'Most Patriotic' neighborhood honored at National Night Out in Woodland

Article Created: 08/13/2008 03:32:45 PM PDT

There was a lot of fun and games for people participating in National Night Out. (Marian Walker/Courtesy)

Last Tuesday, Aug. 5, throughout Woodland, Neighborhood Watch Groups joined forces with more than 35.4 million people in more than 11,310 communities to promote police-community partnerships, drug and violence prevention, safety,and neighborhood unity for the 25th Annual National Night Out.

National Night Out is held yearly on the first Tuesday in August.

Woodland Police Department would like to extend sincere appreciation and gratitude to all 35 participating Blocks in demonstrating there dedication to this community. There were many that decorated their event in a patriotic theme, served lot's of great food and had fun events for all, which made it difficult to choose the very best National Night Out Block.

The winning block was 818 Archer St., where police reported that they take pride in their little piece of Woodland, working diligently to keep their neighborhood crime free.

This National Event could not have happened without the generous grant of $1,750 donated by the Target Corporation. Police extended a sincere thank you to everyone who made this event possible.

Those involved this year included: City of Woodland Mayor Marlin "Skip" Davies, CHP Public Affairs Officer Phil Gruidl, Tod Reddish City of Woodland Fire Chief and Staff, Dispatchers Ame Minnick, Amanda Oren, Brandy Hoffman & Christa Ralph, Red Cross, Donna Mast, SADVC Advocate's, American Medical Response EMT's; and police officers Sgt. Kaff , Lt. Wilts, Captain Bellini, Lt. Bierwirth, Sgt. Cucchi, Lt. Carlson, Lt. Ingman, Officer Bell, Detective Lal, Officer Flores, Officer Ford, Officer Barrera, Officer Krantz, Record Specialist Cindy Martinez, CSO Kelly York, Sr. Records Specialist Cathy England, Crime Prevention Specialist Linda Pacheco and Volunteer Marian Walker.

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NOT AGAIN!

Another Yolo lawman murdered

By LUKE GIANNI

Article Created: 06/17/2008 08:20:19 AM PDT

A Yolo County Sheriff deputy was shot and killed in Dunnigan late Sunday, following a high-speed vehicle pursuit of a suspect who was later arrested near the scene.

Yolo County Sheriff deputy Sgt. Jose Antonio Diaz, 37, died of single bullet wound to the lower shoulder sustained from a high-powered rifle.

The shooter, officials said, is Marco Antonio Topete, 36, of Arbuckle, who was later arrested Monday morning about a half-mile from the scene.

According to sheriff officials, Davis police put out bulletin to other law enforcement agencies around 7 p.m. Sunday, that Topete was possibly driving under the influence with an infant in his car.

Yolo County Sheriff Ed Prieto said Topete was heading back to his home in Arbuckle when he pulled over on Interstate 5 and dropped his wife off along the highway after an apparent argument before continuing on the roadway without her.

Diaz spotted Topete's vehicle with the infant still in the car on Interstate 5 around 9:30 p.m. and engaged in a high speed pursuit that lasted nearly five minutes, reaching speeds in excess of 100 mph. Topete pulled over on County Road 99 and County Road 5 in Dunnigan. It is not clear exactly what happened at this point other than around 9:50 p.m., Diaz radioed that he had been shot. Topete fled on foot, leaving behind his daughter still in the car.

Prieto said more than a 100 law enforcement officers from a wide range of agencies, including Sacramento SWAT, California Highway Patrol and the FBI as well as local law enforcement, descended on the scene in what he called a "textbook" operation. The four-year veteran Diaz, Prieto said, was found kneeling and wounded behind his bullet-ridden patrol car when back-up arrived. Despite being mortally wounded, Diaz managed to point in the direction Topete had fled. Diaz was airlifted to Woodland Memorial Hospital, where at 10:51 p.m., he was pronounced dead. Apparently, the rifle bullet had penetrated Diaz' Kevlar bullet-proof vest.

