Crime Archives – GV Wire

Five Arrested in Fresno County Robbery Spree. Some Linked to Venezuelan Gang

Anthony W. Haddad — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 22:33:39 +0000

Authorities have arrested five suspects tied to a series of armed robberies in Fresno County during the summer of 2024, including individuals believed to be connected to a violent Venezuelan gang, officials said Wednesday.

Detectives with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office and the Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium say the suspects — all residents of Mendota — were involved in four separate robberies that occurred over a two-week span in August.

Those arrested and booked into the Fresno County Jail include Anderson Vega Laya, 31; Helan Lopez Sanchez, 29; Aaron Sojo Moreno, 25; Yan Garcia-Heredia, 22; and Albert Hinegues, 19.

All five face felony charges that include robbery and illegal firearms possession. Detectives believe Vega Laya, Lopez Sanchez, Sojo Moreno and Garcia-Heredia may have ties to Tren de Aragua, a notorious Venezuelan gang.

August 2025 Crime Spree

The crime spree began around 10 p.m. on Aug. 4, when three masked men robbed a taco stand off Highway 33 near Mendota. They stole cash, a Jeep, and personal items from customers. Ten minutes later, they ambushed a man nearby, stealing his Honda Accord and abandoning the previously stolen Jeep. The Honda was later found abandoned.

On Aug. 9, three armed suspects robbed the Shasta Market west of Kerman, fleeing in a 2014 Ford C-Max. A week later, the same vehicle was used in a robbery at Buhler Country Store in Mendota, where four masked gunmen stole cash from the register.

Deputies found the C-Max torched in a rural area outside Mendota on Aug. 20. The discovery helped detectives identify individuals connected to the car, and in September, several search warrants yielded evidence linking the suspects to the crimes.

Arrests followed over several months. Hinegues and Vega Laya were taken into custody in early January. Later that month, SWAT officers arrested Lopez Sanchez at a Motel 6 in Fresno.

Investigators say he pointed an AR-15-style rifle toward the door and pulled the trigger multiple times, but the weapon malfunctioned and did not fire. He was taken into custody without further incident.

Sojo Moreno was arrested in Colorado and extradited to Fresno County, where he was booked on April 11. Garcia-Heredia was arrested during a separate search in Mendota.

Got a Tip?

Anyone with information about the suspects or related cases is urged to call the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office at (559) 600-3111 or Valley Crime Stoppers at (559) 498-7867. Anonymous tips may be eligible for a cash reward. Reference case number 25-9390.

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US Brings First Terrorism Charges Against Alleged Venezuelan Gang Member

Reuters — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 22:06:54 +0000

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. on Wednesday added terrorism-related charges to its criminal case against an alleged high-ranking member of Tren de Aragua, the first time U.S. authorities have used those charges against the Venezuelan street gang.

Jose Enrique Martinez Flores was charged in a new indictment with conspiring to provide and providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, according to a court filing.

“Today’s charges represent an inflection point in how this Department of Justice will prosecute and ultimately dismantle this evil organization, which has destroyed American families and poisoned our communities,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement.

In February, the U.S. designated Tren de Aragua and other transnational gangs as terrorist organizations. Under President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigrant gangs, the administration has also sought to use wartime powers to deport alleged members of the gang, sparking court fights around the country.

Martinez Flores also faces international cocaine distribution charges, according to the indictment, filed in federal court in south Texas.

He was initially arrested in Colombia in March at the direction of the U.S. He remains in custody in Colombia pending further proceedings, according to a Justice Department statement.

Attorney information for Martinez Flores was not immediately available.

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(Reporting by Andrew Goudsward; Editing by David Gregorio)

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Newsom Commutes Sentence in 2009 Tulare County Gang Killing

Anthony W. Haddad — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 17:12:46 +0000

Gov. Gavin Newsom has commuted the sentence of a man convicted in a 2009 gang-related murder in Orosi, granting clemency to Richard Miguel Garcia, 39, the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement Wednesday.

Garcia was convicted in 2011 for his role in the shooting death of 18-year-old Arturo Bello, who was walking along a rural Orosi road.

Prosecutors said Garcia and three fellow gang members were searching for rivals when they spotted Bello wearing a blue shirt — gang-affiliated attire. After stopping their car, a co-defendant exited and opened fire, killing the teen and injuring another.

Garcia admitted he knew his associate was armed and that the group was actively looking for rival gang members, the DA’s office said.

