News Briefs

Published online on Monday, Jul. 28, 2008

Police

Dead motorcyclist ID'd

Madera County sheriff's officials have identified a 35-year-old Fresno man who died Saturday when the motorcycle he was riding collided with a car west of Oakhurst.

The California Highway Patrol continues to investigate the crash that killed Ian Raymond Lewis on Highway 49 at Road 601 shortly before 10 a.m.

Hit pedestrian identified

Fresno County coroner's officials identified Monday a 40-year-old man who died after he ran onto Highway 99 near Fowler Saturday evening and was struck by a car.

Raul Reyes Santos, who lived just south of Fresno, was standing on the right shoulder of the highway about 6:40 p.m. when he tried without warning to cross the three northbound lanes, the California Highway Patrol said.

He was struck by a Honda driven by a 27-year-old Fresno man. The driver of the Honda and other motorists braked and tried to avoid the man, the CHP said. Santos died shortly before 7 p.m.

Porterville man dies after truck hits trees

A 42-year-old Porterville man died early Monday when he was ejected from his pickup after it struck a pair of trees along Orange Belt Drive south of Avenue 208.

The victim, whose name was withheld pending notification of relatives, was driving alone south on Orange Belt Drive at a high speed about 1 a.m., California Highway Patrol officers said.

His truck drifted across the northbound lane and onto the east shoulder, where it hit two olive trees. He was ejected, and the truck rolled on top of him, officers said.

SoCal man who drowned in Hume Lake identified

The Fresno County Coroner's Office Monday identified a 25-year-old Southern California man who drowned Saturday afternoon in Hume Lake as Francisco Rosas of Orange.

Sheriff's deputies were called to the lake about 5 p.m., according to reports. Family members pulled Rosas from the water, but were unable to revive him.

Witnesses told deputies that the man was trying to swim across a cove when he began complaining that he couldn't finish and slipped under the water.

Authorities said he was visiting a Christian camp in the area.

Huron police arrest man with drugs during patrol

Huron police, responding to recent complaints of narcotics activity, arrested a 34-year-old man early Monday and jailed him on suspicion of drug charges.

The suspect, identified as Javier Montanyo of Huron, was found to have a concealed pocket in his shirt with 22 packages of a substance later identified as methamphetamine, police said.

Officers arrested Montanyo as they conducted high-visibility patrols near Cherry and Los Angeles avenues in the southwestern Fresno County town. They are asking anyone with further information about drug sales or drug manufacturing in the area to call police at (559) 945-2348.

Visalia bank robbery suspect found nearby

A suspected bank robber didn't get far after holding up a Visalia bank Monday.

Visalia police said Jesus Natividad, 21, of Visalia was arrested in a nearby mobile home park where he hid after allegedly robbing a teller at the Bank of America branch on the 2400 block of South Mooney Boulevard.

Investigators believe Natividad entered the bank shortly after 9:30 a.m. and handed a teller a note declaring he had a gun and demanding money. After getting about $320, the suspect ran from the bank.

Witnesses in a mobile home park that shares a back wall with the bank parking lot reported seeing a man jump over the fence. Police soon found Natividad in one of the mobile homes. Investigators said Natividad didn't live at the mobile home, but was visiting friends there.