Elements of the Woodland Police Department maintain a roadblock on Country Road 99 West. Law enforcement personnel from Woodland, Colusa, West Sacramento, Sacramento, and Roseville all took part in the manhunt. (Chris Hedberg/Daily Democrat)

"Some of us are taking this extremely hard," Prieto said at the crime scene. "It's not a small agency but it's not a huge agency. We all know each other." Meanwhile, SWAT team members searched door-to-door through the rural Dunnigan neighborhood after setting up a large containment perimeter that shut down a 10-mile stretch of Interstate 5. Armored cars and heavily armed law enforcement personnel could be seen scouring the area as a CHP airplane circle overhead throughout the night and into the morning. Topete was eventually found Monday morning around 7:30, hiding on the west side of I-5 in a group of bushes within a mile of the shooting.

"We basically had him trapped like a rat," Prieto said. "We had him surrounded."

Sheriff spokeswoman Michele Wallace said a high-powered .223 caliber rifle was recovered several hours later near the scene of the shooting. Topete, now under arrest, was booked on a single charge of first degree murder. He has since been transferred to Sacramento County Jail for his own safety, Wallace said. More charges are pending. Topete's infant daughter was eventually remanded to the care of Yolo County Child Protective services and was reported unharmed and in good condition.

Diaz, however, leaves behind three daughters ages 2, 4 and 16 from a previous marriage. Prieto said deputies are in the process of setting up funeral arraignments and ensuring the children are cared for. Diaz's fiancee is distraught, according to those close to the family. The couple were to be married next month and had plans to move out of their present home by the end of this month. "When it hits that close to home, one of our goals is not only to capture the suspect but also to take care of the family," Prieto noted. "It reminds you how delicate life is," Prieto said. "In our line of work, we see it and we know it but I think we ignore it. But it is a dangerous job."

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger released a statement after receiving news of the shooting. "Deputy Tony Diaz was a true hero who sacrificed his life to protect the citizens of his community," Schwarzenegger said in a prepared statement. "The people of California will never forget Tony's selflessness, bravery and tireless dedication to keeping Yolo County safe. Maria and I extend our deepest condolences to Tony's family, friends and fellow officers during this difficult time."

Diaz had previously worked for several years as an IT technician for Yolo county before signing up with the Sheriff's Department in 2004. He was described as a "stellar employee" by his managers, according to county spokeswoman Beth Gabor, who added that flags will be flown at half-staff throughout the county in observance.

"He was well-known throughout the county for his positive attitude and strong work ethic," Yolo County Board Chairman Duane Chamberlain stated in a prepared statement.

Topete, on the other hand, was recently released from state prison after serving nine years of a 12-year sentence for assault with a deadly weapon and was a known by police in the area as an active Norteno gang member, Prieto said. "He wasn't a nice guy," he said. Wallace said officials have their man in custody and do not believe there are any other suspects involved. "We believe there was single person involved and we believe the streets are again safe for citizens," Wallace said. Now, Wallace said, the focus has shifted to the prosecution of the man they believed killed their colleague. "We believe a sheriff's deputy has been murdered and we will get a conviction," she said.

The murder of Diaz comes less than a week after Brendt Anthony Volarvich was sentenced to death and sent to San Quentin Prison for the 2005 killing of CHP officer Andy Stevens. Judge Stephen Mock issued the sentence Thursday after denying Volarvich's motion for a new trial. Volarvich was convicted of shooting and killing Stevens during a November 2005 traffic stop along County Road 96 west of Woodland. Prosecutors said the gun used in the shooting was supplied by Gregory Zielesch, 50, who gave it to him as part of an unrelated plot to kill his ex-wife's boyfriend. A jury convicted Volarvich of murder in April and recommended the death penalty for him as well. A hearing on Zielesch's motion for a new trial will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 1, in Yolo County Superior Court. Zielesch is expected to be sentenced then, pending the outcome of that hearing.

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NEW CELLULAR PHONE LAWS

Beginning July 1, 2008, two new laws dealing with the use of wireless telephones while driving go into effect.  Don’t be caught unaware…   For more information click on this link:

Dispatcher's goodbye to firefighter was nice touch

Article Created: 05/07/2008 08:18:35 AM PDT

Sometimes there are little things which make life really enjoyable. At 6:55 a.m. this past Sunday while working at The Democrat I heard a fire tone come blaring out of our scanner.

The Yolo County dispatcher (Kristen Root) let the tone go longer than normal, maybe about 15 seconds. Then the dispatcher said it was the "last call" for Woodland firefighter Wyatt Cline who was retiring after 30 years of service. She then thanked him for his work.

