BUTTE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
MEDIA RELEASE
 
JERRY W. SMITH
SHERIFF-CORONER

DATE                                                     :               April 25, 2012                                    
 
RELEASED BY                      :               Lieutenant Al Smith      
 
CONTACT #                                         :               538-7404
 
 
FOUND BODY
 
GRIDLEY --          At 10:44 am, Sheriff’s deputies responded to the report of a body floating in the Feather River near the East Gridley Road bridge. Fishermen in the area had discovered the body and made the report.  The Sheriff’s Marine Unit along with the Search and Rescue Unit responded to the area and were able to recover the body of a Caucasian male adult.  The body appeared to have been in the river for several weeks and has not been identified at this time.  The cause of death is under investigation and an autopsy will be conducted.  Efforts to identify the deceased are under way which will include reviewing missing persons reports in the area.
 
No physical description is available at this time and the body is not related to the Feather Falls incident from this weekend.
 
An updated release will be sent when the person is identified and the family has been notified.
 

BUTTE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
MEDIA RELEASE
 
JERRY W. SMITH
SHERIFF-CORONER

DATE                                                : 4/24/12                                         
 
RELEASED BY                 : Sgt. Steve Collins                      
 
CONTACT #                                    : 538-7389 
 
On 4/22/12 around 5:00 PM, the Butte County Sheriff’s Office received a report that a person went over Feather Falls.  Personnel from the Butte County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue, Cal Fire, the Butte County Sheriff’s helicopter  and the CHP helicopter all responded to search for the subject.  The missing person was identified as Mitch Padula, 28, of Chico.  According to friends who were with Mitch they had hiked up above the falls and were preparing to hike out.  Mitch was seen down by the water possibly wetting his shirt to cool off.  Mitch was next seen in the water being pulled down stream.  The friends lost sight of Mitch due to a bend in the stream.  A witness who was unrelated to Mitch and his friends was at the overlook and saw a subject go over the falls. It should be noted that this waterfall drops 640 feet into a boulder strewn area below.
 
Search resources arrived in the area and began search efforts around 6:00 PM and continued until about 8:00 PM when it got dark. 
 
On 4/23/12 at around 11:00 AM, the Butte County Sheriff’s helicopter and the Butte County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Unit (all volunteer group) returned and continued the search efforts.  The Search and Rescue personnel were limited to searching from the overlook area and the trail that leads up above the falls.  They used binoculars and spotting scopes to examine the face of the falls as well as the base of the falls.  No rescue personnel could safely access the stream below the falls due to the extremely high water flow and the terrain, which includes sheer cliffs on both sides of the stream. Search and Rescue personnel couldn’t access the area below the falls for the same reasons listed above. All searching had to be conducted via helicopter and from the overlook and trail area above.  Search efforts were suspended around 5:30 PM.
Additional search efforts will be conducted when water flow conditions allow.
 
The Sheriff’s Department wishes to express their concern for Mitch’s family at this difficult time.
 
The Sheriff’s Department wants everyone who will be visiting Feather Falls to be prepared for the long hike as well as to stay away from areas that are unsafe.  In the past people have gone beyond the overlook area and above the falls and have fallen over the edge.  Please be safe while enjoying the outdoors.     
                       

BUTTE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
MEDIA RELEASE
 
JERRY W. SMITH
SHERIFF-CORONER

DATE                                     : April 19, 2012                                             
 
RELEASED BY                   : Sergeant Matt Keeling                   
 
CONTACT #                         : 530 538-7321
 
 
On April 19, 2012 at approximately 12:20 a.m. the Butte County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call from a distraught female, who told dispatchers that she had just escaped from her boyfriend on C Street near Myers Street, Oroville. The female caller told dispatchers that her boyfriend had physically assaulted her and held her against her will. Dispatchers instructed the female to take refuge at the El Medio Fire Department, which was near the female’s location.
 
Upon arrival, deputies located the suspect, Ying Vang age 31, in a vehicle on C Street near the intersection of Myers Street. Vang was taken into custody after a brief struggle with deputies. After the investigation was complete, Vang was taken into custody for kidnapping, carjacking, criminal threats, felony domestic battery, felon in possession of ammunition, resisting arrest and possession of methamphetamine for sales. Vang was also on the Butte County’s Most Wanted list and was absconding from the Post Release Community Supervision program (PRCS). Vang is currently being held in the Butte County Jail on a no bail hold.  

