department

Human Trafficking is the trade of humans for the purpose of forced labor, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others; a modern day form of slavery. It is a multi-billion dollar criminal industry that denies freedom to 20.9 million people around the world

And its happening outside our door.

A new team of South Lake Tahoe residents is being recruited to take part in the next South Tahoe Action Team (STAT) training session. This program is designed to incorporate trained citizens in the field with the South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR) and other first responders during times of crisis.

The next four-week session starts on Monday, February 5, 2018 and there are still spots available in the free program. They meet on Mondays at 5:30 p.m. at the SLTFR Training Center next to the Boys & Girls Club at 1100 Lyons Avenue.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE CALIF. - A 35-year-old California man was arrested in South Lake Tahoe Wednesday morning after he allegedly stole a vehicle in Reno, Nevada.

Raheem Ahmed Hanif, from Rodeo, California, was allegedly inside a 2017 Jeep Renegade when the Lithia Jeep dealer in Reno opened for business on January 31. Hanif then drove the car off the lot when the nighttime barriers were removed according to Officer Michael E. Brown of the California Highway Patrol (CHP) in South Lake Tahoe.

It is a story about drugs.
It is a story about money.
It is a story about murder.
And it is a story about justice.

A former motel maintenance worker at a South Lake Tahoe motel has been sentenced to 183 years to life for the brutal sexual assault of a 22-year-old Macedonian exchange student in 2015.

Manuel Ovidio Ramos-Munoz was found guilty in November, 2017 on seven felony counts, including kidnapping for the purpose of committing a sexual assault, as well as six additional counts and numerous special allegations relating to the subsequent sexual assault of the victim.

An overflowing crowd of family, friends and community members filled the City Council chambers Monday as South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue held their 5th annual awards ceremony.

The staff was honored for their service doing a job that protects the lives, homes and environment of the South Lake Tahoe community and its visitors.

"Your recognition is well deserved, and well earned," said Mayor Wendy David.

SLTFR Fire Chief Jeff Meston led the ceremony which honored the following:

Firefighter/Medic of the Year: Dustin Winter
Dispatcher of the Year: Jillian Gard

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIF -A transient man is behind bars this evening after allegedly stabbing a 27-year-old man at the South Y Transit center.

At 5:33 p.m. Saturday, officers from the South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) responded to a call of a stabbing at the corner of Lake Tahoe Blvd and Emerald Bay Road.

Upon arrival they found Kiefer Chriss, 57, being held down on the ground by some Good Samaritans and a 27-year-old male stabbing victim.

Officials from the Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) are warning residents that an individual or company is making phone calls and/or going to homes in our area and offering tutoring services.

The fake tutors are telling families that their child's school sent them. In return for the services they are asking for credit card numbers or cash.

According to the South Lake Tahoe Police Department, a woman by the name of Marycarmen Estrada has contacted at least one local family to provide tutoring services.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIF. - A violation of a restraining order in South Lake Tahoe Monday afternoon led to an hours-long standoff, closed off neighborhoods and subsequent arrest of a man with a long history of violence.

On Monday, January 22, at about 4:30 p.m., the South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) received a call that Brandon Bannowski, 25, had violated a Restraining Order and allegedly entered the home of his ex-girlfriend, threatened her with a baseball bat and choked her.

January is National Radon Action Month and the cold winter months are the best time to test for this radioactive gas. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is offering free test kits to households in California throughout the month of January, or until supplies run out.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE - The following is a recap of activity the South Lake Tahoe Police Department responded to 531 calls between December 21, 2017 - January 3, 2018.

Calls Resulting in Arrests/Citations:

12/21 - 28 total calls

No Arrests

12/22 - 33 total calls

Unlicensed Driver at Palmira and River Rd
Driving on a suspended or revoked license on Elva Ct

12/23 - 37 total calls

DUI at Black Bart and Pioneer Trail
Unlicensed Driver at Glenwood Way and Blackwood Rd
DUI at Lake Tahoe Blvd and San Francisco Ave

Scammers have been making money for years by convincing their victims to send money for a variety of reasons including promised prizes, loans, jobs, discounted products or other financial rewards in exchange for money upfront. At times the scammers even pretend to be family members in need of cash or law enforcement officers demanding payment. The scammers told people to send money through Western Union. No one received the cash, prizes or services they were promised, and before now there was no way to get their money back.

