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3 arrested for weapons violations in Citrus Heights SWAT raids

Citrus Heights police said Tuesday night that three separate SWAT raids conducted this morning resulted in three men being arrested for “numerous weapons violations.”

Citrus Heights SWAT members exit S&S Tire after a Tuesday morning weapons-related raid. (Photo from Sentinel video taken at the scene.)

“Based on the evidence recovered at the locations,” a press release by Sergeant Mike Wells said 55-year-old Alphonso Harris, 29-year-old Mohammed Javed, and 67-year-old David Smith were arrested for alleged weapons violations, with Smith arrested for narcotics violations as well.

All three men were booked into the Sacramento County Jail.

The press release contained limited information, with police citing the ongoing nature of the investigation and stating “there is no further information at this time.”

The raids resulted in Auburn Boulevard being shut down around 8 a.m. Tuesday, with drivers and residents witnessing heavy police presence and SWAT team activity outside S&S Tire on Auburn Boulevard near Kanai Ave.

[Update: PD: Citrus Heights SWAT raids seized 20+ guns, drugs, $93k]

SWAT team members from the Citrus Heights Police Department armed with rifles, saws and other equipment were observed entering and exiting S&S Tire around 8 a.m., with CHPD’s recently acquired Mine Resistant Armor Protected (MRAP) military surplus vehicle parked outside.

By about 8:45 a.m., the SWAT team had packed up and left, the road re-opened and CHPD officers had left the scene, along with Sacramento Sheriff’s Department deputies who were observed to be assisting.

In an earlier statement on Tuesday, Wells said the Department’s Investigative Services Division “was involved in an active investigation into illegal weapons sales,” and was able to obtain search warrants for multiple locations within Citrus Heights — one of which was S&S Tire.

[See exclusive Sentinel video footage from this morning’s raid in prior story: BREAKING: heavy police activity, SWAT team at Auburn Blvd tire shop]

Wells said “due to the nature of the alleged violations,” CHPD’s Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT) was used to execute the search warrants, and Folsom Police Department’s SWAT team and “support personnel from other local agencies also provided assistance.

A concept design shows 64 townhouse units closer to the street, with 20 single-family homes further back.

February 18, 2015
Police: missing 10-year-old girl from Citrus Heights found

Citrus Heights police said a search for a missing “at-risk” girl ended successfully Thursday, after a search team formed and the 10-year-old was located.

Police lights, stock photo. // Citrus Heights Sentinel

“We are relieved to announce [the missing person] has been located and is currently being reunited with her family,” said CHPD’s Public Information Officer Chad Morris in an email update to media just after 3 p.m., Thursday.

Police said officers responded to a report of the missing girl, who reportedly had last been seen at her Citrus Heights residence around 11:30 a.m. A detailed description and photograph of the minor was then sent out by police in a press release around 2:50 p.m., urging anyone with information regarding her whereabouts to call the Department.

Just 20 minutes after sending the release out, police said the missing girl had been located, and thanked those involved in the search effort for their willingness to help.

[Related: 2 missing seniors prompt Citrus Heights PD to promo tracking tech]

According to Sergeant Mike Wells, CHPD receives about 50 missing person calls a month — with the Department most recently notifying the public in December of two separate cases where “at-risk” seniors went missing.

February 13, 2015
Police: driver gets stolen vehicle back after search leads to arrest

Citrus Heights police said they recovered a stolen vehicle and arrested an at-large wanted parolee Monday, after “an alert citizen” helped find the man hiding in a shed within a search perimeter officers established near Antelope Road and Mariposa Avenue.

Officers maintain a perimeter near Antelope Road Monday, in search of a vehicle theft suspect.

Sergeant Mike Wells said police officers located the stolen vehicle just “moments” after it had been reported stolen around 9 a.m. by a man who left his vehicle running while going inside a local gas station.

Police said the thief fled the vehicle on foot and was reported “hopping fences” near Mariposa and Pratt Avenues, leading officers to establish a multi-block perimeter in search of the thief. A California Highway Patrol plane was also observed circling the area during the search.

Wells said the search resulted in officers finding a man hiding in a shed after “an alert citizen observed some property, which did not belong to them, in front of their residence and advised officers.”

