Newest articles on The Sacramento Press written by Ed Fogle

Walking among Giants

2012-07-30T01:29:04Z

Saturday afternoon, a small portion of United States Marine Corps Recruit Platoon 1034, known as the “Giants Platoon,” reunited at the Vietnam Memorial in Capital Park in Sacramento for the second time since their homecoming.

Retired USMC Sgt. Ed Flores stated that they come and reunite “to honor the accomplishment of our youth, to give praise to our fallen, and to thankfully celebrate life one more time, together.”

July 26, 1967, the young volunteers of Platoon 1034, made up of recruits mostly from Northern California, made a special trip to Candlestick Park in San Francisco. During pre-game festivities, they were sworn in on national television and in front of the crowd gathered for the Giants game; subsequently they were affectionately dubbed, “Giants Platoon.”

At the seventh inning stretch, the recruits were marched back to their bus which took them straight to San Diego.

“Forty-five years ago we were sworn in at Candlestick Park, went off to boot camp together and most of us haven’t seen each other since,” Doug Mayo stated. “We’re just here together to pay tribute to the guys who didn’t make it back from Vietnam.”

I asked Mayo what it was like being back together with his platoon after so many years.

“...You know, none of the faces are familiar, the names are. We’ve aged a lot,” Mayo said with a chuckle, “but it’s good to see the guys again.”

“The Marine Corps had some of us waiting two months to enlist; they were waiting to get seventy-five of us together based on scholastics and athletics, two or three from each recruiter over Northern California. They took us to Candlestick Park, brought our parents over there, the Marine Corps paid for everything. It was a doubleheader with the Mets. They had us march out, sort of, on the pitcher's mound and we were sworn in by the Brigadier General on TV. We were pretty nervous and proud, but it was an awesome experience. We went directly from there to begin our training and initiation to the life of the Marine Corps,” Larry Goldsmith stated.

The Vietnam Memorial in Sacramento resides in the northeast corner of Capital Park. Its position is flanked by two of the busiest streets in downtown, L and 15th streets, but there’s a certain hush and calm at the site, as if the busy traffic going by does not exist. It’s a multi-million dollar structure erected with incredible detail and decorum.

Surrounding the outer circumference of the Memorial are black granite panels engraved with the names of 5,800 Californians who died or are missing. The interior walls of the structure bear incredible bronze reliefs depicting actual scenes from Vietnam based on photographs.

During their reunion, Ed Duran called the platoon to order; they lined up on the outer circle of the front entrance of the memorial and started off with a roll call. Each man, in turn, sounded off with his name, rank and Military Occupational Specialty (MOS). Flores read the declaration he drafted, then a wreath was placed at the entrance of the Memorial with a framed copy of the declaration.

An ROTC color guard presented the colors as the platoon came to attention and paused for a moment of silence for their missing and dead.

At the reunion, I had the privilege of talking with some of the men about their time in Vietnam and what it was like coming home, and by the time I left the guys I truly knew I was walking among Giants.

I won’t even attempt to relate their words here. The written word can not carry the emotion and expression they shared with me. Each interview was captured on video and will be posted at a later date.

Budget cuts and fire engine brown-out significant factor in Oak Park blaze

2012-06-09T10:32:40Z

Sacramento, CA | When a fire truck crew arrived on scene of a house ablaze Thursday afternoon, they had to wait for an engine with water to arrive from a distance.

Thursday afternoon, Sacramento firefighters were called out to a blaze in the Oak Park area. When Truck 6 arrived in three minutes (trucks carry no water) the structure was fully involved with fire. The first engine, Engine 10 (carrying water), arrived in 6-8 minutes; Engine 6 (who likely would have arrived with Truck 6) was browned out due to budget cuts.

Fortunately this was an unoccupied home which had burned a couple of years ago but had not been torn down. Chief Chris Ortiz explained that fire grows exponentially and literally doubles itself every minute. Had this been an occupied home, given the brown-out delayed first in engine with water, the difference of minutes is very significant.

The fire was so burning so hot that surrounding homes, called exposures, had to be protected from radiant heat so they would not catch fire as well.

I asked Chief Ortiz about the City’s “Dangerous Building” organization that is supposed to tear down structures such as this when the fire occurred a couple of years ago. Ortiz stated that he called for “Dangerous Buildings” to respond; his dispatch advised him that “Dangerous Buildings” would not respond. Ortiz stated that he could not divulge the reason.

There were no injuries in this blaze and the cause remains under investigation.

Battalion Chief, Chris Ortiz, talks about the incident...

Defensive 2 Story Structure Fire, June 7, 2012 Oak Park, CA from SacMav Rapid Media on Vimeo.

Statewide alcohol sting operation nets 390

2012-03-17T22:01:17Z

Sacramento, CA | Several people busted in Sacramento and throughout California Friday purchasing alcohol for minors.

As part of a state-wide operation, agents from the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) with Sacramento Police Department DUI Enforcement Officers ran sting operations throughout the day.

Several teams were in the field utilizing actual under-aged decoys who would approach individuals entering a liquor store or market, disclosed their age and asked the persons to purchase alcohol for them.

In one incident at Natomas Liquor, the sales clerk (not knowing an operation was under way) even warned the female purchaser that if she was purchasing the beer for minors not to do it; she made the purchase any way and gave the beer to the decoy minors waiting outside the store.

When the officers moved in for the bust, the woman attempted to explain her actions away but was advised by agents that the entire thing was recorded as the cuffs went on.

Sergeant Andrew Pettit, Public Information Officer for the Sacramento Police Department stated that this is a misdemeanor offense. As long as today’s arrestees did not have other wants or warrants outstanding, they were cited and released to appear in court at a later date to answer for their actions. The penalty for furnishing alcohol to a minor is a minimum $1000 fine and 24 hours of community service.

Pettit stated that this is an annual operation around Saint Patrick’s Day and other targeted holidays. The program is intended to reduce the availability of alcohol to minors. According to the American Medical Association, underage drinking can increase chances of risky sexual behavior and teen pregnancy, juvenile delinquency, compromise health, and result in unintentional injury and death according to SacPD.

Per SacPD, the local task force investigated 12 random locations within Sacramento. Eleven individuals were cited for furnishing alcoholic beverages to minors and one subject was arrested for an outstanding felony warrant. The operation was conducted statewide for the first time ever and resulted in over 390 arrests.

Many local operations were funded by the California Alcoholic Beverage Control through the department's Grant Assistance Program (GAP), and some were funded by the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). ABC is a Department of the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency, according to a SacPD press release Saturday.

VIDEO/ADDITIONAL PHOTOS: Sergeant Andrew Pettit, SacPD PIO talks about the operation>>

Guess who blows into town Saturday morning?

2012-02-25T09:24:37Z

World famous Sean Casey and the TIV (Tornado Intercept Vehicle) blow into Sacramento early Saturday morning. Casey, a die-hard storm chaser and movie producer, built the TIV so that he could accomplish his life-long passion of entering the eye of the tornado and documenting it on film.

Casey built the TIV to accomplish just that. Casey and team began building TIV2 in 2007 and finished it in time for the tornado season of 2008. The turit atop TIV2 was home to the 80mm IMAX camera Sean would use in creating the 3D, action packed, sit-on-the-edge-of-your-seat, stunning Tornado Alley. You may have seen Sean on the Discovery Channel as he was making this movie.

Sean and the TIV will be at the Esquier IMAX theater Saturday from 10am to 6pm. NorCal Skywarn, the local trained storm spotters/chasers for the National Weather Service, invite you to join them in welcoming Sean back to Sacramento, at 10:30am (just before the 11am mantenee showing of Tornado Alley) and for you to meet some of your local storm spotters/chasers who will be on hand to answer question about local storm spotting and you can become a part of NWS Skywarn.

See the Tornado Alley trailer at the bottom of this page>>

Disclosure: Ed Fogle is a trained storm spotter/chaser for the National Weather Service's SKYWARN. Skywarn Spotter SA-125

What happens when Sheriff K9's retire?

2012-01-03T03:01:18Z

The Sacramento Sheriff's K9 Association held a fundraiser and demonstration Sunday at Pet Food Express on Fair Oaks Blvd.

Along with meeting the K9's, getting to rub a K9 belly and meet their handlers, goers had the opportunity to purchase the new 2012 SSDK9 calendar loaded with dynamic images of the dogs and their handlers by XSiGHT Photography and Video.

Ike, one of twelve active K9’s in the unit, has seen his fair share of rough and tumble, part of the job as a K9. Deputy Pomerson, Ike’s partner and handler, related how Ike went over a fence after a bad guy and punctured a lung. With the punctured lung, Ike still latched on to the bad guy until deputies apprehended the perp. Ike’s chest swelled to almost twice his normal size and he was rushed to medical care and saved. After a two week recovery, Pomerson related, Ike eagerly went back to work.

Pomerson shared tales of his partner, such as how he slides back and forth in the back seat responding to calls.

“It seems the more he (Ike) is tossed around in the back, [the] more he’s excited and ready to get the bad guy when we arrive at the scene.”

Pomerson also explained the toll the tossing around takes on the K9’s, giving them an average of five to seven workable years. When the K9’s retire, “they get to de-stress and just enjoy the rest of their life as a pet and adapt well,” stated Pomerson.

We got to tag along while Pomerson gave Ike a bath at the pet store. Even though the water was nice and warm, Pomerson agreed Ike would much rather be getting wet in the river.

When Ike retires, Pomerson will purchase him from the county for one dollar plus tax, and Ike will enjoy his retirement as the family pet. With Ike’s retirement, Pomerson will get a new K9 partner. At that time, Pomerson explained, the hardest part for Ike will be not going to work.

On their off days they do absolutely no work related things at all, and when it’s time to go back to work and Pomerson dons his uniform, Ike gets all excited.

“Even when I chirp the alarm on the car or move the car around, Ike gets all excited thinking it’s time to got to work,” said Pomerson.

A large portion of the fundraising proceeds are dedicated to the retirement needs of the K9’s who served their community. The fundraising calendar is a wonderful way to get to know the beautiful and talented animals that protect and serve our community.

If you are interested in donating and being involved with the SSDK9 association, their site has all the information and details you need to get engaged. Be sure to check out SSDK9 Association fundraising golf tournaments and marathons as well.

SSDK9 Demo/Fundraiser from SacMav Rapid Media on Vimeo.

Deputy Amos talks about the K9's>>

Commute interrupted, vehicle crashes into downtown business

2011-12-13T19:29:41Z

Sacramento, CA | Busy morning Downtown commute interrupted Tuesday morning when a vehicle crashed into a building.

Close to 7:30 Tuesday morning, the busy downtown commute was interrupted when a woman driving east on J Street, reportedly felt sick and passed out behind the wheel. Her vehicle hopped the curb and crashed into "Patino Building" at 1010 J St. The driver was transported to hospital via paramedics.

'Occupy Sacramento' blasts City Council

2011-11-03T07:24:38Z

'Occupy Sacramento' blasts City Council during the public forum of the Tuesday, November 1, 2011 meeting.

View more photos>>

More 'Occupy' arrests in Sacramento

2011-10-26T08:57:58Z

Occupy Sacramento participants once again stood their ground at Ceasar Chavez Park in Downtown Sacramento. At midnight, an hour after the park is officially closed, dispersal orders were given and 4 (including one in a wheel chair) were arrested peacfully.

'Occupy' group stops at Bureau of Indian Affairs on march to Capitol

2011-10-18T00:21:36Z

'Occupy' protesters in Sacramento marched on Capital Mall Friday afternoon with a stop at the Bureau of Indian Affairs at 650 Capital Mall with some definite opinions of Columbus and the recent celebration of Columbus Day. After their brief stop and rally at John E. Moss Building, they continued east on Capital Mall where they rallied again on the north steps of the Capital Building

See video from demonstration>>

View some other 'Occupy' articles on SacPress>>

Pastors remain on task, city council hopefuls interviewed

2011-09-23T05:33:02Z

Sacramento, CA | Area Pastors promissed to remain on watch, holding current city council members and hopefuls accountable.

Area pastors remain on task as promissed, holding both current council members and June 2012 City Council hopefuls accountable. Today, Allen Warren (running for the district 2 seat), and Betty Williams (running for the district 8 seat) were interviewed by a large constituency of area pastors.

Both hopefuls shared their backgrounds, qualifications, goals and priorities and then were asked tough and challenging questions and quizzed by the pastors. Warren and Williams were interviewed and "put on the hot seat" seperately by the group of pastors.

Sharing his background and qualifications with area pastors, Allen Warren, who intends to run for the district 2 seat, shared how his life was set for pro baseball with the New York Yankees when his carrer path took a drastic change. He found himself on Wall Street being trained and groomed with a large financial agency and then further into business. Warren stated that job creation is a top priority on his agenda.

Warren stated that he had not inteded politics to become a carrer choice for himself, but with the currentl lack of leadership he feels he had to step up. He promissed pastors that he is prepared to "stay the course".

Betty Williams, with a long diverse tenure in many upper level positons with the NAACP and long time community advocate, stated that crime and education top her list of priorties. Under incumbant, Bonnie Pannell's watch, Sacramento Police Chief, Rick Braziel, has indicated publicly that district eight's Meadowview area has become the worst crime ridden area in the city, Williams stated. Already on advisory counciles with the Sherrif and Police Chief, the Meadowview area is high on Williams radar for crime reduction.

Williams also advised the pastors that she has hired Sam Walton, the late Sam Pannell's campaign manger to manage her campaign. When asked what defines the difference between Pannell and herself, Williams emphatically stated, "My leadership is stronger than Bonnie Pannell's." Williams stated that she has already received endorsements from Mayor Kevin Johnson, Jay Schenirer and Willie Brown among others.

Moderator, Pastor Darryl Heath, made it very clear to both contenders that "there is no quid pro quo here". He was careful to state that the pastors are not promissing their vote and are not expecting anything in exchange. He stated to both that "the only thing we want from you is for you to do your job with integrity and honesty."

The pastors have promissed current and future council membes to have at least one represenative present at every council meeting and to remain on watch for the city as a whole.

Disclosure: I am an area pastor and affiliated with the pastor's newly formed watch group, CYHU- Can You Hear Us Now

Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market breaks ground in Oak Park

2011-08-31T23:00:26Z

Sacramento, CA | Tim Mason, CEO of California based Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, with Mayor Kevin Johnson, Councilman Jay Schenirer and other community memberrs broke ground Wednesday morning in a well attended ceremony in Oak Park.

The market will be built on the north west corner of Broadway and 34th Street. Mayor Kevin Johnson stated that when he came back from college he said "what can we do with this piece of property? As a year or two went by, you realize that properites this size get into the wrong hands." Johnson bought the land in 2002 and just held it "till the right person came in or the right company said 'we want to do something that will be an assest to the community.'" Prior to Fresh & Easy, Johnson stated that "they wanted to put a used appliance store there..." Johnson stated that this (Fresh & Easy) is the right business.

“I’m excited to welcome Fresh & Easy to our neighborhood,” said Johnson. “Fresh & Easy is not only bringing more good jobs to Sacramento, but also high-quality, healthy food at affordable prices to neighborhoods that don’t always have access to such foods.”

