State legislation that became effective law in 2022 is the latest legal hurdle faced by TCDA prosecutors in the 2012 Visalia Mall candy store gang shooting that severely wounded two and shook the community. On April 7, 2026, in Department 6 of the Tulare County Superior Court, Anthony Hanson, now 32 and already serving life…
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On Thursday, April 2, 2026, in Department 10 of the Tulare County Superior Court, Visalia Division, the court sentenced Steven Avila, age 33, to 450 years to life in prison for crimes against two children. At trial, a Tulare County jury found Avila guilty of eighteen counts of lewd act upon a child under the…
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The Tulare County District Attorney’s Office will be holding a public meeting on April 7, 2026, to discuss the AB 481 Annual Military Equipment Report and its funding, acquisition, and/or use of military equipment as defined by the bill. The meeting will be held from 8:30 am to 9:30 am. Location: Tulare County District Attorney’s…
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On March 5, 2026, a California parole board issued a 3-year denial of parole for Steven Richard Williams, age 62. Williams is currently serving a life sentence at Valley State Prison in Chowchilla for crimes against children. In late 2000, Williams assaulted three male victims under the age of 14 at locations in Tulare County.…
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Yesterday in Department 4 of the Tulare County Superior Court, the court sentenced Saul Saldana Armenta, age 22, to four years in state prison, the minimum state prison sentence under the law, for killing a man while driving the wrong way on Highway 99 while intoxicated. Under California law, this crime is punishable by a…
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On March 3, 2026, in Department 4 of the Tulare County Superior Court, TCDA prosecutors secured a guilty verdict against Ping See, age 40, for gross vehicular manslaughter. At approximately 2:30 am on April 21, 2021, See drove her Honda SUV at speeds estimated at 80 miles per hour westbound on Walnut Avenue in Visalia.…
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On March 3, 2026, via video conference, TCDA prosecutors secured a 3-year denial of parole for Agustine Martinez Moreno, age 55, for a 2005 DUI crash that took the lives of three family members. Moreno is currently serving a life sentence at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego. On April 8, 2005,…
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On February 27, 2026, in Department 4 of the Tulare County Superior Court, the court sentenced Michael Ryan Baker, age 31, of Fresno, to four years in state prison for robbery. Around 9:30 in the morning on April 25, 2025, Visalia Police Department Officers responded to a gas station on Dinuba Boulevard for reports of…
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On February 20, 2026, a California parole board issued a 5-year denial for Erik Zelms, age 60, who is serving life in prison for violations of California’s Three Strikes Law. Zelms is currently incarcerated at Valley State Prison in Chowchilla. Zelms’ extensive criminal history began at the age of 18 for forging a credit card…
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On Monday, February 23, 2026, in Department 10 of the Tulare County Superior Court, Visalia Division, TCDA prosecutors secured a guilty verdict against Steven Avila, age 33, for crimes against two children. At trial, a Tulare County jury found Avila guilty of eighteen counts of lewd act upon a child under the age of fourteen,…
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On February 17, 2026, in Department 4 of the Tulare County Superior Court, Visalia Division, the court sentenced Manuel Huitron, age 70, to life in prison for child molestation. From 2016 to 2019, Huitron abused eight female victims, all under the age of 14. On some occasions, Huitron would give small amounts of money to…
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This morning in Department 23 of the Tulare County Superior Court, South County Justice Center, the court sentenced Oscar Zavala, age 29, to life in prison without the possibility of parole. TCDA prosecutors secured guilty verdicts against Zavala for the 2023 gang murder of a rival gang member last month. At approximately 1:45 am…
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Late in the afternoon of February 6, 2026, in Department 4 of the Tulare County Superior Court, TCDA prosecutors secured a guilty verdict against Saul Saldana Armenta, age 22, for gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. Around 3:11 am on April 24, 2024, Saldana Armenta was driving the wrong direction in the #1 (fast) lane on…
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District Attorney Tim Ward has announced criminal charges against Visalia man Miguel Camacho, age 28, for the murder of a 75-year-old woman in southeast Visalia. On February 4, 2026, it is alleged that Camacho drove his car through the gates of an apartment complex. Camacho then proceeded to bang on doors while attempting to gain…
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On February 2, 2026, in Department 4 of the Tulare County Superior Court, the court sentenced Richard Bomhard, age 81, to a total of 104 years to life in prison for crimes against children. On December 4, 2025, a Tulare County jury convicted Bomhard of 11 counts of child molestation against a single female minor…
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On January 29, 2026, via video conference, TCDA prosecutors secured a 3-year denial of parole for Andres Ybarra, age 41, who is serving a life sentence for murder of his girlfriend. Ybarra is currently incarcerated at the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad. On the morning of July 1, 2016, the 26-year-old victim was found by…
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On January 23, 2026, via video conference, TCDA prosecutors secured a 5-year denial of parole for Ronald Thomas, age 68, who is currently serving a life sentence for sex offenses. Thomas is incarcerated at the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad. In early 2019, Thomas, an area transient and convicted sex offender, would frequently park his…
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Today, via video conference, TCDA prosecutors secured a 3-year denial of parole for Rodolfo Garza, age 68, who is serving a life sentence for murder. Garza is currently incarcerated at the Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison in Corcoran. On July 22, 1979, Garza, his brother, and two other men drove a fifth man…
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Late yesterday afternoon in a bifurcated trial, TCDA prosecutors secured a guilty verdict against Oscar Zavala, age 29, for the 2023 gang murder of a rival gang member in Porterville. At approximately 1:45 am on July 10, 2023, at a Porterville motel, Zavala shot and killed the victim who was also at the motel. Using…
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The Tulare County District Attorney’s Office has filed approximately 678 Proposition 36 eligible cases since the law went into effect in December 2024. In the November 2024 general election, California voters in all 58 counties approved the new law increasing treatment and punishment options for drug and theft crimes. “When Proposition 36 was overwhelmingly approved…
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Yesterday in Department 6 of the Tulare County Superior Court, Visalia Division, the court sentenced Erwin McDarment, age 37, to life in prison for multiple sex crimes. McDarment was also sentenced on other felony charges. In December 2025, McDarment pleaded no contest to crimes in two separate cases. VCF374047A- In September 2018, the Tulare County…
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Late yesterday afternoon in Department 6 of the Tulare County Superior Court, Visalia Division, TCDA prosecutors secured a guilty verdict against Angel Ramiro Pando, age 28, for drug and firearm crimes. On March 19, 2024, Pando transported approximately 6,000 “M30” counterfeit fentanyl pills to a Visalia UPS store. The pills were destined to a location…
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Today in Department 6 of the Tulare County Superior Court, Visalia Division, the court sentenced Armando Montero, age 34, to 58 years and 8 months in prison for child molestation. On December 4, 2025, Montero pleaded no contest to 11 counts of child molestation and two counts of possession of child pornography. Eleven counts are…
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Today in Department 20 of the Tulare County Superior Court, South County Justice Center, the court sentenced Douglas Paul, age 32, to life in prison without the possibility of parole for murder. TCDA prosecutors secured a guilty verdict against Paul in early December. On the night of March 16, 2022, Porterville Police Department officers were…
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On December 16, 2025, via video conference, TCDA prosecutors secured a 5-year denial of parole for Alexander Mendez, age 28, who is serving a life sentence for attempted murder. Mendez is currently incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison. At approximately 12:36 am on February 13, 2016, Tulare Police Department officers were dispatched to reports of…
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