law enforcement

As part of an ongoing investigation, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office ATAC detectives recently located some unique items they believe to be stolen, and are now attempting to locate potential victims.

Among the items recently recovered are two boxed bounce houses and two bounce house fans. Detectives also located a large, radio-controlled model helicopter, jewelry, and sporting equipment.

8:00PM Update 12/18/17: After the trio's arrest, detectives from the South Lake Tahoe Police Department served a search warrant on a motel room at Motel 6 on Highway 50, locating a significant amount of stolen property that had recently been reported stolen in Douglas County. They also located numerous items that may have been stolen, but were not previously reported. .

Dr. Devendra I. Patel, aka Devendrakumar I. Patel, 58, of Elko, Nev., was arrested Tuesday on 39 charges of unlawful distribution of prescriptions opioids and Medicaid fraud.

Patel is charged with 36-counts of distribution of controlled substances such as oxycodone and hydrocodone, and three-counts of health care fraud. He is a cardiologist at his medical practice, Northeastern Nevada Cardiology. The statutory maximum penalty for distribution of a controlled substance is 10 years in prison and the maximum penalty for health care fraud is 10 years in prison.

If you are a member of law enforcement, South Lake Tahoe is the place to be this week as you are being celebrated with free meals at several local restaurants.

In an effort to support police officers and deputies, and to recognize the challenges that they face every day, local restaurateur Ted Kennedy challenged other South Lake Tahoe restaurants to join him in honoring law enforcement with free meals.

The Nevada Highway Patrol will be joining other law enforcement agencies, looking for drivers and passengers who are not wearing their seatblets as well as children not properly secured in booster seats.

Deputies and troopers across the state will be stopping drivers for different traffic offenses and issuing citations for seatbelt violations through December 2, 2017 in their "Joining Forces" campaign to save lives. .

Those arrested for DUI in El Dorado County, especially repeat offenders and those involved in fatal or injury crashes, can expect to face highly trained, specialized prosecutors, funded by a $195,677.00 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS). The grant to the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office will fund a Vertical Prosecution team that will work cases from arrest through conviction and sentencing.

El Dorado County residents can sign up for CodeRED, an emergency notification service so they can be warned in the event of an emergency. This El Dorado County Sheriff's Office - Office of Emergency Services Alert Notification System provides a number of ways in which the county may contact the community in the event of an emergency or urgent law enforcement operations such as evacuations due to wildfires, hazardous material spills, or urgent law enforcement operations.

Since the recent passage of many soft on crime laws like Propositions 47 and 57,
California has seen a troubling trend of an increase in violent crimes. This disturbing surge in violent crimes has seen a dramatic increase in domestic violence homicides across the Sacramento Region.

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:

10/4

12:33 a.m. - Assist Other Agency - Black Bart Ave - DEPUTIES LOCATED A SUSPECT VEHICLE FROM SOUTH LAKE TAHOE SHOOTING. TWO MALE SUSPECTS, AGES 20 AND 26.

A 61-year-old man from Carson City has died from injuries sustained after being hit by a food truck in Carson City Friday morning.

10:00 p.m. update: One man is behind bars on suspicion of driving drunk and causing bodily injury, a felony charge.

South Lake Tahoe resident Luis Lopez-Mora, 23, was arrested by the California Highway Patrol after he was released from Barton Hospital Friday evening.

As reported earlier, a call went into law enforcement about a person driving erratically on Pioneer Trail. Shortly after that call, the truck Lopez-Mora was driving failed to safely navigate a curve and his truck left the pavement and rolled down an embankment, landing on its wheels.

A Placerville man is facing a slew of felony charges after he allegedly kidnapped his ex-girlfriend, stole a car and crashed into a vehicle being driven by an El Dorado Hills school counselor.

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:

8/24

It took just 72 minutes to change the lives of millions of people on September 11, 2001.

In commemoration of that day and the lives lost with attacks on the World Trade Center, Pentagon, members of South Lake Tahoe’s American Legion Post 795 and the Ladies Auxiliary will be holding a ceremony on Sept. 11, 2017 at the American Legion Hall starting at 11:00 a.m.

