district attorney
Douglas County DA gets dismissal of OSHA violations surrounding Trump visit
Submitted by paula on Wed, 12/16/2020 - 7:25pm
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - Two citations issued by the state after President Trump's September 12, 2020 visit have been dismissed. They were both issued following his visit at the Minden-Tahoe Airport since the visit was during Governor Sisolak's emergency order that prohibited public gatherings of more than 50 people.
The State of Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Nevada OSHA) has agreed to dismiss the two citations after they were formerly contested by the Douglas County District Attorney who represented both parties charge, the County and ABS Aviation, Inc.
El Dorado County Sheriff's Report
Submitted by paula on Sun, 10/18/2020 - 4:05pm
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 the time of the story.
Last Week's Log: http://southtahoenow.com/story/10/11/2020/el-dorado-county-sheriffs-report
This Week's Log:
10/11
Douglas County Commissioners to possibly vote on new VHR regulations for Lake Tahoe
Submitted by paula on Sun, 10/11/2020 - 1:25pm
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - During their Thursday, October 15 meeting, the Douglas County commissioners will hear a presentation about the work done by an appointed task force about vacation home rentals (VHRs) in Tahoe Township. The agenda item is listed as having possible action by the commissioners.
Batten sentenced 26 years to life for his part in South Lake Tahoe murder
Submitted by paula on Fri, 10/02/2020 - 11:04pm
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - He was the star running back of Benicia High School before graduating in 2015. He led the Panthers with 901 rushing yards and 15 total touchdowns his senior year and was named their Most Valuable Offensive Player.
Less than one year later he was in South Lake Tahoe with a group of men accused of fatally shooting Dennis "Spike" Wright, Jr. over a drug deal at the Beverly Lodge.
Investigation underway after man dies when deputies attempt to assist medics
Submitted by paula on Mon, 09/14/2020 - 1:08pm
EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - Just before 9:00 p.m. on September 12, deputies from the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office (EDSO) were called to a residence on Rainbow Ridge in Placerville. El Dorado County Fire paramedics were reportedly having difficulty getting a combative patient to a hospital.
When deputies arrived on scene they contacted the medics and 49-year-old Odie Prettyman. The man was in obvious medical and mental distress but refused to be transported by medics, according to EDSO Sgt. Anthony Prencipe.
El Dorado County DA joins others in letter to the NFL about Stephon Clark's Legacy ad
Submitted by paula on Tue, 08/04/2020 - 5:40pm
The California District Attorneys Association today asked NFL Commissioner Roger
Goodell to pull a video produced by the league as part of its new Inspire Change campaign because it “misrepresents the facts” of the officer involved shooting death of Sacramento resident Stephon Clark in 2018.
South Lake Tahoe man sentenced to 26 years in prison for multiple counts of child molestation
Submitted by paula on Mon, 07/13/2020 - 11:27am
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A South Lake Tahoe man who was found guilty on four counts of felony child molestation has been sentenced to 26 years in state prison.
A jury found John Robert Garcia, 45, guilty back in December 2019 and he was scheduled to be sentenced in April. Due to social distancing requirements and COVID-19, that was held off until June 26. Judge Dylan Sullivan conducted the sentencing utilizing remote video conferencing.
Some El Dorado County buildings closed due to snow; Courts still open
Submitted by paula on Mon, 03/16/2020 - 11:51am
EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - Many El Dorado County offices in South Lake Tahoe and other areas are closed Monday due to snow.
El Dorado County officials have closed the following buildings due to weather conditions:
Planning and Building
Environmental Management and Union Mine Disposal Site
Department of Transportation (other than road and snow crew)
Airports, Cemeteries, Parks
District Attorney
County Counsel
Child Support Services
Auditor
CAO's office
Human Resources
Assessor
Surveyor
Elections
Solano County man found guilty of murder and robbery by South Lake Tahoe jury
Submitted by paula on Tue, 02/25/2020 - 11:27pm
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A jury of seven men and five women took just 80 minutes on Tuesday to find Dion Jermaine Vacarro guilty of murdering Dennis "Spike" Wright, Jr. in South Lake Tahoe on January 30, 2016.
El Dorado County's 100 top paid employees
Submitted by paula on Fri, 02/14/2020 - 11:21pm
EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - Auditor-Controller Joe Harn has updated the list of the County’s 100 highest compensated employees for the calendar year 2019.
