OC sheriff’s sergeant switched drug evidence between cases, defense attorney alleges


A deputy public defender called out 'officers who will plant evidence and write false reports' May 12, 2023 An embattled Orange County sheriff's sergeant has been accused in defense documents with taking drugs seized in one case and booking them as evidence in another, unrelated case. Sgt. Matthew LeFlore, already facing allegations of illegally ea...

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Deputy accused of stealing prescription drugs from drop box in sheriff station pleads not guilty


Deputy Cory Richey was arrested last week as he arrived to work and later booked into jail; a Superior Court judge on Tuesday ordered him to enroll in a drug treatment program January 12, 2023 SAN DIEGO — A veteran sheriff's deputy accused of taking prescription drugs from a drop box in a sheriff's station pleaded not guilty in San Diego on Tuesday...

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What did Matthew Buckley do? Charges explored as California sheriff’s deputy is accused of falsifying police report to steal firearms


Matthew Buckley was a prominent figure within his agency, having won "Officer of the Year" 2 years in a row. September 7, 2022 On August 26, Contra Costa County authorities announced that they had arrested California Sheriff's deputy Matthew Buckley on multiple felony firearms charges. As per Mercury News, Matthew Buckley, 41, is accused of falsify...

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Bakersfield PD officer flushed suspect's marijuana, said he was angry: docs


BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — When first questioned by internal affairs detectives, Bakersfield Police Department Senior Officer Brendan Thebeau said he didn't recall finding marijuana when searching a home for a gun reportedly brandished at an officer, documents say August 23, 2022 A detective opened his laptop and played two portions of body camer...

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Jury Convicts Man Linked by DNA to Montclair, Burbank Cold Case Murders


Jurors heard final closing arguments Wednesday in the trial of Horace Vaultz, who prosecutors say left DNA on three women found strangled in the 1980s. August 20, 2022 Horace Van Vaultz, Jr., 67, showed no reaction as the clerk of the court read the verdicts. The jurors also found true the special circumstances of multiple murders and that the murd...

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Business compliance operation conducted at 19 auto businesses in Perris results in recovery of 448 catalytic converters, 15 citations


Where Do We Put Them? August 18, 2022 A business compliance operation conducted at 19 automotive businesses within the City of Perris resulted in the recovery of 448 catalytic converters and 15 citations for various offenses. On August 17, the Perris Station Special Enforcement and Problem Oriented Policing Teams (SET/POP), with the assistance...

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California man arrested in cold case murders of women strangled to death


James Gary allegedly killed two women in separate murders in 1980 and 1996 before committing a sexual assault last year that lead investigators to him, authorities said July 22, 3022 A 76-year-old California man has been charged with two cold case homicides that occurred years apart in which the female victims were strangled to death, authorities s...

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SFPD seizes almost $200K worth of stolen goods


Actually in court? July 24,2022 SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — The San Francisco Police Department seized nearly $200,000 worth of stolen goods while serving a search warrant on Wednesday, police announced in a press release. SFPD arrested Sergio Manuel Puga-Tenorio, 38, of San Francisco as the primary suspect. The department's Burglary Unit and Organized ...

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6 arrested after SJPD uncovers underground bunker with $100K worth of stolen goods inside


July 13, 2022SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- A commercial burglary investigation led San Jose police patrol officers to a sophisticated underground bunker  at a homeless encampment near Coyote Creek and Wool Creek Drive.Inside, officers report finding $100,000 worth of stolen items stashed away. Photos shared by SJPD show the entryway to t...

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Two SFPD Officers Arrested for Destroying Evidence, Ex-Officer Arrested for Swiping Machine Gun From Evidence Room


Retired officer Mark Willams "was working, part-time, in the gun destruction unit of the Property Control Division at SFPD April 20, 2022 Two separate SFPD scandals hit the fan at the same time, as two current officers were arrested for destroying evidence (including meth, allegedly) and a former officer was arrested for relieving the evidence room...

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34 Years After Mom's Murder in Santee, Detectives Tell Son They Found Her Killer


DNA led to the man believed to be her killer March 17, 2022 When Mark Beyer was just 2 years old, the toddler was found wandering around in his Santee apartment complex. The reason the boy was unaccompanied that day in 1988: His mother, Diane Dahn, had been murdered. When Mark Beyer was just 2 years old, the toddler was found wandering around in hi...

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DNA cold case: California man convicted of woman’s murder 42 years after crime


On Wednesday, which was Wilson's 73rd birthday, a Sacramento County jury found him guilty of Brooks' murder, with the special circumstances because it occurred in the course of a sexual assault. March 11, 2022 By Crystal Bonvillian, Cox Media Group National Content Desk SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California deputies came for Phillip Lee Wilson 40 years t...