Johnson thanked Chris Brown who worked tirelessly and handled the real estate transaction, making sure the properety fell into the right hands.

In his opening remarks, Mason stated, "We hope to continue to be part of the solution in providing greater food access and help give food options to all types of communities... at a price they can afford right where they live."

Mason stated they have opened 137 stores since they opened in 2007, invested over two billion dollars and created more than 4500 jobs. In Oak Park, the new store will create 300 construction jobs and when it is finished it will create 30 retail jobs for the community.

"We have worked very hard to create a thoughtful business and a business that can make a difference in the community" Mason stated.

In a press release, Fresh & Easy noted the locations opening in greater Sacramento in 2012

Watt Ave. & El Camino Ave.- Sacramento
34th St. & Broadway- Sacramento
Mack Rd. & Franklin Blvd.- Sacramento
Lincoln & Sterling Rd.- Lincoln
Elk Grove Florin Rd. & Calvine Rd.- Elk Grove
E. Natoma St. & Blue Ravine Rd.- Folsom

"When you say Oak Park, when you put those two words together, people show up; people have been showing up for a long time. We are hitting our stride in this community; we are doing great things" Councilman Jay Schenierer stated.

"I know you said that you like to put your stores in all types of communities, so on behalf of Oak Park, I want to thank you for putting your store in the best and most engaged community that we have in Sacramento" Schenirer stated to Mason.

"When you look at Oak Park you see a diverse community, not just one sector of Sacramento" said Schenirer

Fresh & Easy has created nearly 5,000 jobs in California, Arizona and Nevada. Entry-level positions start at $10 an hour in California and provide room for employees to grow quickly. The company offers quarterly bonuses of up to 10% as well as a 401(k) with company match. Fresh & Easy believes everyone deserves access to affordable and comprehensive healthcare and provides all employees the opportunity to work at least 20 hours per week, which entitles everyone in the business to vision, prescription drug, dental and medical coverage with Fresh & Easy paying at least 75%.

In an impromptu open dialog, Mason committed to Johnson to install a solar roof and create space on the grounds for community members to sell their produce from the community gardens being developed. As a gesture and token of the commitment, Mason took his tie off and gave it to Johnson. Johnson holding the tie up stated that he would wear the tie at the ribbon cutting when the store opens.

"Fresh & Easy is going to open six stores in this area, that's a total of 150 jobs. We have double digit unemployment rates; that is a big deal." Johnson stated.

Fresh & Easy touts being a "green" company and you can learn more about them at their site>>>

Fresh & Easy invites community members to join their "Friends" to say in the know>>>

View more photos from this event>>>

Budget cuts impact resources for major hazmat incident in South Sacramento

2011-07-07T01:43:59Z

Sacramento, CA | A level 3 Hazmat situation shuts down a large industrial area in South Sacramento. Budget weakend hazmat team has to reach out with unusual mutual aid requests.

Wednesday morning, the Sacramento City Fire Department was called to Mike and Sons Inc, in the 8500 block of Elder Creek Road, for a commercial trailer fire. When firefighters arrived “they realized the doors were shut and there was a very pungent odor; so they turned this into a level three hazmat which is the highest level of hazmat response that we have”, Niko King, Assistant Chief for Sacramento City Fire Department stated.

As things progressed, they contacted the shipper and the property owner discovering that there were over forty household products in the trailer, King stated. “For some unknown reason, something happened in there and there was a chemical reaction taking place.”

Evacuations began immediately. King stated that as a result of the off-gassing of the product and wind direction, over fifty-five business were evacuated which equated to 520 people. Reverse 911 was utilized to assist with the evacuations. Traffic was backed up all the way down Young Creek Drive as area workers vacated the industrial park. King stated that the evacuation was in place for about four hours. King also stated that a seven digit hotline was put in place to update evacuees and let them know when they could return to their businesses.

One person, who reportedly inhaled a good amount of the vapors, was transported to the hospital via paramedics.

Large fire suppression lines were put in place in the event they had to fight fire, and measures were taken to protect storm drains from potential contaminated water runoff as a result of firefighting efforts.

“What’s unique about this, Sacramento Fire department just experienced some budget cuts; it cut our hazmat team right in half,” King stated sternly. “…so, we had mutual aid resources from Metro Fire, Hazmat 109 come in. And what was really unique, we had to reach out and get Roseville’s hazmat team to come into the City of Sacramento to assist in mitigating this incident.”

It was finally determined that the substance was some sort of refrigerant oil. The assumption is that due to the warm rising temperature in the trailer, the container of product exploded then mixing with other materials in the trailer.

Many agencies responded to this incident to assist Sacramento City Fire, such as: Sacramento Metro Fire, Roseville Fire, and CERT to name a few. The Red Cross also responded with their Disaster Relief unit.

King stated that all the hazards had been mitigated and the incident would be turned back over to the shipping company.

VIEW MORE PHOTOS>>

RAAM UPDATE: Team SacPD on final push through the Appalachians

2011-06-24T19:26:29Z

Team SacPD is on their home stretch. “Group B is on the way to meet group A for our final day of racing. On the way to the finish line!” was sent out on the team’s Twitter feed Friday morning.

Having cycled just over 2,820 since Saturday afternoon’s start, Team SacPD has just 176 miles to go, however, embedded photographer Kati Garner stated, “…the last day of RAAM is not an easy ride for the racers…..they are in the Appalachians, full of ascents and descents for miles and miles.”

Team SacPD is the first all police officer team in the history of Race Across America (RAAM), fully comprised of police officers from the Sacramento Police Department doing the race on their personal vacation time with a goal to bring support and recognition to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.

“The Sacramento Police Department is embarking on a unique adventure that will bring national attention to the nearly 19,000 law enforcement officers who have been killed while protecting the communities of this nation,” Sacramento Police Chief Rick Braziel stated.

The Chief further stated, “On average, one law enforcement officer is killed in the line of duty somewhere in the United States every 53 hours. As a racing member of Team SPD, I encourage you to help us at the Sacramento Police Department honor America’s law enforcement officers as we work to commemorate the sacrifice of our fallen comrades.”

As the team rides their final leg Friday, the time clock is shadowed by their passionate mission. Todd Carr, crew person, stated “it is stressful because of tough navigation, little sleep and the climbs. This past week has taken a toll on our racers. We can’t see the end of the tunnel because we have major mountains in our way.”

As the team members trade off in the relay, they’re able to get messages from the crew members who are monitoring their Facebook and Twitter feeds. You are able to cheer them on through this last leg by messaging them directly.

TeamSacPD’s Twitter: CLICK HERE>>
TeamSacPD’s Facebook Fan Page: CLICK HERE>>

Meet the entire team volunteer support crew at their RAAM web site>>

RAAM UPDATE: It's all downhill from here

2011-06-21T06:49:28Z

It’s all downhill from here… so to speak. Monday, in the Race Across America, Team SacPD concurred their highest elevation climb of the race. With their climb to nearly 11,000 feet above sea level Monday, the team has climbed a total of 55,952 vertical feet since the start of the race Saturday.

From this point, the majority of the race is downhill except for a few smaller elevations climbs later in the race.

At the time of this posting, the team is skirting the southern part of Colorado and is about half way across the state. At this point they have traveled almost 1,030 miles and have about 1,969 miles to go.

The only significant challenge reported today was a racers blown tire shortly after the start of the day.

RAAM UPDATE: Team SacPD has strong second day

2011-06-20T07:14:00Z

Sunday was a long but rewarding day for Team SacPD in their second day of Race Across America. The team traversed north east through Arizona and at the time of this posting they are just north of Tuba City heading toward Utah.

Team SacPD is now 33 hours into the race and have traveled over 615 miles. They have climed a total of 32,744 vertical feet and are presently around 5,000 feet above sea level and will reach around 11,000 feet in this assent.

The day was not without challenges. Early in the day one of the riders wasn't feeling well and had to sit out several relay rotations, but later returned to the race reportedly doing well. The same van that broke down Saturday developed mechanical trouble again Sunday near Sedona, Arizona, forcing the team to shuffle some crew and gear around.

Overall, the crew and team remain strong and in good spirits. They have aproximately 2,381 miles to go.

RAAM Update: Team SacPD starts strong Saturday afternoon

2011-06-19T06:10:01Z

Team SacPD, started the Race Across America (RAAM) Saturday afternoon. Starting from the pier in Oceanside, they already peddled over 170 miles with just under 2,830 to go at the time of this post. They have cumulatively climbed 8,789 vertical feet and reached a top elevation just over 4,000 above sea level.

The team is now commencing a stretch in the race where over the next 750 miles they will ascend to an elevation of over 10,000 feet above sea level. Until they reach that elevation, they will be on a consistent climb with few brief downhill breathers.

Shortly after the races start, one of the teams vans with relief riders on board, broke down with radiator issues. “1st crisis! One van died…. We will be flexible and work through it,” the team stated on their Facebook page.

And they're off... Team SacPD starts trek across America Saturday

2011-06-18T20:19:36Z

Oceanside, CA | Team SacPD starts pedaling across America, a 3,000 mile trek, at 2PM today and will end in Annapolis, Maryland.

The first all police team to compete in the Race Across America (RAAM), Team SacPD, entirely comprised of officers from the Sacramento Police Department, assembled in Oceanside over the past few days, prepping and taking care of last-minute details heading into the big start at 2PM Saturday in Oceanside.

Team SacPD is riding to raise awareness of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. “The eight member SPD Team will raise money and bring media attention to the National Law Enforcement Memorial, Washington DC. Working with the hundreds of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies along the route, Team SPD will honor law enforcement officers killed by carrying their names, visiting local and state memorials, and encouraging media coverage of our efforts,” Chief Rick Braziel stated.

Friday the team was busy with preparatory activities: Chief Braziel and another officer were interviewed for a documentary of their RAAM experience, per embedded Maverick Photographer, Kati Garner. Teams also went to see the first part of the race and posed for team and individual photos. Participant support vehicles were inspected yesterday as well as their bikes, shoes and helmets for safety.

For more information about Team SacPD, read their bios and learn more about their mission, you can visit their site here>>

Follow Team SacPD’s progress here>>
locate Team Sacramento Police in the category dropdown menu on the top right.

More photos from Friday>>

TeamSacPD's Facebook Page>>

Follow TeamSacPD's Twitter>>

Team SacPD gearing up for RAAM

2011-06-17T07:15:48Z

Oceanside, CA | Part of Team SacPD (Sacramento Police Department's new cycling team) arrived in Oceanside Wednesday evening for registration in the Race Across America (RAAM) event.

Six people affiliated with Team SacPD headed to Oceanside Wednesday in two vans; fourteen more crew members and racers traveled Thursday to join them. The relay teams for RAAM will start on Saturday at Oceanside Pier. Other RAAM races began Tuesday. The race finish is in Annapolis, Maryland between June 24th and 27th at the City Dock. Fourteen additional Team SacPD members head to Oceanside Thursday.

You may have never heard of “Team SacPD” before, and with good reason; the team was recently assembled and this is their first major undertaking. “As the name of the team may suggest, we are all police officers here in the City of Sacramento. While our day-to-day jobs vary from patrol officer to the Chief of Police, we do share one hobby… cycling! When we heard about another local team (Donate Life) who participated in the event, we decided to see if we, too, could compete in this incredible race. When we later learned that there had never been an all-police team, we were sold. It didn’t take long before we had assembled a team, picked a worthy cause (to recognize and pay tribute to fallen officers) and started preparing for the epic ride. We have no idea how this adventure will end, but we welcome you to share the journey with us,” the team states on their website.

Per RAAM, Racers must traverse 3000 miles across 12 states and climb over 170,000 vertical feet. Teams will ride 350-500 miles a day, racing non-stop.The 2011 race will be the 30th edition of RAAM.

Chief Braziel states, “The Sacramento Police Department is embarking on a unique adventure that will bring national attention to the nearly 19,000 law enforcement officers who have been killed while protecting the communities of this nation. Starting June 18, 2011, the Sacramento Police Department Cycling Team will be the first law enforcement team ever to compete in the Race Across America. The race is a 3,000-mile bicycle race from California to Maryland.”

You will be able to track the teams live location and progress via the “My Athlete Live” interface. On the right, you can scroll down to the teams and select “Team Sacramento Police”. Their GPS tracker will appear on the interactive map and the timeline that also shows the elevation they are racing at.

Our Kati Garner is embeded with TeamSacPD and will be with them for the entire race. As we can, we will continue to bring you regular updates on the team’s progress and developments.

The Hangtown National Motocross pleased local crowds

2011-05-24T06:51:19Z

Sacramento, CA | Motorcycle engines roared, dirt flew and riders grabbed air Saturday in the fortieth annual Hangtown Classic.

Almost prophetically, Brandon Short, Media Manager for MX Sports Pro Racing stated in an earlier press release, "With the overall victory at Hangtown last year to his credit, Two Two Motorsports/Bel-Ray racing's Chad Reed should also be a fixture at the front of the field on Saturday and beyond." Short went on to say "...the 2009 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Champion had an up and down season during his title defense, but with a clean bill of health and support from Factory Honda, Reed is eager to show his younger counterparts that he's still ready to mix it up."

And mix it up Reed did. For the second year in a row, Chad Reed, originally from Australia, grabbed this year's title riding a Honda CRF45R. The previous year's records show he took the title astride a Kawasaki KX450F.

"We came here this weekend and it was a totally different track than what we were expecting; I was pleasantly surprisde. It was a lot of fun." Reed said adamently, "I would admint saying that I don't like this place."

Riders who hale from all over the world came to race at this star studded event. Some local riders are from Walnut Creek, Lodi, Yuba City, Carmichael and more.

Blake Baggett, riding a Kawasaki grabbed the crown this year in the 250 Class

1. Blake Baggett
2. Dean Wilson
3. Tyla Rattray
4. Eli Tomac
5. Marvin Musquin
6. Gareth Swanepoel
7. Kyle Cunningham
8. Darryn Durham
9. Broc Tickle
10. Cole Seely

The 450 Class results is as follows:

1. Chad Reed
2. Ryan Dungey
3. Ryan Villopoto
4. Kevin Windham
5. Brett Metcalfe
6. Davi Milsaps
7. Tommy Hahn
8. Christophe Pourcel
9. Ricky Dietrich
10. Christian Craig

Visit SacMav for additional photos
and lots of action fiels

Join us at SacMav.com

Violence and bottles break at downtown Parlare Euro Lounge

2011-05-22T01:01:00Z

Sacramento, CA | Fists and bottles fly early Saturday morning at Parlare Euro Lounge, leaving one person in serious condition.

Just around midnight Saturday, a fight started at the Parlare Euro Lounge on the corner of 10th and J Streets in downtown Sacramento.

“The fight spilled out from the club into the street. One of the security guards was hit in the head with a bottle, subsequently fought with the original suspect who in turn, turned and fought with another suspect who was also hit with a bottle,” Sargent Wendy Brown, Sacramento Police Department stated.

Later the area was deemed a tapped off crime scene with CSI collecting evidence and photos as one of the injured person’s condition worsened. Per Sargent Norm Leong, Sacramento Police Department’s Public Information Officer, the subject is now listed in serious condition.