DNA proves innocence of man convicted of El Dorado County murder
Submitted by paula on Thu, 02/13/2020 - 11:00pm
EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - A man who was facing life in prison after being convicted in 2005 for a murder that authorities now know he did not commit, is now heading home a free man. Ricky Leo Davis, now 54, was 20-years-old when a friend of his mother, 54-year-old Jane Hylton, was brutally murdered in their El Dorado Hills home in 1985.
On July 7, 1985, Davis and his 19-year-old live-in girlfriend, Connie Dahl, called law enforcement, saying they were at a party in Cameron Park and returned home to find Hylton murdered.
Surprise during South Lake Tahoe murder trial
Submitted by paula on Thu, 02/13/2020 - 9:36pm
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - In a surprise move on Thursday during the murder trial of Dion Jermaine Vacarro in South Lake Tahoe, the man who had previously pleaded guilty in the same case in exchange for a lighter sentence changed his mind.
Illegal tow practices being investigated by South Lake Tahoe police
Submitted by paula on Tue, 02/11/2020 - 9:29pm
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) and the El Dorado County District Attorney Vern Pierson are investigating possible illegal and improper predatory towing practices.
SLTPD has received several informal complaints from the public about the possible illegal tow practices that involve cars removed from private parking areas near the Heavenly Village in South Lake Tahoe.
The complains involve a tow company improperly holding stored vehicles longer than necessary, thus adding extra storage fees to the vehicle's owner.
Fours years after man killed in South Lake Tahoe over pot deal, one trial begins
Submitted by paula on Fri, 02/07/2020 - 1:45am
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - It was a snowy night on January 30, 2016, when Dennis Wright, Jr. brought at least 100 pounds of pot to the Beverly Lodge on Lake Tahoe Boulevard to sell to an interested party. Wright, who was better known as Spike, never made it back to his home in River Pines, Amador County that night. Instead, he was shot and killed at about 7:45 p.m. in the parking lot of the motel.
Jury finds South Lake Tahoe man guilty of multiple counts of child molestation
Submitted by paula on Thu, 01/30/2020 - 11:45am
A South Lake Tahoe man has been found guilty on four counts of felony child molestation which included one count of Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child under 14, two counts of Lewd and Lascivious Acts upon a Child under 14, and one count of Forcible Lewd Act upon a Child under 14.
John Robert Garcia, 45, was arrested in April 2019 after a five-month-long investigation by the South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) and El Dorado County District Attorney's Office.
Charges to be filed against driver involved in deadly tanker crash in South Lake Tahoe
Submitted by paula on Tue, 12/24/2019 - 9:21am
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The driver of a Prius involved in a deadly tanker crash on US50 near South Lake Tahoe will be charged with a single count of misdemeanor manslaughter.
Three arrested on manslaughter charges after death of special-needs student in El Dorado County
Submitted by paula on Wed, 11/13/2019 - 12:16am
EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - Involuntary manslaughter charges will be filed by the El Dorado County District Attorney against three former Guiding Hands School employees and the school for their alleged part in the death of a special-needs student at the school on November 28, 2018.
Cindy Ann Keller, 59, Starranne Meyers, 60, and Kimberly Dan Wohlwend, 37, were all arrested and booked on charges of felony involuntary manslaughter charges on Sunday, November 10. All three were released the same day.
Grand Jury indicts four men at forefront of marijuana grows linked to El Dorado County deputy's killing
Submitted by paula on Thu, 11/07/2019 - 6:08pm
As soon as word spread that El Dorado County Deputy Brian Ishmael was shot and killed in the line of duty on October 23, multiple federal agencies were mobilized and went to work to not only find out who was directly responsible for the death, but also to uncover those in charge of the illegal marijuana grows at the forefront of the case.
School and building closures Monday on West Slope of El Dorado County
Submitted by paula on Sun, 10/27/2019 - 11:44pm
EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - The PG&E power shutdown has prompted County officials to close several departments. The following County departments will be closed Monday, October 28, 2019 due to power outages:
Agriculture
Airports in Georgetown and Placerville
Building A
HHSA - Briw Road Campus
HHSA - Spring Street Campus
HHSA - Veterans Hall
Placerville Jail
Libraries (Cameron Park, Georgetown, Placerville, Pollock Pines)
Parks
Union Mine Facility
Probation
Child Support Services
Public Defender
District Attorney
DA to Gov. Newsom: Science, not partisan politics, should guide our reaction to gun violence
Submitted by paula on Mon, 08/05/2019 - 5:26pm
In the wake of more senseless violence in our country, we see our politicians taking their now familiar position on their soapboxes to lament their party opponents’ inaction. We need less grandstanding and more real response. While California Governor Gavin Newsom is busy pointing fingers, AB 1722 – an assembly bill based on science and focused on preventing gun violence – languishes in the Appropriations Committee.
