530 Crime Watch: Wrestling coach arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting student
Feb. 27
Central Valley wrestling coach arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting student
Central Valley High School's head wrestling coach has been arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting at least one student over the past two years, deputies announced Thursday.
Sgt. Kyle Wallace with the Shasta County Sheriff's Office said deputies got a tip Monday about the case.
The coach, 27-year-old Stephen Reed, was immediately suspended from his job, then interviewed by detectives Thursday, Wallace said.
Wallace said Reed confessed to all the allegations.
Reed was arrested on suspicion of eight counts of statutory rape, four counts of annoying or molesting a child, six counts of sexual assault with a foreign object on a minor, six counts of oral copulation on a minor, one count of sending lewd material to a minor, one count of possessing child porn and two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Asked for the number of accusers, Wallace said there was at least one but could not disclose whether there were more to preserve the integrity of the investigation. He declined to provide the age of the accuser or age range of the accusers.
He said Friday that additional accusations had been made against Reed since the sheriff's office announced his arrest Thursday night.
Reed is being held on $1,027,000 bail. He is expected to be arraigned next week.
The sheriff's major crimes unit is asking any other potential victims or people with information on the case to come forward.
Call 530-245-6135 or email the unit at mcu@co.shasta.ca.us.
Issues can also be reported to Central Valley and the Gateway Unified School District at 530-245-7900, Wallace said.
Deputies: Man killed his stepfather's chihuahua then lit car on fire
A 33-year-old Anderson man killed his stepfather's pet chihuahua then lit a car on fire after an argument Thursday in Anderson, deputies said.
Officials with the Shasta County Sheriff's Office said the incident started around 10:24 a.m., when Mary Boyer called 911 to report her son, Steven Lamont Hawkins, had just killed one of the family's dogs.
As deputies were heading to the home at 18451 Majestic View Drive, they learned that Hawkins had also lit a car on fire there, officials said.
When deputies got there, Hawkins was standing in the driveway near the burning car, the sheriff's office said.
Deputies commanded Hawkins to put his hands in the air and come toward them slowly, but he refused and took two knives from his pockets, officials said.
Deputies continued talking Hawkins down, and he eventually threw the knives to the ground without coming toward them and was taken into custody, the sheriff's office said.
The fire spread to a camper parked nearby, but the Happy Valley Fire District contained it, officials said.
Meanwhile, deputies said they learned that Hawkins had gotten mad at his stepfather, who then left the house to resolve the fight. Hawkins didn't like his stepfather or the dog, so he left the home with the dog, which was later found dead in a smoldering burn barrel, deputies said.
It was not immediately clear how the dog died. The sheriff's office indicated the dog was killed before being placed in the barrel.
Hawkins was arrested on suspicion of felony animal cruelty, felony malicious mutilation of an animal and three counts of felony arson to property.
RPD: Warrant leads to stolen mail, drugs in Shasta
Redding police officers used a search warrant to find stolen mail — including checks and car titles — that resulted in several arrests Wednesday in Shasta, officers said.
Cpl. Will Williams said officers and agents with the Shasta Interagency Narcotics Task Force served the warrant around 1 p.m. at a home on the 15000 block of McComb Hill Road. They also got help from probation.
Officials asked for the warrant because they believed the people at the trailer had stolen mail and checks throughout Shasta County, including in Redding, Williams said.
Inside the home, officials found 32-year-old Hunter Smith, of Shasta; Jordan Trujillo, 30, of Shasta; Rafial Simon, 36, of Redding; and Simon's wife, 37-year-old Charisse Simon, also of Redding, Williams said.
On top of stolen property like checks and car titles, officials who searched the trailer ended up finding heroin, methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia and items that indicated drug sales, Williams said.
Everyone but Charisse Simon was arrested and booked at Shasta County Jail, Williams said. Charisse Simon was released because of a medical condition, but officers are also recommending charges be filed against her with the Shasta County District Attorney's Office, Williams said.
Specifically, the three arrested so far were booked on suspicion of possessing stolen property, possessing heroin for sale, possessing methamphetamine, possessing drug paraphernalia and maintaining a narcotics house.
Booking pictures for all weren't immediately available.
Sheriff: K-9 Fritz helps nab car thief
With the help of K-9 Fritz, a 30-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of stealing a sport utility vehicle early Thursday in Cottonwood.