Vist the scene via raw footage and hear from Sargent Brown about the incident>>

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Capitol Garage shooting

2011-05-21T23:52:00Z

Sacramento, CA | Friends were saying good-bye for the evening downtown when shots rang out and two people were injured.

As friends were enjoying the wonderful evening air outside Capitol Garage early Saturday morning and getting ready to part ways, a black male wearing a hoody walked by and shot into the crowed, per Sargent Wendy Brown of the Sacramento Police Department.

Brown stated that two women were struck by the shooters bullets. One sustained a significant gunshot wound to the leg while the other woman was grazed in the leg. They were transported to the hospital via paramedics.

“We are assuming the women were not the intended targets. There were no problems going on at the club,” Brown stated.

Officers discovered one slug that had lodged in the trunk of a tree.

The shooter remains at large on got away in a maroon, four door Dodge Intrepid with chrome rims.

Hear from Sargent Brown and visit the scene [video]

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Hangtown motocross celebrates four decades Saturday

2011-05-21T15:09:42Z

This year marks the fortieth running of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship. Celebrated as the most historic motocross race in the United States, the kickoff is Saturday afternoon at Hangtown in Rancho Cordova, California.

Jason Weigandt will be the Pro Moto Cross Championship play-by-play anouncer on television. The event will be telivised on NBC, SPEED & FUEL Networks.

In a world of Moto Cross starr studded event Thursday at the Capital, Weigandt introduced several of the world's top racers to Sacramento along with several dignataries. Bikes, race participants, sponsors and more were on hand to introduce folks to the world of American Motocross and allow fans to get some quality with their favorite world class racers. Ryders on hand to meet and greet and autograph posters.

Weigandt lists ten things to watch for at Hangtown: >>

The Short run
Supercorss Hangover
Ladies
Dungey keeps it simple
The wild card
Wide open
Orangemen
Rebuild time
Doing it the right way
The great outdoors

Racers will compete in three different classes: two for Men = 450 CC bikes & 250CC bikes, and one for females.
There are twelve races in the championship chase that runs across the United States, ending in Southern California in September.

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS MORE INFORMATION ON TODAY'S HANGTOWN EVENTS>>

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Photos by Maverick Intern, Andrew Guthrie

DUI driver injures three in Downtown crash

2011-04-17T03:35:58Z

Sacramento, CA | An alleged drunk driver crashed into an occupied taxi cab early Saturday morning in Downtown Sacramento, next to City Hall.

Early Saturday morning, at the intersection of I St. and 10th St., a drunk driver crashed into an occupied taxi cab.

Two people were transported to the hospital in critical condition, a third was transported with minor injures.

Being struck by the alleged DUI driver, the taxi cab careened across the front lawn of City Hall and came to rest on against a light pole and across the sidewalk next to the steps of City Hall.

After being given a field sobriety test and refusing to take an in field breathalyzer test, the driver was arrested for DUI.

See more Downtown action>>

Lavender Angels keep the peace in Midtown when drunk subject gets unruly

2011-04-16T23:35:15Z

Midtown, Sacramento, CA | A drunk and violent male gets chased down, pepper sprayed and apprehended by a Lavender Angel.

Friday night, a drunk subject smashed the back window of a car in the back lot of Hot Rods near 20th St. and K St. in Midtown. Ashley with the Lavender Angels chased, pepper sprayed and apprehended the perp on 22nd St between J st and K st. after the perp took several swings at her and attempted to take her cell phone while she was contacting police.

Sacramento police officers arrived and took the unruly male into custody. While in the back of the police car the subject started kicking and spitting. Officers had to place a hood over his head and strapped him down.

Paramedics responded to flush the subjects eyes after being pepper sprayed.

Visit the scene and hear from Lavender Angel, Ashley>>

Photos/Video- Ryan Petersen, SacMav.com
Photos/Video- Ed Fogle, SacMav.com

Unstable air paints beautiful clouds against sky blue canvas

2011-03-22T06:29:52Z

Sacramento, CA | Unstable air in the area paints a myraid of cloud formations in Sacramento skies.

While we enjoyed a breif break from the rain in Sacramento Monday, incredible clouds could be viewed all over the Sacramento skies. The unstable air that produced these sites was also responsible for a low grade tornado that touched down in near by Colusa county and produced a downpour of pea sized hail in Penryn and Loomis areas as well as thunder storms.

Tuesday should yield some more awesome sights in the sky as the next wave of rain moves into the area for another wet week. The National Weather Service has issued this forcast for the remainder of the week:

Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of showers after 11am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 58. South southeast wind between 8 and 13 mph.

Tuesday Night: Rain. Low around 48. South southeast wind between 10 and 18 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.

Wednesday: Rain. High near 56. Southeast wind between 18 and 21 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.

Wednesday Night: Rain. Low around 46. South southeast wind between 11 and 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Thursday: Rain. High near 55. Chance of precipitation is 100%.

Thursday Night: Showers. Low around 45. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Friday: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 58.

Friday Night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45.

Saturday: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 57.

Saturday Night: A chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 48.

Sunday: A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 59.

Sunday Night: A chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 46.

Monday: A slight chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 61.

Downed tree injures one and damages vehicles

2011-03-21T02:53:02Z

Sacramento, CA | Club goers leaving a local club escape fallen tree incident with minor injures and damaged vehicles.

Late Saturday night, as Azukar Lounge at 16th Street and J Street was winding down and club goers filled the parking lot heading to their cars, a large tree collapsed landing on one occupied, damaging others and pinned a female to the ground. Several bistanders worked together to get the tree off the girl as resue crews responded. The victim was transported to the hospital via paramedics with minor injures.

Occupants of the vehicle struck by the tree were unharmed and able to exit the vehicle without further incident.

For more weather impact photos and stories, CLICK HERE>>>

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Cementing the future

2011-03-12T11:33:12Z

Oak Park, Sacramento, CA | In tough economic times, Sacramento Food Bank pours the foundation to the next phase of their facility Thursday.

Cement trucks began arriving early Friday morning at 3308 3rd Ave., the expansion site of Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services. They were busy at work laying the foundation for the new expansion, one that the food bank's President, Blake Young is "ecstatic" about. Blake stated that he and the board of directors, through good stewardship of funds, waited seven years for this day.

Blake stood outside the fence at the site Friday morning and looked on as the cement was poured and a snazy laser guided machine and workers leveled the cement that would be the foundation of a legacy for a community.

This is what Young had to say: "This project, in particular, is years in the making. The board of directors and myself based this project on a community needs assessment. Through our strategic plan we put together, we found that education programs for children and adults, job skills training, and a really important parent education program, we felt that we were at capacity in our current center. So through this strategic plan we decided to take the next step, which would be to build out these four in particular programs, build this center which would allow us to serve close to triple the amount of people. For us it was really about helping the moms and dads, it was about helping people gain jobs through technology training, and it was about really helping kids realize high school and college through one on one training and technology programs.

"Our hope is that a lot of people will benefit from this. We've had a great response from the community, We feel that we are part of the community. And this was brought on because the community had a huge demand for our services.

"Our objective is to cement ourselves once again, we've been here 40 years, for the long term and as the economy and the community changes, we'll change along with it, and this gives us the opportunity to be here in perpetuity and continue to grow our programs.

"It will house an adult education center, a children's' education center, a senior education center, and an expansion of our Mother Baby Program. Adjacent to the building will be what we call the Food Bank Farm, which will be a five thousand square foot farm for the adults and children of the center. Phase two will be a remodel of the existing center. The farm, even though a small for a real farm, will produce food and vegetables that will go right into our food assistance program where we do mobile distributions.

"We are ecstatic. What it really is, it is a gift from the community to allow us and to give us what we need to be able to do this. But really it's about the community having confidence in us; delivering quality programs that aren't a reflection of government funding. The community really owns this; they're the ones that step up and donate to our programs. It's just a result of a lot of hard work.

"A real big shout out and thanks to the community for giving us the confidence and support to run and operate really effective and relevant

Check out additional photos>>

DUI driver injures several in Midtown wreck

2010-12-31T02:35:12Z

Sacramento, CA | A drunk driver with passengers collides head-on with a Taxi minivan leaving several injured in Midtown early Thursday morning.

At approximately 1:47 am Thursday morning, a black compact car collided head on with a taxi cab minivan at 20th and N Streets in Midtown. Occupants in both vehicles were injured and transported to area hospitals with non threatening injuries, per Sacramento Police department. more from this incident and about Midtown DUI checkpoint >>

Downtown burglar caught red handed

2010-12-28T16:13:24Z

Sacramento, CA | Downtown police on patrol catch a suspicious subject to find out he burglarized a local wireless phone store.

Late Monday night, downtown officers spotted a man running with a purse in his hand and a mask pulled part way over his face. Officers gave chase, the subject dropped the purse he was carrying and he was captured a couple of blocks away on the corner of L St. and 4th St...

continued>>

Gunman holds up in downtown parking garage

2010-12-10T18:53:02Z

Sacramento, CA | SWAT gears up to go into a downtown parking garage where an alleged gunman has taken refuge.

SWAT personnel have geared up and taken positions around and inside a parking garage at 7th Street and Q Street in downtown Sacramento.

In an email communique, a state employee in a nearby building stated, “…right across from my building. I have a good view of the 8th floor of all the cops crouched down and hiding behind walls with their guns drawn. 3 blocks have been cordoned off. They won’t let employees go to their offices and are holding them in the lobby.”

There were unconfirmed reports that the suspect has a history of mental illness issues and a criminal history with firearms.

Roads have been closed in the area to facility law enforcement staging and equipment as well as community safety. 7th Street has been shut down at P Street, while Q Street has been shut down at 9th Street.

Click here to see more photos and incident updates>>

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Life In The Fast Lane with Scott Pruett

2010-11-08T08:03:30Z

Sacramento, CA | Life In The Fast Lane was California Automobile Museum's (CAM) annual fund raising event.

This year, Scott Pruett was the guest of honor and speaker. Below is a brief photo essay of that event. Keep an eye out for our full article and more photos coming early this week.

This Corvette was just one of several guest appearnce vehicles for
the Life In The Fast Lane evening event.

Guests enjoyed a delicious spread.

Attendees wait in buffet line just before the live auction.

CAM supporters pose for portraits with Maverick Photographer Karl Vostrez.

Supporters enjoyed a spirited live auction.

Scott Pruett waits backstage in a million dollar Ferarri that brought
him out to the stage.

Be sure to keep an eye out for our interview with Scott Pruett, many more photos of the event and some incredible cars.

CAM Photo powered by MaverickPhotography (Maverick photographers: Karl Vostrez, JR Bottoms, Kati Garner, Rusty Kleine, Ed Fogle)

Old Soul meets Rockabilly

2010-10-30T09:39:30Z

Sacramento (Oak Park), CA | What do you get when mix great coffee, food and Rockabilly? Tess & Hip Trash at Old Soul 40 Acres.

It was nearly standing room only, or dancing room only, when you entered Old Soul at 40 Acres Friday night. Now the new coffee house for the new international terminal at Sacramento International Airport, Old Soul hosted "Tess & Hip Trash" Friday night as customers and fans took in the Rockabilly tunes, fine coffee and great eats.

It wasn't long after the first set of music started that toes were tapp'en, heads were bobb'en and feet were danc'en to the tunes and elegant voice of Tessie Marie.

Per the band's web site, "Tessie Marie met her bandmates in prison.... no they weren't doing time, they were playing music for the inmates as part of a blues society project to educate juvenille offenders, real "Jailhouse Rock". Part of this gig was a songwriting contest that had bandleader/guitarist Paris Clayton write and record songs using the young inmates lyrics. One of those songs "Life", is on the new CD. When the group recorded this song Paris was so impressed with Tess's killer vocals that he asked her to record some other songs he had written. And the rest, as they say, is history.

"Blues, Soul, and Roots Rock influenced original tunes and heartfelt covers, all done in a smart, unique, and sometimes humorous style Tess is backed by a group of veteran pros who have played with a long list of legendary artists. Produced and recorded by Paris Clayton,with bassist Allie Marcel,and "Ratatat Pat" Balcom on Drums."

The quartet ended with a rousing second set but the full house at Old Soul begged for more. Tess and company kicked in with an encore set that raised the roof and had most of the attendees on their feet.

Old Soul at 40 Acres regularly hosts local bands on Friday evenings. Be sure to follow their Twitter (@OldSoulCo) to keep informed.

Photos: MaverickPhotography.us | Ed Fogle

CLICK HERE TO SEE ADDITIONAL PHOTOS OF THIS EVENT AT SacMav.com>>

Experience Old Soul 40Acres with our new interactive SacMav360 JUMP INTO OLD SOUL>>

Drive-by shooting. Help solve the crime.

2010-10-20T18:52:39Z

Sacramento, CA | A drive-by shooting in South Sacramento leaves one wounded and area homes pelted with gun fire.

A drive-by shooting occurred in the 5500 block of Sampson Blvd Tuesday night in the evening. The victim was making a U-Turn in front of his home on Sampson when suspects in a dark colored sedan opened fire on his vehicle with a large caliber weapon, per SacPD spokesman. Several rounds hit the victims vehicle shattering the passenger and drivers side glass. One round went through the passenger side door striking the victim in the butt-ox. The victim was transported to UCD via paramedics. Rounds did travel across Fruitridge Blvd striking a home on the other side of the street. These rounds easily could have struck passing vehicles on the busy road.

If you were in the area of Fruitridge Blvd and Sampson Blvd, Tuesday evening between 9:30 and 9:45 or have information pertaining to this crime, you are encouraged to contact the Sacramento Police Department.

Hear from the crime scene>>

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found only at SacMav>>>

Downtown parking garage shooting

2010-08-27T16:02:55Z

Sacramento, CA | After two groups leave a Downtown night club, an argument ensues and a female is shot.

Early Friday morning, two groups leaving a downtown club, per SacPD, got into an altercation in the parking garage off L st. between 10th and 11th Sts in Downtown Sacramento. When officers arrived they found that a female victim had been shot. She was transported to UC Davis via Paramedics. The suspect fled on foot and remains at large.

See video coverage of this incident>>

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Two homes tragically burn in South Sacramento

2010-08-25T18:59:24Z

Sacramento, CA | Early Tuesday morning, two South Sacramento families were awakened to find their homes ablaze.

Sac Metro Fire and Cosumnes Fire Departments were called to Liscarney Way in the area of Vintage Park Dr. and Calvine Rd., for two homes burning. When firefighters arrived, they found two, two story homes with the second floor of both homes well involved with fire. All familiy members made it safely out of the homes after neighbors awakened them. Per Sac Metro Assistance Fire Chief Rice, both homes were severely damaged and the families would not be able to inhabit them. Red cross was called to assist the families. SacPress Contributing Writer and Photographer, Kati Garner, was one ot the Red Cross members who responded to aid the families. The blaze is currently under investigation.

View action footage from this incident>>

SacMav.com launches their new web site Friday morning. Be sure to check it out.

Car cruise and show takes over downtown

2010-08-03T07:15:32Z

Sacramento, CA The CAM Car Cruise and Show snaked through the streets and captivated downtown Sacramento Saturday evening.

Saturday evening, car enthusiats from all over Californina gathered at the California Automomobile Muesuem (CAM) to stage for a downtown cruise and auto show that would cover several streets.

