California

SAN ANSELMO, CA – A 17-year-old resident of Butterfield Road has been arrested in connection with a false bomb threat that led to the evacuation of Archie Williams High School in August. File Photo (November 2022) According to the Central Marin Police Authority, officers responded to the school around 9:00 a.m. on August 27, 2025, after receiving a report of a bomb threat. Emergency personnel from the Ross Valley Fire Department, Marin County Sheriff’s Office, and California Highway Patrol assisted in the response. School officials, in coordination with the Tamalpais Union High School District, enacted established safety protocols, including a full evacuation. Classes were canceled for the remainder of the day, and parents were notified through official school communications. A...

CORCORAN, CA – A Visalia man has been arrested in connection with a stabbing that occurred in the 2400 block of Whitley Avenue in Corcoran. According to the Corcoran Police Department, officers were dispatched to an apartment around 6:12 a.m. on September 6, 2025, where they located an adult male victim suffering from a stab wound to the torso. The victim was transported to a local hospital and survived his injuries. Police noted the victim was uncooperative during the initial investigation. Following further investigation, detectives identified the suspect as 45-year-old Tory Dewayne Johnson of Visalia. On October 15, 2025, Johnson was arrested in Visalia with assistance from the Visalia Police Department. He was booked into the Kings County Jail on a charge of attempted murd...

CHINO HILLS, CA – A Victorville man has been arrested for murder following the death of a Chino Hills woman in what investigators believe was a domestic violence-related incident. According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, deputies responded to the 4000 block of Village Drive around 10:23 p.m. on October 8, 2025, for a medical aid call. They found 44-year-old Jillian Jones deceased inside her residence. She had suffered a fatal traumatic injury. The suspect, 62-year-old Vincent Ratliff of Victorville, was not at the scene when deputies arrived. Detectives from the Sheriff’s Specialized Investigations Division – Homicide Detail determined that Jones and Ratliff had been in a romantic relationship. On October 9, 2025, Sheriff’s Specialized Enforcement Division ...

COSTA MESA, CA – The Costa Mesa Police Department has arrested a man on suspicion of homicide after a woman was found unresponsive and bleeding in a motel room on South Coast Drive. According to police, officers and Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue responded around 6 a.m. on October 13 to the 1500 block of South Coast Drive. They located a 32-year-old woman, identified as Yu Wang of Laguna Niguel, who was transported to a hospital and later pronounced deceased. At the scene, officers arrested Max Blumencranz, 31, of Costa Mesa for homicide. The nature of the relationship between the victim and the suspect remains under investigation. Detectives are continuing their work on the case and are withholding further information to protect the investigation’s integrity. The Costa Mesa ...

CHINO HILLS, CA – A woman was rescued by deputies after she was allegedly kidnapped, tortured, and forced to travel across the country committing fraud in a scheme to repay debts, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. The incident began around 2:43 p.m. on October 11, 2025, when deputies responded to The Shoppes at Chino Hills located at 13920 City Center Drive for a report of suspicious individuals loitering in front of Sephora. Upon arrival, deputies detained two individuals and discovered multiple fraudulent identification cards, social security cards, and debit cards during the investigation. One of the detained individuals, a 51-year-old woman from North Carolina, told deputies she had been kidnapped and forced to travel across the country with 28-year...

APPLE VALLEY, CA – A 40-year-old man was pronounced deceased following a two-vehicle collision involving an ATV and a passenger vehicle in Apple Valley. The crash occurred around 4:59 p.m. on October 12, 2025, at the intersection of Navajo Road and Ottawa Road. According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, Juan M. Rodriguez Mendoza was riding a blue 2002 Yamaha YFM660 westbound on Ottawa Road when he entered the intersection and into the path of a silver 2016 Honda CR-V traveling southbound on Navajo Road. The Honda, driven by a 58-year-old Apple Valley resident with two passengers, struck the Yamaha broadside, ejecting Rodriguez Mendoza from the ATV. He was transported to a local hospital for a higher level of care but was later pronounced deceased. The driver ...

TULARE COUNTY, CA – A Porterville man has been arrested after allegedly setting a woman on fire, according to the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies responded just before 5:30 p.m. on October 10, 2025, to the 24100 block of Avenue 120 in Porterville for a medical aid call. Upon arrival, they found a woman suffering from severe burns to her face, arms, and torso. An investigation revealed that 42-year-old Sean Hofmann had intentionally poured a highly flammable accelerant on or near the victim, resulting in the woman being set on fire. She was airlifted to a nearby hospital and is currently listed in stable condition. Hofmann was taken into custody without incident. Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact Detective Javier Montoya at the Tulare County...

FILLMORE, CA – The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office has identified the woman known for decades only as “Jane Doe” in a 1981 homicide case as Maria Belmontes Blancas. According to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Bureau and Cold Case Unit, Maria’s body was discovered on January 27, 1981, in a citrus orchard near Piru. She had been shot multiple times, and her death was ruled a homicide. Despite an initial investigation, her identity remained unknown for over four decades. The Cold Case Unit reopened the investigation in 2023 and used advanced DNA analysis to suggest Maria's family may have originated from Michoacán, Mexico. Working with Redgrave Research Forensic Services, investigators traced potential family members, and by summer 2025, they were able to confirm M...