south lake tahoe police

While the Tahoe Douglas Rotary's annual St. Patrick's Day fundraiser has always been a local's favorite, this year's event created such a buzz around town that it actually sold out a month ago.

On Friday, March 13, 650 people filled Harrah's Convention Center for an evening of first responder honorees, an inaugural digital silent auction, a wine and beer bar with televisions to watch the bidding from as well as a red carpet with "paparazzi" to record the evening.

Tahoe Douglas Rotary has been a part of the South Shore community since 1962, and, as are the other 1.2 million Rotarians in the world, are bound by a commong purpose, Service Above Self. The club felt it was an ideal fit to recognize police and fire professionals in the community who make sacrifies every day to serve and protect.

This week, South Tahoe Now has been highlighting each of this year's winners of the inagural First Responder Community Hero Award.

Tahoe Douglas Rotary has been a part of the South Shore community since 1962, and, as are the other 1.2 million Rotarians in the world, are bound by a commong purpose, Service Above Self. The club felt it was an ideal fit to recognize police and fire professionals in the community who make sacrifies every day to serve and protect.
During the week, South Tahoe Now will highlight each of this year's winners of the inagural First Responder Community Hero Award.

The following is a recap of activity the South Lake Tahoe Police Department responded to for the week of February 20 to March 4, 2015. They responded to 301 calls during the 13 day period.

Calls Resulting in Arrests:

2/20
City Ordinance in the 2200 block of Monterey
Violation of Court Order in the 900 block of Edgewood Circle

2/21
Spousal Abuse in the 4100 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd

2/22
Domestice Battery in the 2300 block of California Avenue

2/23

Three suspects were arrested early Wednesday morning as they were attempting to burglarize the Tahoe Keys Liquor store in South Lake Tahoe.

Lorenzo Jackson, a 20-year old from Antioch, CA, Shayan Taghi, a 20-year old from San Ramon, CA and Ryan Mello, a 21-year old from San Lorenzo, CA were all arrested on charges stemming from the burglary.

There is an increase in illegal sales of tobacco products in El Dorado County, including South Lake Tahoe.

County health and law enforcement officials released the results of a recent operation where trained youth volunteers, aged 14-17, went into stores to purchase cigarettes. Of the 142 retail stores the youth went into, 32 stores sold them tobacco.

Two men were attacked outside of The Bottle Shop in South Lake Tahoe on Wednesday evening, leaving one seriously injured.

On February 25 at approximately 7 p.m., two local men were rushed in an unprovoked attack by three unidentified men outside the business located at 3950 Lake Tahoe Blvd.

One of the victims, a 36-year-old hispanic man, sustained significant head injuries including lacerations to his face after having been beaten by the three suspects with fists. He was transported to Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno with non-life threatening injuries.

The following is a recap of activity the South Lake Tahoe Police Department responded to for the week of February 13 to February 19, 2015. They responded to 158 calls during the 7 day period.

Calls Resulting in Arrests:

2/13
DUI in the 2000 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd
Domestic Battery in the 700 block of Emerald Bay Rd

2/14
DUI in the 4100 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd
Petty Theft in the 1000 block of Emerald Bay Rd
Petty Theft in the 4000 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd

2/15

The following is a recap of activity the South Lake Tahoe Police Department responded to for the week of February 6 to February 12, 2015. They responded to 190 calls during the 7 day period.

Calls Resulting in Arrests:

2/6
Drunk in Public in the 2100 block of South Ave
Drunk in Public in the 1000 block of Al Tahoe Blvd
Battery in the 3800 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd

2/7
DUI in the 2600 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd
Traffic Collision with no injury in the 2300 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd

2/8

A federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment today against Mark McLeod Wygant, 44, resident of Chico and former South Lake Tahoe Fire Captain, charging him with Sexual Exploitation and Attempted Sexual Exploitation of Minors, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.

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 press time and the story will be updated when provided.

2/1
1:12 a.m. - Verbal Domestic Dispute - Keller Road - 33-YEAR OLD MAN AND 26-YEAR OLD WOMAN.

11:11 a.m. - Suspicious Circumstances - Pioneer Trail - PRIVATE VEHICLE BEARING FIREFIGHTER DECALS AND RED EMERGENCY LIGHTS WAS BEING DRIVEN BY A 59-YEAR OLD WOMAN.

A Chico man who works as a captain for the South Lake Tahoe Fire Department has been arrested on suspicion of child pornography.

Mark McLeod Wygant, 44, appeared in federal court Friday and is scheduled for preliminary examination Feb. 13, unless he is indicted earlier, which would change the appearance to arraignment, said Lauren Horwood, spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Bond was not offered and he remains in custody at Sacramento County Jail.