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Crescent City to sell guns from police evidence locker

Griffin said he wanted guidance from the council before moving forward. February 7, 2022 Crescent City will soon begin selling guns it has been storing in the police evidence locker. The city council voted unanimously to authorize the police department to sell the guns, some that were used in crimes, but many simply left behind over the last few de...

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O.C. sheriff’s sergeant may have perjured himself in court, assistant public defender says

Larson allegedly played roles in two of the biggest scandals to rock the Orange County Sheriff's Department in recent years — the evidence mishandling and snitch scandals.  Enter Article DATE HERE An Orange County sheriff's sergeant may have perjured himself in court when speaking about his role in two high-profile scandals, according to ...

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Suspect arrested in 1978 San Francisco cold case: DA

Marc Stanley Personnette, 76, has been charged with suspicion of homicide for murdering and sexually assaulting Harvey. January 27, 2022 SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KRON) — A 76-year-old suspect has been arrested for the 1978 sexual assault and murder of 15-year-old Marissa Harvey in San Francisco. San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin announced ...

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California woman killed in 1977 identified by cold case team

Remains were identified after a possible match was found between DNA of possible relatives and DNA in a state missing persons database, January 20, 2022 RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) — A Southern California woman who was killed in 1977 has been identified by a cold case team, authorities said Friday. A skull and other skeletal remains found in 1986 w...

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Ex-Kern County deputy Logan August released from prison

August stole high-grade marijuana from a sheriff's office evidence room in March 2015 January 11, 2022 BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Logan August, a former Kern County deputy who stole hundreds of pounds of marijuana and conspired with another deputy to put the drugs on the street, has been released from prison. August, 35, was released Monday to po...

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Former South Coast Sheriff's deputy gets jail sentence after prosecutors say he destroyed evidence in a case

Prosecutors say the deputy threw away a drug test for a woman which showed negative results. December 22, 2021 A former deputy sheriff on the South Coast has been sentenced to jail for destroying evidence in a case. Prosecutors say Richard Charles Barrios threw away key evidence in a case. In 2019, the Ventura County Sheriff's deputy stopped a fema...

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SFPD Arrests 76-Year-Old Colorado Man in Cold-Case Murder From 1978

Marissa was found strangled after she left to go horseback riding in Golden Gate Park,"  December 21, 2021 Teenager Marissa Rolf Harvey was found dead in Sutro Heights in 1978, but thanks to "advanced forensic investigative techniques," SFPD found a suspect in Colorado and arrested him for that murder on Thursday. When a murder case has gone c...

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Suspect charged in 25-year-old cold case murder in Northern California


Investigators submitted additional DNA evidence to the crime lab in 2020 where it was able to be analyzed for the first time and it matched a California inmate. December 10, 2021 Authorities in Northern California have charged a suspect already serving a life sentence with the 1996 cold case murder of a 21-year-old woman, the sheriff's department s...

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The O.C. sheriff fired a deputy for tossing evidence. Now he has to be reinstated

Torres was terminated in 2019 after he admitted to discarding a gram of white powder, a methamphetamine pipe, a replica gun and several hypodermic syringes that he had not booked into evidence Enter Article DATE HERE The Orange County Sheriff's Department has been ordered to reinstate a deputy who was fired for throwing evidence into the trash...

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State inmate charged in 25-year-old Crockett cold case homicide

The big break for investigators came last year, when detectives submitted additional evidence to a DNA crime lab to be tested using current technology. December 10, 2021 A California state prison inmate has been charged with murder in the cold case killing of a waitress 25 years ago in Crockett, authorities said Thursday. Danny Lamont Hamilton, cur...

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LAPD Officer, 2 Others Hospitalized After Possible Fentanyl Exposure In Porter Ranch

officer who responded to the scene also reported feeling light-headed November 22, 2021 According to LAFD officials, a parole officer was conducting a check on a resident at the Sonoma at Porter Ranch apartment community. The parole officer reported feeling light-headed and saw a substance on a table inside the apartment, then called for backup. An...

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California sheriff's deputies say they didn't know it was illegal to lie about evidence on police reports: report

Two former Orange County sheriff's deputies told a California grand jury they did not know it was against the law to falsify police documents September 28, 2021 Two former Orange County sheriff's deputies told a California grand jury they did not know it was against the law to falsify police documents, an offense that led to their firing and convic...

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California sheriff's deputies say they didn't know it was illegal to lie about evidence on police reports: report

The sheriff's department says deputies are 'repeatedly' trained 'on evidence, chain of custody, and booking of evidence' Enter Article DATE HERE Two former Orange County sheriff's deputies told a California grand jury they did not know it was against the law to falsify police documents, an offense that led to their firing and conviction amid a...