That might have been enough, but Cline came on the air a few seconds later saying "For the last time, I thank you for your help over the years. For the last time, I'm out."

"Thank you, sir," responded the dispatcher. "Congratulations."

Battalion Chief Cline started his career with the Woodland Fire Department on Aug. 12, 1979. He became a fire captain in 1990 and battalion chief on Nov. 1, 2005. A retirement celebration for Cline is scheduled at the Hotel Woodland on Thursday, June 5.

Well done, Chief Cline.

This article was featured in the Daily Democrat

April 17, 2008
Section: News
Article ID: 8958384

They have seen and heard it all
   LUKE GIANNI

A little girl calls you and tells you her father just shot and killed her mother and then himself. Then, minutes later, a woman calls you to complain about a group of kids making too much noise in her neighborhood. That's an hour in the life of Scott Fletcher, a Yolo County Level 2 emergency dispatcher, who was recently named "dispatcher of the year" for his exemplary service. "That one was by far the most difficult call I have ever had," Fletcher, a 41-year-old father of one, said, recounting a Sunday afternoon phone call seven years ago. "She was screaming uncontrollably, hysterically," Fletcher said. "I couldn't understand what she was saying."

Fletcher is one of up to nine 911 dispatchers who work in the dimly lit rooms of the Yolo County Emergency Communications Agency, a multi-agency public partnership, that handles emergency calls to police, fire personnel, sheriff deputies, probation, animal control and other emergency service agencies in the county.

"Calls with children or calls with elderly citizens are the most difficult for me," Fletcher said. "It involves people who don't have the ability to protect themselves." Each call, Fletcher said, draws upon a wide breadth trained skills, ranging from interrogative techniques to emotional diffusion - and occasionally CPR instruction. The center fielded more than 3,000 emergency calls in February and a total of more than 18,000 non-emergency calls, all representing a unique set of circumstances.

Fletcher said the job can be extremely stressful with multiple calls coming in simultaneously and having to direct multiple law enforcement officers to scenes that can be volatile and, in some cases, dangerous. "You have to keep your composure," Fletcher said. The center's dispatchers have a formidable array of technology to manage the influx of emergency calls.

A typical call comes in and is picked up by any one of the dispatchers present. It is then typed up - address, nature of emergency, threat level, and so on. "Anybody in the room can answer the phone," said Molly Scott, a YECA supervisor, as she pointed to the numerous consoles operated by the center's dispatchers. That information is then routed to the dispatcher who is dispatching for that particular agency. For example, if the call requires the attention of the Woodland Police Department the information is then immediately forwarded to that dispatcher. That dispatcher, with the click of a mouse, can see the nature of the call and where to send units instantly. They can also see what each police officer is doing and who is available for calls. Once the units arrive on scene, the dispatcher can quickly look up other valuable information such as driver's history, criminal records and warrant checks from all 50 states as well as other personal identifiers. All of this is displayed on the five computer monitors that line the dispatcher's desk.

The calls are assigned a number of priority that range from one to five - one being the highest priority and five being the lowest. The priority level is part predetermined by standard operating procedure and part intuition of the dispatcher. "It depends on what's in the call," Scott said. "We might have a civil dispute that comes in as a five. But if I look at the call and I say, 'oh, they're in the process of a divorce. He's got a history of domestic violence' - I'm going to send two units just in case."

Fletcher said not every call that comes in though is serious. "Sometimes they see us more of an obstacle than of assistance," Fletcher said, recalling a particular call in which a woman requested a welfare check on her daughter in Woodland, whom she hadn't heard from in a while. Fletcher took the call and immediately tried to get her to give an address. "It was extremely difficult to get her to tell me what she needed," Fletcher said. "She finally told me she wanted a welfare check." The mother couldn't tell Fletcher much so he eventually asked her for her daughter's phone number in hopes of obtaining reverse address. "She got really upset and said, 'Well, it's not a date you're going to get,' and hung up on me," Fletcher said.

It takes patience, Fletcher said, lots of patience and training in conflict resolution, which comes in handy on the job but not so much with his 13-year-old daughter. "I've tried that with (her)," he said. "It's one of the many things that does not work."

(Matthew Henderson/Democrat)

(c) 2008 The Daily Democrat. All rights reserved. Reproduced with the permission of Media NewsGroup, Inc. by NewsBank, Inc.