If you were downtown Saturday evening after 5 P.M., you may have seen the very long line of vintage, classic and modern cars that snaked through the streets of downtown, from CAM all the way up to 28th and J. Streets were closed from J over to L, beginning at 22nd and over to 25th. Bands of different genres were playing on each street as folks enjoyed the wide variety of cars on display. "Purgatory" played on 22nd Street, "Mere Mortals" played on the main stage in the K/L alley off of 23rd, "The Resurrection Men" played on 24th Street, "Red Rover" was on K between 24th and 25th and "Road Test" was at 25th and L.

Swing Dancers from "Midtown Stomp" were strutt'en their stuff in the main stage area in the K/L alley, Folsom Cheer Elite were doing their routines and human pyramids in several locations and the all new Mountain Lions Dance Squad was on location.

KCRA3's Walt Gray was on hand to emcee and announce the many awards that were given.

This was the second cruise and show event that CAM has hosted downtown and both have been a raving success. The event is simply a feast for the eyes to any automobile enthusiast. With cars ranging from pre World War II era to present day the event was a menagerie of automotive splendor.

CAM hosts and sponsors many events throughout the year. One specifiecally coming up is the Vettes for Vets car show, co-hosted by "Just For Corvettes" car club, which will take place November 7th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the parking lot next to CAM. CAM also hosts weddings, corperate events and more at the museum.

More photos can be seen of the event in the Maverick Galleries>>

MaverickPhotography.us provided the on site event photography services. Seven Mavericks covered the event from every angle with still photography and video coverage.

Editor's Note: Folsom Cheer Elite was not present at the CAM Car Cruise.

Transient flees when his fire burns out of control

2010-07-28T17:37:03Z

Sacramento, CA Local transient fled the scene when his fire burned out of control Tuesday evening.

Aprox 8:30 p.m. Tuesday evening, SacCity Fire was called to a vegetation fire between the Sacramento River and the bike path off Jiboom by the water treatment plant. On arrival, firefighters found a blaze burning upsloap from the beach area toward the bike path. The fire was brought under control quickly. Witnesses in the area saw a transient leaving the scene. He's described as a white male, mid 30's to to early 40's, aprox 5'8" and dark brown shoulder length hair. He was wearing blue jeans and a small dirty red backpack. SacPD Officer Gunville and area Park Rangers had detained a couple of potential suspects, however they proved not to be the suspect and were immediately released. The suspect was last seen fleeing the area running south on the bike trail from the water treatment plant area. If you have information or see anyone in the area matching this description, you are urged to call the Sacramento Police Department or Sac City Fire.

CLICK HERE TO SEE INCIDENT VIDEO>>

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Fatal accident on Hwy 50 near I-5

2010-05-25T12:04:06Z

A life was lost this morning when a disabled vehicle was slammed into on Hwy 50 in Downtown Sacramento
May 25, 2010, Sacramento, CA

The call came in at 12:40 this morning for an accident that occurred on west bound HWY50 just before the North Bound I-5 interchange downtown.

A Z28 broke down on the freeway just before the interchange and was slammed into by a second vehicle. The CHP officer on scene stated that they are not sure yet if the Z28 ran out of gas or was broken down. CHP also stated that there were no skid marks indicating that the driver of second vehicle probably didn't even see the white Z28 before slamming into it at full speed. The driver of the Z28 had to be extricated and the passenger was pronounced dead on scene and had to be extricated for the coroners office. CHP hadn't talked with the driver of the second vehicle yet, but stated that it appeared that both occupants of the second vehicle were uninjured.

CHP wants to remind, if you do break down on the freeway, especially in the middle of night, be sure your emergency flashers are on and seatbelt fastened. If able, it may be advised to safely exit the vehicle and get to the side of the road to safety.

CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO COVERAGE>>

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Market robber gets LoJacked

2010-05-07T05:09:43Z

A 44 year old Sacramento man robs a convenience store but gets dooped by technology Wednesday afternoon.
Sacramento, California

According to Sacramento Police Department spokesman, Conrad Vonschoech, 44 year-old Colon Carmelo is the suspect being held for the robbery of the Fast Stop Food Stores, at 5600 Wilkinson Dr. in South Sacramento Wednesday afternoon. He was booked into Sacramento County Jail at 7:32PM Wednesday evening for felony robbery.

Per police radio traffic Wednesday afternoon, at the time of the robbery, the store clerk was able to insert a tracking device into the money bag before handing it over to Carmelo. A short time latter, officers began picking up the signal from the device in the area of Lemon Hill Ave. After Carmelo stopped at a residence on Nona Way near 37th, officers honed in on the suspect finally stopping him at 41st Ave. and 44th St. taking him into to custody without incident, with the cash still in the front seat of the vehicle.

Another team of officers stood ready to access the residence on Nona Way to search for additional weapons and potential evidence.

Carmelo, with a list of aliases including Mike Carmelo, Michael Johnson, Carmelo Jones and more, has a history of petty theft, charged once in June of 2003 and again in March of 2004. Carmelo also has a charge in October of 2009 for providing alcohol to a minor. Carmelo is currently being held on $175,000 bail all according to county records.

CRIME ALERT: Sewer District Imposter Casing Homes- posted from EGPD Press Release

2010-03-10T18:06:04Z

(This is a direct post from the EGPD Press Release and safety information you need to be aware of)

ELK GROVE, CA – The Elk Grove police department is asking for help from the community in identifying a residential burglary suspect posing as a “sewer district” employee.

Over the last two weeks, the department has responded to three attempted residential burglaries involving an individual who has identified himself as a “sewer district” employee. The unidentified individual has been described as an Asian male adult, 5 feet 3 inches tall, 20 to 30 years of age, wearing a work vest.

In each of the attempted burglaries, the suspect approached residences and knocked on the front door. If there is no response, the suspect would then attempt to gain entry into the residence by using some type of metal pry tool to open the front door. In two cases, the owners were home and confronted the suspect by opening the front door after they heard noises. The suspect then claimed that he was a “sewer district” employee and was looking for the sewer lines. After being confronted, the imposter fled the area in a tan or orange colored Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck.

As a reminder, Sacramento Area Sewer District (SASD) employees wear blue uniforms that clearly identify them as SASD employees. In addition, SASD employees also carry identification badges that display their photos and a Sacramento Area Sewer District logo. The vehicles utilized by the Sacramento Area Sewer District are always clearly marked with the SASD logo and phone number.

Anyone with information regarding this crime is asked to call the Elk Grove Police Department Communication Center at (916) 714-5115 or Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP (4357). Callers to Crime Alert can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.00. Tips can also be sent via SMS text message by entering CRIMES (274637) on a cell phone, followed by Tip732 and the message.

When motorcycles and snowmobiles fly

2010-02-23T07:14:53Z

Some of the world’s top motocross stars took to the air Friday and Saturday in an acrobatic display that kept people on the edge of their seats from start to finish.

The occasion was the Gravity Slashers tour at Arco Arena. Ten riders from around the United States perform tricks that most riders only dream of doing.

The floor of Arco Arena was equiped with four ramps and two landing pads. At one end of the arena was three ramps side-by-side, the middle ramp was wider to accomodate a snowmobile; with an elevated landing pad across from the ramps. A single ramp and landing pad were at the other side of the arena.

The star studded list of riders included:

Both nights began with individual competition. Riders had 60 seconds to execute as many jumps as they could and were judged on the tricks they did while airborne. The riders accelerated rapidly on a short runway and hit the ramp, launching the bike and themselves into the air.

They did midair handstands, flew through the air inverted, and did kick-outs and every trick the mind could conceive.

After the individual runs, the 10 riders rode out and appeared and hit the air in mind boggling back-to-back acrobatic stunts.

As if seeing airborne motorcycle acrobatics weren't enough, there was snowmobile flying upside down through the air and landing on the adjacent ramp. Heath Frisby, better known as “Friz,” was creative, audacious, and never afraid to go huge. He won a bronze medal in the X Games in 2007 at the inaugural Winter X freestyle snowmobile event, and followed that with a bronze in 2008 and 2009.

Friz and flanked by Nick Dunne and Keith Sayers (Evil Knievel's God son), took to the air side by side, with Friz’s snowmobile in the center. The three hit the ramps and flipped through the air inches apart, then hit the landing pad together.

Before Saturday's event, we caught up with Sacramento 98 Rock’s John Boyle on the performance floor with their contest winners. The grand prize winners received a family eight-pack of tickets for the event, a Gravity Slashers motocross jersey and a pre-event meet and greet with a couple of the star riders. The winners spent some quality time with Greg Hartman and Brody Wilson. Boyle stated that the radio station provides “lifestyle promotions,” opportunities that winners never would experience had they not won the contest. He added that Field Motorsports, producer of the Gravity Slashers tour, was great to work with.

The grand finale had motorcycles flying all over the place off all the ramps. When the event ended, the stars hit the concourse to meet the fans and give autographs.

Gravity Slashers' next stop is Moline, Ill., Feb. 26. Feld Motor Sports brings “Monster Jam” to the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Feb. 27.

Maverick Photography had four photographers on site for this event. A full photo essay will be coming in the near future, so keep an eye out for it. PHOTOGRAPHERS: Ed Fogle, Fred Jennings, George Murray and Jeremy Pollard

For local action news alerts, follow us on Twitter @SacMav. Watch for the "LIVE NOW" alert to be advised when we are broadcasting to our live web channel from local action news events. SacMav Rapid Media

Freestyle Supercoss hits ARCO Arena

2010-02-16T08:28:01Z

Freestyle Motocross (FMX) is acrobatics meets NASCAR as riders fly 50 feet in the air on 250 pound motorcycles while performing gravity slashing tricks such as backflips and Hart Attacks!! Gravity Slashers hit ARCO Arena.
Sacramento California
February 16, 2010

Thrills and chills is an understatement when you are referring to the event taking place at ARCO Arena this Friday and Saturday night. The Freestyle Supercross Motorcycle event comes to the arena with some of the hottest superstars in the industry. Per event promoters, the riders will converge at ARCO Arena to battle head-to-head for the top spot on the podium. The regular home of the NBA’s Sacramento Kings will be transformed into a freestyle motocross playground complete with two different jumps, each measuring more than 65 feet in distance! The riders have only 45 feet to build up enough speed before hitting the ramp and propelling themselves close to 50 feet up in the air. And if that isn’t enough of a challenge, the riders will be judged on the execution of acrobatic tricks such as backflips, Hart Attacks, Cliffhangers, Tsunamis and Sterilzers, just to name a few.

You can look forward to seeing Brody Wilson (Templeton, Mass.), Derek Burlew (Cliffwood Beach, N.J.), Drake McElroy (Fernley, Nev.), Dustin Nowak (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.), Greg Hartman (Greencastle, Pa.), Julian Dusseau (Humbolt County, Calif.), Keith Sayers (Butte, Mont.), Nick Dunne (Redding, Calif.), and Rich Kearns (Prospect, Conn.)

I caught up with Greg Hartman today, via phone, as he was taking a stroll on Vinice Beach for a Southern Cali visit en route to Arco Arena. I had the opportunity to get to know a bit about Greg, his love for motorcycles and some of his background, and discovered a great guy.
Greg was born, raised and presently resides in Greencastle, Pensylvania. Greg has been riding motorcycles since he was five years old, in fact, the whole family rides including grandparents, cousins, etc. At the age of eleven, Greg was able to go to nationals and saw Jeremy McGrath in action. From the time Greg saw McGrath, he knew what he wanted to do.

When asked if he had any superstitions or pre-event rituals, he stated “Thank the Lord and pray for protection!” Greg sated that his faith in God is paramount in his life.

Introduced to golf a few years ago, Greg finds himself unwinding on the links and loves it. While he states he’s not a hard core golfer, it’s his favorite pass time and get’s to golf free at his local course.

Greg states that his biggest accomplishment is his gold medal at the 2007 X Games in Dubai: Obviously, this was a hallmark moment for Greg. He’s also won silver. Greg had planned to go to nationals in 2008, but those hopes were dashed when Greg sustained a major injury. As a result of the injury, Greg lost a significant amount of memory and suffered other complications. Though he didn’t remember her during this time, Greg’s wife supported and stuck with him through this challenging time. Greg stated that God and his wife is why he got through it. When Greg’s memory returned some time later, his passion for the sport returned as well. Greg has his sights set on nationals in Los Angeles and presses on with his wife and family’s full support.

Come out Friday and Saturday and cheer on Greg and his rivals as they take to the air in a motorcycle air ballet you’ll not soon forget.

photos provide by Next Level Sports Management

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Old Soul Co. sign goes up

2010-02-13T05:23:28Z

After the sign's installation was halted Thursday, it was permitted to go up Friday afternoon.
OakPark, Sacramento, CA
Friday, February 12, 2010

The sign installation crew was literally about to drill the mounting holes for the new Old Soul Co. sign in Oak Park Thursday morning when a call came in from the city to halt the installation. Due to the building being historical, there was an issue of placement and electrical connections. (see previous article)

Just a little more than twenty four hours later, the installation was approved and the sign was installed around 3 P.M. Friday afternoon, exactly in the spot intended and electrical hooked up to light the sign just as planned.

Old Soul's Grand Opening Reception will take place Saturday evening from 6-10PM.

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Signs of Soul in Oak Park halted

2010-02-11T21:30:00Z

The City of Sacramento halted efforts to mount Old Soul Co. sign Thursday morning.
Oak Park, Sacramento, CA
February 11, 2010

Excited patrons of the new Old Soul Co. location in Oak Park were eager to see the iconic glistening new sign ready to go up Thursday morning and so was the crew. That eagerness was squelched when a call came to the Alpha Signs' crew, from the city, to halt.

The building at 35th and Broadway is a historical building and though the old Starbucks sign was in the same location, the city won't allow the sign installers to drill new holes in the historic bricks nor is the sign allowed to have any exposed electrical cable. Furthermore, the city wants the sign above the horizontal band of bricks which puts the sign at the level of the 2nd floor apartments rather than the store level where the previous Starbucks sign was located.

Patrons are upset at the "unnecessary hoop jumping" the city is imposing. They pointed out that the well crafted and beautiful sign is a welcome sight over the boarded up building across the street at 3501 Broadway and other "eyesores" in the area. Alpha Signs did the much larger and elaborate sign installation at Guild Theater next door without issue a few years ago. A spokesman for Alpha Signs is hopeful that things will be ironed out shortly and is optimistic that they will be able to install the sign sometime next week.

Ongoing neighborhood feud escalates to shooting

2010-02-11T20:27:23Z

Ongoing neighborhood feud escalates to shooting Wednesday afternoon
East DelPaso Heights, Sacramento, CA
February 10, 2010

Wednesday afternoon, an ongoing neighborhood feud escalated to somone being shot.

A small portion of Conifer Way was taped off Wednesday afternoon as CSI collected evidence and officers untangled details. Just prior to this incident, a home invasion robbery took place nearby causing some confusion at first whether the two incidents were related or not.

VIDEO>

South Oak Park home explodes

2010-02-07T13:19:47Z

An unoccupied South Oak Park home explodes Sunday morning and the cause is under investigation.

