California

FREMONT, CA – A man is in custody following a fatal stabbing that occurred shortly after noon on September 18, 2025, in the 600 block of Upper Vintners Circle. Fremont Police officers responded at approximately 12:01 p.m. to a report of an altercation between two individuals in front of a residence. Upon arrival, officers found an unresponsive victim suffering from significant stab wounds. Officers administered trauma care, but the victim was pronounced deceased at the scene. The second individual involved in the altercation was detained on site, and a knife was recovered. The suspect was identified as 29-year-old Varun Suresh, a Fremont resident. He was arrested for murder under Penal Code 187(a). Fremont Police Department’s Crimes Against Persons Unit has assumed the investiga...

SANTA ANA, CA – A jury convicted 51-year-old Francisco Javier Lopez of Montebello for kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 6-year-old girl in 2012. Police said Lopez abducted the child from the 1400 block of S. Townsend Street, assaulted her in a nearby parking lot, and left her near her home. DNA evidence produced the first female familial DNA match in Orange County, identifying Lopez as the suspect. He was arrested in 2019 and on September 16, 2025, found guilty of 11 felony counts, including kidnapping to commit a sex offense and multiple child sexual assault charges. Sentencing is set for October 9, 2025.

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA – The United States has filed a civil complaint under the False Claims Act against Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP), a local initiative health plan based in Rancho Cucamonga, for allegedly submitting false statements and retaining overpayments related to California’s Medi-Cal Expansion program. IEHP, which contracted with California’s Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to provide services to residents in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, is accused of violating the False Claims Act by misusing surplus federal funds and concealing the nature of the spending from state and federal agencies. Beginning in 2014, IEHP received full federal funding to serve the Medi-Cal Expansion population. Under the terms of its agreement, IEHP was required to spend at...

STOCKTON, CA – A 25-year-old man was arrested following an assault with a deadly weapon in the 1200 block of South Commerce Street in Stockton’s Seaport District. According to SPD, at approximately 2:56 p.m., a 49-year-old male victim was sitting in his car when the suspect, identified as Juan Arias, allegedly strangled him, struck him with an object, and threatened to kill him. Responding officers took Arias into custody without incident. He was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon, battery, and criminal threats.

EMERYVILLE, CA – A suspect has been charged with homicide in connection with a fatal shooting that occurred on May 26, 2023, at the intersection of 41st Street and San Pablo Avenue. File Photo (August 2025) According to the Emeryville Police Department, officers responded to a shooting report and found an adult male, identified as Dexter Appleby, suffering from gunshot wounds. Despite life-saving efforts, Appleby was pronounced deceased at the scene. After an extensive investigation by the department’s Criminal Investigations Section, 42-year-old James Allen Wheeler of Oakland was identified as the suspect. The case was submitted to the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, which filed a charge of Penal Code 187 – Homicide. Anyone with additional information is urged to co...

ESCONDIDO, CA – An adult male was killed Tuesday morning on Quince Street near Norlak Avenue after being struck by a garbage truck. File Photo (August 2025) Police received reports of the incident at 5:41 a.m. and arrived to find a pedestrian down in the roadway. He was pronounced deceased at the scene. His identity has not been released at this time. Initial findings indicate the man was in the roadway when a southbound garbage truck struck him. The driver remained at the scene and is cooperating with the investigation. Authorities confirmed that alcohol or drugs are not believed to be factors in the crash. Anyone with information is asked to contact Officer Pete McCullough at (760) 839-4930.

CHINO HILLS, CA – Deputies arrested a 29-year-old Mississippi resident after he brandished a knife and demanded a woman’s drink at The Shoppes at Chino Hills on Sept. 15. According to investigators, the victim was walking through a breezeway at the shopping center, located at 13920 City Center Drive, around 1:58 p.m. when the suspect approached her. He displayed a knife and demanded the tea she had purchased. The victim threw the drink at him, fled the area, and called 911. Deputies from the Chino Hills Station responded and detained the suspect, identified as Rashawn Lee. He was arrested and booked at West Valley Detention Center on a robbery charge. Anyone with information about this case is urged to contact the Chino Hills Police Department at 909-364-2000. Anonymous tips m...

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Uber Technologies Inc. alleging widespread discrimination against passengers with disabilities, including individuals with service animals and those using stowable wheelchairs and other mobility devices. File Photo (February 2022) The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, claims Uber violated Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by failing to ensure equal access to its ride-hailing services. The ADA prohibits private transportation companies from discriminating based on disability and requires reasonable accommodations such as allowing service animals and providing access for individuals using mobility devices. According to the civil complaint,...

LOS ANGELES, CA – A California man was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison for his role in laundering more than $36.9 million from victims in an international digital asset investment scam operated from Cambodia. The court also ordered him to pay $26,867,242.44 in restitution to victims. File Photo (September 2025) According to the Justice Department, 39-year-old Shengsheng He of La Puente, California, a former co-owner of the Bahamas-based Axis Digital Limited, pleaded guilty on April 10 to conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business in the Central District of California. Court records show He and his co-conspirators induced U.S. victims to transfer funds into accounts controlled by the group. The money was laundered through U.S. shell companies, internat...