On October 31, 2022, in Department 17 of the Tulare County Superior Court, a jury convicted Frankie Julian Ponce, age 32, of assault with a firearm, felon in possession of a firearm, and felon in possession of ammunition. On November 3, 2022, after a second phase of trial per Assembly Bill 333, the jury also…
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For the sixth straight year, District Attorney Tim Ward is pleased to announce the award of a California Office of Traffic Safety Grant to help prosecute cases of driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. The $179,400 grant will continue to fund a Vertical Prosecution team through September 2023, primarily for felony DUI with…
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At a virtual hearing on November 1, 2022, TCDA prosecutors secured a 3-year denial of parole for Eddie Brown, age 60, in the 2001 murder of a Visalia woman. Brown is currently serving his life sentence at the California Men’s Colony in San Luis Obispo. Brown and the victim, 33-year-old Bridget Colmore, had been in…
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Today in Department 10 of the Tulare County Superior Court, the court sentenced Tulare man Servando Lopez, age 58, to life in prison for a DUI crash that killed two victims and injured a third. At 3:30 pm on July 8, 2017, the victims’ vehicle was stopped at a red light at the northbound intersection…
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Yesterday in Department 22 of the Tulare County Superior Court, South County Justice Center, the court sentenced Jose Cardenas, age 23, and Tony Gentry, age 24, to prison for their involvement in 2017 shooting that killed an adult male. On January 1, 2017, Porterville Police Department officers were dispatched to an apartment on North D…
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At virtual hearings on October 25, 2022, TCDA prosecutors secured two denials of parole for crimes committed in the south county. Clint Livermore, age 43, received a 3-year denial of parole for the 2001 murder of a young woman. Also in attendance at the hearing were victim advocates and the victim’s family. Livermore is currently…
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Late yesterday in Department 6 of the Tulare County Superior Court, Visalia Division, a jury found Armando Martinez, age 37, guilty of six counts of sexual intercourse with a child ten years of age or younger, one count of oral copulation with a child ten years of age or younger, nineteen counts of forcible lewd…
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Today in Department 18 of the South County Justice Center, the court sentenced Sergio Astorga-Medrano, age 42, to 4 years in custody for possessing a large quantity of narcotics for sale in his home. On August 4, 2022, deputies with the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office and agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration arrested Astorga-Medrano after…
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Today in Tulare County Juvenile Court, Judge Hugo Loza sentenced a 15-year-old minor for his role in the 2020 fire that destroyed the Porterville Library and claimed the lives of two firefighters. Witnesses testified that on the afternoon of February 18, 2020, two minors, who were both 13-years-old at the time, were present in the…
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Yesterday in Department 4 of the Tulare County Superior Court, Visalia Division, the court sentenced Marwin McDarment, age 44, to 216 years-to-life in state prison for the attempted murder and assault with a firearm of multiple peace officers during a 2011 shootout on the Tule River Reservation. On September 9, 2011, after an argument in…
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At a virtual hearing on September 14, 2022, TCDA prosecutors secured a 3-year denial of parole for Javier Perez, age 61, for the 1995 murder of his sister in Exeter. Perez is currently serving a life sentence at San Quentin State Prison near San Francisco. On October 29, 1995, Perez, his wife, and several family…
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Yesterday in Department 6 of the Tulare County Superior Court, Visalia Division, the court sentenced Juan Gutierrez, age 30, to 40 years-to-life in prison for child molestation. Gutierrez will also be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life. On July 29, 2022, Gutierrez pleaded no contest to one count…
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Today in front of nearly 500 California prosecutors and district attorney investigators, Tulare County District Attorney Tim Ward was sworn in as president of the California District Attorneys Association (CDAA) at its annual summer conference in southern California. “It has been my distinct privilege to have served on the CDAA board and today being sworn-in…
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District Attorney Tim Ward is pleased to announce the promotion of prosecutor Sean Sangree to the position of Supervising Deputy District Attorney. Sangree began his TCDA career in 2008. During his tenure as a deputy district attorney, Sangree has prosecuted misdemeanors and felonies, juvenile crimes, gangs, and most recently child homicide. As supervisor, he will…
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On August 24, 2022, in Department 10 of the Tulare County Superior Court, a jury found Mark Martin, age 37, guilty of attempted murder of four people and arson. Around 6:38 pm on February 7, 2021, Super Bowl Sunday, Martin broke into the garage of his ex-girlfriend with whom he has two young children. His…
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Yesterday in Tulare County Juvenile Court, Judge Hugo Loza dismissed murder charges against two 15-year-old minors in the deaths of two Porterville firefighters. Witnesses testified that on the afternoon of February 18, 2020, the minors, who were both 13-years-old at the time, were present in the children’s reading area. Evidence showed that one minor said…
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Today in Department 6 of the Tulare County Superior Court, the court granted re-sentencing for Hector Salazar, age 39, for the 2013 home invasion of a Ducor residence. On May 29, 2013, Salazar and two men entered the home of a Ducor man. Upon entering, they pummeled the victim and restrained his arms, legs, and…
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At a virtual hearing on August 2, 2022, TCDA prosecutors secured a 5-year denial of parole for Cesar Navarro, age 44, for the 1998 murder of his wife. Also in attendance were victim advocates and the victim’s family. Navarro is currently serving his sentence at the California Men’s Colony in San Luis Obispo. On December…
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On August 8, 2022, in Department 17 of the Tulare County Superior Court, TCDA prosecutors secured a guilty verdict for Marwin McDarment, age 44, for the attempted murder and assault with a firearm of multiple peace officers during a 2011 shootout on the Tule River Reservation. On September 9, 2011, after an argument in the…
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On August 5, 2022, in Tulare County Superior Court, the court sentenced Harbhajan Mundi, 65, to 77 years-to-life in prison for the 2018 murder of a man in Farmersville. On December 16, 2021, a jury found Mundi guilty of first-degree murder, mayhem, and assault with a firearm with the special allegations that he personally and…
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District Attorney Tim Ward has announced the launch of a cold case website in an effort to shine new light on unsolved Tulare County homicides. “In 2019, we created the Cold Case Homicide Unit to assist allied law enforcement agencies in their efforts to bring justice to waiting families,” said District Attorney Ward. “The unit…
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District Attorney Tim Ward has announced criminal charges related to the 2008 shooting death of Tulare man Hernan Diaz, age 21. Luis Villarreal, age 34, is charged with one count of murder with the special allegations that he personally and intentionally discharged a firearm causing great bodily injury, that he possess multiple prior strike and…
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Today in Department 10 of the Tulare County Superior Court, the court sentenced Sidney Russell, age 64, to 75 years-to-life in prison for child molestation. On May 17, 2022, a jury convicted Russell of two felony counts of forcible lewd act upon a child under the age of 14. The court further found true that…
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District Attorney Tim Ward has announced criminal charges against two Washington men for transporting large quantities of controlled substances through Tulare County. According to police reports, just before 7:30 pm on Friday, June 24, 2022, Tulare County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Unit investigators were called to the area of Highway 99 and Tulare Ave.…
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Today in Department 5 of the Tulare County Superior Court, the court sentenced Anthony Martin, age 23, to life in prison for the 2019 murder of his girlfriend in Visalia. In the early morning of October 5, 2019, Martin and his girlfriend of two years had an argument on the drive back to her Visalia…
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