area of the 400 block of S. Washington Street regarding a reported vehicle vs. pedestrian accident.
When emergency personnel arrived on scene, they located 46 year old Sean Boles of Sonora, lying in the roadway. Boles was unconscious and was bleeding from his head. He was transported to Sonora Regional Medical Center by ambulance; then was later flown to Modesto Memorial Hospital for treatment. Boles suffered major head trauma as a result of the accident.

Sonora PD press release re Halloween trick or treat tips

The activities associated with Halloween can be fun for the whole family, but it also requires specific safety precautions. Consider these safety tips for trick or treating to help ensure a safe and fun Halloween for you and your children.
• Never allow children under the age of 12 to trick or treat alone. Older children should plan their route ahead of time so parents know where they are.
• Always carry a flashlight and send one with older children.
• With rainy weather in the forecast, it’s very important that children and parents wear some type of reflective clothing, which will allow them to be seen by motorists.
• Remind children to use sidewalks and to look both ways before crossing the street.
• Instruct children to only visit well lit houses and never enter a home to receive candy or a treat.
• Remind children to never approach a car, or accept treats from a person in a car.
• Inspect your children’s candy before they eat it. Wrapped and sealed treats are the safest. Discard unwrapped or homemade treats, fresh fruit or anything that looks remotely suspicious.
• Carry a cell phone and report suspicious houses and activities to your local law enforcement agency immediately.
For more information contact the Sonora Police Department, (209) 532-8141, or your local law enforcement agency.

Sonora PD Press release re: Homecoming parade road closures

Sonora High School’s Homecoming Parade will take place Friday, 10 Oct. 2014. Washington Street (SR 49) will be closed to all traffic between Snell Street and Church Street from approx. 2:15 pm to 3:00 pm. Also, School Street will be closed from 1:30 pm to 2:15 pm for staging purposes.
The parade will leave Sonora High School and enter Snell Street from School Street. It will then travel south on Snell Street to Washington Street. At Washington Street, the parade will turn south and travel south on Washington Street. It will then turn right onto Stockton Road, then right again onto South Green Street and end at Courthouse Park.

Sonora PD press release re:Sexual Assault

October 1st, 2014

Date and Time of Incident: 21 September 2014
Subject: Sexual Assault
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24 September 2014, a fourteen year old female came to the police department with relatives to report a sexual assault, which had occurred on 21 September 2014.
The victim related she was at a residence on the 300 block of Barretta Street when the assault took place. At the residence were Stephanie Palmertree, 34 of Sonora; Rebecca Forbes, 23 of Soulsbyville; Chance Ditmars, 21 of Jamestown; and Adam Campo 24 of Modesto. All four adults gave the fourteen year old victim alcohol while she was at the residence.

Sonora PD press release re: Assault with a deadly weapon

28 September 2014, at approx. 12:29 pm, Officers responded to 102 Hospital Road for a reported assault. When officers arrived they made contact with the 30 year old male victim.
The victim related he was on work furlough and working at 102 Hospital Road, when he observed a female subject whom he knows. He contacted the female, who had visible injuries to her face. The victim asked the female if James Vanhorn, 41 of Sonora, was responsible for the injuries to her face and she stated no.
During the victim’s conversation with the female, Vanhorn arrived and started yelling at the victim to get away from the female. When the victim didn’t move, Vanhorn started hitting the victim in the head with a walking cane. The victim was able to distance himself from Vanhorn to stop the attack, while witnesses called the police department.
Vanhorn was contacted and taken into custody without incident and transported to the Tuolumne County Jail where he was booked for felony assault with a deadly weapon. Vanhorn is on AB 109 release from prison, out of San Bernardino County for felony resisting an officer.
The victim suffered large welts on his head, but refused medical attention.

Sonora PD press release re: Felony Assault Arrest

19 September 2014, at approx. 2:36 am, Officers responded to the area of the Office Bar (155 S. Washington Street) for a report of physical fight that had just ended, with an unconscious victim on the ground.
When Officers arrived, they located an unconscious 26 year old male from Wi Wuk. This subject sustained major head trauma and several broken bones in his face as a result from the attack. The victim was flow to a Modesto area hospital for treatment.
A second male victim, who is a friend of the first victim, was located at the scene. He was suffering from a large laceration above one eye, broken teeth and a broken jaw. He too was 26 and from Mi Wuk.

Sonora PD press release re: felon in possession of a firearm

15 September 2014, at approx. 2:09 am, an officer was flagged down by a citizen who reported observing two suspicious subjects on the back porch of a vacant house on Norlin Street.
The officer responded to the vacant house and contacted two male subjects as they exited the back porch of the house. One subject was identified as Dustin Silberman, a 33 year old parolee out of Jamestown, and the other was a 32 year old transient, both subjects were detained. Silberman is on parole for robbery.

