crime

People playing the popular Scrabble-like digital game 'Words With Friends' are now the target of scammers who prey on unsuspecting people. This scam, along with a resurgence of IRS scams, has come to the attention of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO).

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The public is invited to join El Dorado County Sheriff John D'Agostini as he presents "Criminal Activity: Awareness, Reporting & Prevention" on Tuesday, March 19, 2019 at 1:00 p.m. at the South Lake Tahoe Library.

He will discuss topics the South Shore community is interested in including homelessness, crime trends and the most common financial scams targeting our communities and ways to avoid falling victim to scammers.

In addition, the Sheriff encourages questions from the audience on any other subjects that are of concern.

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - Two decades old murders in the South Lake Tahoe area have been solved using genetic genealogy, identifying a deceased local man as the murderer of two women.

During a El Dorado Cold Case Task Force press conference in Placerville Monday, District Attorney Vern Pierson said Joseph Stephen Holt of South Lake Tahoe and San Jose was responsible for killing Brynn Rainey in 1977 and Carol Ann Andersen in 1979.

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - The El Dorado Hills woman missing since Valentine's Day was found deceased on Wednesday afternoon.

On February 20, 2019, at about 4:30 p.m., the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office (EDSO) was dispatched to a report of an unresponsive female in a vehicle at a local church parking lot. Fire and medical personnel responded and declared the woman deceased upon their arrival.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Multiple residents in South Lake Tahoe have alerted authorities that a scammer has been calling them, pretending to be an employee of the South Lake Tahoe Police Department. Each of the locals called were told a similar story.

A scam to get social security numbers from unsuspecting residents is growing exponentially and losses of $10 million were reported in the last year.

The El Dorado County Sheriff's Office started the S.T.A.R. program (Sheriff’s Team of Active Retirees) in 1994 with volunteers in Placerville and South Lake Tahoe. The volunteers help law enforcement officers, firefighters, and paramedics to ensure public safety, by performing traffic controls and maintaining roadblocks.

GARDNERVILLE, Nev. - A 56-year-old Gardnerville resident was murdered in her home on James Road in the Gardnerville Ranchos and the Douglas County Sheriff's Office (DCSO) is asking all residents to use caution as the murderer remains a threat to the community.

During either the evening of January 9 or the early morning hours of January 10, an unknown suspect entered the home of Connie Koontz and killed her.

"The Sheriff’s Office is asking you to be vigilant in locking all of your doors and windows and report any suspicious activity immediately," said DCSO Undersheriff Ron Elges.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A South Lake Tahoe man is behind bars after being charged with three different burglaries of the Deerfield Lodge and possession of methamphetamines.

31-year-old Johnathan Adam Towne was arrested on December 16 after allegedly stealing $100 worth of towels and coffee pods on November 28 and $300 in sheets, towels, robes and toilet paper on December 8. On December 15 he was caught inside a room by hotel guests where he allegedly was stealing more coffee pods and hotel candy.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIF. - El Dorado County Sheriff's Office responds to calls throughout the county. The following are calls that only pertain to the South and West Shore, including Meyers, South Lake Tahoe, Meeks Bay, Tahoma and the Echo Summit area. There may be some missing calls due to sheriff's logs not being completed at time of story.

Some of those recently added to last week's log:

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The South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) and Douglas County Sheriff's Office (DCSO) Street Enforcement Team have conducted a joint investigation over the last nine months into the trafficking and sales of heroin and methamphetamine in the area.

”Storms Make Trees Take Deeper Roots” – Dolly Parton

We always like to start our organizational releases with a quote to help paint a picture of where things stand.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Each of the nine candidates for City Council have answered the same ten questions given to them by South Tahoe Now. For nine consecutive days the candidate's responses have been shared in the order received.

Today is the ninth and final candidate. Cody Bass gives his responses as he makes his first bid for a seat on the South Lake Tahoe City Council:

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office (DCSO) recently made connections with a senior citizen through their new Caring Neighbors Program. They found the senior had been scammed out of over $34,000 over the past 20 months.