Around 3:15 a.m., a Shasta County sheriff’s deputy was on patrol when he noticed a white Chevrolet Tahoe with the motor running parked at the pumps at the Chevron station on Fourth Street.
The SUV matched the description of a vehicle that had been reported stolen in Redding.
Deputies attempted to contact the man, who was seated in the driver’s seat and slumped over the center console, a Shasta County Sheriff’s Office news release said. The man was identified as Travis Ryan.
When authorities finally got Ryan’s attention, he became combative and resisted, deputies said.
Eventually, deputies sent in K-9 Fritz, and Ryan was finally taken into custody, deputies said.
Police: Drugs, loaded handgun found during traffic stop in Redding
A 60-year-old Redding man was arrested on suspicion of drug charges and carrying a concealed firearm after a traffic stop Thursday.
A Redding Police Department news release did not say where the stop was made nor the time of the arrest.
Officers talked to the driver, who was identified as James Jackson.
Jackson was driving on a suspended license and officers found heroin, marijuana, scales, prescription drugs, a loaded 9 mm handgun and $1,200 in cash inside his vehicle, police said.
Feb. 26
$13,000, drugs seized in traffic stop in Redding, police say
More than $13,000 in cash and drugs were seized during a traffic stop Tuesday afternoon in Redding, police said.
Michael Robert Vukobradovich, 36, of Redding, was arrested on suspicion of possessing heroin for sale, transportation of heroin for sale, possession of methamphetamine and a probation violation.
Vukobradovich has been booked into the Shasta County Jail 16 times over the last 11 years for various charges, police said.
Vukobradovich was driving a 2007 Kia sedan when he was stopped for an alleged traffic violation at East Cypress Avenue and Beverly Drive around 2 p.m. Tuesday.
Officers determined that Vukobradovich was on probation and he admitted to police that he had narcotics inside his car, police said.
A search revealed 2 ounces of heroin hidden inside the steering wheel and a small amount of methamphetamine in the driver’s door pocket, over $13,000 in cash, and drug packaging material, police said.
Agents from the Shasta Interagency Narcotics Task Force assisted with investigation.
Feb. 25
Police: Girl taken into protective custody after narcotics seized at Redding home
A 13-year-old girl was found to be living in “deplorable conditions” and taken into protective custody during a probation search of a home on Cameo Court in east Redding on Monday afternoon, police said.
Police had been to the house, in the 1900 block of Cameo Court, before and Monday’s search was done due to recent neighborhood complaints about the residence.
Officers found about 30 grams of methamphetamine, a scale, packaging, cash and drug paraphernalia at the house, a Redding police news release said.
Ashley Christine Peterson, 30, was arrested on suspicion of selling meth, maintaining a residence where drugs are sold, possession of narcotics paraphernalia and child abuse.
The girl was turned over to Shasta County Child Protective Services.
Feb. 19
Man pepper-sprays clerk before robbing Bigfoot Recycling, police say
A man robbed the Bigfoot Recycling Center in south Redding on Wednesday after pepper-spraying an employee and then taking an undisclosed amount of money, police said.
The robbery occurred around 10 a.m. at the business in the 6500 block of Westside Road.
Police said the suspect approached Eugene Wright, a clerk at the recycling center, and demanded cash from the register.
When Wright refused to give him money, the suspect retrieved a can of self-defense spray and applied it on Wright's face, incapacitating him and allowing the suspect to take cash from the register, police said.
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Video surveillance from a neighbor’s camera revealed that the suspect went to a nearby Carl’s Jr. and changed his appearance by hiding his clothes in a garbage can before heading north.
Anyone with information about the suspect is asked to call the Redding Police Department at 225-4200.
Feb. 13
Murder conviction for Happy Valley man accused of killing his wife
A Shasta County jury convicted a Happy Valley man of second-degree murder this week.
Kenneth Karl Vorreiter, 64, had been accused of killing his wife on Nov. 6, 2018. According to an interview with detectives, Vorreiter said he and his wife had been insulting each other and he pushed her and struck her in the face.
"He consciously thought that as long as he was going to go to jail that he might as well 'make it a good one"' and hit her harder a second time, sheriff's officials wrote in their report.
More:Happy Valley man charged with murder denies strangling his wife
Detectives also said they found signs of possible strangulation, although Vorreiter denied choking her, according to the report.