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Sheriff's No. 2 Apologizes For, But Doesn't Disavow, Viral Fentanyl Video

Video has been widely discredited by public health experts, toxicologists and doctors who said the widespread hysteria over handling fentanyl harmed the ability of police and first responders to treat people who do overdose. October 25, 2021 Undersheriff Kelly Martinez, the second in command at the San Diego County Sheriff's department, said she wa...

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California Sheriffs Make Arrest in 40-Year Cold Case Murder of a Single Mom

Earlier this month, the detectives were informed that the evidence from the crime scene they submitted for testing was a match to Glazebrook's DNA profile. August 17, 2021 Advancements in DNA technology have led to an arrest in a decades-old cold case homicide in California. Michael Scott Glazebrook of Seaside has been charged with the first-degree...

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Video of Officer’s Collapse After Handling Powder Draws Skepticism


Medical experts said the video promoted a false narrative and confusion about fentanyl and ways it can lead to an overdose. August 7, 2021 Update: The San Diego sheriff released new details about the video of a deputy's collapse. A dramatic video posted by the San Diego County Sheriff's Department that shows a trainee collapsing while investigating...

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Anaheim officer treated after possible fentanyl exposure

Enter Headline here August 9,2021 An Anaheim police officer suffered symptoms of a possible fentanyl exposure Monday morning, Aug. 9, as he transported a suspect accused of having possessed the dangerous drug to the city's jail for booking, authorities said. The officer arrested the suspect for possessing fentanyl for sale and collected the drugs, ...

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‘He No Longer Gets to Hold the Secret': Killer ID'd in 1980 Cold Case Murder on Boat

Hairs taken from the crime scene aboard a boat in Newport Beach revealed secrets more than 40 years after the killing of 42-year-old Judy Nesbitt. August 9, 2021 Genetic genealogy, new forensics techniques and hairs recovered at the crime scene helped investigators link the 1980 cold case murder of a 42-year-old Irvine woman to a man who died more ...

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O.C. Sheriff had investigator probe into evidence mishandling even though he had mishandled evidence

LeFlore is one of the subjects of the widely reported evidence mishandling scandal July 1, 2021 Even after the Orange County Sheriff's Department discovered one of its investigators mishandled evidence and lied about it, the department still tasked him with probing into widespread evidence mishandling of his peers, according to a recent court motio...

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KERN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE PROPERTY & EVIDENCE FACILITY Due for an Upgrade

No fire inspection report, poor ventilation in the narcotics storage areas, lack of adequate security cameras throughout the facility, and an aging building that is near capacity that lacks stand-by power, has minimal air conditioning and an outdated elevator. May 10, 2021 Summary: On February 2, 2021, the 2020-2021 Kern County Grand Jury (Grand Ju...

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Families in shock after homicide victims identified in 1980 San Bernardino County cold case


The San Bernardino County case remains under review by the District Attorney's Office as to whether new charges will be filed against Neal. Enter Article DATE HERE In 2018, Chrissy Salley was ready to figure out what happened to her estranged mother. In 1980, the Virginia resident was taken from her mother's custody at 2 months old, and even a...

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In Chico, California an Alleged Serial Sex Assailant Nabbed Through Familial DNA Search, Butte County District Attorney Reports

The familial search process involves searching the assailant DNA against the state's convicted offender database to identify potential relatives in the database April 27, 2021 In Chico, California an Alleged Serial Sex Assailant Nabbed Through Familial DNA Search, Butte County District Attorney Reports April 27, 2021 - The Butte County District Att...

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Suspect Arrested In 1982 Cold-Case Murder Of Racine Woman In Colorado

Investigators say D-N-A evidence finally led them to take 70-year-old Alan Lee Phillips into custody this week March 5, 2021 Authorities in Clear Creek County, Colorado have arrested a suspect in the 1982 cold-case murder of a Racine woman. 29-year-old Barbara "Bobbie Jo" Oberholtzer's body was found in the Rocky Mountains almost four decades ago. ...

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Former Huntington Beach PD investigator accused of stealing drugs from a suspect’s vehicle, driving under the influence

He stole drugs from a suspect's vehicle and drove a police vehicle under the influence of the stolen drug December 22, 2020 The Orange County District Attorney's Office has charged a former Huntington Beach Police Department crime scene investigator with three misdemeanors related to an alleged January incident in which investigators say he stole d...

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DNA cracked 1995 cold case murder of nurse, California police say

"In simple terms ... DNA was under Christine Munro's fingernails at the time of her murder," the Redding Police Department wrote about cracking the case. November 18, 2020 Police in northern California say that DNA evidence cracked open a cold case murder from 1995 and led them to a suspect who was imprisoned in Texas. James Watkins, 42, was charge...

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You've Heard About Oregon Decriminalizing Psychedelic Drugs. Is California Next?

