Crime Reports

MONTEREY COUNTY — Over the past two weeks, multiple agricultural businesses in Monterey County have been targeted by a wave of burglaries, resulting in the theft of valuable equipment. The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office Ag Crimes Unit has been actively investigating these incidents, leading to...

MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County District Attorney’s Office is warning residents of scammers impersonating law enforcement. “Fraudsters may try to trick unsuspecting victims into providing their personal information or sending money by pretending to be law enforcement agents or representatives of other government agencies,” according...

SOLEDAD — California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) officials are investigating an attempted homicide at Salinas Valley State Prison (SVSP) after a use-of-force incident. On July 12, at 9:37 a.m., SVSP staff in a recreation yard observed two inmates striking another inmate with manufactured...

GREENFIELD — A Monterey County Jury has found Paulo Cesar Alcaraz Ortiz, 27, of Greenfield, guilty of first-degree murder for intentionally running over Guadalupe Garcia. Judge Andrew Liu will sentence Ortiz, who is facing more than 25 years to life in prison, on Sept. 4. On...

GREENFIELD — South Monterey County faced an unexpected challenge in the heart of a warm summer afternoon Tuesday. Around 2 p.m. on July 23, the usually tranquil fields near Greenfield were suddenly ablaze as a fire broke out on Metz Road. Fueled by strong winds,...

SOLEDAD — SPCA Monterey County is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person who shot a cat in Soledad. On July 4, a Good Samaritan found the young brown tabby cat on Crestfield Street, near Soledad High...

SOLEDAD — An armed robbery at the Soledad Valley Liquors store on Front Street on Wednesday night led to the apprehension of three suspects, including two minors. On July 10, Soledad officers were dispatched to the liquor store following a report of an armed robbery...

GONZALES — Monterey County District Attorney’s Office announced June 25 that a jury found Jose Omar Soto Velasquez of Gonzales guilty of felony domestic violence and dissuading or intimidating a witness. Velasquez and Jane Doe had been dating approximately one year and lived together for...

GREENFIELD — A Greenfield patrol officer observed a vehicle driving unsafely on July 6 at about 9:30 p.m.  The officer initiated a traffic stop, but the driver fled, traveling half a mile at about 20 mph. After stopping, the driver — Manuel Soto, 33, of...

GONZALES — A Gonzales man was sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison after he was found guilty of stabbing animals inside a school property in February 2023, Monterey County prosecutors said. Jose Jesse Marquez, 31, was handed a jail term of 19 years and...