Sentinel staff report–
The Citrus Heights City Council will not meet on July 23 as the council is on summer recess.
City Manager Ash Feeney announced during the council’s July 9 meeting that there would be no second meeting in July, due to the recess.
In August, the council will resume its usual two meetings per month, on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month, at 6 p.m.
According to the city’s website, the council’s next meeting will be Aug. 13, 2024.
By Sara Beth Williams–
A man died after being shot outside his home over the weekend.
Citrus Heights Police officers responded to the 6500 block of Thalia Way just before 9:30 p.m. on July 19 regarding a report of a man who had been shot multiple times in front of a residence.
Officers arrived to find the man unresponsive with injuries consistent with reports. According to a Citrus Heights Police press release, the man was moved from the residence, and lifesaving measures were attempted, but the man did not survive his injuries.
Multiple roads in the vicinity were shut down by police from multiple agencies as law enforcement thoroughly searched the surrounding areas for what police believed to be one suspect, Victor Bubliyenko, a 55-year-old male from Citrus Heights.
Preliminary information suggests that Bubliyenko and the victim knew each other somehow, according to the press release. The victim’s identity is being withheld at this time.
According to residents on social media, the neighborhood was blocked off for several hours overnight into early Sunday morning. Detectives continue to actively review evidence, conduct interviews, and have searched two homes in the neighborhood that are related to the incident.
On Sunday, July 20, around 1 p.m., Bubliyenko was located in the area of San Juan and Sunset Avenues. and was taken into custody. Authorities believe the shooting was an isolated incident and said it is the second homicide in Citrus Heights this year.
Although Bubliyenko is the only suspect, the crime is still under active investigation, and police are still seeking more information. Anyone with information related to the shooting is asked to contact the Citrus Heights Police Department’s crime tip line at 916-727-5524. Anyone who wishes to remain anonymous and share information related to this or any other crime can also contact the Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers tip hotline at (916) 443-HELP.
The Citrus Heights Police Department thanked the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office as well as the Folsom Police Department for their assistance during the incident.
By Sara Beth Williams–
A father and juvenile son riding on a dirt bike were injured over the weekend when they were struck by another vehicle.
Citrus Heights Police and medical personnel responded to a report of a vehicle-versus-motorcycle collision on July 20 around 8:45 p.m. and found two riders on a dirt bike severely injured after having been struck by another vehicle. There were no reports of injuries from the driver in the second vehicle.
The father, 31, and son, 7, failed to stop at a stop sign at Twin Oaks Avenue and Patton Avenue according to police, and law enforcement said they suspect the father was driving under the influence. Citrus Heights Police plan to seek DUI charges. The father and son were both taken to area hospitals with severe injures according to local reports. They are expected to survive.
The roadway was closed temporarily. The incident is still under investigation.
By Sara Beth Williams–
It appears one jeweler has combined with another jewelry store inside Sunrise Mall, amid the competition for limited foot traffic through the mall’s empty corridor.
On a recent visit to Sunrise Mall, Sentinel staff found the site where Sam’s Jewelers used to reside empty and dark. Two neon-colored signs posted on the windows indicated that the jewelry store had moved to the center of the mall “as Ron Jewelers” next to JCPenney.
An employee with Ron Jewelers said Sam’s Jewelers and Ron Jewelers are owned by the same company and that the previous jewelers moved several weeks ago, due to the lack of foot traffic.
The Sunrise Mall has struggled to attract foot traffic for years, with multiple businesses closing over the last several years. Anchor stores Macy’s and Hot Topic closed in March, and Spencer’s closed in April.
The City of Citrus Heights has levied hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines against Sunrise Mall’s majority owner, Namdar Realty Group. Following a Notice to Abate was sent to Namdar in June, the city of Citrus Heights filed a lawsuit against Namdar Realty in July, seeking over $500,000 in accrued code violation fines and immediate abatement of multiple violations ranging from electrical and plumbing violations to landscaping and fire code violations.
