law enforcement

Lake Tahoe’s shoreline is a place of majestic beauty with sandy beaches and secluded, boulder-strewn coves. It’s where residents and visitors alike go to enjoy Tahoe’s famously cold, clear water, whether they are dipping their toes in for the first time or launching their boat, kayak, or paddleboard for a daily outing.

Connecting with victims and witnesses after a crime is not just the job of law enforcement, its also the job of composite sketch artists.

Imagine talking to a child who just witnessed a horrific crime, a woman who has just been raped, or a man who beaten up as another man murdered, and needing them to remember the face of the perpetrator.

The Douglas County Sheriff's Explorers cam home from the Central Valley Law Enforcement Explorer Competition with 15 trophies, including the top award, 1st place overall, out-preforming the Hanford Police Department who have been the long standing first place holders.

There were 19 events at the competition which was held in Tulare, California April 6-7, 2018. The Douglas County team was up against 12 posts from the Central Valley area.

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 Shore. 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:

No new calls were added to this log

This Week's Report:

3/25

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - There will be an ordinance regulating the retail sale of cannabis in South Lake Tahoe, that is certain, but when it will be in place is uncertain.

During a special meeting of the South Lake Tahoe City Council Tuesday afternoon and evening, several areas were discussed from zoning to processes, and many were narrowed down enough so the acting City Attorney, Sergio Rudin, can bring a draft back at the April 17 council meeting. If there are no major changes that document can be voted on as a "first reading" with an ordinance 30 days later.

UPDATE 5:15PM: Pioneer Trail is back open after multiple agencies responded to the sounds of gunshots near Temple Bat Yam.

At 11:09 a.m. March 18, South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) dispatch received two simultaneous calls for the same general area, one for the shots fired and another for the activation of a burglar alarm. Since they were so close in proximity, police officers responded as they could be related calls according SLTPD Officer Matt Morrison.

While the public makes plans to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) and other law enforcement agencies are preparing to keep the roadways free of impaired drivers so that everyone can safely enjoy the festivities.

SLTPD is adding two patrols on Saturday to watch for drunk drivers on local roads, and CHP officers will be doing to the same.

A high speed pursuit on U.S. Highway 50 East through Lyon County ended when the suspect vehicle left the roadway near Flint and Highway 50 in Carson City. The suspect reportedly had a gunshot wound to the head when he was found by law enforcement officers and died at the scene.

The vehicle was a white Dodge Durango rental vehicle with California license plates. The vehicle pursuit, according to police scanner monitors, reportedly started at USA Parkway, then into Dayton and Mound House, exceeding speeds of 100 mph. No officers were injured.

The Truckee Police Department was notified by the Washoe County Sheriff's Office on March 7, 2018 about a possible fraud that may have taken place in both communities.

A vacation home in Incline Village had been rented for a number of days by a couple using a fraudulent credit card issued by a foreign country. When the rental company returned to the home on Friday afternoon, they discovered major damage to the residence as well as the theft of thousands of dollars worth of electronics and other valuables. The homeowners had reported an approximate loss of $75,000 in theft and damages.

A former El Dorado County Sheriff's lieutenant is now the chief investigator for the District Attorney's office. Jeff Dreher was sworn in during a ceremony on Friday.

El Dorado County Sheriff John D’Agostini, who was present for the swearing in ceremony said, "Although this is a loss for the Sheriff's Office it is a significant gain for the DA's office and all of law enforcement throughout El Dorado County."

The weather on Thursday, February 22 kept local law enforcement busy with collisions and stranded motorists on local roadways, During the afternoon hours alone, the Nevada Highway Patrol (NHP) responded to a 19-vehicle crash and a 34-vehicle crash.

At 2:00 p.m., NHP troppers responded to eastbound Interstate 80 about four miles east of Sparks to a call of a four vehicle and one tractor/trailer crash. Upon arrival they found that 19 vehicles were involved, including several tractor trailers with both lanes blocked. Eight people involved in the crashes were transported to area hospitals.

Holiday traffic leaving South Lake Tahoe this weekend created another bottleneck in Meyers as well as on side roads throughout the area from those attempting to find a quicker getaway. The choices they made Monday created a three-hour drive from the Y in South Lake Tahoe to areas in Meyers.

