Late Friday afternoon at the South County Justice Center in Porterville, a jury convicted Ronald Thomas, age 63, of one count of annoying or molesting a child with a prior sex crime conviction, and failure to file a change of address as a sex offender. In early 2019, Thomas, an area transient, would frequently park…
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Today at the South County Justice Center in Porterville, the court sentenced Steven Hernandez, age 25, to life without the possibility of parole for gang murder. On April 21, 2021, Hernandez pleaded to all charges filed against him by the District Attorney: first-degree murder with the special circumstances that crime was committed for the benefit…
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District Attorney Tim Ward has announced murder charges in the May 12, 2021, incident in the city of Visalia that resulted in the death of a female victim. Swarndeep Singh Basra, age 22, is charged with one count of murder with two special allegations for the use of two different knives. The defendant is scheduled…
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Today 41 California District Attorneys have filed a petition with the Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) requesting the repeal of temporary emergency regulations awarding additional credits to over 76,000 state prison inmates. The regulations passed under a claim of an “emergency” and were first made public on Friday April 30, 2021,…
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Late Friday afternoon, May 7, 2021, in Department 14 of the Tulare County Superior Court, Visalia Division, a jury found Richard Ramirez, age 47, guilty of crimes against three victims. Adult Victim 1 –The defendant was convicted of two misdemeanor counts of battery. The crimes occurred in October or November of 2008. Ramirez was charged…
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Yesterday in Department 6 of the Tulare County Superior Court, Visalia Division, a Tulare County jury found Yovani Martinez, age 33, guilty of two counts of digital penetration of a child under the age of ten, six counts of lewd act upon a child under the age of fourteen, one count of possession of child…
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Nearly 50 years ago, residents in the city of Visalia were the target of a prowler and experienced a series of burglaries, over 100 in all, that left homeowners and law enforcement perplexed. Drawers were rummaged, underwear was strewn throughout the home, and small, often insignificant items were stolen or re-arranged. The community dubbed the…
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As part of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week 2021, we’re partnering with Mothers Against Drunk Driving California to bring awareness to the irreversible consequences of driving under the influence. On June 19, 2017, near #Porterville, one-year-old Ezriyan Soto was killed when a drunk driver hit the car he was riding in as it was turning…
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On April 6, 2021, TCDA prosecutors secured a 7-year denial of parole for Richard Alonzo, age 42, for a gang altercation that left an innocent bystander dead. Around 5:30 pm on January 31, 1995, Alonzo, who was 16-years-old at the time, was involved in a rival gang shootout at the intersection of Ben Maddox and…
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Yesterday afternoon in Department 19 at the South County Justice Center, a Tulare County jury returned guilty verdicts against Charles Higgins, age 45, for rape and child molestation. The jury found Higgins guilty of forcible rape of a child victim age 14 years, attempted sodomy by use of force, and three counts of lewd act…
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On Thursday, April 1, 2021, Tulare County prosecutors secured a 5-year parole denial for Charles Hall, age 66, dubbed the “Oildale Rapist” for a series of violent sex crimes committed in 1981 in Kern County. The crimes and prosecution received significant media and community attention at the time. Between May 29, 1981, and August 22,…
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On late Friday afternoon, April 2, 2021, at the South County Justice Center in Porterville, a Tulare County jury convicted Dale Watson, age 55, of the murder of 18-year-old Dynasty Alexander. In the morning of March 3, 2019, Watson picked up the victim outside a Tulare apartment complex “to go to the store.” Security footage…
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On March 24, 2021, a California parole board granted parole for Jon Gregorich, age 46, who was convicted of murdering a young man outside of a Visalia bar. In the early morning of May 5, 1994, outside of the former Shagnasty’s bar in Visalia, Gregorich and two other men, Leo Sisco and Rocky Rodrigues, beat…
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Today in Department 3 of the Tulare County Superior Court, Visalia Division, Jason Haley, 40, was arraigned and pleaded not guilty to criminal charges related to the sexual abuse of a single female victim. The crimes are alleged to have occurred between 2008 and 2010 during Haley’s employment as a local high school band coach. …
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On February 25, 2021, at the South County Justice Center, the court sentenced Eddie Lopez, age 25, to life in prison for violent crimes committed against family members. On January 31, 2020, Lopez was convicted of felony attempted murder, kidnapping, corporal injury of a spouse, assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threats, false imprisonment, carjacking,…
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Today in Tulare County Superior Court, Visalia Division, Porterville man Adrian Ortiz, age 31, was sentenced to death for the 2009 killing of a 23-year-old husband and father in his own home. Around 10:30 pm on April 21, 2009, in the city of Porterville, Ortiz and his girlfriend were arguing while driving in a car.…
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District Attorney Tim Ward has announced criminal charges have been filed in the February 19, 2021, high-speed chase that resulted in a California Highway Patrol officer being shot. Marvin Chang, age 32 of Los Angeles County, is charged with eight counts of attempted murder of a peace officer, two counts of assault with a semi-automatic…
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On Wednesday, February 23, 2020, in Department 5 of the Tulare County Superior Court, the court sentenced Leland Wood, age 48, to 8 years in state prison for a crime that occurred in December of 2019. On November 4, 2020, a jury convicted Wood of inflicting injury upon an intimate partner, and personally inflicting great…
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Today at the South County Justice Center, the Tulare County Superior Court sentenced Joshua Isgrigg, age 33, to 5 years in state prison after pleading no contest to the following: one count of making a destructive device without a permit / possession of materials to make explosives, one count of elder abuse under circumstances likely…
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District Attorney Tim Ward is pleased to announce the promotion of Candice Moore to the position of Supervising Deputy District Attorney. Moore is a Visalia native and a graduate of Redwood High School. She began her TCDA career in 2008 as an intern and later as a law clerk from 2010 to 2013, and became…
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On Friday, January 29, 2021, in Department 17 of the Tulare County Superior Court, South County Justice Center, Victor Hugo Becerra, age 38, was sentenced to 228 years-to-life in prison for child molestation. On October 8, 2020, a Tulare County jury found Becerra guilty of three counts of oral copulation with a minor under the…
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On January 15, 2021, the Office of the District Attorney was notified that Governor Gavin Newsom has refused to stop the release of convicted murderer Gerardo Zavala, 48. In 2001, Zavala and a group of men lured a 17-year-old African-American minor to a Delano residence where they beat, electrocuted, sexually assaulted, and eventually shot him…
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Today the Tulare County Superior Court sentenced Larry Robinson, age 53, to 12 years, 4 months in prison for crimes occurring in May 2020. On October 23, 2020, a jury convicted Robinson of three felony counts of making criminal threats, two misdemeanor counts of violating a domestic violence restraining order, delaying a police officer’s lawful…
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Today in Department 5 of the Tulare County Superior Court in Visalia, Tyrone Williams, age 46, a transient in the Visalia area, was sentenced to 480 years-to-life in prison for rape and child molestation against three separate female victims, two of which were under the age of 14. On September 24, 2020, Williams was convicted…
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District Attorney Tim Ward is pleased to announce the promotion of two Tulare County prosecutors to the position of Supervising Deputy District Attorney. Mitch Niayesh began his career as a TCDA prosecutor in 2003. During his tenure, he has prosecuted cases as part of the general misdemeanor and felony teams, white collar crime, auto theft,…
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