south lake tahoe police

An investigation continues into the South Lake Tahoe accident that claimed the life of a local 21-year old woman and sent two people to Reno hospitals with serious injuries.

Aimee Campos died after a car driven by 20-year old Olga Penaarce, also of South Lake Tahoe, crashed at the intersection of Pioneer Trail and Edna Street early Monday morning. 25-year old Wayne Walker of Sacramento was also a passenger in the car.

The holiday season has arrived. As Americans prepare for travel and festivities with family and friends, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) wants to remind all drivers that it’s dangerous to drive after drinking. You have to choose your role before drinking begins: will you drink or will you drive? Remember, even if you only have a little bit to drink and think you’re “okay to drive,” you could still be over the legal limit, because Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving.

An elderly South Lake Tahoe resident is the victim of a phone scam where he sent a undisclosed amount of money to unknown people. The phone number initiating the scam was from the area code 876, which is Jamaica.

The resident called SLT Police Department to alert them that he received phone calls from people he didn't know who were trying to obtain money from him. The victim was told by the caller that he was stuck in customs and needed help getting out. The suspect convinced the elderly victim to send him a large amount of money.

The following is a recap of activity the South Lake Tahoe Police Department responded to for November 6 through November 13, 2014. They responded to 169 calls during the 8 day period.

Calls Resulting in Arrests:

11/6
Under the influence of drugs in the 2100 block of South Ave
Under the influence of drugs in the 1200 block of Tata Lane
Warrant in the 900 block of Pioneer Trail
DUI in the 3800 block of Pioneer Trail

11/8
Drunk in Public in the 2100 block of South Ave
Battery of a Peace Officer in the 2100 block of South Ave

The South Lake Tahoe Police Department was awarded a grant for $47,000 that will be used to fund part of the city’s ongoing commitment to keep the roads safe through enforcement and education.

A rise statewide in pedestrian and motorcycle fatalities created an unfortunate need for grant funding of road safety programs. The California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) awarded the grant.

“Without this much needed funding from the Office of Traffic Safety, we would not be able to address the problems of drunk and drugged driving within our community”, said Sgt Shannon Laney.

The following is a recap of activity the South Lake Tahoe Police Department responded to for October 31 through November 5, 2014. They responded to 153 calls during the 6 day period.

Calls Resulting in Arrests:

10/31
Domestic Violence Battery in the 2600 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd
Petty Theft in the 2100 block of South Ave

11/1
DUI in the 3100 block of Pioneer Trail
Under the Influence of Drugs in the 2200 block of Idaho Ave
DUI at Pioneer Trail and Markofer Way
Warrant in the 4000 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd

The South Lake Tahoe Police Department responded to a brawl in progress at the mid-town Jack in the Box on Tuesday afternoon. When they arrived they found two men and a woman confronting a man. The suspects had a bat and a slungshot (homemade weapon with a weight on the end of a rope) on them according to Detective Doug Sentell of the SLTPD. Sentell said that even though a bat was present it wasn't used on the victim.

This story could be straight out of the "dumb criminals" shows on television.

On October 23, the Trailhead Lodge located at 3892 Lake Tahoe Blvd reported a burglary from their locked and unattended lobby. Officer Hounsell from the South Lake Tahoe Police Department responded and watched surveillance footage from the motel.

It was discovered that a South Lake Tahoe homeowner had been renting out his vacation home since at least 2008 without paying transient occupancy tax (TOT). An audit of the City's Vacation Home Rental program discovered the violation, and when the homeowner refused to comply so a criminal investigation was conducted.

The list of people against California's Proposition 47 grew today with the addition of El Dorado County District Attorney Vern Pierson, Sheriff John D'Agostini and County Supervisors joining the fight against what has been touted "The Safe Neighborhood and Schools Act."

The following is a recap of activity the South Lake Tahoe Police Department responded to between October 10 and October 16, 2014. They responded to 164 calls during the 7 day period.

Calls Resulting in Arrests:

10/10
Spousal Abuse in the 100 block of Highway 50
Violation of Court Order in the 2100 block of South Ave
Unlicensed drier at Lake Tahoe Blvd & Silver Dollar Ave

10/11
DUI in the 2000 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd
Drunk in Public in the 3900 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd
DUI Felony at Lake Tahoe Blvd & Tahoe Keys Blvd

Three South Lake Tahoe men are sitting in the El Dorado County Jail tonight on charges ranging from participating in a criminal street gang, conspiracy to commit a crime, burglary, robbery to manufacturing a controlled substance.

The charges stem from a home invasion robbery on October 11. Four men forced their way into a home in the Ski Run Blvd area, assaulted the victim and stole personal property. The victim reportedly knew the perpetrators.

A South Lake Tahoe woman is recovering in the hospital after undergoing emergency surgery for a stab wound to the neck Wednesday night.

Thomas Payne, 36, also of South Lake Tahoe, was arrested Thursday afternoon for attempted murder after the victim identified him as the perpetrator of the domestic violence.