No charges being filed in Douglas County Commissioner altercation at Lake Tahoe
Submitted by paula on Wed, 07/03/2019 - 11:20am
There will be no criminal charges filed relating to the altercation between Douglas County Commission Chairman Barry Penzel and Commissioner John Engels during their May 16 in Lake Tahoe.
South Lake Tahoe jury finds local man guilty of attempted murder
Submitted by paula on Mon, 07/01/2019 - 9:41pm
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Ariel Mendoza Arce was found guilty of attempted murder by a South Lake Tahoe jury on June 26, 2019.
On August 13, 2018 at 2:40 a.m., four nurses from Reno staying in a hotel in the Heavenly Village area heard a woman screaming for help. When the nurses went to investigate the screams they witnessed Arce viciously attacking a woman by punching her, kicking her, and stomping on her head.
Fatal DUI suspect makes Douglas County court appearance
Submitted by paula on Tue, 06/18/2019 - 4:29pm
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - The man accused of causing the death of Carson City resident Hugo Parra-Solis was in Tahoe Township Court on Tuesday.
Dressed in his jail-issued jumpsuit and shoes, the chained Jerrad Dominguez appeared in front of visiting Judge Nancy Oesterle. He does not have an attorney and told the judge he was trying to secure a Nevada attorney. Due to a lack of counsel, Dominguez did not enter any pleas.
Cold case task force continues to investigate Joseph Holt; Asks for public's help
Submitted by paula on Mon, 06/10/2019 - 8:22pm
The El Dorado County Cold Case Task Force continues their investigation into Joseph Holt to see if he is responsible for other unsolved crimes. They are asking for the public's help in identifying any crimes they may have witnessed or been victims of that may be associated with Joseph Holt.
Police pursuit of South Lake Tahoe man caught on film in Sacramento
Submitted by paula on Wed, 05/22/2019 - 10:49am
1:00 PM UPDATE: More information has been released in the arrest of Christopher Wadstein in Sacramento. Police found almost a pound of methamphetamine in the fire after his truck burst into flames.
Wadstein is a long time South Lake Tahoe resident with arrests dating back to his teenage years. Lt. Shannon Laney said their first file on him was in 2001. His previous convictions range from drugs and vandalism to kidnapping and weapons
charges. He is also believed to be a skinhead white supremacist prison gang member according to SLTPD.
Council approves new officers for South Lake Tahoe Police Department
Submitted by paula on Tue, 05/21/2019 - 11:14pm
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The current staffing level of the South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) is 30 authorized, sworn officers, and even with this low number they are rarely at full staffing. During the summer of 2018, the department handled an average of 99 calls per day and had 196 incidents where no officer was available to respond immediately, and about 15 times a day they told callers to 911 the officer would be delayed.
Man who led police on pursuit into Nevada now a suspect in three murders
Submitted by paula on Sat, 04/27/2019 - 7:36pm
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - The suspect arrested in Douglas County after engaging law enforcement in gunfire after a pursuit Friday night is now the suspect in three Bay Area homicides.
Stefon Jefferson, a 43-year-old man from the San Francisco area, started Friday off by allegedly fatally shooting a man in Oakland at 10:14 a.m., another in San Francisco at 1:27 p.m. and a third in Berkeley at 2:40 p.m.
Kudos: Drug Store Project appreciates help from the community
Submitted by paula on Tue, 04/02/2019 - 9:28pm
Tahoe is a glorious place. Most of us come here to live in its beauty, but it’s the “community” that keeps so many of us here. It’s that sense of doing good for one another that keeps many of us hopeful about the future. I’m happily involved in different aspects of our community and that part of my life is why I feel so grateful and blessed. Tuesday’s Drug Store Project for our sixth-grade youth was a testament to the compassion and dedication of our agencies, businesses, service clubs, and community members for the good of its people.
16th annual Drug Store Project in South Lake Tahoe
Submitted by paula on Mon, 04/01/2019 - 7:22pm
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - On Tuesday, April 2, 325 6th graders from South Tahoe Middle School, Zephyr Cove Elementary School and home-schooled youth, will spend the day at Lake Tahoe Community College going through the 16th annual Drug Store Project.