An unoccupied home in the South Oak Park area exploded early Sunday morning. Debris from the home blew all the way out to the street. The home was a total loss and while the cause is under investigation, natural gas has not been ruled out. Per Sac City Fire, the home was a total loss and no one was injured.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW SCENE VIDEO

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Old Soul Co. Opens New Location in Oak Park

2010-02-05T01:35:05Z

Old Soul Co opened their third Sacramento location Thursday morning in Oak Park.

An old familiar spot has a new face in Oak Park and the community is well pleased. Starbucks shut down its 35th and Broadway location last year, much to the disapointment of many. The location was a community hub where many gathered daily to socialize, conduct business or just relax with a good book and a cup of coffee. Despite many letters from patrons voicing their conerns to Starbucks corporate office of the closure, the doors were finally closed in September of 2009.

Knowing the community cenergy the coffee house brought regular goers better known there as "The Usual Suspects" were confident something good would come of it…the prime location couldn't sit quiet for long.

Thursday morning, with no fanfare, advertisement or forewarning, Old Soul Co opened their doors for business. Location manager Tim Jordan stated they were suprsingly very busy this morning, "you would have thought it was our official grand opening".

While all the furniture is not moved in yet, what furniture and décor that is there shows the location is going to be a wonderful and comfortable spot for "The Usual Suspects" and those who patron the new friend in Oak Park. College students were already enjoying the coffee and space as they cracked their books open to study. One stated, "I've been walking by here every day waiting for them to open".

Owner of "Underground Books", Mayor Kevin Johnson's Mother (known to locals as Mother Rose), said "Thank God this coffee house is open. It's what this community needs."

Not only does Old Soul roast and brew their own smooth coffee, they have a breakfast and sandwich menu as well.

The official open house will be the evening of this month's 2nd Saturday, February 13th from 6 to 9:30 P.M. The management is planning a wonderful event, and even obtaining a special event permit for the evening.

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South Sac pursuit ends through a wall in Elk Grove

2010-01-29T09:57:39Z

A pursuit that started in South Sacramento Thursday night, ended in Elk Grove when the driver of the fleeing vehicle crashed through a wall at a house on the corner of Villeneuve Dr. and Power Inn.

The driver fled leaving a bloody trail for officers to track him by. Other occupants of the vehicle were trapped until Firefighters extricated them and were transported to the hospital with injuries.

The driver was found and arrested in the neighborhood a short time later. The capture came by officers tracking the blood trail, fresh footprints, K9 alerts and neighbors calling in too 911 with sightings.

CLICK HERE TO SEE SCENE VIDEO FOOTAGE

Shots fired on Bamford Rd. leads to Panos Ct. home

2010-01-28T18:38:38Z

Shots fired on Bamford leads authorities to a Panos Ct. home and a SWAT operation
January 28, 2010

Shots rang out Wednesday afternoon near theSamuel Jackman Middle School on Bamford Rd. Juvenile subjects allegedly fired the weapon in the air causing the school to go on a full lockdown for over an hour.

The subjects fled to a home on Panos Ct. where neighbors stated is the center of neighborhood trouble. Neighbors stated that the woman living at the home is always bringing the juveniles to her home and was just released a few days ago on gun related charges.

Sacramento Police department, including the SWAT unit and K9, moved in on the house, front and rear, safely taking several juveniles and the woman into custody. [SEE VIDEO OF WEDNESDAY'S INCIDENT]

According to neighbors, shots were fired near the school just a few days ago as well and on December 16th of last year a subject was detained for having/brandishing a handgun next to the school [SEE VIDEO] .

See our live and archived web video channel for the news the News doesn't show you.

Sac Auto Show called "Wildly Successful"

2009-11-16T07:44:31Z

"Wildly Successful!" said Stacey Castle, president of Castle Communications and producer for the international show, when I spoke with her moments after the gates closed, in response to what may have been the most successful auto shows in Sacramento history. The weekend-long Sacramento International Automotive Show had something to offer for every level of car enthusiast.

With the auto market climate as it is, the changing economy and a need for good family entertainment, the event's coordinator, Castle Communications set out to make great strides with this year's Sacramento International Automotive Show in spite of odds that seemed to be stacked against them. Though numbers are not yet available, Stacey, indicated that the event was a huge success and far exceeded their expectations. See previous article by Kassandra Perlongo.

With more than 30 manufacturers and cars from vintage to tomorrow, Cal Expo was transformed into one enormous automotive showroom. Said to be second only to the state fair, cars and displays could be found in nearly every nook and cranny of the exposition park. If that’s not enough, goers were able to take their turn behind the wheel on one of three test tracks on the grounds. Wheels screeched and engines roared as attendees slid into the seat of the all new Camaro, while others tried out the new Corvette. Ford brought its line of hybrids to its track and successfully displayed that hybrids do have pep.

Castle rolled out the red carpet for all of its guests. From building to building, all goers had to do was follow the red carpet to the next exhibit hall. If they wanted to hop around, everywhere they turned were large "you are here" signs with a venue directory to easily navigate their way.

For those in the market for a vintage automobile, Castle had that covered as well with the "Classic Car & Rod Sale". One building was filled with some of the finest classics ready for one to sign the line and take home. From horseless carriages, to vintage VW Bugs, Super Sports, Mustangs and more all in cherry condition and ripe for the pick'in for the person with the right price.

Be it RV's, motorcycles, vintage Porsches, small and economical, large and rugged, it was all there. Castle made sure food vendors with reasonable pricing were on site, along with musical entertainment, kids play areas and more to make sure the event catered well to the whole family.

In the final hours Sunday evening, there was still energy and excitement in the air. Now with over 25 years of successful international auto show events under its belt, Sacramento is one of the major venues in the United States for this type of auto show. On their web site, Sac Auto Show states "many of the large manufacturers' displays have been under construction since early this year. The making of auto shows is big business. From the granddaddy of all the American shows, The Detroit Auto Show, to auto shows in much smaller markets – the preparation for putting all the pieces together takes well over a year. "

While this year's show is over, auto enthusiasts have reason to get revved up again. Preparations for next year's show are already scheduled to begin Monday for next year's show. Be sure to fit it into your calendar for next year- if you have a fancy for cars that is.

Dogs Gone Wild

2009-11-10T07:41:02Z

Pit bulls go on the attack terrorizing a Carmichael community in the area of Libby Court. Several neighbors bitten. Whitney Elementry School locked down. Dogs so aggressive the order is given "take the shot if you get it" to on scene officers.

Carmichael, Sacamento, CA
Ed Fogle, MaverickPhotography.us
SacMav Rapid Media
November 9, 2009

Friday, November 6, 2009, multiple agencies were dispatched to a neighborhood in Carmichael. At least two pit bulls were on the loose attacking people. More and more reports poured into 9-1-1 as Police, Sheriff, CHP, Fire and Animal Control all converged on the area.

As victims were located and treated by EMS, law enforcement with shotguns in hand and Animal Control officers went on the hunt. The dogs took them on a chase that led to a densely vegetated creek area that ran along the backs of the homes. The thick foliage gave the dogs good cover and made it difficult for officers to track. Lack of fencing gave the dogs freedom to roam and evade their trackers.

A law enforcement supervisor came over the radio and announced to officers that "Animal Control absolutely needs these dogs". The order was given that if an officer gets a shot, "take it", and to avoid a head shot so the animal can be tested for rabbis. The dogs were "extremely aggressive and agitated" per police radio traffic.

Shortly after that, two shots rang out from the creek area and one dog was down. The other dog was still on the loose. Officers continued to search the creek area while Metro Fire stood by to treat any more victims. Authorities had the foresight to lockdown Whitney Elementary School, and that is exactly where the pit bull headed next. As the dog ran across the playground where children moments earlier played, patrol units raced across to corner the dog. At one point the dog jumped up and tried to attack a CHP Officer through his open window. The officer put his cruiser into reverse to get away from the dog and get him off the door.

Finally, the dog was cornered and shot. With all clear and the situation safe and under control, neighbors began to emerge from their houses where they had taken refuge and shared their stories of how they saw the dogs terrorize their neighborhood. Two of the victims stopped to tell us their stories. One man was gardening in his front yard when he found himself under attack by the dogs. "The smaller dog ran right at me and bit me on the ankle" he said. He grabbed a shovel and hit the dog then they fled. Another elderly victim was standing in front of the care home where he is a resident. He said the dogs saw him across the street and came right at him. There was nothing he could do and no one to help, he stated; with his sock filling with blood as he stood there with us waiting to be treated.

Coincidently, while this was happening, a Placer County Superior Court Judge was ordering four pit bulls be destroyed who mauled a 17 year old boy in the parking lot of Big O Tires on Lincoln Way on September 16th. CLICK HERE TO READ THAT ARTICLE

Just in the past few days, other cities have outlawed pit bulls and just today, another pit bull attack was reported in the greater Sacramento area.

Should pit bulls be outlawed? Are pit bulls just a bad bread or is it bad and irresponsible owners? This same story seems to surface time and again. Be it a bad bread, bad owners or just a strange phenomenon, it is clear that there is a major issue around pit bulls. What is the problem and what is the solution?

See our action video from this incident at SacMav Rapid Media. Go to "On Demand" in our channel viewer, select "Weekend Action News Capsule, November 6-8, 2009" and click on the "Dogs Gone Wild" video.

Join SacMav Rapid Media from your office as we take you live on scene via web. Follow us on Twitter@SacMav to be alerted when we broadcast live on scene.

Photo Quality Disclaimer: The quality of the photos found here are not to our high Maverick standard. On this incident we concentrated on bringing the action to the web live via video. The photos found here are screen clips from the low res digital video.

Brown out a factor in Curtis Park house fire

2009-11-02T09:01:14Z

Curtis Park, Sacramento, CA
Ed Fogle, MaverickPhotography.us
November 1, 2009

A Curtis Park home ablaze. Battalion Chief first on scene. First engine several minutes away due to brown out.

A two story home caught fire Sunday evening in the area of 25 Street and 8th Avenue in Curtis Park and was severely damaged per Jim Doucette, Sac Fire Public Information Officer.

The community of Curtis Park is serviced by Engine 6 as it's "first in" engine company. Engine 6 was not staffed due to rotating "brown outs" due to budget cuts. Per Jim Doucette, the first on scene unit was a Battalion Chief arriving in 3 minutes from time of dispatch. The first engine arrived 3 minutes later.

The fire got well into the attic giving firefighters a battle. The fire was so heated that it even rekindled in the attic after the fire was initially knocked down.

No one was injured in the blaze, however the family was displaced. A total of 50 firefighters and 6 command staff contained the fire and successfully protected neighboring homes. While the cause of the fire is under investigation, the "brown out" was a factor but to what extent is unknown at this time.

See our action news videos at SacMav where you see all the news the "news" didn't bring you. Just click "OnDemand" in the viewer and select the news capsule you want to see.

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Action news capsule: for the night of Wednesday, September 16, 2009

2009-09-17T20:48:11Z

#1. WEST SAC- West Sacramento police and Davis SWAT served warrants on several locations in West Sacramento related to recent
gang activity occurring in the city including the fatal shooting at the Ortega's Night Club. Two people were arrested and a medium sized
marijuana grow was located during the operation.

#2. SOUTH SAC- A shooting occurred in an apartment on 44th Ave near 39th St in south Sacramento. The victim was shot once in the
leg and transported to Kaiser South Trauma Center. Further details were unavailable at the time.

#3. SAC COUNTY- A shooting occurred at an apartment complex on Tuolumne Dr near La Riviera Dr in Sacramento County. One victim was shot in the arm while standing outside the apartment and another victim holding a small child was shot in the arm when a stray bullet
came through the wall of the building. The first victim was self transported to UCDMC before officials arrived and the second victim
holding the child was transported by ambulance to UCDMC, the child was not injured.

#4. RIO LINDA: A shooting occurred in the area of Rio Linda Blvd and Rivera Dr in the Del Paso Heights area. The victim was shot
five times in the upper body and transported to UCDMC. (No Photos)

#5. SOUTH SAC- A hit and run crash involved a vehicle and a sheered off fire hydrant that caused a geyser of water to shoot high
into the air on 65th St and 53rd Ave in south Sacramento. The driver of the vehicle ran on foot from the scene and was found at his home by
CHP and arrested.

#6. FAB 40's- A large play structure was burned in the backyard of a home on 44th St in Sacramento. The structure was a total loss and the cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

MEDIA SOURCES: Full photos, video and write-ups available by emailing media@maverickphotography.us or calling 916.340.1926
Photography by MaverickPhotography.us, Available Video by Andrus Media
Incident briefs by Calvin Andrus

Arden apartment fire claims a life

2009-09-16T14:08:33Z

Sacramento, CA- At 11:27 pm, Tuesday night, Metro Fire received multiple calls for an apartment fire at 2420 Arden Way, #52.

After speaking with Christian Peebles (Metro Fire PIO) this morning , we learned that when fire units arrived, they found the bottom floor of the unit fully involved. The fire was contained to that unit, however 3 other units were smoke damaged, per Peebles.

Metro Fire arrived in 5 min and quickly knocked the fire down in 10 minutes with 18 firefighters, saving the rest of the apartment complex.

Per Peebles, there was one fatality. The badly burned body was found on the initial search of the unit and was burned burned bad enough that they were not able to identify the body on scene. The fire was of suspicious origin, per on scene firefighters and an arson investigator was summonsed to the scene.

"Metro Fire would like to remind our citizens that several working smoke alarms are still the best defense against surviving a working fire."

Capital Airshow gearing up for you

2009-09-11T11:06:41Z

Sacramento, CA- All the hard work throughout the year of the Capital Air Show staff began to show it's fruit today as a myriad of aircraft flew in to Mather Field to participate in the fourth annual Sacramento Capital Air Show.

Out on the tarmac, barriers and safety fences were being put in place, displays began to take form, the sound system that runs the entire length of the flight line was assembled and pilots took to the air to get a feel for the topography of Sacramento.

Tim Baker flies a stunt plane for Geico; he's been passionately flying for them for six to seven years and has done 22 air shows. Not only is Tim the pilot, he is also in charge of the displays. "Geico works me hard", stated Baker, "but I love our relationship."

Dean Wright is the team leader for the Patriots, sponsored by Fry's. Dean retired from the Air Force two years ago. During his tenure with the Air Force he flew such planes as the A-10 Wart Hog, the Stealth and many other high end aircraft. Speaking of their jets, "they don't have the power of the F-16's, but they run like a Timex" stated Wright. Later in the day Thursday, the Patriots gave a training for several Metro Fighters on how to rescue a pilot from a fighter jet and the dangers of working a fighter jet rescue. If a firefighter reached in and accidently pulled the ejection lever, he could be run through with one of four steel rods that are meant to jettison the canopy during in flight ejection.

After the Thunderbirds touched down and got their planes squared away, Mayor Dan Skoglund presented the Thunderbids with a key to the city. The Thunderbirds then presented him with a Thunderbirds framed and autographed poster.

Kirby Nesser is the "Right Wing" pilot for the Thunder Birds. Born in Nebraska, Kirby grew up going through school as a straight A student. He received a congressional appointment to the Air Force Academy where 24 units is a typical semester load. Upon finishing Academy, they asked him what he wanted to do in the Air Force. Kirby said, "I don't know". They said, "how about flying"? Kirby said "Okay". "What would you like to fly" they asked. "I don't know" replied Kirby. They finally narrowed it down to fighter jets. As Kirby excelled as a pilot, he later applied for the Thunderbirds and he has been with them for the past two years." I still don't know what I want to do when I grow up" quipped Kirby with a grin.