In April, potential development plans for the mall fell through when the Citrus Heights City Council rejected a proposal from Ethan Conrad Properties, who submitted a request to amend the approved Sunrise Tomorrow Specific Plan to allow for other uses that weren’t listed in the plan.
Ethan Conrad, CEO of Ethan Conrad Properties, submitted an informal map of redevelopment plans, which proposed adding a Home Depot, In-N-Out Burger, and multiple other drive-thru restaurants to the property.
The plans sparked debate among residents and community leaders, with over a hundred speakers commenting during an April 23 meeting that lasted four-and-a-half hours.
Following the rejection of the informal proposal to amend the Sunrise Tomorrow plan, Conrad dropped previously announced plans to buy 50 acres of the Sunrise Mall owned by Namdar Realty.
Recently, Namdar Realty has also been soliciting commercial real estate brokers in order to attempt to sell his portion of the property off the market.
The city has long-promoted the Sunrise Tomorrow Specific Plan redevelopment guide for the almost-100 acres of Sunrise Mall, which was adopted in November 2021.
The Sunrise Tomorrow Specific Plan would triple the development allowed on the site and proposes adding a maximum of 2,200 new housing units of varying types, 960,000 square feet of office space, 450,000 square feet of community and institutional space, and 320,000 square feet of retail space, plus 480 hotel rooms.
The Specific Plan calls for the creation of a “21st Century Main Street” where residents would be able to shop, eat, and gather together for community events. The goal of the redevelopment guide is to create a community and regional destination with a network of green spaces connected by trails and walkways, livable neighborhoods, and office space, which would create 24/7 foot traffic for retail shops.
Opponents of the Sunrise Tomorrow Plan call the plan not economically viable and criticize the 20-year timeline.
By Sara Beth Williams–
Grace Communion Church is inviting the community to its inaugural Bubble Party at Rusch Community Park on Saturday, July 26. Kids of all ages are welcome to come out for an afternoon of lighthearted fun.
The festivities will begin at 11 a.m., and guests are encouraged to bring their own bubbles but will also be able to enjoy free bubbles provided by the church. The event will also include free snacks and cold water for attendees.
“This is a simple, joyful way to connect with our neighbors and share some summertime fun,” said Pastor Kairis Chiaji in a press release, adding that everyone is welcome.
Chiaji came up with the idea with the goal of wanting to get to know people in the community and providing an event that families could attend during the summer since school is out.
“Our hope is to have more of these types of family events and church activities and to become part of the community,” the church said in an email.
The event is free to attend and will be held in the main grassy area of Rusch Community Park, located at 7801 Auburn Blvd., Citrus Heights.
More information about the event is posted on the church’s website, gci.church/sacramento.
By Sara Beth Williams–
Progress is being made on the interior of a new bakery with plans to open soon in Citrus Heights.
Nothing Bundt Cakes is planning to fill a vacant location in the Sunrise Village shopping center and hopes to open sometime between October of this year and early 2026, according to an update from Tiffany Clement with MerloneGeier.
A visit to the site on Saturday found Fuesz Mechanical owner Travis Fuesz on site working on the interior of the future bakery. Fuesz confirmed the space will be a bakery and that he’s currently adding all the duct work for the HVAC system, and all the mechanical connections should be completed by next week.
Site plans show the bakery occupying a vacant space in the same building as Little Caesars. The 2000-square-foot space is the largest of the three spaces in the building.
Since the revitalization of the shopping center at the corner of Madison Avenue and Sunrise Boulevard, the plaza has seen multiple new tenants, including Club Studio Fitness, which opened in September 2024, and Amazon Fresh, which opened in November 2024.
Popular frozen yogurt chain Pinkberry is also slated to open in the same shopping center “any day now” according to Clement. International juice shop Juice Time is also expected to open sometime this year.