After the attack, he said his wife went to their bedroom and he went to his shop to work on installing some fans, according to the report. When he returned, he grew worried after it seemed like his wife wasn't breathing.
The jury also convicted Vorreiter on eight counts of domestic violence-related charges. His sentencing is scheduled for March 6. He remains in jail custody, according to the sheriff's website.
The case was prosecuted by senior deputy district attorney Kelly Kafel. Judge Tamara Wood presided over the trial.
Three parents arrested in children's truancy
Three parents were arrested Tuesday because their children were repeatedly truant from school, according to the Tehama County District Attorney's Office.
The DA's Bureau of Investigation made the arrests through a partnership with the Tehama County Department of Education and school officials.
"Arresting parents is the last resort after all other resources have been exhausted and excessive truancy continues," the bureau said in a press release.
The bureau said each parent was arrested on a warrant for contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The bureau said they allegedly "failed to maintain their children's attendance in school."
Two of the parents were a 37-year-old woman from Corning and a 45-year-old woman from Red Bluff, who both were released on a citation. A 40-year-old man from Red Bluff was booked into Tehama County Jail.
Feb. 12
State sting uncovers alleged misconduct by local contractors
A dozen individuals could face misdemeanor charges for unlicensed contracting in the North State, the Contractors State License Board said Wednesday.
The alleged conduct was reported during an undercover sting in Redding on Feb. 4-5. The sting was done in coordination with the Shasta County and Tehama County district attorney offices.
State investigators posed as owners of a three-bedroom home and invited alleged unlicensed contractors to place bids on home-improvement work, which included tree removal, interior painting, deck construction and fencing, CSLB spokesman Rick Lopes said.
The bids ranged from $600 to $9,000, over the legal limit of $500 for contracting without a license, Lopes said.
In addition, one contractor was allegedly using a revoked license number and now could face a penalty for fraudulent use of an incorrect license number, Lopes said.
Individuals who want a contractor license can attend a state workshop. Consumers also can check the status of a contractor’s license on the CSLB’s website.
Nine individuals also could face a misdemeanor charge for illegal advertising. That’s because unlicensed contractors must state in all ads they do not have a license.
The penalty for violating the advertising rules for unlicensed contractors is a fine of $700 to $1,000. Lopes said.
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Feb. 6
5 Shasta County stores caught selling tobacco to underage users, sheriff says
Shasta County Sheriff's deputies cited five local stores this week for selling tobacco to someone under the minimum purchase age of 21.
The citations were issued as part of a "decoy operation" on Tuesday by the sheriff's office, according to press release. The following stores were cited:
- Happy Stop Market, 16201 Cloverdale Road, Anderson
- Country Market, 5235 Happy Valley Road, Anderson
- Gas Point Market, 19980 Gas Point Road, Cottonwood
- Cottonwood Chevron, 20800 4th Street, Cottonwood
- Dollar General #15959, 9494 Deschutes Road, Palo Cedro
The operation was supervised by school resource officers working for the sheriff's office. In all, the decoy — who was under 21 — tried to buy tobacco products from 15 businesses in Shasta County.
The sheriff's office reminded readers that only active military personnel can buy tobacco at age 18.
"The Shasta County Sheriff’s Office will continue to conduct periodic compliance checks to reduce the availability of tobacco and vaping products to youth in Shasta County," the agency said.
Shasta County Health and Human Services was a partner in the operation, which was funded from the California Department of Justice's Tobacco Grant Program.
In October, the Record Searchlight wrote about how West Valley High School received about $377,000 from the program to combat tobacco sales to minors. Los Molinos Unified School District and the Trinity County Probation Department also received funding from the program.
More:West Valley High was just awarded $377,000 to fight vaping. Here's how they plan on using it.
Feb. 4
Police: Man linked to truck thefts caught after stealing pickup he'd been driving
Redding police caught the person who stole two pickups from local towing companies over the past week because it turned out he'd just been cited for driving one of them with a suspended license, officers said.
Cpl. Will Williams said the first theft happened January 28 at J&L Tow on Geary Street in the downtown area. In that incident, Williams said someone cut the company's fence and stole an unregistered pickup that was towed after being found near Pick and Pull a few days earlier.
Then Tuesday, Williams said Keith's Towing reported a similar incident. Someone had cut the fence and driven through a locked gate, causing some $5,000 in damage, Williams said.
