On September 20, 2018, at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville, a California parole board denied parole for Richard Esquivel, age 64, of Visalia, for the 1976 murder of a man that took place during the course of a robbery. Esquivel received a 5 year denial and is not scheduled for another hearing until 2023.…
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Late in the afternoon of September 24, 2018, in Department 6 of the Tulare County Superior Court, Judge Gary Paden presiding, a jury found Pedro Nunez, age 27, of Cutler, guilty of first-degree murder with the special circumstance that the crime was committed for the benefit of a street gang, along with special allegations that…
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Yesterday in Department 3 of the Tulare County Superior Court, Visalia Division, Judge Nathan Leedy sentenced Jose Luis Garcia, age 36, of Tulare, to 35 years- to-life in prison for child molestation. Garcia will also be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life. On July 19, 2018, Garcia pleaded…
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District Attorney Tim Ward has announced criminal charges against Wayne Martin, age 33, of Tulare, for incidents that occurred with a minor on between May 1, 2018, and September 16, 2018, in Porterville. Martin is employed as a police officer in the city of Porterville. Martin is charged with three felony counts of meeting a…
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District Attorney Tim Ward has announced criminal charges against Oscar Robles, age 26, of Visalia, for incidents occurring in April of 2017 and January of 2018. Robles is employed as a police officer in the city of Woodlake. Robles is charged with two counts of assault by a public officer, two counts of sexual penetration…
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On September 5, 2018, at Corcoran State Prison, a California parole board denied parole for James Ray Carlin, age 51, for the murder and robbery of a man in Porterville in 1993. Carlin received a 3 year denial and is not scheduled for another hearing until 2021. In April of 1993, a neighbor of the…
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Today in Department 6 of the Tulare County Superior Court, Visalia Division, Judge Gary Paden sentenced Johnny Vega, age 25, of Porterville, to 33 years-to-life in prison for child molestation. Vega will also be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life. On May 8, 2018, Vega pleaded no contest…
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Today in Department 5 of the Tulare County Superior Court, Visalia Division, Judge Joseph Kalashian sentenced Mario Baeza, age 33, of Tulare, to 25 years-to- life in prison for child molestation. Baeza will also be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life. On July 24, 2018, Baeza pleaded no…
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Today in Department 5 of the Tulare County Superior Court, Visalia Division, Judge Joseph Kalashian sentenced Aaron Rowe, age 28, of Visalia, to 18 years-to-life in prison for the murder and assault of his 47-day-old daughter, Peyton. On July 11, 2018, a jury found Rowe guilty of second-degree murder and assault likely to cause great…
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Today in Department 5 of the Tulare County Superior Court, Visalia Division, Judge Joseph Kalashian presiding, a Tulare County jury found Eloy Joven, age 33, of Porterville, guilty of two counts of sodomy of a minor under the age of ten, four counts of oral copulation of minor under the age of ten, and four…
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During the week of August 20, 2018, criminal investigators from the District Attorney’sBureau of Investigations served nine felony arrest warrants on suspects wanted for allegedly committing welfare fraud in Tulare County. The following individuals were arrested and either booked into the Tulare CountySheriff’s Pre-Trial Facility or cited and released for a future court appearance: -Maribel Acosta, 38,…
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District Attorney Tim Ward has announced criminal charges against Carlos Ortiz, 27, for a DUI incident which occurred in Porterville on the afternoon of August 25, 2018. Two victims, one of whom was pregnant, were injured in the crash. Ortiz is charged with felony driving under the influence of an alcoholic beverage causing injury, felony…
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Today Tulare County District Attorney Tim Ward, along with District Attorneys from Contra Costa, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Sacramento, and Orange counties, announced that the Visalia Ransacker / East Area Rapist / Golden State Killer case against Joseph James DeAngelo, 72, of Citrus Heights, will be prosecuted jointly in Sacramento County. DeAngelo is currently in custody…
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District Attorney Tim Ward is pleased to announce the promotion of career prosecutor Robert Dempsie to the position of Assistant District Attorney. Dempsie, a native of Porterville and a Monache High School graduate, has served with the Office of the District Attorney for 30 years and fills the position left open by the Honorable Kerri…
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Today in Department 6 of the Tulare County Superior Court, Visalia Division, Judge Gary Paden presiding, a Tulare County jury found Anthony Myers, age 36, of Tulare, guilty of one count of oral copulation of a minor under the age of ten, one count of attempted oral copulation of a minor under the age of…
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Today Visalia Police Chief Jason Salazar and District Attorney Tim Ward announced the filing of murder charges against Joseph DeAngelo, age 72, for the September 11, 1975, murder of College of the Sequoias professor Claude Snelling. DeAngelo is charged with one count of murder with the special allegation that a firearm was used. Numerous other…
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Today in Department 6 of the Tulare County Superior Court, Visalia Division, Ignacio Villafan, age 52, of Tulare, was sentenced to the Probation Department’s recommendation of 5 years of probation for stealing over $300,000 from his Tulare church. Restitution will be determined at a hearing in October. On March 5, 2018, Villafan pleaded to one felony count…
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On July 31, 2018, at San Quentin State Prison, a California parole board denied parole for Alan Brooks, age 62, for kidnappings and violent sexual assaults in both Tulare and Kings County in 1975. Brooks received a three-year denial and is not scheduled for another hearing until 2021. On September 25, 1975, Brooks approached the…
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On July 24, 2018, at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, a California parole board denied parole for Alfred Estrada, age 62, for a series of violent crimes, including murder, committed in September of 1983. Estrada was given a three- year denial and is not scheduled for another hearing until 2021. On…
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Today in Department 4 of the Tulare County Superior Court, Visalia Division, Judge Brett Alldredge sentenced Oscar Moreno, age 69, of Tulare, to 40 years-to-life in prison for child molestation. On June 15, 2018, Moreno pleaded no contest to three counts of lewd or lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14, one…
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Late in the afternoon on Friday, July 20, 2018, in Department 5 of the Tulare County Superior Court, Visalia Division, Judge Joseph Kalashian presiding, a jury convicted Jesus Jeronimo, age 24, and Angelita Reyes, age 42, both of Bakersfield, of murder. Both were convicted of first-degree murder along with the special circumstances of lying in…
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Today in Department 19 of the Tulare County Superior Court, South County Justice Center, Judge Antonio Reyes sentenced Ruben Carreles, age 31, of Porterville, to 41 years-to-life in prison for attempted murder and gun crimes. On May 24, 2018, a jury convicted Carreles of pre-meditated and deliberate attempted murder of a peace officer, assault with…
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District Attorney Tim Ward has announced criminal charges in a recent drug sale sting coordinated by the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office at Eagle Mountain Casino in Porterville. Alvaro Carranza, age 42, Elizabeth Diaz, age 33, Paul Lara, age 48, Nicholas Miller, age 28, and Hector Gonzalez, age 24, are each charged with one felony count…
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On Friday, July 13, 2018, in Department 10 of the Tulare County Superior Court, Visalia Division, Judge Kathryn Montejano presiding, a jury convicted Naigien Saephan, age 38, of Visalia, of one felony count of driving a stolen vehicle. Saephan possesses a prior strike conviction for arson of an inhabited residence in 1998 and two prior…
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Today in Department 12 of the Tulare County Superior Court, Visalia Division, Judge Nathan Ide presiding, a Tulare County jury found Adrian Souza, age 50, of Visalia, guilty of one misdemeanor count of indecent exposure. In the mid-afternoon of March 7, 2018, at a local Visalia middle school, a parent waiting for an after school…
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