law enforcement

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Rockefeller Center in New York City has a Christmas tree as a backdrop for all holiday activities in the Big City since 1933, and now South Lake Tahoe is starting what hopes to be an annual tradition. Standing at 60-feet, the local version isn't quite as big as their neighbor on the East Coast (which runs 60-100 feet and can weigh close to 30,000 pounds), but it serve as a place to warm hearts and be a center of holiday photos and fun.

A 13-year-old boy missing from the Placerville area was spotted near Motel 6 in South Lake Tahoe Tuesday, but by the time law enforcement he had left the area.

Patrick Siebenthaler ran away after school on September 24,. 2018 He has done that before and normally returned after a day or two, but this time he hasn't been seen or heard from in over five weeks. Patrick fled without having any extra clothing, money or supplies to utilize as one may do when it's planned.

10/30 Update: The shooting suspect from the officer involved shooting on October 29, 2018 has been positively identified as 34-year-old Billy Jo Johnson of Gardnerville, Nev.

Next of kin notifications have been completed.

This is still an active investigation and no further information is available at this time.

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7:15 p.m. update - The suspect who died after the pursuit had a felony warrant for arrest for a PC 211, Robbery with a Firearm.

With an officer shortage in South Lake Tahoe, the police department is seeking applications for the position of "Police Officer Untrained/Trainee."

The City of South Lake Tahoe is looking for officers to fill a void created with the departure of four trained officers to other jurisdictions. If hired, candidates will get paid to attend the police academy and start with an annual salary of $63,505.52.

US Forest Service law enforcement officer Adam Nadeau will be at Freel Perk in Meyers on Wednesday, October 3 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. as part of the national "Coffee with a Cop" day.

The public is invited to join him. The mission of Coffee with a Cop day is to break down barriers between the public and law enforcement. Residents are welcome to ask questions, voice concerns and get to know officers.

Freel Perk is located at 3141 Highway 50 in Meyers.

Mental illness can affect any person or family. For those individuals in El Dorado County with the most severe forms of mental illness, the Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) program (also known as the “Laura’s Law” program) is available. The program, coordinated through the El Dorado County Behavioral Health Division of the Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA), gives additional tools to families, agencies and individuals to help people who need mental health treatment receive those services.

El Dorado County’s Department of Transportation today announced crews will be
performing road work on Lakeview Drive on the West Shore of Lake Tahoe beginning Thursday, September 20 and continuing through Friday, October 5, 2018.

Lakeview Drive between Silvertip Drive and Saturn Drive, will be closed to
traffic for construction. The closure is necessary to ensure motorist and worker safety while the County’s contractor performs work on Lakeview Drive.

11:00 a.m. update 9/11/18 - Douglas County Sheriff's Office is reporting that two men went into the water and that one, a man in his 30s, has not been found at this time. The other man was transported to the hospital.

On Monday, underwater drones and K9s were used in the water along with law enforcement boats to aid in the search.

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LAKE TAHOE, Nev. - Multiple agencies spent Sunday night and most of Monday searching for a person who reportedly jumped off a boat near Nevada Beach.

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office (DCSO) recently made connections with a senior citizen through their new Caring Neighbors Program. They found the senior had been scammed out of over $34,000 over the past 20 months.

In the program, a deputy and a volunteer visit seniors to obtain needed information such as consent, next of kin and medication information. The information is beneficial in case of a future emergency involving the senior citizen.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The South Lake Tahoe man who died in Lake Tahoe Monday has been identified as 74-year-old Robert Hill.

Mr. Hill left his home in the Tahoe Keys on Monday, August 27, 2018 at about 8:30 a.m. to go fly his model airplane on the Lighthouse Shore beach. According to the South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD), it appears the model plane crashed into Lake Tahoe and he went in to retrieve it.

The California Highway Patrol’s (CHP) Valley Division and Golden Gate Divisions, having jurisdiction over the Sacramento regions and San Francisco Bay Area, are partnering with the Nevada Highway Patrol (NHP) to participate in an “I-80 Challenge.”

This effort aims to reduce distracted and reckless driving along the 615 miles of Interstate 80 from San Francisco, Calif. to the Nevada/Utah Stateline from Monday, August 27 – Labor Day, September 3, 2018, by enhancing traffic safety, enforcement, and education along this section of the National Highway System.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIF. - El Dorado County Sheriff's Office responds to calls throughout the county. The following are calls that only pertain to the South and West Shore, including Meyers, South Lake Tahoe, Meeks Bay, Tahoma and the Echo Summit area. There may be some missing calls due to sheriff's logs not being completed at time of story.

Some of those recently added to last week's log:

7/25

8:20 a.m. - Lost Property - Cornelian Dr - LOST CELL PHONE

Detectives from the South Lake Tahoe Police Department flew to Tennessee overnight to arrest Nicola "Niki" Congero, the former executive director of Lake Tahoe Humane Society.

