detective

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Nicola (Niki) Congero, 50, the former executive director of the Lake Tahoe Humane Society (LTHS), pleaded guilty Monday to felony embezzlement for using almost $60,000 of Humane Society money for her own personal purposes.

The Incline Village branch of Wells Fargo Bank was robbed of an undisclosed amount of cash at 10:09 a.m. Friday morning, August 24, 2018.

Deputies from the Washoe County Sheriff's Office responded to a report of a robbery in progress. Upon arrival the suspect had already fled.

The Sheriff's Office and FBI are investigating and attempting to locate the suspect. They have released two photos of him, but very little information is currently available. If the suspect used a gun or fled in a vehicle has not been released.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A 35-year-old man who was headed to South Lake Tahoe (SLT) to live and study has not been heard from, and his parents and the SLT Police Department are asking for the public's help in locating him.

Alexander Farquhar Mackenzie left his parent's house in Salinas, California in May of this year in a rental car, telling his parents he was headed for South Lake Tahoe.

Todd Borg, award-winning author, will discuss his much anticipated 16th book in the Owen McKenna Mystery Series, "Tahoe Skydrop". This mystery, set in Tahoe involves a brilliant young child who knows about computer encryption is kidnapped in an effort to unlock stolen software that could be worth as much as a billion dollars. Tahoe Detective Owen McKenna must grapple with both a murderous gang as well as with the child's impulsive and obstinate father who doesn't accept that his kid is transgender. Book sale and signing will follow.

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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.

Due to the chance of inclement weather on Thursday, May 17, the South Lake Tahoe Police Department Annual Awards Ceremony held in honor of Peace Officer Memorial Week has been moved to the City Council Chambers located at 1901 Airport Road.

The event starts at 4:00 p.m. and will include awards, the retirement of K9 Tara, and the swearing in ceremony of recently selected Sergeant, Jeffrey Roberson.

The 10-year-old Tara's handler is Sergeant Jason Cheney.

The South Lake Tahoe Police Department is looking for a man who robbed the Wells Fargo Bank at the Y on Emerald Bay Road on Saturday, March 24, 2018.

According to police detectives, the man walked into the bank at 12:57 p.m. and presented a note to the teller advising that a robbery was occurring. The male subject did not present a weapon, and it is unknown at this time if he was armed or not. The suspect left the bank with an undisclosed amount of US currency.

6:00 p.m. 2/26/18: The man who was found dead on the side of Emerald Bay Road in South Lake Tahoe has been identified as local resident Douglas Knapp.

The El Dorado County coroner's office said they will be doing an autopsy and at this time they do not have a cause of death for the 55-year-old man.

There is no indication of foul play or that Knapp was hit by a vehicle, according to South Lake Tahoe Police.

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The body of a middle-aged man was found in South Lake Tahoe Sunday morning.

Washoe County Sheriff’s Office arrested three men Wednesday night after an attempt to extort $40,000 dollars from a resident living in the area of El Rancho Drive east of Sun Valley Boulevard. The arrests were the result of a successful sting operation by Sheriff’s Office detectives.

A former motel maintenance worker at a South Lake Tahoe motel has been sentenced to 183 years to life for the brutal sexual assault of a 22-year-old Macedonian exchange student in 2015.

Manuel Ovidio Ramos-Munoz was found guilty in November, 2017 on seven felony counts, including kidnapping for the purpose of committing a sexual assault, as well as six additional counts and numerous special allegations relating to the subsequent sexual assault of the victim.

The public's help is being sought in locating a person of interest in a vehicle break-in on January 1 in the parking area of a trail head off Mt. Rose Highway.

Washoe County Sheriff’s Office detectives say their suspect broke through the window of the vehicle and stole a number of credit cards along with identification and keys. Subsequent investigation discovered that the credit cards had been used at multiple locations in Kings Beach, a gas station in San Ramon, California and at several locations in Reno, including Walmarts.

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.

A jury has found Manuel Ovidio Ramos-Munoz guilty of seven felony counts, including kidnapping for the purpose of committing a sexual assault, as well as six additional counts and numerous special allegations relating to the subsequent sexual assault of the victim.

The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public for any information that will assist with locating two teenagers missing from Sun Valley since last Thursday.

Jakob Palmer, age 14, and his sister Alexis Palmer, age 12, were last seen in the area of Sun Valley Boulevard and Leon Drive at approximately 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 26, 2017. They may have been heading for the Stead area.

Sheriff’s Office detectives believe the siblings may not be in immediate danger but are asking for any information that will help return them home.

Carson City sheriff's investigators are asking for the public's assistance in locating a 56-year-old woman who has been reported missing.

Sara Reyes is suspected to be homeless in the Carson City, Reno and South Lake Tahoe areas. She was reported missing Sunday, Sept. 10. She has been entered into the national missing persons data base.

Four brothers from San Francisco have been arrested in connection with the theft of an estimated $125,000 worth high-end mountain bikes from Truckee.

Starting in June, 2017, the Truckee Police Department began receiving theft reports of high-end mountain bikes from various locations in Truckee. The most common scenario happened with bikes on vehicle racks that were secured with the locking mechanism of the rack or a cable style lock.

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.

The Carson City Sheriff’s Office Investigation Division and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Investigation Division are asking for help in locating suspects in multiple fraud investigations.

Brandon Newberg and his wife Mindy Newberg are suspects in multiple fraud cases in Carson City and Douglas County. Their last known address was on the 1300 block of Kimmerling in Douglas County. The Newberg’s may have recently fled to Las Vegas Nevada to avoid law enforcement.

Former executive director of the Lake Tahoe Humane Society moved out of South Lake Tahoe over the weekend, leaving many in the community questioning the timing after she was fired on March 31 amidst accusations of misappropriation of agency funds.

Niki Congero moved out of her rental home because she was given a 60-day notice to vacate May 4. The owner of the home wanted to use it for his purposes, according to Realty World, the property management company.

The Carson City Sheriff’s Office Investigation Division is requesting the public’s help in identifying suspects responsible for the theft of several high dollar mountain bikes from participants of the Carson City Off-Road event held this weekend.

Three suspects were observed on a surveillance video at 900 South Carson Street in a gray Ford Expedition with California license plates. The suspects cut the locks to the mountain bikes and loaded them into the Ford Expedition.

A South Lake Tahoe man was arrested Monday after allegedly attempting to carjack a local woman's BMW.

Keith Willette of Cameron Park was arrested by deputies from the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office (EDSO) on May 25, 2017 on suspicion of sexually molesting a minor between 1999 and 2004.

The victim contacted EDSO on May 18 and reported the 54-year-old gymnastics coach had sexually abused her for multiple years

Willette was a gymnastics instructor in El Dorado and Sacramento Counties, as well in Ohio, Minnesota, and Washington. He is also a professional photographer.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The body of 62-year-old Pamela Suwinsky was found in the Upper Truckee River Sunday morning, about one-third mile north of Highway 50. Divers found her before noon but did not have positive identification until about 2:30 p.m. this afternoon.

March 31 update: A suspect has been arrested in San Bernardino County and is being held on $1,000,000 bail. For more on the update: http://southtahoenow.com/story/03/31/2017/suspect-arrested-south-lake-tahoe-crime-where-man-was-bound-gagged-and-injured

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A South Lake Tahoe man has been hospitalized after he was found bound and gagged inside his apartment Wednesday night by a concerned co-worker.