Friday, the pilots will go through a full rehearsal, so if you are in the Rancho Cordova area, keep your eyes to the skies for a wonder pre-show.

If you are attending the Capital Air Show, it is VERY strongly recommended that you utilize the transit system to access Mather Field. If you have purchased your tickets already, your transportation is free. Taking the light rail, you will want to detrain at the Mather Station. There, express buses will be waiting to rapidly transport you directly to the gate via an express route. The transportation has been very well thought out and is actually quite easy. As you leave the airfield via your express transportation, you will see the massive grid lock of cars attempting to leave the parking lots, and you will no doubt say…"Wow! Those people should have taken the RT." You will be back to your point of origin before they get out of the parking lot.

You can get all the air show information by visiting http://www.californiacapitalairshow.com/

Don't forget to use sun block and you may want to bring a folding chair. To see interviews with some of the pilots and several of the aircraft practicing CLICK HERE

Deputy shot investigating report of masked men

2009-08-09T10:05:35Z

Sacramento, CA- August 8,2009, A Sacramento Deputy stumbles upon bank robbery suspects who evaded Rocklin officers in a pursuit.

As Deputy Duke Lewis approached, one of the three suspects fired multiple rounds, with one striking the deputy in the shoulder from the rear as he attempted to take cover.

The deputy calmly called in that he's been hit and continues to give detailed descriptions to incoming law enforcement units. Units quickly set up a perimeter. (An archive recording can be heard by CLICKING HERE. At the bottom, find the archives, select 2009-08-08, then select the time frame for 01:12PM-01:27PM. On the right, select "Web Player" then click the speaker button. Just beyond halfway through, you will hear Deputy Lewis dispatched to check reports of masked subjects. Next you will hear Lewis reporting he has been hit.)

A command post was designated near by, and the area became flooded with patrol units, K9's and air support. A hard target search was performed house to house, yard to yard over several blocks within the perimeter.

Three suspects were detained per Tim Curran, spokesman for the Sacramento Sheriff's department. The deputy sustained a single through and through gun shot wound to the shoulder and was in stable condition. This took place in the area of Madison Blvd. and Hillsdale.

Check out the new Panarama News page at Maverick Photography.us Stitched together via a "fractal cloud" you will be able to view over 150 photos in their context. The scene becomes interactive in 3D panaramia using Microsoft's new "Photo Synth software".

At risk missing person. Sac Sheriff asks for your help

2009-08-06T19:49:23Z

August 6, 2009

At Risk Missing Person

(DIRECT FROM PRESS RELEASE)

"The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department is asking for the public’s help in locating 22-year-old Nicholas Benjamin Carol (see photo below). Carol was last seen on August 6, 2009, at 7:50 a.m., by staff as he was walking away from the residential care home where he lives, in the 8200 block of Winkler Way in Sacramento.

"Carol is a white male adult, 5’10” tall, weighing 210 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a white tee shirt, a black and blue jacket, and khaki pants.

"Carol has been categorized as at risk because he has been diagnosed with autism and has the mental capacity of a 3-year-old child.

"The Sheriff’s Department is actively searching for Nicholas Benjamin Carol, if anyone has seen, or knows his whereabouts; please contact the Sheriff’s Communications Center at (916) 874-5115."

Metro Fire saves apartment complex while manager gets uppity with media

2009-08-03T08:54:13Z

This photographer/writer has been accused of being "snarky" in the past, but I'll put it right out there and warn you on this one…I'm going to be Snarky!

Sacramento, CA- Metro fire executes a rapid "knockdown" on apartment fire, containing the blaze to one unit and saving the complex.

Early Sunday afternoon, Sacramento Metropolitan Fire Department, assisted by Sacramento City Fire Department, was called to the apartments at 7326 Stockton Boulevard, for a report of smoke. When crews arrived they found heavy smoke coming from the windows and front door of a top floor apartment. A second alarm was immediately struck out for additional resources due to the "high density residential housing," per Battalion Chief Walter White.

The fire was a "well involved contents fire" that started in a bedroom", said White, "and extended into other portions of the residence".

Two fire investigators were called to the scene for a "routine investigation" per White. Approximately 15 firefighters helped to control blaze and no injuries were reported.

(Here's the snarky part) Part way through the incident, the complex manager became very insistent that all media, including TV networks, leave the premises. When asked why, she refused to answer and became quite animated and demanding. Myself and other on scene media asked her what she was afraid we would discover. We then asked her if she was sure she wanted us to leave and let her know that now we were curious as to what was being hidden. So now instead of leaving this story at just the awesome job the firefighters did in saving this apartment complex, everyone's belongings and keeping from more than one family being displaced; we now start asking the questions: were the required smoke detectors working? …were there proper fire extinguishers available? …were there unattended electrical issues, etc.? So, property managers and owners, know that media personnel are there to cover the story at hand; when you adamantly demand that we leave, it makes us start asking questions that you may not want asked. (Please note that I am an independent photographer/writer and not on staff with SacPress)

Horse survives I-5 crash

2009-08-03T07:57:16Z

Sacramento, CA- A multi-agency rescue team worked together to extricate and transport the horse to UC Davis Veterinary Clinic.

According to California Highway Patrol, while traveling south bound on Interstate 5, just south of the Sacramento Metropolitan Airport, early Sunday morning the driver of a truck with horse trailer in tow, crashed into the back of a car and overturned the horse trailer.

The trailer became disconnected from the truck and while leaving the horse trapped in the trailer, the driver drove away and fled the scene.

Rescuers from Metro Fire, CHP, Animal Care and Regulation, tow operators and a veterinarian spent three hours extricating the horse and loading it into another trailer for transport.

Considering the potential of this crash, the horse sustained relatively minor injuries including many cuts. On scene authorities stated that the horse is very fortunate to be alive.

Per CHP, the driver is still at large and faces several charges, starting with animal cruelty and felony hit and run. Any one with information is encouraged to contact the California Highway Patrol at 916.338.6710

Downtown car show and cruise sports a good showing

2009-08-03T04:48:57Z

A plethora of sparkling cars bejeweled J Street in downtown Sacramento as a cruising tradition returned.

Scores of classic and snazzy modern cars cruised J street Saturday afternoon, from Midtown to the Sac State University parking lot. The sight was veritable eye candy for any car enthusiast.

The event started in the early afternoon with staging of the cars for show on 18th through 20th streets on either side of J for spectators to meander and appreciate.

The event drew a constituency of folks to the midtown area who normally would not be there on a Saturday afternoon. It became a natural festival setting as attendees shopped and gleaned from side walk sales, giving local businesses a welcome boost for the weekend.

See Zach Englund's article for history and details on CAMBER

Dog's swimming infatuation gets him stranded

2009-07-27T05:09:16Z

Sacramento- When firefighters arrived at Discovery Park Sunday afternoon, Buddy was on a small piece of beach surrounded by water on one side and a dirt wall on the other, with no way out; whimpering and whining, looking up at everyone staring down as if to say, "don't just look at me, get me out of here."

Sacramento Fire Department's Engine 14 and Rescue 20 responded to Discovery Park Sunday afternoon for the rescue.

Buddy, a 9 year old Wiemaraner, was with his owner for a Sunday walk in Discovery Park. Wiemaraners are known for their hunting and love of water. Buddy, took off for the water and jumped about 10 feet down to the river. His K9 senses weren't calculating "how am I going to get out"?

After Buddy got cooled off, he made his way to a small dirt beach, but had no way to get up the dirt wall to his owner. The only option was to call the Sacramento Fire Department.

Engine 14 firefighters arrived and assessed the situation. Rather than risk firefighters' safety, they felt it best to call in the Rescue unit which specializes in difficult rescues and carries specialized equipment for "over the side" rescues.

When Rescue 20 arrived, with ladder, rope and a harness, they were able to safely rescue Buddy from his small piece of beach and reunite him with family.

Buddy's owner stated that Buddy had never got himself in this type of a situation before. The question remains, will this incident linger in Buddy's memory so next time his K9 senses will calculate the risk before another plunge is made?

Editor's Note: The Sacramento Press editorial staff made minor alterations to this article with the author's permission.

Body identified, SacFire helps family through process

2009-07-25T02:09:37Z

Sacramento- "After 9 o'clock this morning, we received a report from a guest at the Embassy Hotel that 'there's a body floating in the river'" said Capt. Jim Doucett, Public Information Officer for Sacramento City Fire.

Per Doucette, crews arrived and found a body in the water next to the docks on the south side of the Tower Bridge, behind the Embassy Suites Hotel in Old Sacramento.

The Coroner's office responded, and with the assistance of Sacromento Police and Sacramento Fire, removed the body from the water. Per Sgt. Norm Leong, PIO for the Sacramento Police Department, the Coroner's office has identified the body to be that of 18 year old George Ho.

The Elk Grove resident and recent graduate of Monterey Trails High School, was enjoying the water Sunday at Discovery Park, when a boat's wake took him under the water. Ho never surfaced.

Doucette advised that the Fire Department Chaplain and a gracious social worker are aid the family the this experience and process.

View origional article here

Body discovered on the American River in Discovery Park

2009-07-24T04:23:06Z

Sacramento, CA- While training on the American River Thursday, Sacramento City Firefighters, aboard Sac Fire Boat #5, discovered a body floating amongst the logs across from Tiscornia Beach, per Capt. Jim Doucette.

Doucette stated that they do not believe this is the body of George Ho who drowned just a few hundred feet downriver Sunday. Ho was wearing shorts at time he disappeared in the water; dark pants and footwear were on the body that was recovered today.

Per Doucette, "the Sacramento Police Department and the Sacramento County Coroners Office responded. Firefighters assisted with the retrieval of the body."

The case is currently under investigation.

Elk Grove man dies at Discovery Park

2009-07-20T08:34:07Z

18 year old George Ho went under the water and never surfaced at Tiscornia Beach in Discovery Park Sunday afternoon at the confluence.

Jim Doucette of the Sacramento Fire Department,stated "at 2:54 PM, we responded to the beach at Discovery Park for an 18 year old male that went under and never surfaced."

"Ho and his friends were swimming about 25 yards off shore. Some boats came by, created a wake, he went under and never came up" said Doucette.

This occurred right where the Sacramento River and American River meet, the area known as The Confluence. Doucette stated that it is very deep there with a lot of logs and rocks. He further stated that in the past an abandon car had been found there.

After about an hour of surface searching, the fire department pulled their swimmers out of the water and went into a recovery mode, per Doucette.

Doucette noted that even as the recovery of Ho was taking place, there were many children in the water without life vests. "It's kind of ironic; you see what just happened here and people are still in the water. The big deal is, they just don't think it could happen to them."

The young man was identified as George Ho of Elk Grove. Per Doucette, Ho had just graduated from Monterey Trails High School in Elk Grove.

Doucette spoke with Ho's friends who were at Discovery with him. They stated that Ho did know how to swim and Doucette believed that alcohol was not a factor in this incident.

With Ho's father, family and friends looking on, a few hours later, the dive team was still unable to locate him and called off the recovery efforts.

Capt Doucette states, "This is a sad reminder of just how dangerous our rivers and waterways are. The victim’s friends reported that he knew how to swim. These waters do not discriminate against anyone, whether they are good swimmers or not. These waters will 'kill' you."

The Sacramento Fire Department also received assistance from the Sacramento Police Department, Sacramento County Park Rangers, the California Highway Patrol, the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department, and the Yolo County Sheriffs Department.

What does Disney Radio and brush fire have in common?

2009-07-16T07:37:11Z

Sacramento, CA- Were you listening to Disney Radio Wednesday and wondered why all of a sudden it dropped off?

At about 11:51 A.M. Wednesday morning, Sac Fire received a call for a vegetation fire in the wild land are off of Commerce Circle and Lathrop Way. This area is located between Discovery Park and the Cal Expo area, just west of The Radisson Hotel and bordered by the bike trail on the south side of the levee.

Firefighters arrived to find difficult terrain to access off the levee, but were able to attack the fire within ten minutes of the call.

In this wild land area were three radio towers over 200 feet high belonging to ABC Radio. One of the tower's collapsed and a witness stated that when the guide wires from the tower snapped, it sounded like gun fire. Captain Doucette of the Sacramento Fire Department stated, "A small building at the base of the collapsed tower was destroyed by the fire. The building housed radio equipment." The second tower was damaged and leaning during most of the blaze. Firefighters were on guard working around the second tower; in the event guide wires broke loose.

Firefighters had to shuttle water back and forth to the fire. Doucette noted that heat was a factor for the firefighters fighting the blaze.

While the cause for the fire is still under investigation, Captain Doucette stated, "The Investigator is looking into the possibility that something electrical inside the building caused the fire, but it is not known at this time."

Broadway China Buffet robbery, employee injured

2009-07-14T09:09:41Z

Sacramento, CA- Around 9:30 P.M. Monday night, Sacramento Police received a call that the China Buffet on Broadway at 14th St. was robbed by three men. Per Sac PD dispatcher, an undisclosed amount of cash was stolen.

One of the employees was sustained minor injuries when he was hit in the back of the head by one of the suspects. He refused transportation to the hospital.

The suspects fled the scene in a white sedan and remain at large.

Firefighters rescue sleeping man from burning house fire

2009-07-14T01:15:26Z

At 3:16P.M. Monday, Sacramento Firefighters were called to the 7600 block of Tattershall Way. When firefighters arrived, they found smoke coming from the home and a well involved fire in the kitchen area.

On a primary search of the home, firefighters found a sleeping man in the back bedroom and quickly removed him from the burning home. He was transported to the hospital with smoke inhalation.

Engine 57 arrived within three and half minutes of the call. Captain Jim Doucette stated "If not for the quick response of Sacramento Firefighters, and the next door neighbor quickly reporting this fire, there is a very good chance this man would not have survived."

Doucette also noted that the home had no working smoke detectors.

*WHY DO THEY DO THAT?
Onlookers at incidents often ask, "Why are they doing that?", when they see firefighters tearing into the walls and ceilings and cutting holes in the roof. "Are they just destructive boogers and into tearing up things or is there actually a reason they are doing that?"

In the posted photo of the interior of this fire, you will notice there is no fire damage in the front room, but the ceiling is all torn out. During a structure fire, fire will get into the attics and walls and travel. To be sure the fire has no "extensions", firefighters use tools called "closet hooks" and "pike poles" to pull the ceiling apart to ensure that the fire has not traveled and has been completely extinguished.

Second playground fire under investigation

2009-07-13T01:22:10Z

SACRAMENTO, CA- At 4:07 P.M. today, Sacramento Firefighters were called to Freeport Elementary School for a playground fire. This takes place in the wake of a similar fire at a Roseville park playground just a few nights ago.

Captain Jim Doucette of the Sacramento Fire Department stated, "The fire does not appear to be an accident".

Anyone with any information about this fire is encouraged to contact the Sacramento Fire Department Arson Tip Line at (916) 808-8732.