The man is believed to be responsible for the vehicle theft, according to Wells, but an investigation is still under way. He said officers arrested the man after determining him to be an at-large wanted parolee.

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The sergeant said CHPD reminds drivers “not to leave their vehicles running when unoccupied,” commenting that it happens more frequently in the winter when drivers warm up their cars on a cold morning. “It only takes a few seconds to have your vehicle stolen, and leaving it running can make an inviting target for criminals.”

January 28, 2015
Police: armed man shot by officers in Citrus Heights park

Updated Jan. 24, 8:57 a.m.–
Citrus Heights police said officers shot a 52-year-old man in C-Bar-C Park Thursday night, after responding to a call from a relative who said the man had overdosed on prescription medication, had a handgun and was possibly suicidal.

Police “Do not cross” tape closed off C-Bar-C Park in Citrus Heights, Thursday night.

Officer Anthony Boehle said in a press release that officers responded to the 8200 block of Oak Avenue just after 7 p.m. Thursday, attempting to speak with the man after finding him in the park. Police dispatch also notified officers that a park maintenance worker had reported the man brandishing a firearm.

According to the release, “Officers, in fear for their safety, were forced to fire multiple rounds” at the man, after he “would not comply with any requests officers made,” and had pulled out a handgun — later determined to be a replica of a semi-automatic pistol.

The man was struck by one or more bullets in the lower torso and was transported to a local hospital after first aid was “immediately rendered” by officers on scene, according to the release. He was released “a short time later,” and then booked in the Sacramento County Jail on charges of obstructing an officer, resisting arrest and brandishing an imitation firearm.

Police said an investigation is still ongoing, involving Citrus Heights Police Department Investigations Services Division along with the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office Crime Lab and investigators.
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January 23, 2015
Pedestrian in critical condition after being hit by car on Auburn Blvd

A 22-year-old man was sent to the hospital in critical condition Saturday night, after Citrus Heights police said he was hit by a car at 40-miles-an-hour while attempting to cross Auburn Boulevard outside of a crosswalk.

[box][Related: a Valentine’s Day crash involving a pedestrian shut down Auburn Boulevard near Kanai Avenue for 10 hours. See story: “Police close Auburn Blvd for 10hrs after Valentine’s Day crash”][/box]

Officers closed down northbound lanes on Auburn Boulevard after a pedestrian was struck by a car, Saturday night.

Sergeant Mike Wells said the collision occurred around 7 p.m. Saturday, when a Toyota Matrix hit the man in the northbound lanes of Auburn Boulevard, near the intersection of Twin Oaks Avenue. The collision caused police to shut down both northbound lanes for about five hours, re-opening traffic just before 1 a.m. Sunday, according to an email advisory sent out by police dispatchers.

Wells said the pedestrian was able to cross southbound lanes successfully before being struck in the northbound lanes, resulting in “major injuries.” Significant damage on the Toyota’s driver-side bumper and fender area was noticeable at the accident scene.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation, according to Wells, but neither speed nor alcohol appear to be a factor.

Wells said the Department “would like to remind all pedestrians to not cross the street outside of a marked crosswalk or controlled intersection.”

<<Related: Police had set up a DUI Checkpoint on Auburn Boulevard several hundred feet from the crash site, just one night before: “Weekend DUI Checkpoint nets 1 arrest, 6 tows”>>

Significant damage to the front driver-side was observed on a Toyota Matrix which collided with a pedestrian on Auburn Boulevard, Saturday night.

January 19, 2015
High speed chase through Citrus Heights ends in crash, arrest

Social media accounts lit up Sunday night from local users reporting helicopters and heavy police presence near Van Maren Lane and Garden Gate Drive, with Citrus Heights police later confirming they were involved in a multi-agency pursuit of a reportedly stolen SUV.

Stock photo. Citrus Heights Sentinel

“I just witnessed a high speed chase outside my house,” tweeted user “CWheeler3535” around 10 p.m. Sunday, after commenting about helicopters and police sirens nearby. His comment was shortly followed by a tweet about seeing a Nissan SUV fly past him on Garden Gate Drive going “at least 100” miles per hour, with “at least 30 cops” in pursuit.

CHPD Sergeant Mike Wells said Roseville police had requested assistance Sunday night after a vehicle they were pursuing traveled into Citrus Heights. Wells said the pursuit continued through Citrus Heights, ending outside city limits where the vehicle smashed into a wall near Woodfair Way in Carmichael.

