Tuesday, 25 March 2025

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MENDOCINO COUNTY, Calif. — The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the discovery of human remains over the weekend.

A report from Lt. James Elmore explained that just before 10 a.m. Saturday, deputies were dispatched to the 1800 block of Low Gap Road in Ukiah regarding found human remains.

Upon arrival, the deputies contacted members of a local nonprofit group who were conducting trash cleanup in the area.

Deputies were advised that while cleaning up trash, one of the nonprofit group members located what was believed to be human remains.

The deputies conducted a further search of the area and located what they confirmed to be adult human remains.

Investigators from both the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office and the Ukiah Police Department responded and processed the scene.

Investigators are researching active missing persons cases in an attempt to assist with identifying the human remains.

Once positive identification is made and the legal next of kin is notified, Elmore said that information will be released to the public.

As of Monday, the coroner's case is still actively being investigated, but foul play is not suspected.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation is requested to call the Sheriff's Office Dispatch Center at 707-463-4086 (option 1).

Information can also be provided anonymously by calling the non-emergency tip line at 707-234-2100.
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NORTH COAST, Calif. — The Santa Rosa Police Department said it has arrested a man who authorities believe furnished fentanyl to two high school students who died after ingesting the drug.

Ramon Nunez, a 21-year-old Santa Rosa, was arrested on Sunday afternoon on homicide and drug charges.

At 8:15 p.m. Saturday, the Santa Rosa Police Department Communications Center received a 911 call from inside a home in the 2100 block of Brookwood Drive regarding a possible narcotics overdose.

A guest arrived at the residence and let herself into the home when there was no answer at the door. She went to her friend’s bedroom and saw her friend, a 16-year-old female, and an 18-year-old-male unresponsive on a bed.

Santa Rosa Police said its officers and medical personnel rushed to the scene, however, both victims were pronounced deceased by medical personnel shortly after arrival.

Detectives with the Santa Rosa Police Violent Crimes Investigations Team responded to the scene to take over the investigation in collaboration with the agency’s Narcotics Investigations Team.

Detectives located evidence of narcotics use at the scene and information about the identity of a suspected narcotics dealer.

Narcotics detectives had investigated a similar significant overdose at approximately 5:15 a.m. the same day in which a 14-year-old female and a 16-year-old female were hospitalized following a suspected fentanyl overdose in Santa Rosa.

Detectives are currently investigating this incident to determine if it is related to the overdose deaths on Brookwood Drive.

It is believed the teenage victims in both overdose incidents had purchased what was thought to be cocaine, but was most likely fentanyl. It is still being investigated if the narcotic used by the victims was fentanyl or cocaine laced with fentanyl.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid typically used to treat chronic pain and is approximately 100 times more potent than morphine. An amount as small as 2 milligrams of fentanyl is considered a potentially lethal dose.

Numerous illegal narcotics are currently being mixed with fentanyl to increase potency, and often the narcotics user is unaware of the potentially deadly fentanyl contamination.

As the investigation progressed, detectives located the suspect in his vehicle parked in the parking lot of a retail business in the 1900 block of Santa Rosa Avenue at approximately 12:45 p.m. Sunday.

A uniformed Santa Rosa Police officer contacted the driver of the vehicle and detained Nunez and his adult male passenger as part of this investigation. It was later determined the adult male passenger is unrelated to this investigation and was released from police custody.

A search warrant for Nunez and his vehicle was authored by a police detective. On Sunday afternoon, the search warrant was approved by a Sonoma County Superior Court judge.

During the service of the search warrant, detectives located narcotics and other items indicative of narcotic sales such as packaging materials, specifically small plastic baggies containing a distinctive black peace sign logo believed to be linked to the overdose deaths of the two teenagers.

Based on the investigation, detectives believe Nunez sold the narcotics that caused the death of the teenagers in this incident and are investigating Nunez’s possible connection to other overdose incidents in Santa Rosa.

Nunez was arrested and booked into Sonoma County Jail for second degree homicide, furnishing narcotics to a minor and furnishing narcotics to a minor four or more years younger.

The names of the deceased victims are not being released at this time due to the age of the female victim and pending identification of both victims by the Sonoma County Coroner.