A jury found him guilty of second-degree murder, conspiracy, and gang-related firearm enhancements.

He was originally sentenced to 50 years to life in prison. That sentence was later reduced to 40 years to life due to a trial error regarding jury instructions.

Since his conviction, Garcia has unsuccessfully petitioned three times for re-sentencing. Newsom took no action when Garcia filed for clemency in 2023.

“With the swipe of a pen, the governor voided the decision of the jury and the multiple decisions of Tulare County judges, jurists who presided where the crime took place, heard witness testimony, and understood the impact to the community,” said District Attorney Tim Ward.

“The defendant is only one third of the way into a 40 year-to-life sentence for a cold-blooded violent crime. By his own admission, he and his co-defendants went looking to inflict violence that evening in 2009. They were literally hunting other human beings.”

Garcia is housed at the California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility in Corcoran. He is now immediately eligible for a parole hearing and potential release.

Anyone wishing to contact the state Board of Parole to address Garcia’s release can do so at this link.

You can view all of the governor’s recent pardon letters at this link.
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Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Jonathon Velasco

Anthony W. Haddad — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 16:08:32 +0000

April 23, 2025
Most Wanted Person of the Day

Suspect Name: Jonathon Velasco

Suspects Date of Birth: October 17, 1991

Physical Description: Hispanic Male, 6’ 1, 215 lbs., Black Hair, Brown Eyes.

Charges: Stolen vehicle

Warrant Number: F24904503

Synopsis of the Case: Jonathon Velasco is wanted on a felon, no-bail warrant of stolen vehicle.

If you know where Jonathon Velasco is hiding, call Crime Stoppers at 498-STOP or go to www.valleycrimestoppers.org and click on submit a tip.

ALL TIPS ARE ANONYMOUS. Get cash if your tip leads to an arrest.

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Fresno County Detectives Uncover Remains of Man Missing Since 2020

Anthony W. Haddad — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 15:42:49 +0000

Fresno County homicide detectives have recovered the body of a Selma man who was reported missing nearly five years ago.

Miguel Alonso Garcia, 30 at the time of his disappearance, was last heard from on Sept. 11, 2020. He was reported missing two days later.

On April 15, sheriff’s detectives executed a search warrant at a property in the 400 block of 6th Avenue Drive in Kingsburg, commonly known to locals as “The Peach Pit.”

Acting on a tip that Garcia’s body may be buried there, detectives — with the help of Fresno County Public Works — used heavy equipment to dig through areas of dirt and eventually uncovered human remains.

The Fresno County Coroner’s Office later confirmed the remains as Garcia’s.

Got a Tip?

Detectives are working to identify the person or people responsible for Garcia’s death.

Anyone with information is urged to contact sheriff’s detective Jesse Gloria at (559) 600-8217 or Valley Crime Stoppers at (559) 498-7867. Anonymous tips may also be submitted online at www.valleycrimestoppers.org. Tipsters may be eligible for a cash reward. Reference case #25-1059.

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Kerman Police Arrest Four for DUI, Another for Drug Offense

Anthony W. Haddad — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 22:56:54 +0000

The Kerman Police Department arrested four drivers on suspicion of DUI during a traffic enforcement operation Saturday, the department said in a statement.

Officers also arrested one driver on suspicion of possession of methamphetamines for sale.

The enforcement detail focused on primary driving behaviors that contribute to fatal collisions, police said.

According to the department, drivers convicted of a first-time DUI face an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties, along with a suspended license.

The operation was funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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Visalia Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for 2020 Sexual Assault

Anthony W. Haddad — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 20:21:16 +0000

A Visalia man has been sentenced to 16 years in state prison for the 2020 sexual assault of an unconscious woman, the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office.

Elijah Silva, 24, received the maximum aggravated sentence on Friday following his conviction last month for multiple felony sex crimes, including rape and sodomy of both an intoxicated and unconscious person.

Prosecutors said the crimes were accompanied by special allegations of great bodily harm, vulnerability of the victim, and violent conduct.

High-Speed Crash Revealed the Rape

The charges stemmed from a Dec. 24, 2020, incident in which California Highway Patrol officers attempted to stop a speeding vehicle on Road 132 shortly after midnight. Radar showed the car was traveling 78 mph in a 55-mph zone and later reached speeds of up to 125 mph before crashing into a pole near Avenue 384.