A 22-year-old South Lake Tahoe woman remains jailed Tuesday evening on charges of hit and run, resisting, DUI and assault with a deadly weapon. Alejandra Lopez was driving westbound on Highway 50 in the vicinity of South Tahoe Middle School at 9:20 a.m. Tuesday morning when the series of events occurred that landed her in a cell at El Dorado County Jail. Lopez is accused of splitting the two westbound lanes with her car, hitting the cars in each lane. The drivers of the two cars which were hit got of their vehicles after the accident when Lopez tried to run one of them over.

To avoid going down the bankruptcy path as many cities had to over the past few years, the City of South Lake Tahoe today adopted resolutions to restructure the wage and benefit packages of its employees.

The new wage and benefit plans include a mixture of more clearly defined benefits and contributions. It was the undefined plans of the past that caused $25M in unfunded liabilities.

In front of a packed council chambers full of firemen and other staff, City Manager Nancy Kerry unveiled the results of negotiations between five of the six employee groups and the City.

Being touted as "The Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act" by proponents, Proposition 47 will mandate misdemeanors instead of felonies for “non-serious, nonviolent crimes," unless the defendant has prior convictions for murder, rape, certain sex offenses or certain gun crimes.

The reason Prop 47 got this name is because a fund bearing it's name will be created by the estimated savings of $150M to $250M the state will receive by not having to prosecute crimes that would become misdemeanors.

For the week between Sept. 19 and Sept. 25, 2014, the South Lake Tahoe Police Department responded to 164 calls.

Calls resulting in arrests:

9/19
Driving on a suspended/revoked license in the 1000 Emerald Bay Road
Petty Theft in the 1000 block of Emerald Bay Road
DUI in the 3800 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd

9/20
Being Under the Influence of Drugs in the 1200 block of Ski Run Blvd
Drunk in Public in the 900 block of Emerald Bay Rd
Drunk in Public in the 3900 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd
Warrant in the 900 block of Lodi Ave

There are an estimated 500 unpermitted, illegal marijuana grow houses on the South Shore according to local law enforcement. In the city limits, South Lake Tahoe Police Chief Brian Uhler estimates there are 300 houses where marijuana is growing illegally with another 200 in the El Dorado County portion of the South Shore according to SLEDNET’s Matt Underhill. (SLEDNET stands for South Lake El Dorado Narcotics Enforcement Team, a joint drug enforcement task force)

Have bottles of prescriptions sitting unused in your medicine cabinet?

A free and anonymous disposal site for expired and unused drugs will be in the Safeway parking lot at 1020 Johnson Blvd. on September 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. as part of National Drug Take Back Day. The South Lake Tahoe Police Department in conjunction with the South Lake Tahoe Drug Free Coalition will be hosting the event. The Coalition will be on hand to answer any questions or address any concerns the public may have.

The following is a recap of activity the South Lake Tahoe Police Department responded to for the week of September to September 11, 2014. They responded to 144 calls during the 7 day period.

Calls Resulting in Arrests:

9/5
DUI at the corner of Lodi and Lake Tahoe Blvd
Battery in the 2900 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd
Warrant in the 2400 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd
Warrrant in the 3600 block of Primrose Rd
Felony - other in the 1300 block of Johnson Blvd
DUI in the 2600 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd

9/6

It may be a simple metal box attached to the wall of the South Lake Tahoe Police station, but what it does can change, or even save, lives.

The South Tahoe Drug Free Coalition bought the box and had it installed in July of this year. Since then it has been emptied three times according to Josh Adler of the SLTPD.

"It has been very successful," said Melody Easton, Coalition Coordinator.

El Dorado County Sheriff's Office responds to calls throughout the county.

The following are calls that only pertain to the South Shore.

8/7
3:21 p.m. - South Avenue: A 62 YEAR OLD FEMALE WAS TRANSPORTED TO BARTON HOSPITAL AFTER SHE ENTERED A LOCAL PET STORE ASKING FOR PARAMEDICS AND THEN COLLAPSED. LIFE SAVING MEASURES WERE ATTEMPTED WITH NEGATIVE RESULT. DUE TO THE FEMALE'S
UNEXPLAINED INJURIES SOUTH LAKE TAHOE POLICE DETECTIVE'S RESPONDED AS WELL.

4:12 p.m. - Johnson Blvd: A 47 YEAR OLD WOMAN WAS ARRESTED FOR BEING UNDER THE INFLUENCE

8/8

The following is a recap of activity the South Lake Tahoe Police Department responded to between July 31 and August 10, 2014. They responded to 412 calls during the 11 day period.

Calls Resulting in Arrests:

7/31
Unlicensed Driver in the 3700 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd
Drunk in Public in the 4000 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd
Spousal Abuse in the 4100 block of Cedar Ave at 12:53 a.m.
Domestic Violence Battery in the 4100 block of Cedar Ave at 1:37 p.m.
Burglary in the 1000 block of Emerald Bay Rd
Drunk in Public in the 2100 block of South Ave

Jackson Miller was just 18 when he was reported missing by his family in 2010 and he has not been seen by his family since. There may be renewed hope by his family after a South Lake Tahoe man reported that he saw Miller in the area in mid-July.

Soon after he went missing, Miller's car was found in the parking lot of the Golden Gate Bridge with his wallet and cell phone still inside. Authorities determined that no one jumped from the bridge the night Miller's car was found and video surveillance cameras showed him leaving his car and walking out of the parking area.