Fresno, CA - Fresno Co. Sheriff's Patrol Car Stolen by Parolee Gang Member - Pursuit - Crashes Patrol Car
By Denny Boyles / The Fresno Bee03/04/07 06:01:19
A weeklong manhunt that stretched from Fresno to Sacramento ended Saturday
when members of a gang task force arrested a parolee accused of kidnapping, auto
theft and carjacking a Fresno County Sheriff's Department patrol car.
Rosendo Lopez, 30, of Fresno was arrested shortly after 2 p.m. Saturday in the
parking lot of a Me Ed's pizza parlor in Kerman by a seven-member team from the
Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium, known as MAGEC.
Sgt. John Retherford, from the Fresno County Sheriff's Department, said his
rural investigation team received a tip that Lopez was at the pizza parlor and
would be leaving the area soon.
Retherford said the officers surrounded the restaurant and arrested Lopez after
a very brief pursuit.
"Because he didn't know who we were, we were able to walk right up to him and
take him," Retherford said. "He tried to run but only got a few steps."
When he was arrested, Lopez had a handgun tucked into the waistband of his
pants, Retherford said. He also was carrying methamphetamine. Retherford said
Lopez never reached for his weapon.
"Had he produced the gun, or aimed it at an officer, the situation would have
been different," Retherford said. "As it was, we were able to take him into
custody without incident."
The hunt for Lopez, who was wanted for parole violations, began Feb. 24 after
he allegedly carjacked several cars and then allegedly stole and crashed a
deputy's patrol car during a pursuit near Armstrong and Dakota avenues in Fresno
County.
By the next day, deputies had searched at least seven houses where Lopez was
believed to be hiding.
Law enforcement officers in Sacramento and Roseville assisted in the search
after tips came in that Lopez had traveled to that area.
Retherford said he believes Lopez traveled extensively in the last week before
returning to the Fresno area.
"We believe he came back here because of family and gang.