Action News Capsule for Saturday P.M., July 11/12, 2009

2009-07-12T18:19:24Z

ELK GROVE SHOOTING: A man was shot multiple times just after 10pm on Rightwood Way in the City of Sacramento. He was transported code 3 to UCDMC and his condition was not known at the time of the incident.

MARRIOTT SMOKE BOMB: A person set off a smoke bomb just before 11:30pm in a hallway of the Spring Hill Suites on Venture Oaks Way in the City of Sacramento. The smoke filled the hallways of two floors of the hotel and caused a brief evacuation while fire fighters use fans to blow out the smoke.

FATAL FIRE: The latest in a string of fatal fires to hit the Sacramento area occurred just after 1:30am on Prairie Ct in the Penryn area of Placer
County. The female occupant of the large two story home was able to escape without injury but her husband was killed in the fire that
quickly consumed the building and spread to the wild land around the property.

Loomis fire claims the life of elderly disabled man

2009-07-12T13:05:55Z

Loomis, CA- Early Sunday morning structure fire claims the life of an elderly disabled man. Wife and dog escape the blaze.

The beautiful mansion type home in the 6900 Prarie Ct., Loomis, CA, caught fire early Sunday morning. Penryn Battalion Chief stated that the home was fully engulfed in flames when they arrived. He stated that the wife and dog escaped but her elderly disabled husband did not escape.

The home was located deep in the hills of Loomis and difficult to access. Fire crews also had to shuttle water via "water tender" trucks to finally extinguish the fire.

In some of the photos you will see some blue light showering in the upper right corner. The power was live during the entire firefighting efforts with arching lines and exploding transformer.

Several agencies were involved in the firefighting efforts: Penryn, Loomis, CalFire, CDF to name

Action News Capsule for Friday P.M., July 10, 2009

2009-07-12T02:50:52Z

VEHICLE vs UTILITY POLE: Around 6:30pm a vehicle slammed into a utility pole on 47th Ave. near Wire. The older model vehicle sustained major front end damage, the utility pole split and collapsed and the driver sustained only minor cuts on the forehead. Power in the area was out for several hours.

PARTY STABBING: Around 12:30am a female victim way stabbed at a party in the area of 4th Ave and 65th St. The victim was transported by ambulance to a local hospital with what appeared to be a minor stab wound to the
upper body.

PALLADAY FIRE: Around 4:00am a large grass fire occurred off Palladay Rd and Base Line Rd in Placer County. Units were called from CDF, Placer County Fire, Sutter County Fire and Sac Metro Fire to extinguish the fire.

Vehicle upside down in the ditch, driver unscathed

2009-07-10T17:53:13Z

Sacramento, CA- 19 year old Sarmeet Singh is not only lucky to be alive today, he escaped his vehicle landing upside down in a drainage ditch without even a scratch.

Friday morning Singh called 911 from his cell phone at 8:16 A.M. stating "I just flipped my car". Per Singh, he was exiting Highway 99 on the Florin Road West off ramp when his car slid off the road, under the fence and flipped over in the cement storm drain.

Emergency crews at first were not able to locate the vehicle because it slid under the fence and out of view. The fencing had to be cut and opened up for crews to access the vehicle. Singh asked Chief King, "Is there a chance of the water hitting the battery and starting a fire…because my speakers are in there?"

Battalion Chief King immediately called for a level two HazMat assignment due to oil leaking in the storm drain. The fluids were quickly contained protecting the environment.

Hero saves sleeping Asian family from fiery demise

2009-07-10T10:01:38Z

Sacramento, CA- A sleeping family lives today because of the heroism of Santino Deanda

Lyndsay Deanda stated she and her husband Santino were on their way to the hospital with their daughter traveling down H Street, when in the 3700 block Santino spotted the back of a house on fire.

Santino stopped the vehicle, instructed Lyndsay to call 911 and headed to the front door to wake the family. Santino actually went into the burning, smoke filled house several times to be sure every one was out.

The blaze started in a couch on the back patio up against the house. The fire quickly spread catching the back side of the house on fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Santino was transported to UC Davis Medical Center by paramedics to be treated for smoke inhalation.

Battalion Chief King indicated that if not for the heroic act of Deanda, this could have been a very bad situation. While Deanda is credited with saving many lives, King noted that firefighters go into fires and smoke filled homes prepared with a vast array of safety equipment and tools. "Inhaling one breath of the superheated toxic smoke of a structure fire will drop you to floor".

Metro firefighters give rescued dog every chance to live

2009-07-08T03:48:11Z

Sacramento, CA
by Ed Fogle

It was a bittersweet day for homeowners in the 6900 block Silverthorne Circle today. While their home was saved, they lost their furry friend.

Kirk Davies, photographer for MaverickPhotography.us and neighbor to the family, stated "it smelled like something barbequing when I walked outside, then I saw smoke pouring from my neighbors house and called 911"

Tuesday afternoon, about 4:30 P.M., it is believed (but still under investigation) that a fire started in the dishwasher. Battalion Chief, Richard Anderson stated that the fire was contained to the kitchen area of the home. "A repair man from Sears was supposed to be at the home working on the dishwasher earlier in the day, but was a no-show" Davies stated.

No one was home when the fire started but during a search of the home, the family dog was found unconscious. Per Anderson, two of the firefighters who happened to be on duty were trained in basic dog medicine. The Metro Fire USAR (Urban Search and Rescue) team uses rescue dogs, and the firefighters who work with them have this training in the event their dogs are injured during a disaster or rescue operation.

The two firefighters, assisted by colleagues, went to work right away on the dog, administering mouth to snout respirations, started an IV, inserted an advanced airway and transported the dog to the nearest veterinarian in a truck. With all the heroic efforts of the firefighters, the furry friend did not survive. "If that dog had any chance to live, it was with this crew", stated Anderson.

Metro Fire Department responded with three engines, two trucks and one medic rig and had nearly twenty-five firefighters involved.

Photos by MaverickPhotography.us/KirkDavies

Deer lands through family truck windshield near downtown

2009-07-07T23:11:06Z

Tony Pineea and his four sons got a big shock when a deer landed in their windshield.

Tony Pineea was traveling North on Highway 160 out of downtown Sacramento Tuesday morning with his four sons when a deer emerged from the light rail area adjacent to the highway and jumped in front of their pickup truck at the Del Paso exit.

The deer hit so hard in the windshield area that the windshield broke through and collapsed in. The driver only sustained very minor injuries and refused transport to the hospital. Per Pineea, his sons were seatbelted and uninjured.

The deer did attempt to run off, however it was too severely injured. An on scene CHP officer had to euthanize the deer on site to end its suffering from unrecoverable injuries. The Del Paso off ramp was closed for a short time.

Per Captain Doucette of the Sacramento City Fire Department, deer do commonly roam that area this time of year and an occasional mountain lion can be seen.

Older man stabbed on Broadway, during rush hour

2009-07-07T03:33:43Z

Sacramento, CA- Early Monday evening, at about 6:30 P.M., Sacramento Police and Sacramento City Fire and Paramedics were called to a stabbing at the front of New Station Seafood in the 1800 block of Broadway.

Firefighters and police found a 54 year old man sitting on the bus bench bleeding from the chest. Per the on scene police sergeant, the man sustained a 3 to 4 inch deep laceration across the chest and was very intoxicated.

Due to the man's level of intoxication, authorities were having challenges getting accurate information from the victim. Per the sergeant, police do have a couple persons of interest in the case. It appears that the subject also took the victims cash he had on hand from his SSI.

Police will be tracking down the alleged subjects to make an arrest.

Weapon wielding transient threatens kind hosts

2009-07-07T00:44:38Z

Sacramento, CA- Shortly before 3 P.M. Monday, in the 1500 block of 19th Street, two apartment occupants were kind enough to allow a transient woman to hang out with them and relax for a bit in their apartment.

Per the occupants (who wish to remain anonymous), as the woman was getting ready to go, she asked to use their home phone. When they declined to allow her to use it she pulled a knife and began to threaten them insiting on using the phone. The two occupants restrained her as an on site worker called for police.

Police responded rapidly, however were initially given the wrong address by the onsite worker, which put officers several blocks away searching for the incident. On dispatch call back, dispatchers were able to obtain the right location and redirected responding officers.

As officers arrived, the woman got loose and led officers on a very brief chase. The fleeing woman was captured in the backyard of the apartment building.

The occupants stated that the woman was also very drunk.

Sleeping family gets a drunk awakening

2009-07-05T23:39:17Z

North Highlands, Sacramento, CA- A sleeping North Highlands family got a rude awakening early Sunday morning, when a drunk driver careened through their backyard fence.

The drunk driver was driving his Chevrolet pickup, under the influence of alcohol, through the quiet neighborhood. He lost control of his truck, drove over the sidewalk, up a short wall and through the homeowners wood fence.

The driver was arrested on scene and the family was left with a mess. No one was injured in this incident.

Gunshots rang out near thousands celebrating 4th of July, behind Sunrise mall

2009-07-05T22:56:20Z

Sacramento, CA- Four males and three females, one shooter, were somehow all involved in a shooting behind Sunrise Mall during festivities Saturday evening.

Shortly before fireworks were launched at the Sunrise Mall Fourth of July celebration, two people were shot at the Sunrise Vista Apartments, located behind the mall.

One victim was not expected to survive and the other was in serious condition that night. One male was detained and brought back to the seen for a "field show-up". This is where bright lights are put on the subject for two reasons: one so the witnesses can clearly see the suspect to identify him, and secondly so the suspect can't see the witnesses. It is unknown at this time if the suspect was positively identified.

It appeared that the scene was quite confusing for Citrus Heights law enforcement to sort through and gain control of. Thousands of people were moving through the crime scene area which made it nearly impossible for on scene K-9's to track suspects and obscured the scene.

The accident that wasn't an accident at all

2009-07-04T12:43:16Z

North Highlands, Sacramento, CA- Early Saturday morning, police and fire received a call for a vehicle accident on North Watt at Karl. When police arrived, the victim was crawling from the wreckage.

It was quickly discovered that the victim wasn't just holding his chest from injuries incurred in the accident; he had been shot in a drive-by shooting, lost control of the vehicle, and plowed through a tree before his vehicle came to rest.

The victim was transported to the hospital immediately in serious condition. An update will follow as more information becomes available.

Downtown Victorian home fire strikes out two alarms

2009-07-04T05:57:07Z

Sacramento, CA- At 7:24 P.M. Friday evening, Sacramento firefighters were called to a downtown structure, just a few houses down from Old Ironsides off of 10th and S streets.

When firefighters arrived at 1913 10th Street, they found the second floor and attic of the old Victorian well involved.

Per Captain Jim Doucette, Engine 1 was on scene in about three minutes. Firefighters made a very aggressive attack on the fire. With the fire well seated in the attic, firefighters had to tear in and gain access to the space to bring the blaze under control. The roof on the north side became unstable and all the firefighters were ordered out.

They were able to control the rest of the blaze from outside, then were able to reenter for overhaul to be sure the fire was completely extinguished.

"Firefighters made an aggressive attack on the fire and saved the downstairs units and they also prevented the fire from spreading to adjoining buildings. Fortunately no one was injured and there was only one resident in the entire building. All of the other units were vacant," said Doucette

A total of 16 fire units responded, four paramedic squads, 75 firefighters and 10 command/support staff.

Presently, the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Juveniles now wanted felons after fireworks theft

2009-07-03T21:51:22Z

Three juveniles, ages 14 to 15, cased then robbed the fireworks stand on the corner of 47th Ave & 44th St. in South Sacramento Friday just after noon.

A Sheriff helicopter orbited the area around the school where the juveniles were last seen breaking apart the large package of fireworks they had just stolen from the fireworks stand hosted by Parkway Swim and Tennis. Public address announcements were made from the helicopter stating to people in the neighborhood: "we are looking for three felons who just stole a large red package of fireworks…" This was the largest package of fireworks offered and is considered a "block party" set that sells for $600. The helicopter spotted the torn apart red packaging in the middle of the school field where ground officers retrieved it.

Kids present from Parkway Swim and Tennis turned and saw the juvenile thieves fleeing with the large package that took all three of them to carry away. They alerted volunteer mom Jessica Rodriguez-Veneroni who ran after the subjects.

The three juvenile wanted felons remain at large. If you live in the area and have information that may lead to the apprehension of the suspects and return of the items, please contact the Sacramento Sheriffs department right away.

Brush fire delays south area Light Rail

2009-07-02T23:52:45Z

Sacramento, CA- Early Thursday after noon, a small blaze broke out off of Hing Avenue, near Franklin and 47th. The fire was contained to the dry field area between the homes and railroad tracks.

Light Rail service was minimally impacted. Trains were briefly delayed during the high part of the blaze then permitted to move through at a reduced speed due to limited visibility resulting from heavy smoke, per on scene RT rail worker.

Several structure firefighting engines were in place to protect the homes along the field, while brush rigs and crews moved through the field to attack the fire and bring it under control. Per Captain Doucette, the cause of the fire is unknown.

More juvenile burglars strike the south area

2009-07-02T08:53:31Z

Sacramento, CA- Two juvenile burglars remain at large Wednesday night. Witnesses approached a friends house in the 7900 block of Deer Creek Drive Wednesday evening, near 11 p.m. When they noticed that the people they could see in the house were not their friends, they called police.

Sacramento police arrived rapidly, however the black, male juveniles had already fled. Police set up a perimeter and found several subjects in the area that matched the description of the subjects. Police drove witnesses by the detained subjects in a "field show up" (the equivalent of a line-up in the field) to identify the burglars; however none of the detained individuals were positively identified.

Public address announcements were made in the area as K-9 units went to work in an attempt to track the seventeen and eighteen year old burglars. Air support was not available to assist with heat imaging of the area.

Any one with information should contact the Sacramento Police Department.

Oak Park warrant search ends with two detained, one transported to hospital

2009-07-01T23:04:33Z

Oak Park, Sacramento, CA- A warrant search in Oak Park ended with two in custody, one at large today. Sgt. Norm Leong, spokesperson for the Sacramento Police Department, stated that "a loaded gun magazine, scale, packaging and dope were found in the residence". One of the detained was transported to the hospital.

As police conducted a warrant search in the 3600 block of 19th Street, three black, male occupants attempted to flee from police. One was immediately detained, the second was detained after running face-first into the wall he was going to scale, knocking himself unconscious. Transporting paramedics stated that the individual did not remember the incident and had minor bleeding from the face.

The two in custody are 33 and 18 years of age. The third suspect is still at large and may be armed. A loaded gun magazine was found in the house, but no gun. It is assumed that the suspect at large has the gun, per Leong

Juvenile burglar apprehended by police K9

2009-07-01T00:02:13Z

Sacramento, CA -- Police K-9 "takes a bite out of crime" today and apprehends a juvenile after a brief man hunt.

Two juveniles were seen trying to break into a Freeport home in the Belleau Wood Lane area, late Tuesday morning. When police arrived in the area, the would-be burglars ran.

One subject was apprehended immediately while the other led police on a neighborhood foot pursuit. When the subject evaded officers, a tight neighborhood perimeter was established by inbound officers.

After officers verified and had evidence that a crime had been committed, public address announcements were made warning neighbors that the police dog was going to be deployed and to give the evading juvenile a chance to give up.