BUTTE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
MEDIA RELEASE
 
JERRY W. SMITH
SHERIFF-CORONER

DATE : March 30, 2012                                           
 
RELEASED BY : Sgt. Jason Hail / Felony Investigations Unit                     
 
CONTACT #  : 530-538-7671
 
On March 29, 2012 at approximately 5:30 PM, a man identifying himself as Richard Stewart (DOB: 3/1/1968) called 911 to report that he had stabbed his wife at their home located at 4 Segura Drive, Oroville.  Deputies responded to the address and located Richard Stewart at the threshold of the front door and detained him without incident.  A white female adult was located just inside the door with significant lacerations to the throat.  Medical personnel were called to the scene and the female, later determined to be Richard Stewart’s wife, was rushed to a local hospital for emergency surgery. 
 
Richard Stewart was taken to the Butte County Sheriff’s Office for questioning and placed under arrest.  Richard Stewart was booked into the ButteCounty Jail and charged with one count of attempted murder.  Richard Stewart’s bail was set at $500,000. 
 
At the time of this release the victim was listed in serious condition.     

BUTTE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
MEDIA RELEASE
 
JERRY W. SMITH
SHERIFF-CORONER

DATE                                     :           February 9, 2012                              
 
RELEASED BY                   :           Detective Sgt. Jason Hail     
 
CONTACT #                         :           530-538-7671
 
On February 8, 2012 at approximately 1:40 PM, the Butte County Sheriff’s Office received a call from John Lawrence Halsema (DOB: 7/4/1947). Halsema reported that his friend was deceased at his residence located at 11228 Nelson Bar Road in the Yankee Hill area of Butte County and that he had shot him sometime during the last week.  Deputies responded to the residence and located a deceased male adult inside the residence.  The victim was later identified as Craig Stephen Davies (DOB: 1/24/1963).  Davies appeared to have been shot.  At this time we are not releasing details regarding the gunshot wound or the type of firearm. 
 
After being interviewed, Halsema was arrested and booked into the Butte County Jail, Oroville on an open count of murder.  Halsema’s bail was set at $1,000,000. 
 
While processing the crime scene, investigators discovered a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory inside the residence.  Agents from the Butte Interagency Narcotics Task Force responded and processed the methamphetamine lab. 
 
An autopsy to determine cause of death will be conducted at a later date.
 
The motive for the shooting is still under investigation.  Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to call the Butte County Sheriff’s Office Felony Investigations Unit at 530-538-7671. 

BUTTE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
MEDIA RELEASE
 
JERRY W. SMITH
SHERIFF-CORONER

DATE                                     :           January 20th 2012                             
 
RELEASED BY                   :           Detective Ryan Gsell
 
CONTACT #                         :           530-538-7671
 
 
     On January 19th 2012, at about 11:13 a.m., the Butte County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) received a request for emergency assistance from the Yuba County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO).
 
     YCSO Deputies were dispatched to the area of 7903 Reed Lane, Rackerby, for a report of a male subject, later identified as 49 year old David Lewis, discharging a firearm and threatening to shoot people in the immediate area. 7903 Reed Lane is located in Yuba County’s jurisdiction.
 
     Deputies from BCSO, YCSO, and a California Highway Patrol helicopter responded to the area to attempt to locate Lewis. After about a three hour search for Lewis, BCSO Deputies were released by YCSO and returned to Butte County while YCSO Deputies continued their investigation. 
 
     At about 2:37 p.m., YCSO Dispatch re-contacted BCSO Dispatch and advised that Lewis was seen in the area of Provenza Dr. and Restive Dr., Oroville, which is located off of Forbestown Rd., in Butte County. Deputies from BCSO and a YCSO Deputy responded to the area.  
 
     Prior to the arrival of BCSO personnel, Lewis was located by the YCSO Deputy. It was learned that the YCSO Deputy discharged his weapon at Lewis prior to taking him into custody. Lewis was not struck by the gunfire but was taken to a hospital to be medically cleared, prior to being booked into the Yuba County Jail. Lewis had an outstanding Felony warrant for his arrest and will be facing multiple fresh charges in Yuba County. 
 
     Although this incident did not meet the requirements for a full Officer Involved Shooting Protocol response, four BCSO Detectives, BCSO Crime Scene Investigators, and an investigator from the Butte County District Attorney’s Office responded to investigate the incident which is ongoing. YCSO is conducting a separate investigation into the incident which led up to their deputy discharging his firearm.
 
     It should be noted that no citizens or law enforcement personnel were injured during this incident. BCSO would like to thank the alert citizens who reported seeing Lewis which ultimately led to his arrest.   