Congero, 50, was arrested without incident on the morning of Wednesday, August 1 and booked into the Knoxville jail on charges of embezzling approximately $60,000 from the South Lake Tahoe based non-profit. She is being held there on $200,000 bail and is currently awaiting extradition.

A 39-year-old South Lake Tahoe man was arrested by the Butte County Sheriff's Office after being found with a large quantity of illegal drugs.

On July 16, 2018 at approximately 9:00 p.m., law enforcement was called about a suspicious vehicle on the Oro Quincy Highway north of the Berry Creek area. The occupant of the car, Jay Sool White, was contacted by a Butte County Sheriff's deputy who subsequently searched White's car.

A day on the lake is a dream come true for many, but for two South Lake Tahoe Police Department officers it's another day at the office. As they navigate Lake Tahoe they are looking for speeders, unsafe practices, life vests, drunk boaters and boat registrations, as well as responding to life threatening crashes and drownings.

"It's our little city out here," explained Steve O'Brien who has manned the South Lake Tahoe police boat for 17 summers.

11:15 p.m. update: According to El Dorado County Jail logs, the suspect who turned themself into law enforcement is Joseph Matthew Chesler, 33, of South Lake Tahoe. His bail has been set at $125,000, $75,000 for Hit and Run Causing Injury/Death and $50,000 for Involuntary Manslaughter.

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An arrest has been made in Tuesday night's fatal hit-and-run crash in South Lake Tahoe.

Deputies from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) will begin a phased roll out to all uniformed officers on body worn cameras on Thursday, June 28, 2018.

In May, 2017, Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval signed Senate Bill 176, making the state the second one in the country to require peace officers who interact with the public to wear body worn cameras (BWC).

“Body cameras will protect law enforcement officials and strengthen the relationships with those in the communities in which they serve,” said Governor Sandoval at the time.

Customers of Liberty Utilities on both the north and south shores of Lake Tahoe have been targeted again by scammers demanding cash payments to avoid shut off of their power over the weekend.

Liberty Utilities' customer service reps are getting calls from customers to advise them of the demands.

The scammers appear to be legit at first, reciting the customer's account numbers to them.

At this time Liberty Utilities does not know how they obtained the account information. They have contacted the appropriate law enforcement agencies to let them know about the situation.

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office (DCSO) is joining the South Lake Tahoe Fire and Lake Valley Fire medics in having their personnel carrying medication used to block the effects of opioids. Narcan (commercial name for Naloxone) can be given to persons suffering from suspected or accidental opioid overdoses at the earliest possible time to minimize overdosing.

Murder charges have been filed against a South Lake Tahoe man, almost ten years after the death of his three-week old baby boy.

On November 14, 2008, officers from the South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) arrived at a home after a call about a baby who was found unconscious. The South Lake Tahoe Fire Department arrived shortly after and transported the infant to the hospital where he was declared deceased. Both the baby's mother and father were present at the time police arrived.

The South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) held the annual awards ceremony Thursday, honoring the retirement of K9 Tara, the promotion of Jeff Roberson to Sergeant, awards for bravery and for service.

The celebration was started with the National Anthem sung by South Tahoe High School senior Caroline Krolicki and a presentation of the colors by the department's Honor Guard.

There are four people running for El Dorado County Supervisor for the 5th District on June 5: Incumbent Sue Novasel and challengers Kenny Curtzwiler, Norma Santiago and Jeffrey Spencer. The 5th District covers Pollock Pines to South Lake Tahoe and Tahoma.

South Tahoe Now asked each candidate the same questions, and here are all of their answers, exactly as they were presented to us.

Sue Novasel
Occupation: El Dorado County Supervisor – District V
Past political history:
2015 – Present: County Supervisor, District V

UPDATE 5/10/18 10:30 a.m.: State Route 88 remains closed near Woodfords Thursday morning as crews work to remove the demolished tanker truck involved in Wednesday's fatal crash.

Gregory Brown, 46, of Oakland, California has been identified as the driver, whose body was found at the scene nine hours after the crash.

Emergency personnel responded to the 10:05 a.m. call on May 9, 2018 on State Route 88 near the Caltrans maintenance yard west of Woodfords and the SR-89 junction. Upon arrival they found an overturned tanker and detached cab off the roadway.

A couple of social media posts with accusations of bullying in a South Lake Tahoe school this week have led to outrage, several concerned parents, backlash and sign carrying parents in front of the school Friday morning.

While bullying is still prevalent across the country, what happened at South Tahoe Middle School (STMS) this week has been determined by all involved, including school officials, parents and law enforcement, to not be bullying but more of a wrong choice while playing with a friend.

One student threw rocks at their friend during a school break, hitting them.