Crime Reports

SALINAS — Monterey County District Attorney’s Office announced Oct. 18 that Karen Rodriguez, 38, and Elizabeth Vargas, 34, both current residents of Arizona, have been charged with embezzling more than $3 million from Taylor Farms. Rodriguez and Vargas were employed in the Human Resources department...

GREENFIELD — Greenfield Police Department has arrested two individuals following a three-month investigation into fraudulent check cashing. Between Aug. 4 and Sept. 25, King City residents Olivia Pineda Carrazco and Juan Alberto Diaz cashed four fraudulent checks at various businesses in Greenfield. “Our investigation revealed that...

CENTRAL COAST — Utility scams have continued at an alarming rate during 2024, with nearly 15,000 Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) customers reporting more than $334,000 in losses to scammers. The average scam victim lost over $600, and more than 500 customers have reported falling...

GREENFIELD — Greenfield resident Paulo Cesar Alcaraz Ortiz, 27, has been sentenced to 30 years and eight months-to-life in prison after being convicted of first-degree murder for intentionally running over Guadalupe Garcia. On Nov. 16, 2021, Ortiz was in a car stolen from a friend’s...

SOLEDAD — California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officials are investigating the Sept. 30 death of an inmate at Salinas Valley State Prison (SVSP) in Soledad as a homicide. At 10:45 a.m., officers were conducting security rounds and approached a cell occupied by Colin Hebert and Jessie...

MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Agency made a surprise visit to the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office last week, recognizing local deputies for their pivotal role in managing a mass casualty incident on March 3 in King City. The tragic shooting occurred...

SOLEDAD — Soledad Police Department will conduct a driving under the influence (DUI) checkpoint on Friday, Sept. 20, from 6 to 11 p.m. at an undisclosed location within the city of Soledad. DUI checkpoint locations are determined based on data showing incidents of impaired driving-related...

SOLEDAD — Detectives from Soledad Police Department have arrested 34-year-old Main Street Middle School teacher Marina Ramirez Rico for having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old male former student. During an investigation on a different case, a video was located “showing the two engaged in...

CENTRAL COAST — In downtown Salinas on Aug. 19 — joined by several dozen Central Coast elected officials, law enforcement leaders, business owners and local and state lawmakers — Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas championed historic new retail theft laws that will protect business owners,...

MONTEREY COUNTY — In recent weeks, there has been a surge in fraudulent job postings targeting job seekers, announced Monterey County District Attorney’s Office. These deceptive postings lead unsuspecting individuals to fake websites asking them to provide sensitive personal information, including direct deposit details. They...