Latest news with #AlamedaCountySheriff'sOffice
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Livermore teen arrested for possessing 258 lbs of fireworks: sheriff
(KRON) — A 19-year-old Livermore resident was arrested on May 21 for the possession of illegal fireworks, the Alameda County Sheriff's Office (ACSO) announced on Wednesday. The suspect, identified as Juan Carlos Cruz Jr., had 258 pounds of illegal fireworks. Investigators were monitoring social media for any signs of illegal activity related to fireworks. They later found Cruz was also in possession of a 'controlled substance with the intent to sell and ammunition.' According to the Livermore Fire Department, all fireworks — including 'safe and sane' — are illegal in the city and unincorporated Alameda County. 'The use of illegal fireworks presents a significant danger to public safety, posing serious risks of injury and fire,' ACSO wrote. Photos of the items seized by ACSO that were allegedly in Cruz's possession can be viewed below. Injured groundskeeper at Giants-Tigers game flips off camera while on ground 'The Alameda County Sheriff's Office would like to remind the public that all fireworks, including those labeled 'safe and sane,' are illegal in Unincorporated Alameda County. We urge community members to prioritize safety and celebrate responsibly. Protecting the wellbeing of our residents remains our top priority,' ACSO wrote. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Arrest made in April Castro Valley shooting
(KRON) — A suspect in a shooting that took place in Castro Valley last month was arrested Thursday, according to the Alameda County Sheriff's Office. At around 5 p.m. on April 17, deputies from the Eden Township Substation responded to the vicinity of Castro Valley Boulevard and Baker Road on a report of a shooting. According to police, witnesses reported gunfire had been exchanged between two vehicles. Arriving at the scene, officers were unable to locate involved vehicles or victims. The investigation was taken over by the Eden Township Substation Gang Suppression Unit. Macy's employee punched during perfume theft Investigating detectives were able to identify and locate the victim. Detectives determined that the victim had fired several rounds from a CO2-powered BB gun at another vehicle. In response, police said, the second driver, who was known to the victim, retrieved a firearm and fired multiple rounds at the victim. Detectives identified 28-year-old Donovan Wright of Oakland as the suspect. A probable cause arrest warrant was obtained. On Thursday, Wright was taken into custody at his apartment with assistance from the Special Response Unit, Crisis Intervention Unit, Community Oriented Response and Engagement (CORE) Unit, the Dublin Police Services K-9 Unit, and the Small Unscrewed Aircraft System (sUAS) team. A search of Wright's residence revealed an illegal assault rifle, two loaded revolvers, and a small quantity of cocaine. Wright was arrested and booked into Santa Rita Jail. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
San Francisco Chronicle
23-05-2025
- San Francisco Chronicle
Synthetic pot beng smuggled to Bay Area inmates in a bizarre new way
Law enforcement agencies across California, including the Alameda County Sheriff's Office, are contending with novel attempts to smuggle synthetic marijuana into jails and prisons. Across the state, incarcerated people are being sent court documents disguised as mail from attorneys, with some of the pages soaked or sprayed with synthetic marijuana, commonly known as K2 or Spice. Santa Rita Jail staff said they're seizing mail coated with synthetic cannabis up to three times a week, and court records show officials foiled multiple Spice-smuggling attempts this year and last year. Officials said jail mailroom clerks and detectives are remaining vigilant. 'Our staff are highly trained, and we continue to adapt our strategies as smuggling methods evolve,' the Alameda County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. 'Ensuring the safety and well-being of everyone in our facility remains our top priority.' Even so, 'some contraband may occasionally' land inside the jail, sheriff's officials said. The problem extends beyond the East Bay jail. Three recent Spice-smuggling busts at Santa Rita were apparently among a string of similar smuggling attempts at more than a dozen jails and prisons across the state in recent months, with mailing labels pointing to a single source — the same online postage service account, according to court records. The ruse to send synthetic marijuana to jails under the guise of mail from attorneys started in Southern California and has become 'increasingly prevalent' in Northern California in the past two years, the Alameda County Sheriff's Office said. The drug contains synthetic cannabinoids, unregulated, lab-made versions of THC, the active component in marijuana. But synthetic marijuana can be 100 times stronger, leading to more intense and unpredictable effects, even in small doses, according to experts. The effects can include an elevated heart rate, elevated blood pressure, unconsciousness, seizures, hallucinations and anxiety. In jail, inmates roll up the marijuana-laced paper and smoke it, sometimes mixing it with Suboxone, a medication used to treat opioid addiction, to intensify the effects, according to law enforcement officials. Synthetic marijuana is colorless and odorless, making it difficult to detect compared with other drugs. Police dogs generally are unable to sniff it out, though sheriff's officials said 'enhanced detection techniques and advances in laboratory testing' have allowed its staff to better identify synthetic marijuana. The sheriff's office declined to provide detailed information about the synthetic marijuana seizures at its jail, citing ongoing investigations. But documents filed in Alameda County Superior Court offer some details about the three cases in which envelopes were sent to incarcerated men. No one has been arrested or charged in the cases, and it's unclear who sent the synthetic marijuana to the incarcerated men. In each case, the envelopes listed attorneys as senders, with postage labels created and printed via in an apparent attempt to avoid detection, according to the records. Law enforcement personnel generally cannot open correspondence between prisoners and their attorneys without a warrant, except in some instances, such as