The 16-year-old female was a student at Santa Rosa High School, and the 18-year-old male victim was at Montgomery High School.

The 14-year-old and 16-year-old female overdose victims from the earlier overdose incident remain hospitalized. Their names or schools of attendance will not be released at this time due to the ongoing investigation and to protect their privacy.

This investigation is ongoing and anyone with information related to this incident is encouraged to call the Santa Rosa Police Violent Crimes Investigations Team Tipline at 707-543-3590 or online at www.srcity.org/CrimeTips.

“We urge parents to have open conversations with their children about illegal drug use. The rise in fentanyl-contaminated drugs poses a severe risk, and even a small amount can lead to a fatal overdose,” the police department said.

On Sunday evening, Santa Rosa City Schools released a message to their community in which the deaths of four students was referenced. Two of the students are the 16- and 18-year-old victims referenced in this report. The third is a 19-year-old male and former student, and though drugs are suspected in his death, it is unlikely to be related to this overdose death. The fourth student is a 21-year-old male, who is believed to have passed away from natural causes. All four deaths are currently being investigated.

For more information about fentanyl, please visit the Drug Enforcement Administration website at https://www.dea.gov/resources/facts-about-fentanyl.
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WILLOWS, Calif. — Caltrans reported that the Willows Broadband project will begin on Tuesday, Jan. 14, with construction on State Route 162 in and near Willows in Glenn County to install new broadband infrastructure.

This project will lay the groundwork to provide better internet access for communities that currently have limited or no high-speed internet. Work will include installing underground conduits, placing fiber optic cables, and adding vaults and markers along the highway to support the network.

This project is part of the statewide Middle-Mile Broadband Initiative, led by the California Department of Technology, or CDT.

Established by Senate Bill 156 in July 2021, the initiative focuses on building an open-access middle-mile network — high-capacity fiber optic lines that transmit large amounts of data over long distances.

This backbone infrastructure enables local internet service providers to deliver affordable, high-speed internet to homes, businesses, and community institutions, enhancing connectivity for unserved and underserved communities.

The project is funded by the California Department of Technology as part of the Middle-Mile Broadband Network program. Construction is scheduled to finish by May, with an estimated cost of $3.93 million.

Caltrans District 3 is responsible for maintaining and operating 4,385 lane miles in 11 Sacramento Valley and Northern Sierra counties. Caltrans reminds motorists to “Be Work Zone Alert” and slow in construction zones for the safety of travelers and crews performing these improvements.
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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — The Napa County District’s Attorney said it has charged a Napa woman with several felony counts for a Sunday morning crash that killed her two children.

Napa County District Attorney Allison Haley said Tuesday that Yesica Barajas, age 31, has been charged with two felony counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, a felony count of driving under the influence of alcohol and a drug causing injury; and two felony counts of child abuse in connection with an alleged DUI-related crash that caused the death of her two young children on the morning of March 16, 2025.

Officials said she hit a tree at high speed, killing her two children.

Barajas additionally faces allegations that the crimes encompassed serious felonies, great bodily injury, bodily injury to more than one victim, vulnerable victims, that she was in position of trust, and that the crimes constitute an increased level of seriousness from her prior crimes.

Barajas, who is recovering from injuries sustained during the crash, was administratively booked into the Napa County Department of Corrections. She is to be transported to jail upon her release from the hospital.

Napa County Deputy District Attorney Katie Susemihl is prosecuting the case against Barajas on behalf of the People and appeared in court Tuesday afternoon to request the court to set bail at $2 million.

Judge Elia Ortiz provisionally appointed a public defender to represent Barajas and set her bail amount to $1.5 million, to be revisited during Barajas’ next court appearance
scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Friday, March 21, in Department 1 of the Napa County Superior Court.
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Pronghorn antelope. Photo courtesy of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife, or CDFW, and the Modoc County District Attorney’s Office have announced the settlement of a pronghorn antelope poaching investigation and prosecution resulting in the loss of hunting privileges, the forfeiture of the game, a $3,000 restitution payment and other penalties.

CDFW’s investigation began in August 2024 when its Law Enforcement Division, Northern Enforcement District received a tip via CALTIP of an individual observed illegally shooting and taking a pronghorn with a bow on private property in Modoc County.