Two suspects are being sought for battering an 89-year-old man at Walgreen's in Gardnerville on Christmas Eve at approximately 7:30 p.m.

The suspects were driving a black Dodge pickup truck with unknown license plates. One of the suspects is described as a Causasian male 20-30 years old with a beard.

The elderly victim initially declined to report the incident but recently came forward and is working with Douglas County Sheriff's Office (DCSO) to find the pair.

DCSO has information that a female filmed the incident on a cell phone.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIF. - A man from Northern California is recovering after suffering from a medical condition that caused him to crash his Chevy Silverado pickup into a tree Sunday morning in South Lake Tahoe.

At 9:12 a.m. January 7, emergency crews responded to the crash site on Pioneer Trail near Needle Peak Road. South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue had to extricate the unidentified man from the truck.

The man, who is in his mid-40s, was alone in the truck when he had a seizure. Witnesses reported seeing the driver attempt to pull his truck off the roadway prior to the crash.

Have you had your flu shot yet? This might be the time to get it if not as the flu bug has made its way across the county. Health departments in Carson City, Douglas and Lyon counties are reporting many more cases of influenza this year than the same time last year, and Washoe County residents are being hit hard.

Snow was hard to find Wednesday during the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) first measurement of the snowpack in the Sierra Nevada this winter.

Snowpack is off to a slow start, with just 3 percent of average found at Phillips Station, The measurement January 3 revealed a snow water equivalent (SWE) of 0.4 inches. The average is 11.3 inches in early January at Phillips, as measured there since 1964. It's elevation is 6,873 feet and located at the intersection of Highway 50 and Sierra-at-Tahoe Road.

In a three-hour period on Tuesday, January 2, 2018, three vehicle burglaries occurred along Highway 50 in South Lake Tahoe, one each at IHOP, Denny's and the Stateline Raley's.

All burglaries were a smash and grab where the perpetrator(s) broke the vehicle's windows and grabbed valuables from inside the cars.

The South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) reminds everyone to not leave valuables in their vehicle, and to also keep eyes open and report suspicious activity. Also, keep homes and vehicles locked at all times.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE - The following is a recap of activity the South Lake Tahoe Police Department responded to 198 calls between December 13 - 20, 2017.

Calls Resulting in Arrests/Citations:

12/13 - 18 total calls
Warrant in the 1000 block of Johnson Blvd

12/14 - 21 total calls
Unlicensed Driver in the 1000 block of Al Tahoe Blvd

12/15 - 23 total calls
Warrant in the 1000 block of Chonokis Rd
DUI in the 1000 block of Glenwood Way
Trespassing in the 800 block of Michael Dr

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIF. - Fans of electronic music have flocked to South Lake Tahoe for the annual SnowGlobe outdoor music festival held December 29-31 at, one the Community Fields. The predominately under-30 crowd come from colleges and communities hundreds and even thousands of miles away to enjoy a specially gathered group of top artists in the electronic dance music (EDM) field.

Along with the fun though comes issues common at most music festivals: noise, trash, underage drinking and drugs.

For the past week, South Lake Tahoe's homeless have been able to get out of the cold at the Lake Tahoe Community Presbyterian Church, but come January 1 they will be moving into their new home.

The Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless will open their warm room at 1195 Rufus Allen Blvd, the City owned property that once housed Unity at the Lake. Their operations will begin at 7:00 p.m. The will be open daily from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 a.m. until April 1, 2018.

Kirkwood Mountain Resort has been fined $754,732 after their snow removal practices resulted in asphalt pavement grindings to get into drainages that flow into Kirkwood Creek and Kirkwood Meadows during the winter of 2015-16.

The financial settlement was with the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board over the alleged violations of the federal Clean Water Act, the Board announced on December 28.

For 37 years, Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District (TDFPD) Battalion Chief Rich Nalder has served the community, and now, he's retiring.

Nalder’s service to the Lake Tahoe community began in 1980 and he soon became instrumental in the design and implementation of TDFPD Special Service programs such as rope rescue, confined space and water rescue.

With the new year just around the corner, the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is reminding the public of several new laws or changes to existing law that, unless otherwise noted, take effect January 1, 2018.

Mental Health issues in communities where they have operations will be the focus of a new charitable fund created by Vail's Chief Executive Officer Rob Katz and his wife, Elana Amsterdam.

Katz and Amsterdam created the new charitable fund in October 2017 with funding of approximately $58 million.