Since 2004, middle school students in the Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) have gone through the Drug Store Project (DSP), a day-long comprehensive drug prevention program designed to educate youth about the dangers of substance use and abuse.
Two South Lake Tahoe cold cases solved with genetic genealogy
Submitted by paula on Mon, 02/25/2019 - 11:05pm
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.
Man who led officer and K9 on chase through snow sentenced to 4 years in prison
Submitted by paula on Wed, 02/13/2019 - 7:05am
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. Dylan Matthew Pettigrew was recently sentenced to four years in prison after being found guilty of First Degree Burglary.
South Lake Tahoe man spending year in jail after making criminal threats against his mother
Submitted by paula on Wed, 02/13/2019 - 7:00am
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Wilbert Christopher Holt pleaded guilty in the South Lake Tahoe Superior Court on January 28, 2019, to Criminal Threats with a Deadly Weapon.
A month prior, Holt was highly intoxicated when he threatened his mother with a knife. He held a knife in his hand in the open position and told his mother he would "cut her." He then warned her not to call the police.
38 years after skull is found, Jane Doe has a name
Submitted by paula on Mon, 02/11/2019 - 9:26pm
EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - On March 22, 1974, Nancy Webster, 37, and her daughter, 19-year-old Rebecca Dinkel were seen at a café in the Garden Valley area of El Dorado County.
They left the cafe shortly after Nancy received a threatening phone call from her abusive, common-law husband, Clifton Mahaney.
It was the last time anyone saw either one of them alive.
Community gives thanks to Douglas County Sheriff's and District Attorney's offices
Submitted by paula on Fri, 02/01/2019 - 7:38pm
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - After the recent tragic events in Douglas County, members of the community thought it would be nice to thank the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and the District Attorney’s Office for all their hard work and dedication after the murders and accidental deaths.
Murder charges filed against Martinez-Guzman; Timeline of crimes revealed
Submitted by paula on Mon, 01/28/2019 - 4:53pm
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - Murder suspect Wilbur Ernesto Martinez-Guzman will be tried jointly in Reno, Nevada by both the Douglas County and Washoe County district attorneys in what could be a landmark case.
During a joint press conference Monday, the DAs from both counties outlined their case against Martinez-Guzam for the murders of Connie Koontz, Sophia Renken, Gerald David and Sharon David.
Suspect in all four Northern Nevada murders in custody
Submitted by paula on Sun, 01/20/2019 - 2:47pm
UPDATE 1/23/19 - The suspect in the quadruple murder in Northern Nevada was in the country illegally from El Salvador when he was arrested on January 19, 2019. Tips received by law enforcement led them to Wilbur Ernesto Martinez-Guzman, and as they built a murder case they started to tail him. Immigration officials were unaware of Martinez-Guzman until those tips came in.
Officials did not want to lose the suspect and arrested him on immigration charges as the investigation continued and the murder case developed.
El Dorado County's newly-elected officials sworn in
Submitted by paula on Tue, 01/08/2019 - 12:02am
Two El Dorado County Supervisors and eight other elected officials were sworn into office on Monday, January 7 during a ceremony in the Board of Supervisors meeting room in Placerville.
El Dorado County Superior Court Presiding Judge Suzanne N. Kingsbury administered the oath.
Board of Supervisors who took the oath of office were Lori Parlin, who was elected to represent District 4, and Sue Novasel, who was re-elected to represent District 5. It was a historic moment since, for the first time in El Dorado County the majority of the Board of Supervisors is comprised of women
Public memorial for Judge Terrence Finney in South Lake Tahoe Friday
Submitted by paula on Thu, 01/03/2019 - 10:58am
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A public memorial for the first superior court judge in the community, the Honorable Terrence M. Finney, will be held on Friday, January 4, 2019 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in Department 3 of the South Lake Tahoe courthouse.
Finney passed away on November 7, 2018 at the age of 84.
South Lake Tahoe pair off to prison after abusing their two young children
Submitted by paula on Fri, 12/07/2018 - 3:56pm
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Danielle McGlothin and Lance Logan are heading to state prison after being sentenced for abusing their two young children, ages one and three.
On October 19, 2017, staff at the 3 Peaks Resort in South Lake Tahoe discovered two small children without clothes on, roaming the parking lot unattended. Staff attempted to return the boys to their parents after the kids were almost hit by a car. The parents, McGlothin and Logan, appeared to the staff to be under the influence of drugs and police were called.