Grocery Outlet also has submitted plans to the city of Citrus Heights to fill the vacant building that was once a former Rite Aid. Grocery Outlet’s name is not yet listed in the leasing site plan. MerloneGeier did not have any updates on progress or a potential opening date for the future grocery store.
The shopping center also lost its major anchor tenant, JOANN, which closed hundreds of locations after filing for bankruptcy.
Nothing Bundt Cakes calls itself the “Number 1 specialty cake company in the U.S.” according to the company’s website. The first Nothing Bundt Cakes bakery opened in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 1997. The chain has more than 600 locations, including five other shops in the Sacramento region. A Citrus Heights location is not yet listed on the bakery’s website.
By Sara Beth Williams–
Kyle Travis Colton, 37, of Citrus Heights was found guilty of one count of receiving child pornography, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez.
Court documents revealed that a law enforcement search of Colton’s home uncovered images and videos depicting graphic sexual abuse of young children, officials said. The material was saved on his computer desktop, and he had a number of bookmarks linking to known child pornography sites.
Officials said the material was downloaded between July 2022 and December 2023.
Colton had previously pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and disruptive conduct in restricted building or grounds in connection with his role on Jan. 6.
According to KCRA, “The FBI, in court documents, said that agents reviewed CCTV from inside the Capitol, and it shows Colton refusing to leave the Rotunda, as well as being present in a line of rioters who were engaging with law enforcement.”
The multiple pardons for those who contributed to the events on Jan. 6 were issued by Trump just days before Colton was scheduled to be sentenced in that case, KCRA reported.
Colton faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison, a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case is a product of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which Assistant United States Attorneys Whitnee Goins and Shea J. Kenny are prosecuting.
Colton’s sentencing is set for Oct. 27.
By Sara Beth Williams–
The Citrus Heights city manager has confirmed that the city has dropped its opposition to a controversial senate bill that would create a unified Sacramento Area Housing and Homelessness Agency.
Citrus Heights, along with multiple cities in the county, originally opposed the bill, Senate Bill 802, with Citrus Heights City Manager Ash Feeney saying on July 9 that the original bill sought to reallocate all federal, state and local funding, such as Community Development Block Grant funding and other affordable housing funding, from the city to the new agency, which would then administer the funds.
The bill was introduced three weeks ago by California State Sen. Angelique Ashby and received significant pushback from city mayors throughout the county, including Elk Grove, Folsom, Rancho Cordova, and Citrus Heights. Several cities sent letters of opposition against the bill, and the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors also voiced its opposition.
Supporters say the bill would create a joint powers authority that would resemble Regional Transit and other multi-jurisdictional regional agencies, with the County and each city assigning elected representatives to a seat on the agency. A key concern Citrus Heights had was the loss of local control of funding.
Many city and county leaders expressed frustration with a lack of collaboration about the bill and the quick turnaround time of the bill, which was introduced right before an Assembly Committee on Housing and Community Development hearing. Recently, Supervisor Rich Desmond spoke out and asked Ashby to pause her efforts and collaborate with local leaders.
In an interview with The Sentinel on Wednesday, Feeney said Ashby has since been more open to collaborating with Citrus Heights.
“Several meetings have been held since the letter of opposition was sent,” Feeney said, adding that originally, the city had significant concerns regarding some language of the bill and that they have been able to express those concerns to Ashby. During the July 9 City Council meeting, Feeney said since the end of June, he, along with the League of Cities, met with Ashby, and Citrus Heights Mayor Jayna Karpinski-Costa participated in a group meeting with Ashby along with other mayors from throughout Sacramento County.
Upon further discussion with the senator, Feeney said Ashby plans to change the language in the bill to allow for cities to maintain local control of various funding received annually. Feeney said the city’s position is now “neutral” on the bill, since “she has agreed to make those amendments.”
