News 24/7

Wanted parolee in Adelanto tries avoiding arrest by giving false names

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 07:45:43 -0800

A Stockton woman sheriff's deputies were questioning in a forgery investigation gave several false names to authorities before they discovered she was a wanted parolee.

San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies arrested Anita Sanders, 47, on suspicion of false personation to a peace officer and violating parole.

Deputies questioned Sanders in the 18100 block of Poinciana Road at 2:20 p.m. Sunday. She gave them several different names and dates of birth. When a deputy obtained a photo of the woman under the name Anita Sanders, he confirmed her identity, sheriff's officials said.

melissa.pinion-whitt@inlandnewspapers.com

Adelanto man found with stolen off-road vehicle

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 16:22:48 -0800

A 27-year-old Adelanto man riding a stolen off-road vehicle led sheriff's deputies on a short chase Saturday before being arrested, authorities said.

A deputy stopped Aron Gennaro Conley about 8 a.m. while he was riding on Jonathan Street near Holly Road and asked him to turn the off-road vehicle off. Conley instead hit the gas and sped off, starting a pursuit.

After the deputy caught up to him, she discovered the vehicle had been stolen from Las Vegas, Nv.

Conley was booked at the Victor Valley jail on suspicion of possessing stolen property. Bail was set at $50,000.

Victorville hit-and-run suspect reports car stolen

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:04:47 -0800

An Adelanto man suspected in a hit-and-run crash abandoned his vehicle and then reported the car stolen, sheriff's officials said today.

Joseph Razo, 31, and his wife, Irma Decasa, 29, reported the 1998 Honda Accord stolen late April 19. Razo also made his 11-year-old son lie to deputies about the incident, sheriff's officials said. San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies discovered the vehicle had been involved in a hit-and-run crash earlier in the day in Victorville.

Deputies arrested Razo on suspicion of filing a false police report, conspiracy and perjury and booked him in jail without bail. Sheriff's officials said deputies will request conspiracy charges be filed against Decasa.

melissa.pinion-whitt@inlandnewspapers.com

Men steal car from Victorville church, lead deputies on pursuit

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 11:12:22 -0800

Two men stole a car from a High Desert church and led sheriff's deputies on a high speed pursuit before being arrested Saturday, authorities said.

An employee of the High Desert Church on Hook Boulevard in Victorville walked outside about 4:15 a.m. and saw two men stealing his vehicle so he immediately called 9-1-1, according to a sheriff's news release.

The men, whom deputies said rammed at least one patrol car, refused to stop when deputies flashed their lights and the chase continued into Adelanto. They were captured after driving into a cul de sac and attempting to flee on foot.

Ezzy Hernandez, a 30-year-old West Covina parolee, and Arquimedes Garcia, a 20-year-old Adelanto man, were booked into the Victor Valley jail on suspicion of grand theft auto. Hernandez was also booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer, a parole violation and felony failure to yield.

stacia.glenn@inlandnewspapers.com

Neighbors save man and dog from fire in Adelanto

Sun, 19 Apr 2009 16:22:17 -0800

Neighbors rescued an elderly man and one dog from his burning home Sunday afternoon.

San Bernardino County Firefighters responded at 12:21 p.m. to a 911 call of a house fire with occupants inside the home, according to a fire news release.

When they arrived at the house in the 1100 block of Desert Rose Drive, they found the home engulfed in flames, authorities said.

Once neighbors discovered the fire, around 8 to 10 nearby residents broke windows at the back of the house in order to gain entry.

They found the man and his dog in the back bedroom, the only room not burning, and got them to safety. A second dog was able to get out on its own.

Firefighters were eventually able to get the fire under control, but not before the roof collapsed.

No other houses were damaged.

The man was airlifted to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center for treatment of smoke inhalation. He was not burned. The dogs have been taken by City of Adelanto Animal Control for safekeeping until a family member can pick them up.