BUTTE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
MEDIA RELEASE
 
JERRY W. SMITH
SHERIFF-CORONER

 
DATE :    January 19, 2012                                              
 
RELEASED BY: Sgt. Jeff Young
 
CONTACT #  : 538-7321
 

On 01-19-12, B.C.S.O. Deputy Basden and B.C.S.O Deputy Paley were on patrol in the Chico, CA(Butte Co.) area in a marked B.C.S.O. vehicle.  A confidential informant provided the deputies with information that Stephen Clifford Miller(12-15-83) was a Butte County Post Release Community Supervision defendant who was currently involved in the sales of methamphetamine and was recently seen driving a light colored Chevrolet Impala.   
 
On 01-19-12, at approximately 2138 hours, the deputies observed a silver Chevrolet Impala traveling northbound on the Esplanade near Garner Lane in Chico, CA.  The deputies observed the Chevrolet Impala fail to come to a complete stop at the intersection of Garner Lane and Hwy 99.  The deputies attempted to initiate a traffic stop upon the vehicle on southbound Hwy. 99, south of Garner Lane.  The vehicle failed to yield to the deputies leading them on a vehicle pursuit starting on southbound Hwy. 99 and terminating near the intersection of E. Lassen Avenue and Floral Avenue in Chico, CA.  The vehicle pursuit was initiated at approximately 2138 hours and came to a stop at 2146 hours.  After a short foot chase, Stephen Miller was taken into custody.  Stephen Clifford Miller was arrested in violation of 2800.2(A) CVC(felony evading in motor vehicle), 11377(A) H&S(possession of a controlled substance), 148(A)(1) PC(resist, delay, obstruct a peace officer), and 3455(A) PC(Post Release Community Supervision violation).  Stephen was not eligible for bail due to the Post Release Supervision violation.

BUTTE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
MEDIA RELEASE

JERRY W. SMITH
SHERIFF-CORONER

DATE : January 15, 2012

RELEASED BY: Sgt. David Bottom

CONTACT # : 538-7321

In the early morning hours of January 14, 2012, the Moua family from Sacramento came to the French Creek area of Butte County for a squirrel hunting expedition. During the hunt at approximately 1000 hours, members of the Moua family heard Ving Moua age 53 yell out. Upon the family hearing Ving yell out, went looking for him. At approximately 1100, hours the family located Ving lying on a steep hill where he is believed to have slipped and fell down the hill. When the family reached Ving’s location, he was unresponsive and believed to be deceased. The family had no cell phone reception and did not know their location. Members of the family had to hike out to an area where they could get cell phone reception to summon help.

At approximately 1500 hours the family was able to obtain cell phone reception where they contacted other family in the Sacramento area for help. The family members who were notified in Sacramento attempted to respond however they did not know where the hunters were located.

At approximately 1700 hours, the family who responded from Sacramento was in the Oroville area and did not know where to go. They then contacted the Butte County Sheriff’s Office for assistance in locating the hunting party.

With the assistance of Butte County Search and Rescue, Butte County Sheriff’s Deputies, Fish and Game, U.S. Forest Service, and Cal Fire personnel, The Moua family was located in the French Creek area at approximately 2030 hours. Upon locating the family in the French Creek area, Ving Moua was pronounced dead on scene. The cause of death is unknown at this time and is believed to have been a result of injuries sustained during the fall.

The Sheriff’s Office would like to thank all responding agencies for their assistance in locating the Moua family.

BUTTE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
MEDIA RELEASE

JERRY W. SMITH
SHERIFF-CORONER

DATE : January 09, 2012

RELEASED BY: Sgt. David Bottom

CONTACT # : 538-7321

In late December 2011, Butte County Sheriff’s Deputy Mike Sears conducted an investigation where stolen property was being scrapped at a local recycling center in Oroville, stemming from a burglary to an equipment container in the Oroville area. During the investigation Deputy Sears was able to identify two suspects in this case, David Ingersoll age 51, and Brian Dolan age 32, both of Oroville. With the assistance of Deputy Joe Deal a search warrant was obtained for the property located at 186 Ophir Road, Oroville, where both Dolan and Ingersoll reside.

On January 09, 2012, Butte County Sheriff’s deputies served a search warrant at 186 Ophir Road attempting to retrieve stolen property from the December burglary. During a search of the property a small amount of stolen property was recovered. Dolan was present during the search of the property and was arrested on felony violation of possession of stolen property. Ingersoll was not present and a warrant is being sought for his arrest for felony violation of possession of stolen property. Dolan was booked into the Butte County Jail, his bail is set at $15,000.