Convicted El Dorado County puppy broker gets another 240 days in jail
Submitted by paula on Tue, 11/13/2018 - 12:10pm
An El Dorado Hills woman who was convicted of felony animal cruelty charges in 2016 has been sentenced to an additional 240 days of jail time for violating the conditions of her felony probation. The jail sentence was handed down in El Dorado County Superior Court on November 9, 2018.
Ginger Turk, 48, a puppy broker, has had many run-ins with the law over the years due to her illegal practice of importing tiny, under-aged, un-weaned, high-priced ($4,000+) puppies from South Korea and selling them over the internet and in person.
Letter: It's time to vote for Tamara Wallace
Submitted by paula on Sat, 11/03/2018 - 1:04am
Dear Citizens of South Lake Tahoe,
Two new judges for El Dorado County Superior Court
Submitted by paula on Thu, 10/25/2018 - 11:28am
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Two attorneys with local ties will soon be sworn in as El Dorado County superior court judges, filling a gap that brought in visiting judges to local courts for over a year.
Mike McLaughlin, partner at Feldman McLaughlin Thiel LLP, will become the new judge of Department 4 in South Lake Tahoe, and Jamie Pesce, a deputy district attorney, will be assigned to family law in Department 5 of the local court system, located in the main Courthouse in Placerville.
Meet the Candidate: Devin Middlebrook says transparency and trust are his key pillars
Submitted by paula on Tue, 10/02/2018 - 8:14am
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Each of the nine candidates for City Council answered the same ten questions that were given to them by South Tahoe Now. For nine consecutive days the candidate's responses will be shared in the order received.
Today, the first-time candidate Devin Middlebrook gives his responses as he seeks a seat on the South Lake Tahoe City Council:
South Lake Tahoe man headed to prison after drug arrest leads to discovery of chlld porn
Submitted by paula on Sat, 09/29/2018 - 1:37am
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A 28-year-old local man will be spending the next 16 months in state prison after being convicted of Felony Possession of Child Pornography.
Humane Society ex-director pleads guilty to embezzlement charges
Submitted by paula on Mon, 09/24/2018 - 9:00pm
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Nicola (Niki) Congero, 50, the former executive director of the Lake Tahoe Humane Society (LTHS), pleaded guilty Monday to felony embezzlement for using almost $60,000 of Humane Society money for her own personal purposes.
El Dorado County Sheriff's Report
Submitted by paula on Mon, 09/24/2018 - 12:17am
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:
9/12
November ballot filling up: Nine candidates for South Lake Tahoe City Council
Submitted by paula on Sat, 08/11/2018 - 12:45am
This story has been updated to include Lake Tahoe Community College Board of Trustees candidates.
Nine South Lake Tahoe residents have qualified to run in November and thrown in their hats for three open seats on City Council.
The three incumbents, Mayor Wendy David, Mayor Pro Tem Tom Davis and Councilman Austin Sass will all be running for reelection. They will be joined by some veterans of local politics as well as newcomers.
Former Lake Tahoe Humane Society director arrested on embezzlement charges
Submitted by paula on Wed, 08/01/2018 - 11:45am
Detectives from the South Lake Tahoe Police Department flew to Tennessee overnight to arrest Nicola "Niki" Congero, the former executive director of Lake Tahoe Humane Society.
Congero, 50, was arrested without incident on the morning of Wednesday, August 1 and booked into the Knoxville jail on charges of embezzling approximately $60,000 from the South Lake Tahoe based non-profit. She is being held there on $200,000 bail and is currently awaiting extradition.
7-11 beer robber found guilty by South Lake Tahoe jury
Submitted by paula on Tue, 07/10/2018 - 8:03am
The man responsible for stealing beer from a South Lake Tahoe 7-11 was found guilty of Second Degree Robbery by a jury on July 3.
Final results from El Dorado County election
Submitted by paula on Mon, 06/25/2018 - 11:18pm
The El Dorado County Elections office has released their final tally of the ballots from the June 5, 2018 election.
Here are the results:
County Supervisor, 5th District
Novasel and Curtzwiler will face off in November
JEFFREY SPENCER 1149 16.74%
NORMA SANTIAGO 954 13.90%
KENNY CURTZWILER 2217 32.31%
SUE NOVASEL 2524 36.78%
County Supervisor, 4th District
Ranalli and Parlin will face off in November
LORI PARLIN 4564 37.97%
BOGDAN AMBROZEWICZ 1494 12.43%
MICHAEL RANALLI 5946 49.46%
County Auditor-Controller
Harn wins
