Prosecutors say DNA evidence led to a murder charge against a man for a 2008 Tulare cold case.
District Attorney Tim Ward today announced criminal charges related to the 2008 shooting death of 21-year-old Tulare man Hernan Diaz.
Luis Villarreal, age 34, is charged with one count of murder with the special allegations that he personally and intentionally discharged a firearm causing great bodily injury, that he possess multiple prior strike and violent felony convictions (assaults with a deadly weapon, 2007), and that he was on felony probation when the offense was committed.
It is alleged that late in the evening of August 12, 2008, at a Tulare apartment complex located at 1309 E. Birch, Villarreal shot Diaz multiple times through Diaz’s bedroom window with a .40 caliber handgun as part of a gang hit. Following the shooting, the Tulare Police Department collected evidence and interviews, but no arrest could be made at the time.
In 2019, the TCDA Bureau of Investigations formed a Cold Case Homicide Unit with the cooperation and mutual assistance with several allied agencies. This case represents the success law enforcement can have solving cases that have grown stale over time. In this case, a potential lead was discovered through the testing of DNA and Villarreal was identified as the person responsible for murdering Herman Diaz.
At the time charges were filed on July 8, 2022, Villarreal was in local custody for recent misdemeanor convictions. On July 11, 2022, Villarreal was arraigned on the charges and pleaded not guilty. He is currently held without bail. Villarreal is scheduled to return to court for a preliminary hearing conference on July 18, 2022, in Department 19. If convicted, Villarreal faces life in prison.
This charming home offers plenty of living space. You enter the living room which then opens up to the hallway and kitchen area.
This home has new paint, new carpet, and new flooring throughout. The bedrooms & bathrooms are located on the north wing of the home. There is a fireplace in the living room that has been locked and is not useable.
The kitchen offers a dishwasher, built-in microwave, gas stove, and refrigerator all appliances included are all stainless steel. Indoor laundry room nestled between kitchen & family room. The family room has a built-in cabinet made of oak - perfect for storage.
Tulare's Congresswoman Connie Conway was selected to serve on the House Natural Resources Committee in Washington, D.C.
"The diverse water and energy challenges impacting the livelihoods of Central Valley residents and farmers,” Conway said in a statement.
She added that she looked forward to “working with my colleagues to address the drought and rising energy costs by modernizing outdated environmental laws and improving water storage infrastructure.”
Conway - elected in June to represent the 22nd District vacated by former Congressman Devin Nunes - will also serve on two subcommittees: Water, Oceans and Wildlife, and Energy and Mineral Resources.
Fellow Republican and ranking committee member Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) welcomed Conway to the committee.
“She brings a wealth of natural resources knowledge to the table, particularly from her experience living and working in California where long-term water solutions are desperately needed,” he said. “I know she’ll hit the ground running and be a valuable asset to our committee for the rest of this year.”
"The Offer," a new book by Tulare writer M.D. Castodio, has been released by Dorrance Publishing Co., Inc.
The story follows Gaston Fletcher, an elite assassin with many character flaws. Fletcher takes on the assignment of his life when he deviates from his contract and spares the life of one of his targets, Allen Travertine, the young heir to a multi-billion-dollar corporation.
Now at the risk of becoming a target himself, Fletcher must work to keep not only himself alive, but Allen as well, all while navigating through personal struggles-among them, his wish for being able to leave his profession and pursue a normal life.
M.D. Castodio is a registered nurse who specializes in the mental health aspect of the field and enjoys writing. Castodio resides in Tulare and enjoys being a productive member of his community, making a positive impact through his work.
On June 23rd, 2022 Tulare Police Department Dispatch received a call from a concerned citizen regarding a Tulare Police Officer who was observed parked and asleep in his marked patrol vehicle.
The officer was identified by his unit number and determined to be Officer Frank Garcia, who has been employed with this department for two and half years.
When the supervisor met with Garcia it was determined that he demonstrated signs of being under the influence of an alcoholic beverage. At that point, to ensure full transparency and to avoid bias, the California Highway Patrol was contacted to conduct a DUI investigation.
After the completion of the investigation, CHP arrested Officer Garcia for driving under the influence, and later to be issued a citation to appear in court. California Highway Patrol submitted their case to the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office.
Nominations are being accepted until July 29 for the Tulare Senior Services board.
Those interested in serving on the board must be 55 or older, live in the Tulare Joint Union High School District, and be available to attend board meetings and events.
Nomination forms must be submitted by 4 p.m., July 29th. For more information, contact Tulare Senior Services at (559) 685-2330. Visit Tulare Senior Services at: https://www.tulare.ca.gov/government/departments/community-services/senior-services
To Central Valley natives, pronouncing the city of Tulare is a no-brainer, but apparently it often stumps others.
A recent informal, online poll asked its readers which California locations were most often mispronounced - and Tulare made the list. We're sure our own Tulare Voice readers have heard their own butchered pronunciations over the years.
The poll was conducted by KTLA sister station FOX40 and asked its followers on Facebook what places in the Golden State people seem to mispronounce the most.
