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…
Read more
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…
Read more
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…
Read more
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…
Read more
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…
Read more
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…
Read more
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…
Read more
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…
Read more
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…
Read more
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…
Read more
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…
Read more
District Attorney Tim Ward has announced criminal charges against Ralph Holloway, age 36, of Porterville, for wire theft at a public utility substation. Halloway is charged with felony grand theft, receiving stolen property over $950, and misdemeanor possession of an ingestion device. The felony counts are enhanced with aggravating circumstances that the crimes involve great…
Read more
Today, via video conference, TCDA prosecutors secured a 3-year denial of parole for Timothy Hissong, age 59, for crimes against children. Hissong is currently serving a life sentence at Pleasant Valley State Prison. Hissong committed the crimes against three victims under the age of 14 between November 2000 and August 2001 in the city of…
Read more
On December 11, 2025, via video conference, TCDA prosecutors secured a 3-year denial of parole for Jacob DeMasters, age 44, for the 2003 carjacking and kidnapping of a mother and her child in Porterville. DeMasters is currently serving a life sentence at California State Prison Sacramento. Around 8 am on September 2, 2003, in Porterville,…
Read more
On Thursday, December 4, 2025, in Department 11 of the Tulare County Superior Court, TCDA prosecutors secured a guilty verdict for Richard Bomhard, age 80, for crimes against children. A Tulare County jury convicted Bomhard of 11 counts of child molestation against a single female minor victim. The crimes are alleged to have been committed…
Read more
Today in Department 6 of the Tulare County Superior Court, the court sentenced Francisco Javier Valdivia, age 45, to life in prison for the 2016 murder of Cecilia Bravo Cabrera. “I commend the prosecution team for remaining steadfast in the pursuit of justice for Cecelia Cabrera,” said District Attorney Tim Ward. “Securing justice is even…
Read more
On Monday, December 8, 2025, in Department 11 of the Tulare County Superior Court, Visalia Division, the court sentenced Gabriel Izquierdo, age 41, to life in prison for multiple sex crimes. In November 2025, Izquierdo pleaded guilty to six counts of lewd act upon a child under 14 and two counts of sexual battery. Izquierdo…
Read more
Yesterday in Department 20 of the Tulare County Superior Court, South County Justice Center, TCDA prosecutors secured a guilty verdict against Douglas Paul, age 32, of Porterville, for the 2022 shooting murder of a woman in the south county. On the night of March 16, 2022, Porterville Police Department officers were dispatched to a call…
Read more
Today in Department 20 of the Tulare County Superior Court, the court sentenced Edward Lee Dias, Jr. age 45, to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the 2017 torture and murder of 2-year-old boy Bryce and the torture of Bryce’s 3-year-old cousin. Two co-defendants, Shania Alamillo, age 32, and sister Adriana Alamillo,…
Read more
For the 9th 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 $257,000 grant will continue to fund a Vertical Prosecution team through September 2026, primarily for felony DUI with…
Read more
On November 20, 2025, in Department 6 of the Tulare County Superior Court, the court sentenced Pauline Penaloza, age 54, to 4 years in prison for child abuse. Her husband, Jesus Penaloza, 50, was sentenced to life in prison in September 2025. In late February 2019, Sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of child abuse.…
Read more
The Office of District Attorney is proud to announce the launch of its first podcast, Voces de Justicia (Voices of Justice), a Spanish language podcast exploring the inner workings of the DA’s office and the criminal justice system, cold cases, crime prevention, and culture. “We are excited to introduce a new way to reach our…
Read more
On Wednesday, November 12, 2025, in Department 10 of the Tulare County Superior Court, Visalia Division, the court sentenced Derli Ramirez, age 26, to life in prison for crimes against children. Ramirez pleaded no contest to crimes in two separate cases. PCF411736 – On December 25, 2020, a California Highway Patrol officer responded to concerned…
Read more
On November 5, 2025, TCDA prosecutors secured a 3-year denial of parole for Rogelio Barrera, age 34, in the 2015 murder of his roommate. Barrera is currently incarcerated at the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad. On June 27, 2015, Barrera and the male victim got into an argument at their rented residence in Cutler. Barrera,…
Read more
On October 28, 2025, TCDA prosecutors secured a 5-year denial of parole for Salvador Lopez, age 65, who is currently serving a life sentence for crimes against children. Lopez is serving his sentence at Mule Creek State Prison in Ione. Between 1999 and 2001, Lopez sexually assaulted two minor female children aged 11 to 13…
Read more