<<Want to follow other Citrus Heights crime stories and local news? Click here to sign up for our free Weekend Edition and get the week’s top local news stories delivered to your inbox.>>

Following the crash, Wells said the driver fled on foot before being found in a garage, after officers from Citrus Heights, Roseville, Sacramento County and the California Highway Patrol established a perimeter around the area.

The SUV had previously been reported stolen from Texas, according to Wells, and the driver was arrested for possession of a stolen vehicle and felony vehicle evasion.
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January 14, 2015
2 missing seniors prompt Citrus Heights PD to promo tracking tech

Updated Dec. 26, 3:41 p.m.–
Citrus Heights police are promoting the use of personal tracking technology for at-risk residents after helping find two missing seniors this week — one of whom was wearing a trackable device designed for such an emergency.

Stock photo, Citrus Heights police SUV.

A Christmas-Day search for one of the seniors, 77-year-old James Mengel, ended late last night after the Citrus Heights resident was found in good health in Truckee by California Highway Patrol officers, according to a police press release. The search began after Mengel was reported missing by a family member, prompting CHP to utilize a missing-person public notification system known as “Silver Alert.”

In a much less publicized incident earlier this week, Citrus Heights police said they also helped find a 61-year-old man with dementia who reportedly wandered away from his home on Monday. This time, police were aided by the Department’s “Project Lifesaver” system to track a signal from a personal transmitter the man was wearing — something only 13 people currently have in the city, according to CHPD Sergeant Michael Wells.

According to a press release, CHPD says the program has reduced search times from days to just minutes, and with about 50 missing-person calls each month, the Department is encouraging at-risk persons with conditions like Alzheimer’s, dementia, autism and Down syndrome to be enrolled in the program.

<<Related story: Citrus Heights police also use tracking tech to stop would-be car thieves through their “bait vehicle” program. Click here to read story.>>

The Department says the program is currently free for Citrus Heights residents, with each enrollee receiving a trackable radio frequency transmitter to wear around the ankle or wrist which enables police to help find the person, if reported missing.

Project Lifesaver International is a non-profit company which began working with CHPD in 2012. Those interested in learning more about the program can visit ProjectLifesaver.org, or download enrollment forms on CHPD’s website.

December 26, 2014
City gears up for storm; offers preparation tips for residents

Updated Dec. 10, 12:33 p.m.–
The City of Citrus Heights is busy providing storm preparation tips and getting staff and equipment ready for fallen trees, clogged gutters and flooding that often accompany the heavy winds and rain expected this week.

A car splashes through a large puddle on the side of Old Auburn Road, during last week’s rain.

“The biggest concern is the winds that are coming through,” said Regina Cave with the Citrus Heights General Services division, recalling the “havoc” caused in 2008 and 2012 by heavy rains and clogged storm drains from late leaf-drops.

“We’ll have staff waiting here for all the calls, and we’ll have field staff prepared with equipment, chainsaws, to go out and assist,” said Cave, regarding the City’s current storm preparations. “We’ll also have our tree contractor that will be located here on our campus ready for calls.”

Cave offered several preparation recommendations for residents, emphasizing the need for clearing leaves from around nearby gutters, curbs and storm drains to allow for proper drainage.

“Do not clear them onto your lawn, they need to be put in their green waste containers,” said Cave, commenting that winds and rain will just “put ’em back into the gutters.”

Cave, who serves as a management analyst for the City’s general services division, also recommends residents pick up some sandbags if their property is lower in elevation, or if their driveway is flat and tends to get some run-off into garages or front doors during regular rains. For those located near creeks, she “strongly recommends” getting some sandbags from one of the City’s two free sandbag locations, or at a hardware store.

<<For more info on sandbags, see story: “STORM: Residents pile up on free sandbags” >>

For flooding-related issues or downed trees during the storm, residents can call general services at (916) 727-4770, although the City doesn’t respond to private property trees, unless it’s blocking the sidewalk or road, according to Cave. Trees or branches falling on power lines can be reported to the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, via their outage line at (888) 456-7683.