When the police dog was deployed, he quickly picked up the sent and led officers to the location of the hiding youth in the area of Atherton Street and McLaren Avenue. After the youth was given a chance to surrender, the dog was sent in to do his job. Seconds later the subject was in custody.

Neighbors who witnessed the capture recognized the youth as a local neighbor who lives in the area with his family, and grandparents also reside in the neighborhood.

Firefighters rescue injured transient from water channel

2009-06-30T02:52:23Z

Sacramento, CA- Firefighters called to rescue an injured transient on the steep slope of a water channel

William Lockwood and his girlfriend, Angel Love have been residing under the overpass, that spans the water channel, on 88th Street off of Fruitridge Blvd. Monday morning Lockwood lost his footing at the top of the channel and tumbled down the steep cement side coming to a stop just before the water. Injured and unable to climb back up the steep cement slope, Angel summoned for help.

Sacramento Fire Truck 10 and Paramedics received the call near 11:30 a.m. The truck crew had to commence a rope rescue with the stokes litter to safely bring Lockwood to the top.

Lockwood was transported to the hospital by paramedics with minor injuries.

Brush fire threatens Sac State structures

2009-06-28T03:21:46Z

Sacramento, CA- A brush fire on the campus of Sacramento State University broke out Saturday afternoon, between the buildings and the railroad tracks. The fire was against one of the buildings however firefighters made a quick attack and the structure was saved with no internal damage.

The cause of the blaze is under investigation but believed to be arson. Subjects in a red car were witnessed setting the fire. At the time of posting, full details are not available, but check back for follow-up information.

Things got "spirited" at American Spirit Bar

2009-06-27T05:30:47Z

Sacramento, CA- Friday, in the very early morning hours, a bar argument ends with one shot by security officer.

Early Friday morning, an argument with multiple patrons began in the American Spirit Bar at 3270 Northgate Blvd. Witnesses stated that the bouncer succeeded in getting the disturbance moved outside in the small strip mall.

From his patrol car in the parking lot, the private security sergeant, from Northern California Impeccable Security, saw what was happening and moved in to assist. Per the security officer, when he moved to break up the disturbance, one of the subjects engaged him in a physical altercation. As the security officer wrestled the subject to the ground and got one hand cuffed, his two back up security officers moved in to control the rest of the scene. While the second security guard was engaged in a wrestling match, his pepper spray canister rolled loose. The first combatant grabbed the pepper spray canister and discharged it on the security sergeant in the face.

The Sergeant stated that at that time he warned for everyone to clear as he pulled his side arm and shot the subject in the leg. Per transport paramedics, the bullet entered the upper leg and exited around the knee.

CSI was on scene collecting evidence and Sac PD retained the security sergeant's weapons. A supervisor for the security company was contacted today, however he stated that they could not comment per the District Attorney's office. He stated that they were not trying to be evasive and would be more than happy to answer any questions in a couple of days when they are allowed to speak on the situation.

"JP", spokesperson for American Spirit Bar, refused to comment on the incident which started with the patrons in their establishment.

More information on this incident will be posted as it becomes available.

WalMart Super Center opens in South Sacramento

2009-06-17T23:27:08Z

A good crowd of South Sacramento customers made it out early this morning for the grand opening festivities at their new Florin Road Walmart Supercenter.

The new Supercenter is located in the new Florin Town Center, which was recently developed after the old Florin Mall was torn down.

Store Manager Jason Craig, flanked by his management team, delivered a message of gratitude to his family, coworkers and customers.

"People Reaching Out" was given a $50,000 check at the grand opening, for their "Fresh Start Program."

County Supervisor Jimmie Yee also made an appearance acknowledging Walmart and the staff for bringing 600 jobs to South Sacramento, "300 of which are new," said Yee.

Walmart officials were proud of the progress they have made from the old model stores in making this store far more energy efficient. The locally manufactured skylights alone reduce energy usage by 75 percent. Other natural resources are in place to help cool the facility.

"You can get lost in this store," said Mary DeCoe. She was the first in line at 3 a.m. to get in the store; the next person got in line at 5 a.m. Mary was the first customer in the store, and she made her way right to the register and purchased a candy bar so she could be the first to check out and obtain the first receipt.

The new store brings a new hair solon, vision center, restaurant, Golden One Credit Union, a large Customer Service Center and a dedicated Money Center to handle all the check cashing, MoneyGrams and money orders.

This Supercenter will not be open 24 hours, but will be open from 6 a.m. to midnight daily.

Four alarm apartment blaze takes out at least one unit, damages several others

2009-06-17T07:10:55Z

Early Tuesday evening, Roseville fire department was called the apartments on Woodcreek Oaks Blvd., south of Junction Blvd., in Roseville for a fire. When fire crews arrived, high flames and smoke were coming from backside of one of the back buildings in the complex.

Several apartment units in the building were involved by the time the fire was brought under control. This was a four alarm fire which even brought units from Placerville Fire Department.

While it was initially believed that this was a barbeque fire that ignited the patio, the actual cause of the blaze is under investigation and fire investigators were searching the area for a youth to question.

There were no injuries, however a cat from the unit where the fire started is unaccounted for.

Pest control worker killed in porch collapse

2009-06-16T01:26:33Z

When this pest control worker went to work today, he probably didn't expect to never come home for dinner again.

Two pest control workers had been working on termite damage on a Curtis Park home the past few days. The previous owner of the home was a lady who lived to be 100 and passed away a few months ago. The home was up for sale with extensive termite and dry rot damage.

Today, the two men were working under the cement slab front porch when the edges gave way and the entire weight of the slab came down on them. Capt. Doucette of the Sacramento Fire Department guestimated the slab to be well over 1000 lbs.

The surviving partner stated that they were removing some "dark dry rot damage under the floor and the concrete floor it gave way and came down on us…it was about three inches thick and it came down on us." He escaped with very minor injuries.

Sacramento Firefighters arrived within one minute from the time of the call and the extrication took 25 minutes. Firefighters had to use pneumatic air bags to raise the cement and wood cribbing to shore it up to enable the extrication.

The worker was pronounced dead on scene.

The cause of the incident is currently under investigation by Cal OSHA.

The identity of the worker has not been released pending family notification.

Cops-3 Bad Guys-0, Pursuit a losing game for Sac bad guys

2009-06-15T07:01:38Z

Less than 20 hours, 3 pursuits, 7 bad guys apprehended.

Sacramento bad guys did a stellar job today proving that running from the Sacramento Police Officers is a losing game.

In the early morning hours Sunday, one man led officers on a pursuit where he finally crashed and wrapped the stolen vehicle around a light pole. In custody, he was transported to the hospital in stable condition. SEE FULL STORY

In the next pursuit, suspects took officers on a tour of the Arcade, DelPaso, Hwy 160 and downtown areas at speeds reaching 90 mph. When the bad guys crashed their car, all four ran from police but were quickly run down and arrested. SEE FULL STORY

Third strike? Early this evening two suspects attempted to evade police in another moderate speed pursuit in the Florin/24th St. area. This pursuit also ended in a crash when the driver landed their vehicle in the back of a parked car. After the crash, both occupants attempted to flee, but once again, officers ran the bad guys down and placed them under arrest.

We could hope these odds would discourage would be police evaders to not attempt their hand at this game of pursuit (that's not a game at all and endangers lives), but chances are that another pursuit will commence even before this 24 hour time frame passes.

Second pursuit in less than 20 hours

2009-06-15T05:51:36Z

The bad guys took another run at running from officers today. Not even 20 hours from the pursuit that ended in a light pole in the Greenhaven area, the four occupants of this pursuit thought they would take their turn with Sac PD.

This pursuit took a tour from the Arcade area, down Del Paso, over 160 to Downtown and ended at 10th St. at E. St. in Alkali Flat of Downtown Sacramento. The driver lost control, running up the curb and through a sign post when he came to a stop. All four occupants bailed out of the vehicle and led officers in a four way foot pursuit. All four occupants were apprehended.

Hold everything!....ending this article to cover another pursuit in progress.

South Sacramento pursuit wraps up and around a light pole

2009-06-14T09:00:35Z

Early morning pursuit of a stolen vehicle ends in a light pole.

If you live in the South Sac, Freeport, South Land Park or Greenhaven areas and heard a whole lot of sirens early Sunday morning, that was our local police and sheriff chasing a stolen vehicle.

The suspect lead law enforcement officers on a tour of the South Area at speeds reaching 60 mph. While you may think that this is putting the community at risk, what you don't hear behind the scenes are the officers constantly calling in direction, speeds and amount of traffic.

During pursuits as this, several law enforcement units will be engaged in the chase. The second unit "calls the chase" while a watch commander or official monitors the situation for safety. During most of this chase the streets were clear and when there was some traffic, the helicopter was over top calling in traffic ahead and potential cross traffic situations.

This chase came to an end when the driver lost control and wrapped the vehicle around a light pole in the 600 block of Florin Rd. As a precaution, the driver was placed in spinal precautions and transported to the hospital in custody.

Keep an eye out for updates on this situation as information becomes available.

Midtown dumpster fire escalates to garage fire and threatens apartments

2009-06-13T15:38:12Z

Sacramento Midtown apartments were threatened earlier this morning when a dumpster fire spread to the large all wood garage surrounded by the apartments.

Firefighters were called to the rear of 1015 26th in the alley for a "dumpster fire" Engine four arrived on scene quickly, just five minutes from the time the call came in to 911. When they arrived the garage was well involved with fire. The two dumpsters on fire were pulled away from the garage and after gaining access the firefighters made an aggressive attack, knocking down the blaze.

While the major part of the fire was immediately taken care of, some fire remained in the eves and roofing. Due to remodels and several layers of siding, firefighters had a challenge getting the fire completely extinguished immediately, but kept it under control and from spreading to the adjacent apartments.

The early morning fire hailed a compliment of five engines, three truck companies, one HazMat Company, two Medic Units, five Command/Support staff and 50 firefighters.

In a press release, Capt. Doucette stated, "A Sacramento Fire Department Haz Mat Team was called out to monitor the water run off."

There were no injuries in this incident however the cause is under investigation. Short after the fire, "the person of interest" was sighted down the street going through dumpsters.

Pocket Fire Blaze impacts two homes, one destroyed the other damaged

2009-06-12T03:57:20Z

Two homes caught fire Thursday around 2:51 p.m. As firefighters arrived, the fence between the two homes was completely on fire and the side of the two story home on the left was well involved. The second home (one story), caught fire and burned into the attic.

There was an initial report that victims may have been in the home. The first in engine crew executed a search of the home and no one was found.

In the end, the two story home experienced a partial roof collapse while firefighters were inside. Firefighters pulled out and went into defensive mode to save the one story home and protect other surrounding exposures. The two story was a total loss and the one story home had fire damage in the attic and back bedroom as well as contents.

SacCity Firefighters were on scene in less than five minutes from the time of the call. Deputy Fire Chief Lloyd Ogan stated that weather definantly played a factor with the Delta Breeze picking up.

In a press release, Acting Battalion Chief, Jim Doucette stated, "There were no reported injuries and Sacramento Fire Department Investigators are on scene trying to determine the cause of the blaze. Additional Firefighters from Sacramento Metro and Cosumnes Fire also responded." A total of 75 firefighters and 4 command staff were engaged on this incident.

Jaywalkers Beware!

2009-06-09T02:40:11Z

If it wasn't a serious situation, it would have been almost humorous today as a Sacramento Police Department motor officer stopped Jaywalkers left and right at the railroad crossing on Broadway between 19th and 20th Streets.

Some may say it's just revenue for the police department, while others contend that the Jaywalkers coming and going from the Broadway Light Rail station are a true traffic hazard as they weave in and out of vehicles.

According to the California Vehicle Code, "Between adjacent intersections controlled by traffic control signal devices or by police officers, pedestrians shall not cross the roadway at any place except in a crosswalk." The citing officer stated that fines vary depending on the individual's driving record, given that this falls under the Vehicle Code.

Given the location of the Light Rail station, it is easy and almost natural for people to want to cross the street right at the railroad crossing. However, signs plainly direct pedestrians to adjacent crosswalks at the intersection of Broadway and 19th Street.

The almost-humorous part was watching people cross right in front of the officer, who was already citing three people who were waiting their turn for their little yellow piece of paper. Pedestrians found themselves without excuse as the officer pointed to the clearly posted sign that even directs people to the crosswalk just a few feet away.

In the end, pedestrians have a choice: Cross at the railroad tracks and become part of the city revenue stream, or walk a few feet to the corner to cross safely and legally.

Local Corvette clubs start busy weekend at the Fountains

2009-06-06T06:18:47Z

Sacramento Corvette owners started off a very busy weekend with a relaxing evening at The Fountains Shopping Mall in Roseville.

Throughout the summer, this beautiful venue will host an outdoor shopping fair, the first Friday evening of each month. If you are a Corvette enthusiast, you won't want to miss this as the Corvettes will be on display at each event. Guys, this one time that you really really want to take your wife shopping. Now, when you say "that's ok honey, go ahead and take your time shopping; I'll wait out here"; try to say it with a degree of sincerity so she doesn't catch on to your plans (although I think may already have a clue when you pull into the mall).

Corvette owners continue their event filled weekend Saturday with a Class 1 car show better known as "Vette Magic". Hosted by the Northern California Corvette Association, this year marks the 34th anniversary of this event which Corvette owners come from all over to participate in.

Vette Magic will take place at the Marriott located at 11211 Point East Dr, Rancho Cordova and the order of events is as follows:

Registration 8:00am - 11:00am
Judging & Tallying 11:00am - 3:30pm
Awards 3:30pm - 4:00pm
B-B-Q Dinner Poolside TBA

The weekend culminates Sunday when Corvettes grudge it out on the race track. Watching these beautiful cars blaze down the 1/4 mile strip is a great event to take the whole family to. The Corvette owners have a lot of fun as well as the spectators.

You can find the Corvettes burning rubber at the Sacramento Raceway Park, 5305 Excelsior Rd., Sacramento off of Jackson Highway. The order of events for the day are as follows:

REG. & TECH CLOSES 11:30am
DIAL-IN RUNS START 10:00am
ELIMINATIONS START 1:00pm

If you are a local Corvette owner, you want to check out two of the hottest local Corvette clubs for ongoing events throughout the year: Just For Corvettes and California Corvette Club. These are two great clubs with wonderful people to socialize with. You will also get to participate in events with your Corvette that you would normally not have access to.

So, if you are just a Corvette fan or an owner; there is plenty to keep you busy this weekend. For the owners, enjoy events throughout the year that will make a great addition to your social calendar.

DOWNLOAD "VETTE MAGIC" FLYER

House fire under investigation

2009-06-06T01:34:27Z

At 2:54 p.m., Thursday afternoon, Sacramento City Firefighters responded to a report of a structure fire. When they arrived they found a two story home well involved.

Per Capt. Jim Doucette, the occupants were out of the house when firefighters arrived, however the family dog was not located. The fire started on the ground level, per Doucette, and the occupants did not know how the fire started. Doucette did mention that the fire is under investigation and that the occupants would not be able to occupy the home.

There were no injuries and surrounding structures were not threatened.