A search of the porch area where the two subjects had been observed revealed a loaded .45 semi auto pistol, along with 1.2 grams of heroin. A records check indicated the firearm had been stolen in Jamestown last month.

During the investigation into this matter, it was determined Silberman was the person in possession of both the firearm and heroin. Silberman was taken into custody without incident. He was transported to the Tuolumne County Jail and booked for; felony ex-felon in possession of a firearm; felony possession of stolen property; felony possession of a controlled substance; felony violation of parole.

Sonora PD press release re:New California Law affecting motorists and bicyclists

Beginning 16 September 2014, a new California law affecting motorists and bicyclist will take effect. The new law states, a driver must allow three feet of distance when overtaking or passing a bicyclist traveling in the same direction. If three feet is not available, the driver must then slow to a safe speed and pass when no danger is present. This new law is designed to reduce car vs. bicycle crashes by reminding drivers to give bicyclists a safe space while passing them.

Sonora PD press release re: Arson Arrest

9 September 2014, at approx. 8:51 pm, Emergency personnel from the City of Sonora responded to the Mark Twain Apartments, 311 Fairview Lane, for a reported fire. When officers arrived in the area of a laundry room, they were contacted by a witness. The fire had already been extinguished, but the odor of gasoline was still in the air.

Sonora PD press release re: drug arrest

3 September 2014, at approx. 12:36 pm, a Forest Service employee called the Sonora Police Department and reported they just observed what they felt was a drug transaction occur in the parking lot of Save Mart, located on Stockton Road. The Forest Service employee was able to give a detailed description of the two vehicles involved, including the license plate number of one, which was a Hyundai.
A short time later, an officer located the Hyundai traveling north on Highway 49. The Hyundai pulled into the parking lot of the Arco Station off of Piece Way and parked. The officer made contact with the three occupants of the Hyundai.
Two of the three occupants were identified as; Stephen Smith, 36 of Columbia and Michael Rogers, 52 of Columbia. Rogers had in his possession 1.2 grams of methamphetamine and a glass pipe used for smoking methamphetamine. Smith had in his possession 7.9 grams of methamphetamine, two large knifes with brass knuckle handles, and a glass pipe used for smoking methamphetamine.
Both Smith and Rogers were taken into custody without incident. They were transported to the Tuolumne County Jail and booked. Rogers was booked for felony possession of a controlled substance and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. Smith was booked for felony possession of a controlled substance, felony possession of metal
knuckles and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

Sonora PD press release re: cause of fire determined

On Tuesday, 2 September, 2014, at approx. 12:08 am, a fire was reported in the walkway behind the Cocina Michoacana Restaurant, located at 770 Mono Way. The fire was reported by a security guard from Sonora Regional Hospital.

The fire did not result in any structural damage to the building, and was limited to restaurant property consisting of: a red synthetic bag containing approximately thirty pounds of cleaning rags from the restaurant’s weekly business, a rubber mat, a grey plastic container and another one-gallon yellow plastic container, a caulking gun w/a spent cardboard tube and several grease-coated metal items.
A Fire Investigator from the Sonora Police Department was requested to investigate the cause and origin of the fire. The Investigator was able to determine the fire was caused by spontaneous combustion, as a result of the oil soaked folded cloth rags and towels, which were waiting to be picked up by a cleaning service.

Sonora PD press release re: home invasion arrest

3 September 2014, at approx. 4:24 am, the Sonora Police Department responded to the Inns of California, 350 S. Washington Street, regarding an armed robbery.

When officers arrived they contacted a male victim. The victim stated he was sleeping, when an unknown male subject kicked in the door to his room. The suspect was wearing a mask and was armed with a handgun. The suspect forced the victim into the bathroom and tied him to the toilet. The suspect then took the victims laptop, wallet, cell phone, GPS, and the keys to the victim’s rental car. It was also learned the suspect had kicked in the door to other unrented rooms and removed property from those rooms as well.

Sonora PD press release re: cause of fire determined

On Tuesday, September 02, 2014, at approx. 0008 hours, a fire was reported in the walkway behind the Cocina Michoacana Restaurant, located at 770 Mono Way. The fire was reported by a security guard from Sonora Regional Hospital.
The fire did not result in any structural damage to the building, and was limited to restaurant property consisting of: a red synthetic bag containing approximately thirty pounds of cleaning rags from the restaurant’s weekly business, a rubber mat, a grey plastic container and another one-gallon yellow plastic container, a caulking gun w/a spent cardboard tube and several grease-coated metal items.
A Fire Investigator from the Sonora Police Department was requested to investigate the cause and origin of the fire. The Investigator was able to determine the fire was caused by spontaneous combustion, as a result of the oil soaked folded cloth rags and towels, which were waiting to be picked up by a cleaning service.