In the program, a deputy and a volunteer visit seniors to obtain needed information such as consent, next of kin and medication information. The information is beneficial in case of a future emergency involving the senior citizen.

What rattles our communities across our nation to their core? Drug abuse. Approximately 100 people each day die from drug overdoses. Whole industries of products and programs are being developed to combat this problem. Every day more grandparents are now “parenting” their grandchildren so they can be raised in a stable and healthy environment. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the abuse of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs is costing our Nation over $740 billion annually in costs related to crime, lost work productivity and health care.

A 52-year-old South Lake Tahoe man was arrested in the area of North Curry and West Spear streets for felony suspicion of third DUI, driving on a revoked license, and following too close, a Carson City sheriff's deputy said.

Ragan Allen Stacey was arrested after deputies responded to a two vehicle crash Saturday evening. Dispatch advised the driver of one of the vehicles was walking away from the crash, and deputies were able to locate him on North Curry Street.

STATELINE, Nev. - Fans of pop star Janet Jackson have been waiting a long time to see her on tour, and after Friday night's concert at the Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harveys they can say it was worth the wait.

Jackson had to put a halt to her 2015 tour and have surgery, then her tour ended again in 2016 after she announced her pregnancy. Now she has hit the road with her long-awaited State of the World Tour.

Five South Lake Tahoe residents have been arrested by the Placer County Sheriff's Office on burglary charges after a Homewood, California home was broken into twice in the past week.

After the first incident on July 24, deputies responded to Sacramento Avenue in Homewood for a reported residential burglary. The burglars had broken into a home and stole numerous items, including a Mercedes Benz that had been parked in the garage.

A major drug ring that stretched from Mexico into El Dorado and Placer Counties and beyond was broken up with the arrest, conviction and sentencing of Francisco Felix, 45, of Mountain House on July 13, 2018.

Felix will be in prison for up to 20 years for his role in leading a large, multi-defendant drug-trafficking conspiracy that moved significant quantities of methamphetamine from Mexico into California and throughout the United States, and that controlled at least three large marijuana grows in the Central Valley of California, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

A day on the lake is a dream come true for many, but for two South Lake Tahoe Police Department officers it's another day at the office. As they navigate Lake Tahoe they are looking for speeders, unsafe practices, life vests, drunk boaters and boat registrations, as well as responding to life threatening crashes and drownings.

"It's our little city out here," explained Steve O'Brien who has manned the South Lake Tahoe police boat for 17 summers.

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office is looking for the young person responsible for causing damage at Pau Wa Lu Middle School in the Gardnerville Ranchos on June 25 at around 5:00 p.m.

The suspect is male, between 9-12 years of age with dark, collar length hair. At the time of the crime he was wearing a blue tee shirt, dark shorts and light colored athletic shoes.

What appears to be blue spray paint was found on various areas, including doors and windows throughout the inside and outside of the campus. An employee’s laptop was also spray painted beyond repair.

The South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) continues to investigate the homicide of a South Lake Tahoe man that occurred on June 11 on the 3600 block of Spruce Avenue.

62-year-old Gregory Mitchoff of South Lake Tahoe was found in the 3600 block of Spruce Avenue in South Lake Tahoe by police responding to a report of gunshots heard at 9:30 p.m. that evening. He later died at the hospital.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - One man is behind bars and another at Renown Medical Center with life threatening injuries after an altercation Monday between roommates at a Stateline area motel.

At 12:30 p.m. on May 28, officers from the South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) responded to a report of a stabbing at the Mark Twain Motel at 947 Park Avenue. Upon arrival they found a 23-year-old man who had recently moved to South Lake Tahoe with numerous life threatening wounds to his head and leg.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIF. - El Dorado County Sheriff's Office responds to calls throughout the county. The following are calls that only pertain to the South Shore. There may be some missing calls due to sheriff's logs not being completed at time of story.

Some of those recently added to last week's log:

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