BUTTE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
MEDIA RELEASE
 
JERRY W. SMITH
SHERIFF-CORONER

DATE     :  January 5, 2012
 
RELEASED BY:  Sgt. Anthony Borgman
 
CONTACT:  Sgt. Borgman or Watch Commander, 530-538-7321
 
SUBJECT:  C12-10118 – Oroville Pursuit
 
On Thursday January 5, 2012 at 12:24 pm, Butte County Sheriff’s Deputy S. Carpenter observed a white Mazda Miata parked suspiciously behind the South Side Mini Market at the corner of Wyandotte Avenue and Meyers Street, in South Oroville.  Deputy Carpenter parked his marked patrol vehicle near the suspicious vehicle and walked toward a man and a woman standing next to the passenger side of the car. 
 
As Deputy Carpenter approached, the man later identified as Paul Samuel Rose, an unemployed 36 year old Chico resident, ran to the driver’s door of the suspicious vehicle and got into the car.  Rose turned his body around in the driver’s seat, looked out the back of the Miata in the direction of Deputy Carpenter, who was in full Sheriff’s uniform, and backed the Miata up at Deputy Carpenter.  Deputy Carpenter was able to avoid being struck by the Miata as Rose stopped backing up and started forward.  Deputy Carpenter ordered Rose out of the vehicle but Rose drove away.
 
Deputy Carpenter returned to his marked patrol car, and pursued Rose south on Meyers St.  When Rose got to Lincoln, he turned the Miata southbound on Lincoln driving in the northbound lanes.  Butte County Sheriff’s Deputy J. Brazzi was driving northbound on Lincoln, in the northbound lanes, when Rose passed Deputy Brazzi.  Deputy Brazzi turned around and pursued Rose, now ahead of Deputy Carpenter.
 
Rose continued southbound on Lincoln Boulevard, and returned to the southbound lanes in the area of Mill St.  Deputies continued to pursue Rose south on Lincoln as he attempted to pass an uninvolved vehicle on the right shoulder of Lincoln Boulevard south of Monte Vista Avenue, lost control of the Miata and slid through a fence on the west side of Lincoln.  Rose continued fleeing in the Miata west through the field south of the cemetery.  Rose wrecked the Miata in a grove of oak trees east of the railroad and fled on foot.  Deputies Brazzi and Carpenter pursued Rose on foot through the field westbound, and north along the tracks.  Other Butte County Sheriff’s Deputies, Detectives and California Highway Patrol Officers were converging on the area, and Rose stopped running and laid down on the west side of the railroad tracks behind 5425 Baggett-Marysville Road.  Rose was taken into custody without further struggle, but was found to be incoherent.  Medical assistance was requested, and Rose was transported to an area hospital for treatment.  Medical personnel determined his condition to be significant enough to warrant his admission to the hospital.
 
Due to Rose’s medical condition he was released from the custody of the Sheriff’s Office for medical treatment.  The Sheriff’s Office will be requesting the District Attorney file charges of violating felony 245(c) of the Penal Code, assaulting a Peace Officer with a deadly weapon (the vehicle), felony 2800.2(a) of the Vehicle Code, willfully fleeing a Peace Officer while driving with wanton disregard for the safety of others, and misdemeanor 11550 of the Health and Safety Code, being under the influence of a controlled substance.
 
This was the second instance today where Butte County Sheriff’s Deputies encountered subjects in Oroville who were suspected to be significantly under the influence of stimulants, with extremely high heart rates and varied levels of incoherence.  Any use of narcotics, especially central nervous system stimulants, is dangerous to begin with.  However, there have been instances in the past where methamphetamine was sold with poor quality cutting agents that caused medical problems beyond those normally associated with narcotics use.  The public needs to be aware that when purchasing and using these illicit substances, the quality and contents are subject to question.

BUTTE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
MEDIA RELEASE

JERRY W. SMITH
SHERIFF-CORONER

DATE : 12/15/11 FORMTEXT

RELEASED BY : Lieutenant Al Smith

CONTACT # : 538-7321

Forest Ranch – On Sunday, December 11, 2011, the Sheriff’s Office was contacted by Forest Ranch resident, 60-year-old Martha Rowe who stated that her 85-year-old husband, Lowell Everett Sutton had been missing from their residence since Monday, December 5, 2011. Rowe reported that she and her husband resided in a “homestead” without electricity, in a canyon about 2 miles from Doe Mill Road in Forest Ranch. Rowe stated she and her husband had lived on the property for the past 42 years. Rowe reported that her husband was dressed in a windbreaker, long pants, and hiking boots. She also stated that his vision is impaired.