Authorities are crediting the fast thinking and quick action of the victims's neighbors for saving his life and minimizing his injuries.

The house was completely destroyed and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

-jannise.johnson@inlandnewspapers.com

Easter egg hunt planned for Adelanto children

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 18:51:00 -0800

A free Easter egg hunt for Adelanto children will be held Saturday at a city park.

The egg hunt and family picnic is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Richardson Park, behind City Hall at the intersection of Highway 395 and Air Expressway. Toddlers to sixth graders are encouraged to participate.

The event is hosted by the Adelanto sheriff's Citizen on Patrol Unit and the Adelanto Community Toolbox.

For more information, call Pam Hoffman or Staci Johnson at the sheriff's station: (760) 246-1087. Or call the Adelanto Community Toolbox at (760) 246-7874.

Woman hit with shrapnel in Adelanto shooting

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 16:35:33 -0800

A woman was hit with shrapnel Wednesday after a 33-year-old man shot at another man and missed, striking an Adelanto apartment building.

Raji Kitchen, of Adelanto, was booked into the Victor Valley jail on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. Bail was set at $50,000.

Sheriff's deputies said Kitchen was angry at someone he had argued with last week and fired several rounds at him about 4:40 p.m. in the 11200 block of Chamberlaine Way.

The High Desert Regional Gang Team tracked Kitchen down at a different Adelanto home and took him into custody.

Prosecutors clear sheriff's deputy in fatal Adelanto shooting

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 10:30:47 -0800

A sheriff's deputy who was doused with gasoline, choked and nearly run over by a suspect in a vehicle in Adelanto was justified in shooting and killing the man, prosecutors said today.

San Bernardino County sheriff's Deputy Joseph Janowicz shot 26-year-old Donald Hottinger on Jan. 17 while investigating the theft of wreckage from an unmanned drone aircraft crash.

Hottinger, who had drugs in his system at the time of the shooting, sustained nine gunshot wounds and died at the scene, the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office said.

While trying to identify Hottinger on a property near where the wreckage was stolen, the pair struggled and fought. At one point during the struggle, Hottinger doused the deputy and himself with gasoline and threatened to ignite them.

The deputy became caught against a vehicle when Hottinger tried to drive away and opened fire when he felt his legs being pulled under the truck, prosecutors said.

"Deadly force was indeed necessary and the only way to protect himself from injury and death," prosecutors wrote in a report.

melissa.pinion-whitt@inlandnewspapers.com

Adelanto woman with $1,400 in stolen fragrances arrested

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 10:19:26 -0800

An Adelanto woman suspected of stealing more than $1,400 in perfume and cologne from Target stores in the High Desert has been arrested on suspicion of burglary, sheriff's officials said today.

Sarah Talaat Youssef, 32, was booked into West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga in lieu of $50,000 bail.

Target store investigators were investigating the loss of fragrances from the Victorville store on Palmdale Road on Friday when they noticed a woman in the store take several high-dollar fragrances, San Bernardino County sheriff's officials said.

She got into a vehicle and was driven away. The investigators notified other Target stores in the area. Deputies said the woman came to the Apple Valley store that day and stole several fragrances. She is also a suspect in similar thefts at the store on Main Street in Hesperia.

Deputies searched her home Friday in the 11000 block of Begonia Road and found more than 45 boxes of men's and women's fragrances.

Youssef was held on suspicion of burglary and possessing stolen property.

melissa.pinion-whitt@inlandnewspapers.com

Two men rob Adelanto Bingo Barn

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 16:16:13 -0800

Two armed bandits made off with the Adelanto Bingo Barn's cash register early Friday morning, authorities said.

At 2:05 a.m., deputies learned the Bingo Barn's hold-up alarm had gone off. When they arrived, they learned that one of the men had a rifle or a shotgun and ordered everyone to the floor while the other man used a hammer to take the cash register, according to a sheriff's news release.

The men were completely covered, and the victims weren't able to get good descriptions.