Silva, the driver, and two passengers — a man and a woman — survived the crash. En route to the hospital, the female passenger reported to medical personnel that she believed she had been sexually assaulted. A nurse conducted a sexual assault forensic exam, and in early 2022, the California Department of Justice confirmed Silva’s sperm and DNA were present.

Investigators learned the woman had met Silva that night while drinking with friends. He gave her alcohol, including pouring drinks directly into her mouth. She fell asleep in her car and only regained consciousness after the crash.

Silva had previously pleaded guilty in 2021 to evading police, DUI causing injury, and driving without a license in connection to the crash.

He was sentenced to a year in jail and placed on three years’ probation. While on probation in 2023, he was charged with misdemeanor battery on a significant other and vandalism.

Silva is required to register as a sex offender for life.

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Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Johnny Quintana

Anthony W. Haddad — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 16:17:49 +0000

April 22, 2025
Most Wanted Person of the Day

Suspect Name: Johnny Quintana

Suspects Date of Birth: September 24, 1995

Physical Description: Hispanic Male, 5’ 4, 150 lbs., Black Hair, Brown Eyes.

Charges: Domestic violence

Warrant Number: H1906949

Synopsis of the Case: Johnny Quintana is wanted on a felon warrant of domestic violence.

If you know where Johnny Quintana is hiding, call Crime Stoppers at 498-STOP or go to www.valleycrimestoppers.org and click on submit a tip.

ALL TIPS ARE ANONYMOUS. Get cash if your tip leads to an arrest.

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Woman in Fresno Mansion Fraud Case Sentenced to Prison for Tax Evasion

Anthony W. Haddad — Mon, 21 Apr 2025 22:04:37 +0000

A former Fresno woman was sentenced Monday to two years in federal prison for tax evasion and obstructing an IRS audit, officials said.

Pilar Rose, 51, was also ordered to forfeit more than $2.5 million in proceeds from the sale of her and her husband’s mansion on Van Ness Extension and a luxury BMW, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith said in a statement.

According to court records, between 2012 and 2015, Rose prepared false financial statements for her husband’s orthodontics practice that significantly underreported income, allowing the couple to avoid more than $870,000 in federal taxes.

In one case, she claimed the couple had more than $250,000 in their bank accounts when they had less than $3,000.

Prosecutors said Rose also altered hundreds of checks in 2016 — originally written for nondeductible personal expenses such as mortgage payments, utilities, landscaping, and college tuition — to appear as business-related. She submitted the doctored checks, along with false financial statements, to IRS auditors in an effort to conceal the fraud.

Rose further misled financial institutions in two separate attempts to refinance a $1.5 million mortgage on the couple’s mansion, officials said. In one case, she claimed the couple had more than $250,000 in their bank accounts when they had less than $3,000.

In 2017, Rose purchased a new BMW sedan for about $90,000 using a fraudulent loan application that falsely stated she was an attorney earning more than $600,000 a year. She also used a Social Security number belonging to her husband’s former dental school classmate to avoid a credit check under her own name.

Authorities later seized both the mansion and the car.

Rose was convicted of tax evasion and obstruction of an IRS audit as part of a broader fraud scheme stretching over several years.

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California Prisoner Indicted for Exploiting Child Victim While Incarcerated

Anthony W. Haddad — Mon, 21 Apr 2025 21:55:27 +0000

A California inmate serving time for lewd acts against a child has been indicted on new federal charges alleging he continued to exploit the same victim while incarcerated, authorities said.

Nathaniel Ray Diaz, 21, of Greenfield, was arraigned Monday after a federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment charging him with sexual exploitation of a minor, attempted receipt of child pornography, and obstruction of justice, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, Diaz was serving a three-year sentence at Avenal State Prison in Kings County for committing lewd acts against a 12-year-old and making criminal threats with a gun.

Between July 5 and Nov. 25, 2024, he allegedly used prison phones, a state-issued tablet, and monitored ViaPath messaging equipment to repeatedly contact the same victim.

Although Diaz was under a 10-year no-contact order with the minor, prosecutors said he placed thousands of calls and directed the victim to produce and send sexually explicit images.

When Diaz became aware that law enforcement had been alerted, he allegedly instructed others to delete evidence of the communications.

If convicted, Diaz faces a mandatory minimum of 25 years in prison and up to 50 years for the sexual exploitation charge, prosecutors said.

He also faces a minimum of 15 years and up to 40 years for the attempted receipt charge, and up to 20 years for obstruction of justice. Each count carries a potential fine of up to $250,000.

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