Sacramento Blog - 916 SAC

Roseville police seized 41 grams of meth and arrested three people during an undercover drug operation this week.

Department spokeswoman Dee Dee Gunther said one of the suspects agreed to sell an ounce of the drug and met with an undercover officer at 1:07 p.m. Tuesday.

Derek Alexander Hooks, 37, of Sacramento was taken into custody on suspicion of possession and transportation of the drug for sale and of conspiracy, Gunther said.

Two other people police believe to be working with Hooks were arrested nearby on suspicion of possessing meth for sale and of conspiracy, she said. They were identified as Giovani Perez, 23, and Sonja Lynn Bailey, 43, both of Sacramento.

Hooks and Perez were held in the Placer County jail in Auburn on $250,000 bail. Bailey was released after posting $15,000 in bail.

Gunther said more than $1,000 in cash and drug paraphernalia also were seized when the arrests were made. The 41 grams of methamphetamine, or 1.4 ounces, had an estimated street value of $1,700, she said.

Sacramento city leaders have approved a measure to raise taxes to fight gangs.

It’s just the first in many steps needed before a quarter percent sales tax hike becomes reality.

The money would go to wipe out gangs.

A similar proposal was recently dropped by Sacramento County leaders.

Sacramento city leaders will draft new language and council members will then vote on whether to put it on the November ballot.

Prompted by Sacramento’s teen-pregnancy rate, which is the second-highest in the nation, PETA will air its controversial “Sex Talk” TV ad in Sacramento this week. The ad uses a satirical comparison to teen sex to promote the spaying and neutering of companion animals.

The 30-second spot features a couple who encourage their teenage daughter to become sexually active. When the horrified girl asks, “But what if I get pregnant?”, her parents urge her to “pop out all the kids you can.” The ad concludes, “Parents shouldn’t act this way. Neither should people with dogs and cats. Always spay or neuter.”

To view the ad, click here.

Hundreds of thousands of unwanted animals are euthanized in California every year, so PETA believes that it is critical for Californians to spay and neuter their dogs and cats. One unspayed female cat and her offspring, if left unsterilized, can create a whopping 420,000 cats in just seven years, and one unneutered male dog can father limitless litters. Unwanted dogs and cats who never make it to animal shelters are often abandoned to fend for themselves on the streets, where they are often subjected to cruelty and suffer from starvation, diseases, or injuries.

“Like teen pregnancy, companion animal overpopulation is an epidemic with tragic consequences,” says PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk. “No one should be bringing more animals into the world when millions of animals are dying for lack of good homes.”

With hundreds of fires still burning and a classic heatwave hanging over California, the smoke-filled air will not be clearing up anytime soon.

Some experts say the bad air has a greater impact on kids than healthy adults, and Roseville officials have begun taking steps to limit children’s exposure.

It’s the summer break, and smoky skies can’t keep kids like Harrison Reagan inside all day. “I can’t be out as long [as usual], only a couple hours at a time because of the bad air quality,” the 13-year-old said.

The poor air quality reached unhealthy levels for everyone this afternoon, leading Roseville’s Parks and Recreation Department to cancel soccer and tennis camps, a first for the city.

Officials say cancellations will be made on a day-by-day basis, but they expect more because of the smoky skies that are expected to remain through the week.

“There are other things we can do during hot times like take breaks, but when air quality is bad, we have the same advisory: It’s not good for kids to be out,” said Megan MacPherson.

There are others who have no choice but to beat the heat and bad air because it’s part of their job. Kris Clark, a valet attendant, has found the air quality to be a hindrance.

“It’s not fun, can’t breath, hard to run,” he said. “Got to work, got to pay the bills.”

The jury in the trial of a Placer County nanny accused of shaking a baby to death in 2006 is deadlocked, causing the judge to declare a mistrial today.

At around 3:20 p.m. a spokesperson for the jury announced that they were “hopelessly deadlocked.” The jury was split 9-3 in favor of a not guilty verdict for the defendant, Veronica Salcedo.

The jury announced a deadlock this morning, but was was ordered back into deliberation by the judge. Salcedo’s first trial also ended in a mistrial because that jury was also deadlocked.

The case has drawn a lot of public attention due in large part to Scott Juceam, Hanna’s father, who has vigorously campaigned for new laws to protect infants from shaken baby syndrome and started an awareness campaign to prevent child abuse. He’s also apparently someone to be feared, according to Salcedo’s attorney, Mary Beth Acton, who obtained a restraining order against Juceam.

Salcedo is accusing of shaking then 15-month-old Hanna Juceam to death while the child was in her care in 2006.
If Salcedo is found guilty, she could face 25 years to life in prison.