A man who Porterville Police say is a gang member and a women were eventually arrested in an incident that began as a traffic stop on Monday. The two were eventually arrested on Tuesday.
Jesse Torres, 29, who Porterville Police say is a gang member, and Frances Marie Vasquez, 30, were arrested.
At about 11:30 p.m. Monday, a Porterville Police Officer contacted Torres during a traffic stop in the 300 block of South Hockett Street for driving without headlights. A records check revealed Torres had warrants for his arrest, including a felony for PRCS violation.
As the officer was taking Torres into custody and handcuffing him, he began to fight and was able to break free with one handcuff on him after causing injury to the officer. Torres escaped custody and wasn t located.
Bianca Ortiz, 28 of Porterville, and Crystal Tanguma, 33 of Porterville, were arrested.
At about 2:20 p.m. Tuesday, a Porterville Police Officer initiated a traffic enforcement stop in the 300 block of North Fourth Street for a traffic violation. During the course of the investigation, the driver, Tanguma, was determined to have been operating a motor vehicle while unlicensed as well as while under the influence of a controlled substance.
A passenger in the vehicle, Ortiz, was found to be in possession of a sizeable amount of methamphetamine, which further investigation revealed was for sales. The vehicle was searched in which drug paraphernalia and more illegal narcotics was found.
A man accused of taking a bag from a female victim has been arrested.
Jonathan Magana, 24 of Poplar, has been arrested. At 6:45 p.m. Sunday, Porterville Police Officers responded to a business located in the sub 100 block of West Olive Avenue regarding a robbery.
Porterville Police reported Magana forcefully took a bag belonging to a female victim and fled the area on foot. The suspect was soon located nearby, detained, and identified Magana. During his arrest Magana threatened the life of an officer.
Magana was arrested and booked at the Tulare County Sheriffâs Office South County Detention Facility for Robbery, Possession of Stolen Property, and Threatening a Peace Officer with Violence. He s being held in lieu of $60,000 bail.
Ruben Morales, 28, and Amanda Perez, 31, were arrested.
At about 1:20 p.m. Saturday, Porterville Police received a call of an explosion at an apartment located in the 200 block of South Sierra Vista Street. It was determined the cause of the explosion was from a lab being operated inside the residence, causing items inside to become singed and windows to be blown out.
Detectives were summoned and assumed the investigation. A search warrant for the premises was obtained and served. Items consistent with a Butane Honey Oil lab, a method to extract THC from marijuana to make âwax,â which is highly flammable, was located inside the residence along with approximately seven pounds of marijuana and finished product.
Itâs been almost one year since Rebecca Inman was arrested for DUI and homicide after police reports stated she was behind the wheel of the car that struck another vehicle at the intersection of Main Street and Gibbons Avenue in Porterville. But Inmanâs mother, Stephanie Lopez, is fighting to prove her daughter innocent, as she says Inman was never driving the vehicle when it was involved in the accident in January.
On Thursday, Lopez and Isabel Vela, an advocate from Our Fathers Home, were outside of the South County Justice Center to speak out for Inmanâs case and talk about the developments they have found over the last year. Lopez is fighting the courts by gathering evidence she believes will prove her daughter innocent.