The pickup stolen this time had been towed on Monday after police stopped its driver, 26-year-old Redding resident Dillon Hobbs, who turned out to have a suspended license, police said. That pickup was not registered to Hobbs, officers said.
Officers then found out Hobbs was on probation and required to wear an ankle monitor, so they compared data from the device and surveillance footage at Keith's. Police said it was clear Hobbs was the suspect, so they went to his home on Weiland Street in the Keswick area, where the trucks from Keith's and J&L were both parked out front, officers said.
Both pickups were taken back to the tow companies, and Hobbs was arrested on suspicion of automobile theft, possessing stolen property, felony vandalism and trespassing.
Burney man stabs brother in chest during argument, sheriff says
A Burney man stabbed his brother in the chest after a family dispute Monday evening, the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office said.
Ken Herrington called authorities around 5:45 p.m. to report that he had just been stabbed by his brother, Alan Herrington, at their residence in the 20000 block of Hudson Street in Burney, the sheriff’s office said.
Deputies arrived and interviewed several witnesses who said Alan Herrington, 45, was intoxicated and got into an argument with his brother.
Ken Herrington asked Alan Herrington to step outside the house and into the backyard because he was concerned about their elder parents, who were inside, investigators said.
Alan Herrington then grabbed a large knife from the kitchen and stabbed his brother in the chest, investigators said. Alan Herrington left the house but was later caught and questioned. Investigators said he admitted to stabbing his brother during the argument.
A sheriff’s office news release did not say what the brothers were arguing about.
Alan Herrington was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
Ken Herrington was taken to a Redding hospital. His condition was not immediately known.
K9 Chase helps police locate hit-and-run suspect
A Sacramento man who ran away from a traffic collision he was involved in Monday afternoon in south Redding was later arrested after police K9 Chase led officers to where he was hiding.
Orlando Javier Ramos, 27, was arrested on suspicion of fleeing the scene of a crash and resisting arrest.
Police were dispatched to the traffic collision at Cedars Road and Westside Road around 4:45 p.m. Monday.
As police arrived, one of the drivers, later identified as Ramos, ran west from the intersection toward a trailer park in the 5800 block of Cedars Road, investigators said.
K9 Chase and a California Highway Patrol helicopter searched for Ramos.
Ramos was hiding in some brush near the trailer park when Chase led officers to his location. Ramos surrendered and later told officers he did so because he was afraid Chase was going to bite him, police said.
Ramos, who was on probation out of Sacramento County, also told officers he ran from the traffic collision because he knew when police arrived he was probably going to be arrested, police said.
Nobody was injured in the collision, police said.
Feb. 1
Redding police K-9 catches wanted man in canal
Redding police K-9 Otto helped officers apprehend a wanted man in a canal Saturday afternoon.
Redding officer Joanna Bland contacted 41-year-old James Maynard just before 4 p.m. on the north side of Safeway downtown, police said in a news release.
Bland recognized the man from prior contacts. Police said he had one felony and two misdemeanor arrest warrants for violating probation. Maynard was wearing an ankle monitor and is on supervised release.
Police say the man was uncooperative and ran from authorities. He went into the canal that goes between Cypress Avenue and Locust Street.
Police set up a perimeter and asked the California Highway Patrol helicopter for help.
Officer Travis Williams and K-9 Otto started tracking Maynard in the canal and they found him south of the DMV office on Civic Center Boulevard.
When Maynard refused to surrender, Otto attacked and helped take the man into custody.
Maynard was treated at a local hospital and then was booked into Shasta County Jail.
Redding man arrested after shots fired into parked vehicle
Redding police arrested a 21-year-old Redding man after officers say he fired several shots into an unoccupied vehicle on Thursday night.
Scott Biggins was arrested on suspicion of discharging a firearm at an unoccupied vehicle, discharging a firearm in a grossly negligent manner and felony vandalism. He was booked into Shasta County Jail.
Several people called police Thursday night to say they heard gunshots in the northern part of Shasta View Drive. Officers said they found a vehicle parked on the east end of Hemingway Street, east of San Gabriel Street, that had several bullet holes.
Statements from witnesses and evidence led to the identification of Biggins as the shooter, police said.
No one was in the vehicle when the gunshots were fired and no one was injured.
"There is no indication the shots were directed at any people – only the vehicle," police said in a news release.
Police are still investigating the incident and anyone with information is asked to call police at (530) 225-4200.