Highway 50 over Echo Summit is designed to handle 1,200 cars per hour without any issues, but those numbers dropped Monday, February 19. Just how much they dropped is unknown as the traffic counters normally placed over the roadway are removed for snow removal.

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 Shore. 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:

2/7

2:28 a.m. - Spousal Battery - South Lake Tahoe - 28-YEAR-OLD FEMALE ARRESTED FOR SPOUSAL BATTERY.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIF. - Since January 1, 2018 there have been 18 school shootings in the United States, 25 fatal school shootings since 1999's Columbine High School tragedy. With the deadly shooting February 14, 2018 at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, many communities are looking at their own schools and their safety procedures to help prevent a repeat of a tragic event.

What is commonplace at schools across the country are drills for "shelter in place" and for students to understand what to do, and not do, in case of an emergency.

After Tuesday's normally scheduled 9:00 a.m. meeting, they will move to the Tahoe Beach Retreat & Lodge for an evening Cannabis Workshop to discuss upcoming regulations concerning the sales of adult-use cannabis in South Lake Tahoe. They moved to the larger venue due to expected participation.

On February 20, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., members of the public can give their input on what an ordinance concerning the sales of cannabis in city limits should look like. Besides council members there will also be representative of the Planning Commission and Cannabis Subcommittee.

Human Trafficking is the trade of humans for the purpose of forced labor, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others; a modern day form of slavery. It is a multi-billion dollar criminal industry that denies freedom to 20.9 million people around the world

And its happening outside our door.

Jaycee Lee Dugard was just 11 years old as she walked to the bus stop on the morning of June 10 in 1991 when she was abducted by two people. The Meyers and South Lake Tahoe community joined law enforcement in searching for the missing girls. As days turned into weeks, and then eventually years, parents searched for ways to teach their own children about safety and abduction.

Washoe County Sheriff’s Office Deputies participating in a Nevada Department of Public Safety Joining Forces Distracted Driving prevention campaign this month cited more than 80 drivers for speeding and 43 drivers for cell phone use.

Joining Forces is a multi-jurisdictional law enforcement program that promotes statewide enforcement in the areas of: DUI, distracted driving, seat belt, and speed and pedestrian safety. The goal of these enforcement campaigns is to save lives by increasing public awareness about the dangers of making poor choices while driving.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIF. - A violation of a restraining order in South Lake Tahoe Monday afternoon led to an hours-long standoff, closed off neighborhoods and subsequent arrest of a man with a long history of violence.

On Monday, January 22, at about 4:30 p.m., the South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) received a call that Brandon Bannowski, 25, had violated a Restraining Order and allegedly entered the home of his ex-girlfriend, threatened her with a baseball bat and choked her.

The Tahoe Coalition for Homeless (TCH) made a presentation to the Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) board members Tuesday, updating them on the Warm Room, and how things have gone since opening in their new home January 1, 2018.

Scammers have been making money for years by convincing their victims to send money for a variety of reasons including promised prizes, loans, jobs, discounted products or other financial rewards in exchange for money upfront. At times the scammers even pretend to be family members in need of cash or law enforcement officers demanding payment. The scammers told people to send money through Western Union. No one received the cash, prizes or services they were promised, and before now there was no way to get their money back.

Tuesday's El Dorado County Board of Supervisors (BOS) meeting was just as all other meetings about vacation home rentals have been: A full house and a large contingent passionately representing both sides of the issue.

Supervisor Shiva Frentzen sought conceptual approval of an urgency ordinance to place a moratorium on the issuance of new vacation home rental (VHR) permits in the unincorporated portions of the County located in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

As the tents are taken down, the stage removed and all other components of SnowGlobe disappear for another year, an evaluation of the Community Play Field and other aspects of the seventh annual event in South Lake Tahoe are being made. There may be negatives to the popular event that draws in 20,000 people a day, there are also many positives to be celebrated.

There is more to the three-day festival, SnowGlobe, than music and crowds, a side of the event many aren't aware of.

The Nevada Departments of Transportation and Public Safety are reminding Nevadans to share the road after Nevada pedestrian traffic deaths rose in 2017 amid a decline in overall statewide traffic deaths.

In 2017, Douglas County had a rise in all deaths on the road: Fatal crashes up from 5 to 9, fatalities up from 5 to 11, alcohol fatal crashes up from 1 to 2, and number of fatalities in those crashes up from 1 to 3.