News Archive (6192)
Amador County - A suspected drunk driver sustained injuries while resisting arrest during a battle with Amador County Sheriff’s Deputies in Pioneer last Sunday. Acting on a tip, Sheriff’s deputies initially began following the driver who was believed to be operating a car while under the influence. As the driver passed through Pioneer, the deputy attempted to stop the vehicle. The driver continued on and pulled into the parking lot near the Pioneer Resort Hotel. He then exited the vehicle, ignoring orders by the deputy to stay put. According to Sheriff reports, the driver exhibited aggression and fearing the vehicle’s passenger may also get involved, the deputy called for backup. Officers from the Sheriff's office, CHP and US Forest Service arrived on scene. According to eye witness reports, the driver was aggressively resisting arrest and had to be physically subdued by deputies, during the fight, the driver sustained lacerations to his hands and arms, but medics on the scene determined that the injuries were not critical. A large amount and array of alcohol was found in the vehicle. The driver faces a list of charges including assault on an officer, resisting arrest and DUI. The passenger may be charged with public intoxication. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Amador County - An argument between two brothers-in-law in Pioneer last Saturday led to one of the brothers being stabbed, according the reports by the Amador County Sheriff’s Department. Amador County Undersheriff James Wegner reported Monday that Sheriff’s Officers responded to a call at approximately 5:11pm from the Ok Corral Hotel & Lounge in Pioneer. The caller reported that a man had just been stabbed. When deputies arrived on the scene, they found a 45-year-old man suffering from a stab wound to his abdomen. The victim reported that the would was the result of an altercation between himself and his brother-in-law over employment. He said that his brother-in-law pulled a knife from his back pocket and stabbed him in the stomach. The victim and witnesses reported that the assailant, who was identified as Richard Anthony Bogdanowicz, 57, of Pioneer, fled the scene in a blue pickup truck. Sheriff Deputies immediately visited Bogdanowicz’s residence where he was arrested on the spot and the knife used for the stabbing was recovered. Bogdanowicz was booked into the Amador County Jail charged with assault with a deadly weapon. Bail was set pursuant to schedule at $20,000.00. American Legion Ambulance, Amador Fire Protection District and Cal Fire personnel provided medical care for the victim who was subsequently flown by Air Med 42 to Sutter Roseville Hospital for treatment. The victim’s name was not released. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The Amador County Sheriff’s Office is conducting an on-going investigation into a shooting which occurred two weeks ago in Pine Grove. As part of that investigation, the Sheriff’s Office secured an Amador County Superior Court Ramey Arrest Warrant for suspect Joshua Cornell Walker, 23, who fled the scene of the incident after allegedly shooting his girlfriend’s husband and former roommate three times with a shotgun. Bail was set at 750,000 dollars for the warrant which alleges Walker committed attempted murder, was a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, possessed an unlawful firearm, used a firearm in the commission of a felony, discharged a firearm resulting in great bodily injury and that he committed a felony resulting in great bodily injury. On Friday, July 11, the Sheriff was contacted by a member of the Office of Correctional Safety - Fugitive Apprehension Team, which is a task force operated in cooperation with the United States Marshal's Office.
The Fugitive Apprehension Team offered to assist in locating and apprehending Walker, as Walker was also wanted for violation of parole. On Monday, July 21, the Fugitive Apprehension Team, assisted by the Reno Police Department and the Sparks Police Department, conducted surveillance of multiple locations in the Reno, Nevada area. After several hours of surveillance, it was determined that Walker, along with Caitlin Jaye Steinmeyer, 24, of Pine Grove were living at a Reno area residence. Walker and Steinmeyer were subsequently taken into custody at that location without incident. Steinmeyer is the wife of the shooting victim. Walker is currently in custody in the Washoe County Jail on the Amador Superior Court Arrest Warrant. The Reno Police Department has arrested Steinmeyer for harboring a fugitive.
Before the conclusion of the Plymouth City Council meeting last Thursday evening, concerns were raised regarding the 3rd Annual Motorcycle Expo held at the Amador County Fairgrounds earlier this month. The concern did not arise from the roughly 3,500 motorcycles that roared into Plymouth, nor did it stem from the violent ongoing tensions between the Hell’s Angels and the Mongols. Concern centered around the large police presence at the event, and the potentially negative impacts that could have on business and the community. Councilman Michael O’Meara introduced the issue, stating that although he understood the reasons that such a large turnout of law enforcement were called in, he felt as though the citizens of Plymouth were “living in a police state.” Mayor Jon Colburn echoed O’Meara’s sentiment, saying that Plymouth felt like a “war zone” during the event. Another issue raised was the perception of a high number of vehicles pulled over for unnecessary reasons. Local business owners claimed that if a large group of motorcyclists were in front of their businesses to eat or purchase items, they tended to disperse as soon as law enforcement was spotted. Councilman Baldwin, whose father was a CHP officer in the 1970’s, spoke from another perspective. He “understood the need” for such a high population of law enforcement as things can slip out of control quite rapidly. At the conclusion of the discussion, O’Meara stated that he would draft a statement summarizing the concerns raised so Council could prepare for similar events in the future.