Oregon became the first state in the nation to decriminalize small amounts of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and psychedelics, so that possession will carry only a $100 fine. November 11, 2020 Oregon voters last week passed a measure to permit supervised use of psilocybin in a therapeutic setting, becoming the first state to legalize psychedelic ...

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Ex-deputy Logan August sentenced to 4 years in prison for stealing drugs from KCSO evidence room

Enter Headline here November 1, 2020 BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Entering a sheriff's property room under the guise of retrieving drugs for destruction, former deputy Logan August stole hundreds of pounds of marijuana and conspired with another deputy to put the drugs on the street. In federal court three years ago, August was sentenced to probati...

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After 41 year cold case mystery, DNA ties torso to woman whose husband was chief suspect in her disappearance

Benicia Police Department said  it reopened the case in July and was able to connect the remains to Dolores Wulff through DNA obtained from one of her children. Enter Article DATE HERE After finding a torso that washed ashore in 1979 they now know it belongs to a missing woman whose husband faced trial for her murder until the case was di...

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Deputies lead largest organized retail theft bust in state history

law enforcement agencies executed 16 search warrants and five arrest warrants October 8, 2020 Sheriff's deputies on Sept. 30 arrested five people and recovered more than $8 million in stolen property at locations in San Mateo County and throughout the Bay Area in what is being described by police as the largest organized retail theft bust in Califo...

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Sentencing postponed for ex-deputy who stole hundreds of pounds of marijuana

pleaded no contest to charges he stole 350 pounds of marijuana from a sheriff's office property room and planned to put the drugs back on the street. October 13m 2020 BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Sentencing was postponed Tuesday for a former deputy who pleaded no contest to charges he stole 350 pounds of marijuana from a sheriff's office property r...

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Lots of Drugs, Lax Oversight: Former SF Medical Examiner Staffers Say Lab Analyst's Meth Arrest 'Just the Tip of the Iceberg'

Mr. Volk is just the tip of the iceberg with respect to poor management and bad forensic policy," September 21, 2020 A lab analyst for the San Francisco medical examiner's office had driven more than 700 miles east toting a sealed bag of drug evidence before he was pulled over for speeding in Washington County, Utah. During the Aug. 31 traffic stop...

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Sheriff’s Supervisors Allowed Late Evidence Booking; Only Deputies Disciplined, Grand Jury Heard

sheriff's officials testified that supervisors knowingly allowed deputies to book evidence late in violation of policy. October 1, 2020 In the latest twist to a wide-ranging Orange County Sheriff's Department evidence-booking scandal, sheriff's officials testified that supervisors knowingly allowed deputies to book evidence late in violation of pol...

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Deputy’s False Police Report Charge Came After Mountain of Testimony to Grand Jury

More than 30 deputies have been referred for possible charges in an evidence booking scandal that centers on alleged false police reports about evidence that was either booked late or never booked at all. September 24, 2020 A probe into false statements by Orange County sheriff's deputies escalated this summer, with a grand jury hearing testimony f...

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Deputy Accused of Stealing Debit Card From Suspect and Giving It to Son

She took the suspect's debit card -- which was never booked into evidence  September 9, 2020 An Orange County sheriff's deputy is facing a felony charge for allegedly taking a debit card from a suspect and handing it to her son, who then used it, prosecutors said Wednesday. Angelina Cortez, 41, is charged with one felony count of filing a fals...

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OC sheriff’s deputies who lied on reports testify that they didn’t know it was illegal

Sheriff's Department has placed new protocols to ensure deputies understand they must book evidence in a timely fashion September 27, 2020 Two fired Orange County sheriff's deputies convicted of lying on their police reports testified recently before a grand jury that they didn't know it was illegal to falsify the documents, transcripts show. Josep...

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LAPD officer rearrested on a new felony charge after allegedly stealing cash at pot grow

He is accused of stealing cash from the backpack of an employee at a cannabis grow facility September 25, 2020 A Los Angeles police officer on Thursday was arrested for a second time — this time on a felony count — in relation to a January incident in which he is accused of stealing cash from the backpack of an employee at a cannabis grow facility,...

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Arrest made in 40-year-old cold case murder

Detectives got Nash's DNA from discarded items and it was a match to DNA found through Jones's autopsy. September 18, 2020 FONTANA, CA (KCA/KCBS) — Police on Monday announced the arrest of a Las Vegas man in the 1980 murder of a Fontana teen. According to police, enhanced technology to assess DNA evidence links 66-year-old Leonard Nash to the killi...

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Suspect Arraigned in 33-year-old Cold Case Homicide

DA was able to close the case involving the murder of 14-year-old Claire Hough, a Rhode Island native who was murdered in 1984 while on vacation in San Diego Enter Article DATE HERE A 57-year-old Poway man has been charged with murder and rape in connection with the 1987 murder of Julia Hernandez-Santiago, whose body was found on an ivy-covere...

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