“We’ll respond as fast as we can, as urgently as we can,” said Cave, who cautioned that in cases where the creeks are full, there will be localized flooding. “People need to keep in mind that when the creeks get really full, they have a certain capacity, and the storm drains will not drain down fast because [they’re] all going to the creeks.”

She also warned that high winds paired with soil saturation from rains will make it easier for trees to come down during the storm and recommended parking vehicles in garages, or at least on a driveway to enable free flow of water draining at the street. Keeping flashlights on hand for power outages, unplugging Christmas lights, and bringing any loose outdoor décor inside is also recommended.

The Citrus Heights Police Department is also active in preparing for the storm, with Sergeant Mike Wells sending out a press release Wednesday morning advising motorists of several locations that “historically had issues” with flooding in the past. The areas listed are Sunrise Boulevard between Twin Oaks Avenue and Woodmore Oaks, Greenback Lane between Fair Oaks Boulevard and Sunrise Boulevard, Van Maren Lane between Greenback Lane and Calvin Drive, Antelope Road and Auburn Boulevard, as well as Mariposa Avenue and Highland Avenue.

The Department also referred non life-threatening calls to SMUD, PG&E and the City’s general services division. Calls to Citrus Heights General Services are typically answered by staff 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with calls forwarded to police dispatch after hours.

<<Want to keep up to date on local news in Citrus Heights? Click here to sign up for our free Weekend Edition and get the top local news stories delivered to your inbox once a week>>

–
Related info:
Citrus Heights General Services: (916) 727-4770 (24-hours-a-day)
SMUD outage line: (888) 456-7683

December 9, 2014
Police arrest man suspected of posing as firefighter to enter homes, steal items

Updated 9:32 p.m.–
Citrus Heights police have arrested a man suspected of gaining access into homes by posing as a fireman in uniform, allegedly to perform smoke detector inspections, according to a press release tonight from the department.

Stock photo. Citrus Heights Sentinel

“We want to remind the public to be mindful of public safety impersonators,” Citrus Heights police said in the release. “If there is any question as to the true identity of any public safety officer, citizens are encouraged to call the police.”

Police said they responded to an initial report at Sunrise Vista Mobile Home Park on Friday regarding suspicious activity involving a man in a Sacramento Fire uniform, saying they later found he had stolen items from at least two homes.

On Saturday, police said “additional victims came forward with new information,” leading investigators to identify and arrest a 30-year-old firefighter from Roseville, who they said was “confirmed to be a current Firefighter/Paramedic with Sacramento City Fire Department.”

<<Also on The Sentinel today: “Early morning Attic fire ravages home across from Citrus Heights fire station”>>

The firefighter, Craig White, has been booked in the Sacramento County Jail and faces charges of five counts of burglary and three counts of elder abuse, according to police.

Police direct questions for the Sacramento City Fire Department to (916) 216-0316, and say police and firefighters “will arrive in official government vehicles and be clearly marked in uniforms and identification.”

*Editor’s note: Want updates on this story and other local news? Sign up for our free weekly email edition: click here

December 7, 2014
Truck collision severs power pole; closes Antelope Road

Updated 12:57 p.m.–
A power pole was left severed at the base and dangling along the roadside this morning when a pickup slammed into the pole, cutting power and causing Citrus Heights police to temporarily shut down traffic on Antelope Road.

Citrus Heights police and SMUD crews respond to the Antelope Road accident, Thursday morning.

Sergeant Mike Wells with the Citrus Heights Police Department said the vehicle was traveling east on Antelope Road around 6:20 a.m. when it struck the pole, causing it to fall into the roadway. Responding officers closed down both directions of Antelope from Auburn Boulevard to Mariposa Avenue.

No other vehicles were involved in the collision, and there were no reports of injuries “at this time,” according to the sergeant.

Sacramento Municipal Utility District crews were observed working on the downed pole shortly after the collision, and estimate power to be restored by 1 p.m., according to the utility company’s website.

A SMUD outage map online shows the power outage occurring at 6:17 a.m., with Citrus Heights police alerting media via email of the road closure around 6:30 a.m.

The road was re-opened by 7:10 a.m., according to CHPD.

Meghan Huber is the new economic development manager for the City of Citrus Heights. // CH Sentinel

Jeff and Jason Liang own and operate Aquarium Depot in Citrus Heights, along with their father. // CH Sentinel

November 13, 2014