The Bingo Barn, at 11986 Bartlett Ave., can hold up to 690 people and is open until 3 a.m. during the week and 3:30 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

Anyone with information is asked to call (760) 246-1054 or (800) 78-CRIME to remain anonymous.

Caltrans holds public meeting on Highway 395 widening project

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 11:47:47 -0800

Caltrans has invited High Desert residents to hear information and provide input on a proposed Highway 395 widening project Thursday.

The meeting will be from 6 until 8 p.m. at Mesa Linda Middle School, 13001 Mesa Linda Ave., Victorville.

The project will widen the 395 between Hesperia to about two miles north of Bella Vista Drive in Adelanto, Caltrans officials said. Widening the highway from two to four lanes will help relieve traffic congestion.

Caltrans representatives will answer questions, show maps and exhibits and hand out information.

melissa.pinion-whitt@inlandnewspapers.com

Deputies responding to an Adelanto crash say they found a wanted man in a stolen car

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 14:45:25 -0800

Sheriff's deputies found a stolen vehicle Sunday afternoon during a traffic collision in Adelanto.

At 4:20 p.m., a deputy went to the scene of a crash at Delano and Lexington streets. He fond that Danny Edward Moore, 43, of Humble, Texas, had a misdemeanor warrant for bribery, according to a sheriff's news release.

The deputy also learned that the vehicle he was driving was stolen in Texas and found a gun inside, according to the release.

The vehicle was towed, and Moore was taken to West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga on suspicion of possession of stolen property. He was being held on $25,000 bail.

With help from Lo-Jack Adelanto deputies retrieve stolen car and arrest one man

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 14:00:28 -0800

A 29-year-old Victorville man was arrested Friday afternoon after deputies say they found him getting out of a stolen car in Adelanto, officials said.

Around 3 p.m. Friday, a deputy was patrolling Adelanto when the Lo-Jack device in his car activated. It took him to a red Cadllac parked in a parking lot at 11200 Auburn Ave., according to a sheriff's news release.

There deputies say they saw Louis Devonia Perry get out of the car. Deputies found, a bag with cocaine and marijuana in the car, according to the release. They learned that the car was stolen from a tow yard.

Perry was arrested on suspicion of possession of stolen property and possession of dangerous drugs. He was taken to the Victor Valley Jail on $25,000 bail.

Deputies arrest man they say fired a gun into the air after fighting with his girlfriend

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 13:22:11 -0800

Sheriff's deputies arrested a 28-year-old Adelanto man Friday on suspicion of firing a firearm into the air after an argument with his girlfriend.

At 8 p.m. Feb. 28, deputies went to the Adelanto location where investigators believe Jawon Chambers and his girlfriend had an argument before he fired the gun into the air and left, according to a sheriff's news release.

When deputies caught up with Chambers Friday at his home, he was arrested on suspicion of negligent discharge of a firearm and booked at the Victor Valley jail in Victorville in lieu of $50,000 bail.

Illegal immigrant torches cars with Molotov cocktails in Adelanto

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 11:00:47 -0800

An illegal immigrant suspected of setting two cars on fire in front of an Adelanto home was behind bars in lieu of $1 million bail, sheriff's officials said today.

San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies booked Noel Santiago, 23, of Adelanto, into jail on suspicion of possessing a destructive device. Sheriff's officials said he used Molotov cocktail-like devices to ignite the cars.

Deputies came to the 14600 block of Agave Way about 2 a.m. on a report of a vehicle fire.

Deputies found two burning vehicles and saw the fire was starting to spread to a home.

Residents were evacuated and a deputy used a garden hose to slow the fire until firefighters arrived. No one was injured in the blaze.

Santiago burned the vehicles due to an ongoing dispute with someone living at the home, officials said. Immigration and Customs Enforcement placed a hold on him because he is in the country illegally.

melissa.pinion-whitt@inlandnewspaper.com