Rowe related that she had not seen Sutton on Tuesday or Wednesday but had heard him calling for her from the “canyon” on Thursday, December 8th. On Friday, Rowe again heard Sutton calling to her from somewhere in the canyon. On Sunday, Rowe hiked to a residence on Doe Mill Road to call the Sheriff’s Office.

The Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue team along with the Sheriff’s Office helicopter responded to the area and conducted an extensive search of the area, but was unable to locate Sutton. The terrain in the area was found to be extremely rugged and challenging, and, according to Search and Rescue personnel, required a 1 ½ to 2 hour hike to reach the site. On Monday, the Sheriff’s Office helicopter searched the area using “Forward Looking Infrared” heat detection equipment, but was unable to locate Sutton.

The search was continued today using the Search and Rescue team, Sheriff’s helicopter, and search dogs from the California Area Rescue Dog Association (CARDA). Searchers located a deceased male, identified as Lowell Sutton at approximately 12:00 in a remote canyon in the area. No sign of trauma or foul play is indicated. Mr. Sutton was transported to a local funeral home. Investigation into the cause of his death is continuing.

BUTTE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
MEDIA RELEASE
 
JERRY W. SMITH
SHERIFF-CORONER

DATE     :  October 31, 2011
 
RELEASED BY:  Sgt. Anthony Borgman
 
CONTACT:  South County Watch Commander, 530-538-7322
 
SUBJECT:  C11-15918, Reported Assault, Pursuit, (SUS) Vehicle Collision with Injury
 
 
On Monday October 31, 2011, at approximately 5:50 pm, a resident of the 5200 block of Miner’s Ranch Road, Oroville, reported that her ex-husband was trying to run her over in her yard.  While Deputies were responding to the area, the victim advised that the suspect, later identified as 53 year old Oroville resident Mark A. Pesonen, left in a small, red pickup with an unknown passenger.
 
Butte County Sheriff’s Deputy D. Ament located a red pickup matching the description of Pesonen’s pickup on the east end of Lower Wyandotte Road.  Deputy Ament initiated an investigative stop on the pickup and Pesonen failed to yield, accelerating westbound on Lower Wyandotte Road.  According to Deputy Ament during the course of the pursuit, Pesonen was driving approximately 55 mph, and reached a maximum speed of approximately 70 mph.  Pesonen was avoiding other vehicles in the area that were yielding to Deputy Ament’s emergency lights and siren, passed Drescher Tract Road.  As Pesonen passed the Feather Falls Casino on Lower Wyandotte Road however, he lost control of the pickup when he tried to avoid slower traffic.  The pickup drifted across the center turn lane and the eastbound lane, struck the end of a culvert in the ditch on the south side of Lower Wyandotte Road, rolled and came to rest on it’s roof.
 
Deputy Ament requested Cal-Fire and ambulance for the occupants of the truck, who were trapped inside the vehicle.  Pesonen became agitated and began to be aggressive.  He was able to exit the vehicle and was detained by Mooretown Rancheria Security and Deputy Ament until rescue personnel arrived. Butte County Fire/Cal-Fire, El Medio Fire and Oroville Fire firefighters coordinated the extrication of Pesonen’s passenger, 52 year old Oroville resident Kenneth Jones.
 
Jones was life-flighted by REACH 7 to an area hospital and is currently in critical condition.  Pesonen was transported to an area hospital, was treated and released to the custody of Deputies.  He was transported to the Butte County Jail in Oroville and booked for felony 594(b)(1) PC, vandalism of the victim’s property; felony 2800.3(a) CVC, attempting to elude a Peace Officer resulting in great bodily injury; 23153(a) CVC, driving a vehicle under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, neglecting the duty to stop and causing injury to his passenger; 23153(b) CVC, driving a vehicle with a blood alcohol level greater than 0.08%, neglecting the duty to stop and causing injury to his passenger; as well as 14601.2(a) CVC, driving while his license was suspended for driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.  His total bail was set at $189,000.
 
Further investigation determined that Pesonen did not drive the vehicle at the victim in a way that would actually constitute an assault with a deadly weapon at the Miner’s Ranch Road residence as originally reported.