Among the list of California locations readers found hard to pronounce were:
Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law over the weekend that bans arrests for "loitering with the intent of prostitution."
Senate Bill 357, which was written by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), will get rid of all laws that make it illegal to hang out in a public place with the intention of prostitution or to direct, supervise, recruit, or help someone who is loitering with the intention of prostitution, or to collect or receive all or part of the money from a prostitution act. Also, people who have been found guilty of loitering with the intent to prostitute can now ask the court to dismiss and seal their case or give them a new sentence.
Last year, both Republican and Democratic lawmakers were very against the bill, but it barely passed both the Senate and the Assembly. Senator Wiener stopped sending the bill to the Governor's desk last year because so many people were worried about it.
Senator Wiener moved the bill up last month in the hopes that the time was right, even though there were still worries that passing the bill would cause a big rise in human trafficking. The fact that the bill was ready to be signed so soon after the election led to rumors that it would be easier to pass since San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin was being recalled and would be leaving office soon.
“To be clear, this bill does not legalize prostitution,” said Newsom after signing SB 357 into law. “It simply revokes provisions of the law that have led to disproportionate harassment of women and transgender adults. Black and Latino women are particularly affected.”
As the effects of the pandemic waned in 2021, the Tulare Chamber of Commerce saw an upswing in membership and business activity in support of Tulare.
That's the report Chamber CEO Donnette Silva Carter gave to the Tulare City Council meeting at its recent meeting.
"2021... was actually a great year for our chamber. As we started working with our businesses, going into recovery, we had some challenges from COVID, but things got better at the end of the year," she said. "And as we stepped into 2022, it's been a much better year for our local businesses and for your Chamber of Commerce, too. We are 687 members strong now."
The chamber grew by 175 members, and 26 others upgraded their memberships.
Tulare police Captain Fred Ynclan was selected to be the city's new police chief.
The move was announced at a Tulare City Council meeting, where City Manager Marc Mondell described a process where they looked for candidates with strong moral character, honesty, trustworthiness, integrity, and cool under pressure.
"He's proven himself to be the candidate that can remain calm and collected under pressure, which is critical for this position and for the department," Mondell said. "He has steadily risen through the ranks of the department for a high level of success. He has served as a captain in the police department since 2015."
Ynclan addressed the council after the announcement, which was met by applause.
Do you know how to keep your youngsters safe while driving?
The Tulare County Association of Governments provided these guidelines and a checklist for drivers to review.
Children are required by law to be in a car seat or a booster seat in the back seat of the vehicle until they are 8 years old (California Vehicle Code Section 27363). But does that mean a seatbelt alone is the safest option for your child when they are 8, 9, or even older?
The 5 Step Test is a great tool to help parents know if their child is ready to come out of a booster seat - or not.
The 5-Step Test: First, have the child get ready for a “pretend” ride by sitting in the car and buckling up with the lap and shoulder belt in the back seat. And then answer the following questions:
There is still time to participate in the Tulare Public Library's Summer Reading Challenge, which ends July 16.
Young readers and teens earn prizes for reading. For every 120 minutes they read they can claim a prize. For every 60 minutes they also earn an entry in a Grand Prize drawing for their age group: 0-5; 6-11; 12-17.
If they read 600 minutes they get to choose a pair of sunglasses as a finishing prize. Adults 18+ can also read to earn entries in a Grand Prize Drawing and will receive a drawstring backpack when they reach 600 minutes.
The Reading Challenge can be done with our paper reading log, available at the library, or online using Beanstack. For more information, visit our website www.tularepubliclibrary.org or ask staff at the library!
Three gang members were arrested for the shooting death of a Tipton man.
Tulare County Sheriff's deputies were called to the Tipton Overpass at Avenue 152 and Highway 99 for a man down. They found a man who had been shot. He was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The victim has been identified as 32-year-old Jose Gonzalez of Tipton.
Not long after that, homicide detectives arrested a 17-year-old boy, 18-year-old Bryan Gomez of Tipton and 18-year-old Daniel Macias of Tulare for Gonzalez’ murder. Detectives were also able to identify the suspects as those involved in a separate drive-by shooting in Pixley about one hour prior to the murder.
Gomez and Macias were booked at the Tulare County South County Facility and the juvenile was booked at the Juvenile Detention Facility on charges of Homicide, Gang Conspiracy, Unlawful Theft of a Vehicle and Shooting at an Inhabited Dwelling.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Sergeant Hector Rodriguez or Detective Jose Melendez with the Tulare County Sheriff's Office at (559) 733-6218.
There won't be a ballot measure to raise the state minimum wage to $18.
If the California Living Wage Act had been passed, base wages would have gone up to $16 an hour next January and to $18 an hour by 2025.
Even though it was backed by many labor groups and paid for by a wealthy investor, a plan to raise the minimum wage to $18 over the next three years did not make it to the November ballot.
The Secretary of State's office said that county election officials had not verified enough signatures by Thursday's deadline for the measure to qualify.