A vehicle accident in Pioneer left one man injured late last week. The driver of a pickup truck lost control of the vehicle on Pioneer Creek Road Friday evening around 6:30PM and wound up on its side in the oncoming lane. Luckily no one was traveling in the opposite direction when the accident occurred. CHP arrived quickly on the scene and wereevaluating the driver for possible impaired driving issues. At the time of this report, no suspicion of driving under intoxication has been reported.
The Amador County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services, or OES, in partnership with Cal Fire, conducted a successful multi-agency disaster preparedness exercise on Thursday. Headquartered at the Amador County Fairgrounds, the exercise was meant to give each agency an opportunity to evaluate current response concepts, plans and capabilities for conducting a large-scale neighborhood evacuation in case of a catastrophic wildfire. According to Martha Shaver, the county’s Public Information Officer, a catastrophic wildfire swept through Amador County in 1961, destroying several ranches and burning about 25 to 35 thousand acres. If that were to happen today, that would put at risk 1400 parcels, as well as multiple businesses, and cause an estimated 215 million dollars worth of damage, and “that’s just the assessed value” says Shaver. “Are we equipped to deal with that?” In addition to OES and Cal Fire, the exercise included the California Department of Forestry, or CDF, the Amador County Sheriff’s Department, the Ione and Jackson Police Departments, Animal Control, the American Red Cross, and the county’s Administrative Office.
The exercise started off with teams meeting at the fairgrounds to discuss evacuation plans and inter-agency coordination. The Valley Division of the CHP was on hand with their Rapid Response Vehicle, which contains everything needed to rapidly respond in an emergency. The Chevy Tahoe, packed full with sophisticated video and satellite equipment, can easily interface various agencies, as well as pick up live video images from agency aircraft overhead. The video can be downloaded to the vehicle via satellite, which can then be linked back to CHP headquarters. As part of the mock evacuation, sheriff deputies and local city police went door-to-door in the Burke Ranch area of Plymouth, making contact with residents and handing out fire safety information. For those residents that weren’t home, police left information in an envelope attached to a balloon. Burke Ranch resident David Brattstrom, who received information from an Amador County Sheriff’s deputy, says “fire is always an issue up here.” After the evacuation, personnel regrouped at the fairgrounds and spent the afternoon evaluating the exercise. The OES says that they “view this exercise as an excellent opportunity to bolster interagency cooperation, establish communications and to provide for a more efficient use of limited resources.”
A former Mule Creek State Prison guard is now facing multiple charges of sex with a minor. According to Mule Creek Spokesman Chris Weathersbee, the continuing investigation is a cooperative effort between the prison, the Amador County Sheriff’s Office and District Attorney Todd Reibe. Former guard Danny James Akemon, a 28 year old Volcano resident is accused of multiple counts of sex with a 14 year old male. The purported crime has sparked further investigation into Akemon’s conduct while working as an Ione prison guard for less than nine months. “What I can tell you is limited…(but) I will say we are in full cooperation with the District Attorney’s office,” said Weathersbee. The prison is also conducting its own internal investigation. Akemon’s preliminary hearing is scheduled at Amador Superior Court on June 6th. He is pleading not guilty to two counts of both oral copulation of a person under 16 and lewd acts with a child. Akemon was booked at the Amador County Sheriff's office on February 4th. His tenure as a prison guard lasted from June 11, 2007 to March 31, 2008. He was purportedly let go due to inappropriate conduct.
Sacramento Little League Coach Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison
Written byA Sacramento Little League coach was sentenced to six years in prison Friday, after pleading guilty to molesting an 8-year old boy while camping at Chaw Se Indian Grinding Rock State Park in Pine Grove. According to Amador County District Attorney Todd Riebe, Richard Tinoco, 29, has a history of sex-related convictions. The charges stem from a Memorial Day camping trip at Chaw Se state park when Tinoco was camping with his son and an 8-year old member of the Little League team Tinoco coached in Sacramento. The boy told his mother that Tinoco had molested him twice in the night, and the boy’s mother called the Sacramento Police Department. Tinoco reportedly tried to convince the boy’s mother to lie to law enforcement about the incident. D.A. Riebe says, “Tinoco is the worst sort of sexual predator, one who preys upon both male and female minors and then attempts to thwart law enforcement efforts to keep track of him by failing to register as a sex offender. It took the love of a mother and the courage of a very brave young boy to bring this sexual predator to justice.”