CDFW wildlife officers responded to the location and determined that a male pronghorn had been illegally taken and initiated a poaching investigation. The investigation involved field interviews with witnesses, canvassing of the kill site, online records and other investigatory databases.

CDFW’s investigation pointed to Earnest Davis, 53, of Clayton as a person of interest. Wildlife officers contacted Davis at his residence and determined it was Davis who illegally poached the pronghorn with a compound bow and arrow. A formal complaint was submitted to the Modoc County District Attorney’s Office, which initiated the prosecution of Davis for poaching crimes.

A settlement agreement was reached at Davis’ Jan. 30 arraignment. Davis pleaded no-contest to violating California Fish and Game Code Section 2016 involving the illegal take of the pronghorn on private property with other violations being dismissed.

The terms of the settlement resulted in a one-year summary probation term for Davis; the loss of hunting privileges while on probation; the forfeiture of the pronghorn’s meat; the requirement to complete a hunter education course; and payment of $3,000 in restitution.

“The Modoc County District Attorney’s Office takes all criminal matters very seriously. We understand the importance of individuals following CDFW regulations. Our office will continue to do our part in prosecuting and raising awareness on illegal hunting, ensuring public safety and assisting in big game population management,” said Modoc County District Attorney Nina Salarno.

“We have zero tolerance for poaching and those who would cheat the system and undermine the opportunities Californians have to legally hunt pronghorn antelope in this state,” said CDFW Chief of Law Enforcement Nathanial Arnold. “We’re grateful for the collaboration and support from Modoc County District Attorney Salarno, who shares our values of protecting one of California’s iconic big game species.”

The hunting of pronghorn antelope in California is a highly coveted big game opportunity but also one that is tightly regulated to protect limited populations found mostly in the northeastern corner of the state, primarily in Modoc and Lassen counties.

Only 137 pronghorn hunting tags were offered by CDFW in 2024. It can take many years, sometimes decades of applying each year through CDFW’s Big Game Drawing before a hunter is awarded a tag to legally hunt pronghorn.

CALTIP, which led to the successful outcome of this case, stands for Californians Turn In Poachers and Polluters, a confidential secret witness program that encourages the public to provide CDFW with factual information leading to the arrest of poachers and polluters.

Anyone witnessing a poaching or polluting incident or any fish and wildlife violation or who has information about such a violation should immediately dial the toll-free CALTIP number, 1-888 334-CALTIP (888-334-2258), available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If the information supplied by the caller results in an arrest, the caller becomes eligible for a reward. (Up to $3,500 rewards have been granted.) The case is then reviewed by a volunteer citizen's group known as the "CALTIP Rewards Committee" to determine the amount of the reward. Visit the CALTIP web page for details.
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The Department of the Interior on Wednesday announced a $514 million investment as part of President Joe Biden’s Investing in America agenda that will bring clean, reliable drinking water to communities across the West through five water storage and conveyance projects.

“President Biden’s Investing in America agenda has allowed us to begin work on long overdue water storage projects, providing clean, reliable drinking water to families, farmers and Tribes throughout the West,” said Secretary Deb Haaland. “The investments we’re announcing today will continue to fund these important efforts, expediting essential water storage projects and providing increased water security to Western communities.”

Among the projects receiving funds is the Sites Reservoir in neighboring Colusa and Glenn counties.

The project will receive $129 million for an off-stream storage project that will develop up to 1.5 million acre-feet of new water storage on the Sacramento River system located west of Maxwell, California.

The reservoir will deliver multiple benefits including cold water for salmon by using new and existing facilities to move water in and out of the reservoir, with ultimate release to the Sacramento River system via existing canals, a new pipeline near Dunnigan, and the Colusa Basin Drain. 

This Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding builds upon previous year allocations to fully announce all of the storage and conveyance funding provided by the law.

President Biden’s Investing in America agenda represents the largest investment in climate resilience in the nation’s history and is providing much-needed resources to enhance Western communities’ resilience to drought and climate change.

Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Reclamation is investing a total of $8.3 billion over five years for water infrastructure projects, including rural water, water storage, conservation and conveyance, nature-based solutions, dam safety, water purification and reuse, and desalination.

Since the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was signed three years ago, Reclamation has announced almost $5.3 billion for more than 670 projects.

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