Crime Reports

SALINAS VALLEY — Three Norteño gang members have been ordered to stand trial on dozens of charges connected to two mass-casualty shootings that devastated South Monterey County in early 2024, according to the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office. District Attorney Jeannine Pacioni announced Nov. 13...

GREENFIELD — Greenfield Police Department was alerted by the Flock Automatic License Plate Reader (ALPR) system of a stolen vehicle traveling toward Greenfield on Nov. 5. Officers located the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop on southbound Highway 101 near Espinoza Road, where the three...

SALINAS VALLEY — A new nonprofit organization, Holding on to Hope, has been formed to bring a Family Justice Center to Salinas, a place where survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, elder abuse and human trafficking can find help and healing under...

GREENFIELD — Greenfield resident Ilda Sanchez, 53, was sentenced Oct. 30 for committing welfare fraud, according to the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office. Sanchez was placed on a two-year felony probation and was ordered to serve 180 days in county jail as part of the...

SOLEDAD — A 59-year-old Soledad man was arrested Wednesday morning after allegedly robbing a Mechanics Bank branch and attempting to flee north on Highway 101, according to Soledad Police Department. In a news release, Soledad Police said officers were dispatched around 9:22 a.m. after a...

MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County Sheriff’s Office has been awarded a $75,000 grant from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) to reduce alcohol-related harm in the community. “This initiative is essential to improving youth safety and giving law enforcement the tools needed to...

SOLEDAD — California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) officials are investigating the Oct. 14 death of an incarcerated person at Salinas Valley State Prison (SVSP) in Soledad as a homicide. At about 5:15 p.m., staff observed Orlando Ochoa assaulting Israel Mendoza and responded by utilizing chemical...

SOLEDAD — Soledad Police Chief Patrick Valenzuela recently announced that Lt. Juan Santiago has successfully graduated from the 295th session of the FBI National Academy. The graduation ceremony was held at the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va., on Sept. 4. Santiago is only the...

GREENFIELD — Several community members in Greenfield had their catalytic converters stolen overnight on Oct. 14, according to Greenfield Police Department. Similar thefts were also reported in other South Monterey County cities, including Soledad and King City. A catalytic converter is part of a vehicle’s exhaust...

MONTEREY COUNTY — In light of recent reports of pets being abandoned during challenging times, both Hitchcock Road Animal Services and SPCA Monterey County are joining messages to remind all pet owners that dumping or abandoning animals is both illegal and inhumane. California law explicitly...