The community and first responders are invited.

Fatalities due to impaired driving and riding continue to be a top traffic issue on Nevada’s roadways and with overall fatalities at an increase in comparison to this time last year, the Nevada Highway Patrol is working in conjunction with agencies aligned with Joining Forces to boost enforcement efforts.

Update 9:30 a.m. - Melissa Lea, 18, and her 7-year-old sister Kalila have been found safe in Oregon.

A grocery store clerk near the eclipse festival recognized them from the missing persons' report.

No other information is available at this time.

* * *
Two sisters who traveled from South Lake Tahoe to attend the Symbiosis eclipse festival in Oregon have not been heard from since Sunday, according to the Crook County Sheriff's Office.

UPDATE: A shooting at the Carson Nugget Friday evening just before 6:15 p.m. has left two injured, authorities said, including one Carson City sheriff's deputy who was stabbed and the stabbing suspect who was shot.

The deputy is in good condition, said Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong. The incident happened when law enforcement and security attempted to detain a suspicious suspect. During the incident the deputy was stabbed or cut in the head with a knife and shots were fired at the suspect, Furlong said. The incident happened on the south side of the Nugget near the loading dock area.

The South Lake Tahoe and Meyers communities were out in force at the Lake Tahoe Environmental Magnet School on August 1 for the first local observation of National Night Out.

Douglas County Sheriff’s Office will be partnering with radio personality Jon Sanchez of KOH 780AM for the third time in a series of eight radio events to be broadcast for the community.

The next event is a live-remote broadcast on Friday, August 4, 2017 from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Sanchez Ranch Meat Company located in Minden, Nev. Sanchez will be hosting guest Undersheriff Paul Howell. The public is invited ask questions by calling (775) 852-TALK (8255) or by coming by Sanchez Meat and Deli.

Ongoing indecent exposure cases in two counties over 200 miles apart may have been solved with the arrest of 34-year-old Wellington Potter of San Jose, Calif.

At 7:00 p.m. on July 17, 2017, a white Volkswagen Jetta stopped on a San Jose street and its driver exposed himself while masturbating after he called a 9-year-old over to his open window. The suspect drove away.

A few days after this incident a Santa Clara Police Detective reviewed a law enforcement flier put out by the Placer County Sheriff’s Office in Lake Tahoe.

By proclamation of the County Board of Supervisors, El Dorado County celebrated Probation Services Week this week, July 17 – July 21, 2017. As the Chief Probation Officer in El Dorado County, I would like to take the opportunity to reflect on the critical work probation does in our criminal justice system and say thank you to all the men and women of my department who work tirelessly to protect our communities, reduce recidivism, restore victims, promote healthy families, and live the vision of our department: Safe Communities Through Changed Lives.

2:00 p.m. update: From Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong: Juvenile Sean Ascuaga of Reno was located at Marlette Dam. He was found safe and unharmed, but will be checked by paramedics before transporting back to Carson City to family members.

* * *
Search teams from Carson City and Washoe County are looking for a missing 17-year-old male who has been reported missing and was last seen in the Chimney Beach area of Lake Tahoe on Monday afternoon.

LAKE TAHOE - Boating, rafting, kayaking and paddling are just a few ways to enjoy beautiful Lake Tahoe, but they come with simple safety precautions and preparations to ensure that day is complete and enjoyable.

"People are very excited to get on the water," said Edwin Lyngar, Nevada Department of Wildlife's (NDOW) Water Educator. "Take safety precautions as you can't depend on luck."

Lyngar as well as both California and Nevada water safety experts were at Sand Harbor last week to inform the public about how easy it is to be safe on the water.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - What does a win-win-win vacation home rental (VHR) ordinance look like?

It may not yet be known after today's workshop held during the South Lake Tahoe City Council meeting in front of a full house, but all sides appear to be committed to creating something that works for everyone in the community.

Cities across the country are grappling with their own ordinances for VHRs as the new trend towards vacationing centers around renting a home instead of staying in a motel or hotel.