Asked whether he had authority to change the city’s stance from oppose to “neutral” without taking it to the City Council, Feeney said, “There’s enough direction through past council actions and policy in the city that I know what bills we’re likely to oppose or what bills we’re likely to support, and if there’s something I’m unsure of, then I would want to take that to the full council — and if there’s time, that’s always great to be able to do that, but sometimes these things come up and you don’t have time to take it to a meeting before you have to take an action.”
Feeney confirmed that several city officials attended a July 16 press conference held at the state capital. In a shocking reversal to many, during the press conference, Ashby announced plans to pause her push for passing SB 802, turning it into a two-year bill, which Feeney confirmed.
But the pause comes with some conditions, according to local news outlets. Ashby outlined four things that leaders must do to meet a January deadline for change, including creating a formal governmental structure with “real” accountability, ensuring dedicated and funded resources (not volunteer-based), considering a dedicated housing and homelessness agency similar to state plans, and ensuring that efforts made include input from smaller cities.
The Sentinel reached out to all five Citrus Heights City Council members for comment on SB 802 but did not hear back before press time.
Publisher’s note: The headline of this story has been updated to clarify that the city’s position is contingent on the bill being amended to protect local control of funding.
Sentinel Staff report–
Latest police logs show a decrease in overall incidents, including fireworks and incidents of violence and threats, while showing an increase in vehicle violations. Below are police log incidents from July 10-16, 2025.
Arrest and incident logs can be viewed on the city’s website here.
7-10-2025 Activity Log | 7-11-2025 Activity Log | 7-12-2025 Activity Log | 7-13-2025 Activity Log | 7-14-2025 activity Log | 07-15-2025 Activity Log | 07-16-2025 Activity Log
The total number of logs per category excludes calls that were canceled or confirmed as duplicate calls.
The Citrus Heights Police Department notes that its logs “are not intended as a full and complete list of all police activity,” with some information not displayed for legal reasons, such as arrests of minors. As such, police advise that summary totals based on public logs may differ from weekly incident and arrest totals posted by police on social media.
The department notes on its website that: “All arrested suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty. Additionally, the original crimes, nature of offenses, and charges may be amended or dismissed as further information is made available.”
The Citrus Heights Police Department notes that its logs “are not intended as a full and complete list of all police activity,” with some information not displayed for legal reasons, such as arrests of minors. As such, police advise that summary totals based on public logs may differ from weekly incident and arrest totals posted by police on social media.
The department notes on its website that: “All arrested suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty. Additionally, the original crimes, nature of offenses, and charges may be amended or dismissed as further information is made available.”
Editor’s Note: police log summaries are published with assistance from AI, but edited by humans. Please contact us if you spot an error.
By Sara Beth Williams–
A popular frozen yogurt chain is expected to open next weekend at Sunrise Village in Citrus Heights, the shop’s owner said.
In an email to The Sentinel, Pinkberry owner said the yogurt shop expects to open on July 27 and has been waiting on final SMUD conditions in order to be able to open.
Pinkberry’s bright green signage can still be seen on the front of a suite in between Teriyaki To Go and Sourdough & Co. with signs also posted on the front doors saying, “Now Hiring.” Chairs and tables could also be seen set up inside the shop.
Sunrise MarketPlace Executive Director Kathilynn Carpenter confirmed that Pinkberry used to occupy a space next to Chipotle at 5855 Sunrise Blvd, on the corner of Sunrise Boulevard and Macy Plaza Drive in the Target shopping center. Carpenter could not confirm a closing date for the former location. According to Yelp reviewers, the former Pinkberry location opened in July of 2010.
The frozen yogurt franchise surged in popularity in the early 2000s, but encountered difficulty with over-expansion and high competition from other frozen yogurt eateries, and the company closed several locations throughout the country beginning in 2015 according to multiple online reports.
More eateries are expected to open this year and next, including popular bakery Nothing Bundt Cakes and international juice shop Juice Time.
The new location of Pinkberry coming to Sunrise Village will join a cast of tenants including The Habit, Amazon Fresh, Starbucks, Club Studio, Olive Garden and See’s Candies.