MADERA COUNTY — Madera County’s hugely popular Citizens On Patrol (COPs) is looking for volunteers to join the county’s team of citizens in law enforcement. JoAnn Evans, community service officer for the Madera County Sheriff’s Department, addressed the North Fork Chamber of Commerce at a recent meeting, on just what these volunteers do. COPs have a variety of duties, and ...

Sheriff issues fraud alert about emails claiming to be from FBI. MADERA COUNTY – Anyone who receives an email claiming to be from the Federal Bureau of Investigation should delete it immediately, according to Sheriff John Anderson.

MADERA – A Madera County Superior Court jury convicted Melvin Lewis on Oct. 10, of two felony charges of possession of rock cocaine for sale and transportation of rock cocaine, Madera County District Attorney Michael R. Keitz announced.

MADERA – A trio of suspected thieves from Fresno are now behind bars in Madera County. Bail has been set at $10,000 for each suspect, according to a Madera County Sheriff’s Department press release. Sheriff John Anderson believes the two men and a woman are connected to a fuel theft ring.

HENSLEY LAKE – The body of a man found submerged under eight feet of water at Hensley Lake Monday afternoon has been identified as 61-year old Tommy Katsuji Uyemaruko of Fresno, according to the Madera County Sheriff’s Office. Uyemaruko drowned in Hensley Lake on Monday, Oct. 8. The body was recovered by Madera County sheriff’s deputies around 6 p.m., in ...

Sex offender living in Madera home where kids play; Fresno County probationer also jailed MADERA COUNTY – A citizen’s tip concerning a registered sex offender led deputies to Danny Bryant, 65, of Madera, who was found living in a home with easy access to kids.

AHWAHNEE – Nathaniel Follette, 27, of Ahwahnee, is behind bars on felony charges following an alleged fight with his brother at a residence on Road 600. A 911 call to the Sheriff’s Office sent deputies to the home just before 11:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 1.

OAKHURST – A call for service to handle a disturbance inside a building in Oakhurst ended with the arrest of two mountain area men – one wanted on a felony no bail warrant, the other later arrested by California Highway Patrol officers for DUI. Shane Jacob Casey, 19, of Oakhurst, and Adrian James Parker, 23, of Coarsegold were taken into ...

Having served almost three decades, Madera County Sheriff’s Detective Sergeant Dirk Kinkel is now adjusting his schedule from serving the citizens of Madera County to meeting the challenges that await him in retirement. Sergeant Kinkel joined the Sheriff’s Office on October 1, 1985, sworn in as Deputy Sheriff. In his 27 years of the Sheriff’s Office, Sgt. Kinkel worked well ...

MADERA – Thieves broke into Skinner’s Auto Wholesale in Madera sometime between Saturday night and early Sunday morning, stealing office equipment, vandalizing a Motor home, and making off with the owners Expedition. The auto dealership is situated in the highly visible strip mall off Highway 41, located north of Children’s Boulevard, between Avenue 10 ½ and Avenue 11. The Madera ...