Sonora PD press release re: Assault with a deadly weapon

24 August 2014, at approx. 7:45 pm, Officers responded to the emergency room of Sonora Regional Medical Center for a subject who was being treated for injuries sustained from a battery.

Officers contacted the 18 year old male victim at the hospital. The victim related he and his roommate, Daniel Slawinsky, 27 of Sonora, were arguing over the victim not doing the dishes. During the argument, Slawinsky threw a porcelain coffee mug at the victim, which struck the victim and broke. Slawinsky then picked up a second coffee mug and charged the victim and struck the victim again, causing the victim to fall to the floor.

Sonora PD press release re: vehicle vs power pole accident

20 August 2014, at approx. 5:16 pm, a 1996 Jeep Cherokee, driven by Evin Aguayo 27 of Angels Camp, left the roadway on South Stewart Street, near the intersection of Williams Street, and collided with a power pole.
The pole was sheared off at the base, and a power outage resulted from the crash.
Aguayo claimed he had fallen asleep while driving. Aguayo nor his female passenger was injured as a result of the collision. Alcohol or drugs do not appear to have been a factor in the collision. However, Aguayo did have a suspended driver’s license.
PG&E responded as well as City Public Works. A road closure took place from the time of the incident until the power pole can be replaced.
21 Aug. 2014, at 7:00 am, the roadway was still closed as repairs were continuing.

Sonora PD press release re: theft by caretaker

18 Aug. 2014, a CNA who works for a live-in-care facility located on East Jackson Street, contacted the Sonora Police Department regarding a possible theft. The CNA told the responding officer they felt another CNA who worked at the care facility was stealing from the elderly residents.
While the officer was speaking with the reporting party, the suspect arrived at the care facility. She was identified as Sarah Jimenez, 37 of Valley Springs. Jimenez related she just returned from selling some gold she had found, to a local jewelry store. It was later determined the gold she had sold was stolen from one of the residents of the care facility.

Sonora PD press release re: Fraud Arrest

12 August 2014, at approx. 6:55 pm, a male subject entered Applebee’s Restaurant and attempted to purchase gift cards. However, the credit card he presented to the employee was declined.

At that point, the employee noticed the card looked fraudulent. She also noticed the subject who had presented the card, matched the description of a subject who had been using counterfeit credit cards during the past two months to purchase hundreds of dollars worth of gift cards. Another employee confirmed this was the same subject, who had been using fraudulent cards to purchase gift cards.
The manager contacted the subject and called the police department. When the first officer arrived at the restaurant, the suspect took off running, at which time a foot chase insured.

Sonora PD press release re: 2014 Central Valley Police Explorer Challenge

19 July 2014, the Sonora Police Department’s Explorer Post participated in the 2014 Central Valley Police Explorer Challenge, hosted by the Manteca Police Department and held at Ripon High School.
The challenge consisted of 35 Explorer teams from all over California and as far away as Honolulu Hawaii. The Challenge is a skills competition to pit teams of Explorers against each other, to see how much they have learned and retained from their training.
The Explorers performed in

scenarios similar to calls handled by police officers. Some of the scenarios were; hostage negotiations, active shooter, domestic violence, high risk felony vehicle stops, driving under the influence, traffic stops, burglary investigation, bus assault, vehicle search, interacting with people who have mental disorders, and an obstacle course. The Explorers were evaluated on their ability to properly perform the needed actions to address the problem or resolve the situation.

Sonora PD press release re: Police Officer Recruitment

The Sonora Police Department is recruiting for the position of Police Officer. The position is open to Police Academy graduates and Lateral Officers. Testing will be conducted periodically, based on the needs of the Department.
The base salary is $4,292-$5,219 a month, with additional pay incentives available for Intermediate & Advanced POST certificates (2.5% each); educational incentive of 2.5% for an Associates, Bachelors and Masters degree; 5.0% incentive for special assignments (FTO, Investigator, Computer Network Manager and Traffic Officer.)
For more information about this career opportunity, log onto www.sonoraca.com and obtain a job flyer and download a job application; or you may stop by the Sonora Police Department (100 S. Green Street) or the City of Sonora (94 N. Washington Street) and pick-up a flyer and application.