A 2011 false arrest complaint against the City of South Lake Tahoe by Patrick Solomon ended up in a jury trial in Federal Court's Eastern Division in Sacramento. On Thursday the jury came back with a decision siding with the defense, stating that there was no wrong doing on behalf of the City or the police department.

The case started when Solomon was arrested on January 21, 2011 for assaulting an El Dorado County Sheriff's Officer Deputy Brandon Pena.

Officer Pena was a County correctional officer and knew the plaintiff during his time as an inmate at the El Dorado County jail.

The 47th Annual Tahoe Douglas Rotary's St. Patrick's Day Celebration has some added extras this year to make this time honored tradition even more fun than usual.

On March 13, 2015, the Rotarians will open the doors at Harrah's Tahoe to the public who will be treated to the first ever First Responders Recognition evening tied into the traditional St. Patrick's Day event.

The following is a recap of activity the South Lake Tahoe Police Department responded to for the week of January 9 to January 15, 2015. They responded to 136 calls during the 7 day period.

Calls Resulting in Arrests:

1/9
Petty Theft in the 1000 block of Emerald Bay Road
Petty Theft in the 2200 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd

1/10
Vandalism in the 700 block of Emerald Bay Rd
DUI at Lakeview Ave & Lake Tahoe Blvd
Domestic Violence Battery in the 3900 block of Pioneer Trail

1/11

The following is a recap of activity the South Lake Tahoe Police Department responded to for the week of January 2 to January 8, 2015. They responded to 155 calls during the 7 day period.

Calls Resulting in Arrests:

1/2
DUI in the 2600 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd

1/3
Felony - Other in the 4100 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd
Drunk in Public in the 1000 block of Emerald Bay Road
Unlicensed Driver in the 3600 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd
Domestic Battery in the 4000 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd

1/4

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 press time and the story will be updated when provided.

1/4
3:00 a.m. - DUI - Lake Tahoe Blvd - 24-YEAR OLD WOMAN WAS STOPPED FOR AN EQUIPMENT VIOLATION AND FOUND TO BE UNABLE TO SAFELY DRIVE DUE TO HER LEVEL OF ALCOHOL INTOXICATION. A CHEMICAL TEST REVEALED A BAC OVER .08%. THE SUSPECT WAS ARRESTED AND BOOKED ON THESE CHARGES.

1/5

The following is a recap of activity the South Lake Tahoe Police Department responded to for the week of December 19 to December 25, 2014. They responded to 139 calls during the 7 day period.

Calls Resulting in Arrests:

12/19
DUI in the 1100 block of Heavenly Village Way
Drunk in Public in the 1000 block of Tata Lane
Drunk in Public in the 800 of Emerald Bay Rd
DUI in the 600 block of Tahoe Keys Blvd

12/20
DUI in the 900 block of Ski Run Blvd
Trespassing in the 4000 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd

With crowds approaching 14,000 nightly, one would expect some complaints and arrests. SnowGlobe in South Lake Tahoe had both during the first two nights.

On Monday, the first night of the techno-music concert there were 17 arrests for miscellaneous alcohol related violations, mainly minors in possession of alcohol or providing alcohol to a minor. There was one arrest for selling drugs and two noise complaints phoned into the South Lake Tahoe Police Department's dispatch.

The following is a recap of activity the South Lake Tahoe Police Department responded to for the week of December 12 to December 18, 2014. They responded to 184 calls during the 7 day period.

Calls Resulting in Arrests:

12/12
No Arrests

12/13
Violation of Domestic Violence Court order in the 3600 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd

12/14
Weapons offense in the 1000 block of Emerald Bay Rd
DUI in the 1900 block of Airport Rd
Trespassing in the 1100 block of Keller Rd
Drunk in Public at 7th St and James Ave

When Dejon Smith left home after school on December 11, like any teen facing a snow day the following day, he told his parents he was headed out for the evening. He did not tell them where he was going or with whom he would be.

Unless you're not connected to social media or watching television news in the region you have most likely heard of accusations of racism on the part of the South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) in their handling of the Dejon Smith missing person and subsequent death case. This claim and other rumors circulating around the case were discussed today with SLTPD Lt. Brian Williams who spoke to South Tahoe Now about the case

In the United States, 31% of all traffic fatalities involve drunk driving which means 10,322 people are killed by drunk drivers annually, with 802 of those in California alone.

With holiday parties and festive occasions, more people will be drinking that during a normal week.

The South Lake Tahoe Police Department released the names of the businesses who sold alcohol to minors during last week's project Minor Decoy.

Minors working with the department attempted to purchase alcohol from 33 South Lake Tahoe businesses but were only successful in two of them.

A 32 year old clerk at Alpine Liquors, located at 1950 Lake Tahoe Blvd, was cited for selling alcohol to a minor as was a 32 year old employee at Chevy’s Restaurant, located at 3678 Lake Tahoe Blvd.