in the presence of inmates to inspect for contraband or when there's reason to believe the mail is tied to a crime. allows users to avoid trips to the post office, which are monitored by surveillance cameras. Using fake information for emails and addresses associated with their online accounts makes it difficult for investigators to trace the source of the mail, according to court records. Jail staff were apparently tipped off in each case by the fact that the attorneys listed as the senders did not represent the incarcerated men to whom the mail was sent. The envelopes, sent in July and November of last year and in January, contained copies of court documents from the incarcerated men's cases. The texture of some of the papers was noticeably distinct, and some of the pages were stained, according to the court records. A narcotics analyzer detected traces of synthetic cannabinoids in all three cases, according to investigators. Detectives traced the account associated with the mail and obtained a record of the labels the account created between July and January. During the six-month period, the account created more than 100 labels, with packages sent to more than a dozen jails and prisons across the state, according to the court records. That included the three envelopes sent to Santa Rita Jail. One attorney listed as a sender was Michael Primus, who handles bankruptcy cases. He said he was 'deeply troubled' by the scheme and hopes investigators solve the cases. The other attorney, Joel Harris, who practices estate planning, said he was personally unaware of the scheme until a Chronicle reporter contacted him. 'It sounds clever and sneaky,' he said. 'You'd think the drug suppliers would use the names of criminal defense attorneys' to be more discreet. Three weeks ago, a state correctional officer called Harris' office as part of an investigation into suspicious mail sent to Corcoran prison in Kings County that listed his firm as the sender, he said. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation declined to comment on the case. It was unclear what the contents of the mail were. Attorneys' names are also used to send other types of drugs, too — not just synthetic marijuana. At Santa Rita in January, as a deputy and his dog scanned envelopes designated as legal mail, the canine alerted the deputy to an envelope. The deputy felt two slight 'bumps' on opposite corners of the envelope, according to court records. Inside was another envelope that contained copies of legal documents. Hidden under small pieces of paper taped to three pages were tiny bags of what turned out to be 18 grams of methamphetamine. The case remains under investigation.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Yahoo
San Leandro home-invasion robbery leads to several arrests
(KRON) — Several arrests have been made following a home-invasion robbery in early May, said the San Leandro Police Department. BART Police K9 tracks down gun a mile from Oakland crime scene SLPD said that its officers responded to the 14700 block of Bancroft Avenue, just after 5 a.m. on May 4, for a report of a home-invasion. Police said that 'two masked suspects broke into the home and forced three victims into a bedroom while they ransacked the rest of the house for electronics and cash.' The duo also stole and later abandoned a 2025 Tesla Model Y vehicle, belonging to one of the victims, according to police. SLPD said detectives assigned to its Crimes Against Persons Unit developed leads to identify the suspects as Isaiah Ruiz-Sandoval, 24, and Isaias Jimenez-Garcia, 20, both of Oakland, and obtain arrest warrants. Police say officers conducted surveillance on Wednesday — with the assistance of an Alameda County Sheriff's Office air unit — as Ruiz-Sandoval and an associate, Julian Solorio, 25, of San Francisco, drove throughout Oakland 'committing multiple auto burglaries of parked vehicles.' Police said the pair took off when officers tried to apprehend them then ditched their car in the 4600 block of Penniman Avenue. Solorio was eventually located and arrested while Ruiz-Sandoval was able to evade capture. Police said Ruiz-Sandoval and another individual, identified as Javier Romero-Flores, 21, of Oakland, was arrested on Thursday — with the help of Alameda County Sheriff's Office deputies and a K-9 unit — after officers interrupted three suspects during a burglary in progress at an occupied residence in the 1400 block of Trojan Avenue. Later Thursday, SLPD said detectives located Jimenez-Garcia, the last wanted suspect of the May 4 home-invasion robbery, in the 2800 block of Baumberg Avenue in Hayward. 'Search warrants were executed at the homes of Ruiz-Sandoval and Jimenez-Garcia, and evidence linking them to the home-invasion robbery was recovered,' said San Leandro police in a news release. 'A case like this showcases how an investigation can quickly develop and branch into other cases involving new suspects,' added Lieutenant Abe Teng of SLPD. 'More importantly, it also affirms the tenacity of our staff and their dedication to bring these suspects to justice.' San Leandro police partnered with the Oakland Police Department and the Alameda County Sheriff's Office in the investigation of these cases. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New York Times
14-04-2025
- New York Times
Little Plastic Bricks Fetch Thousands of Dollars in the Lego Black Market
It's one Lego kit, a collection of small plastic bricks and related accessories. What could it cost? The answer, it turns out, could be thousands of dollars. Lego kits and minifigures, figurines that are a little over 1.5 inches tall, are commanding high prices on the secondary market, with some, like the LEGO San Diego Comic-Con 2013 Spider-Man, valued as high as $16,846. The children's toys have even become something of an investing opportunity for those savvy enough to know what to look for. But with the eye-popping price tags comes a dark side: Lego kits have become a hot commodity on the black market and the target of brazen thieves. Last year, burglars hit Bricks & Minifigs outlets in California. Thieves made off with at least $100,000 worth of Lego kits and accessories. Last month, the Alameda County Sheriff's Office in California recovered nearly 200 Lego sets after arresting a person in connection with a burglary at Crush Comics, a comic book store in Castro Valley, Calif. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
