SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) – With the days getting longer and temperatures on the rise, motorcycle riders are making their way up and down our state highways.
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) emphasizes the importance of paying close attention to a motorcycle rider’s location, sharing the roadway, and working together to keep all motorists safe as we travel throughout the state.
“Motorcycle riders statistically face greater danger than other motorists,” says CHP Commissioner Amanda Ray. “Safe riding practices and cooperation from all road users will greatly help reduce the number of fatalities and injuries.”
In 2020, the CHP responded to approximately 6,500 crashes involving a motorcycle. Nearly 80 percent of those crashes involved an injury and 328 motorcyclists tragically lost their lives.
As part of May’s Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, the CHP will employ education and enforcement efforts to help call attention to the dangers and vulnerabilities motorcyclists face on the road.
As motorcyclists are often vulnerable on the road and may be difficult to see, riders should always be keenly aware of their surroundings, follow all traffic laws, and wear protective clothing, including a legally required U.S. Department of Transportation-approved helmet.
To help both new and experienced riders understand the laws and refine their safe riding skills, the CHP is proud to oversee California’s official motorcycle training program. Students who pass the California Motorcyclist Safety Program (CMSP) will be issued a Certificate of Completion of Motorcycle Training, which may be used to waive the motorcycle skills test at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Graduates would only be required to pass the DMV knowledge test to receive the motorcycle endorsement. For more information or to register for a CMSP training course near you, please visit https://motorcyclesafetyca.com.
The mission of the CHP is to provide the highest level of Safety, Service, and Security.
SACRAMENTO COUNTY, CA (MPG) - Layman McFadden was convicted by a jury of rape by force, three counts of oral copulation by force, two counts of domestic violence, three counts of assault by means of force likely to produce death or great bodily injury, two counts of false imprisonment and making criminal threats.
The jury also found true allegations that McFadden’s crimes involved great violence, cruelty, viciousness, and/or callousness; McFadden took advantage of a position of trust to commit the crimes; and McFadden committed sex offenses against more than one victim.
Between 2019 and 2021, McFadden was homeless and living in camps along the American River Parkway. During that time, McFadden assaulted three women who were also homeless and living in the same camps. In September 2019, McFadden strangled, raped, and forced one of the victims to orally copulate him. In June 2021, he strangled, assaulted, and threatened to kill a second victim. In July 2021, McFadden strangled, assaulted, and forced a third victim to orally copulate him.
McFadden faces a maximum sentence of 78 years to life in prison. Sentencing is set for May 31, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. in Department 26 before the Honorable Shama Mesiwala.
SACRAMENTO COUNTY, CA (MPG) - Bob Bejarano was convicted by a jury of assault with a deadly weapon by an inmate serving a life sentence, possession of a weapon in prison and possession of heroin in prison.
Allegations that Bejarano has a prior strike conviction for shooting inside an occupied car and failed to remain free from prison custody for at least 5 years were found true. The following special allegations were also found true: the crime involved great violence, great bodily harm, or other acts disclosing a high degree of cruelty, viciousness or callousness; Bejarano was armed or used a weapon at the time of the commission of the crime; the manner in which the crime was carried out indicates planning, sophistication or professionalism; Bejarano has engaged in violent conduct that indicates a serious danger to society; and Bejarano has served a prior term in prison or county jail.
Bejarano was an inmate at California State Prison-Sacramento. On January 14, 2018, a correctional officer observed Bejarano put an unknown item in his mouth. It was later determined to be methamphetamine wrapped in cellophane. On August 30, 2018, Bejarano approached inmate Eric Rodriguez who was playing basketball by himself. Bejarano called Rodriguez over to him and stabbed Rodriguez repeatedly with an inmate manufactured weapon. Rodriguez wrestled Bejarano to the ground, took possession of the weapon and began stabbing Bejarano. At this point, correctional officers saw the fight and ordered them to stop. When Rodriguez continued to stab Bejarano, an officer fired one shot from the tower, striking Rodriguez. Although life saving measures were immediately performed, Rodriguez did not survive. Bejarano was transported to the hospital, where a CT scan showed that he had ingested two foreign items. Bejarano admitted to swallowing two bindles of heroin.
Bejarano faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Sentencing is set for June 13, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. in Department 34 before the Honorable Alyson Lewis.
DATE: May 6, 2022
CASE: Bob Bejarano (Case #18FE014152)
PROSECUTOR: Deputy District Attorney Kelly Clark, Prison Crimes Unit
SACRAMENTO COUNTY, CA (MPG) - Jose Aguilar-Chavez was convicted by a jury of transportation of fentanyl for sale.
On September 2, 2021, CHP officers stopped Aguilar-Chavez for a traffic violation. Upon contact with Aguilar-Chavez the officer noticed an overwhelming smell of rotten fruit and suspected the odor was used to mask the scent of illegal narcotics from his K-9. The officer then deployed his narcotics-sniffing certified K-9 partner. The K-9 alerted on the back passenger compartment of the vehicle. Upon further inspection, the officer discovered 36,000 fabricated “M30” Oxycodone pills. The District Attorney’s Crime Lab analyzed the pills and confirmed they were fake and contained fentanyl. Less than one individual pill can be potentially fatal. The street value of the pills range between $180,000 -$720,000.
Aguilar-Chavez faces a maximum sentence of 5 years county jail prison. Sentencing is set for June 10, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. in Department 41 before the Honorable Helena Gweon.
Visit 1PillCanKillSac.com for more information and resources on fentanyl.
DATE: May 4, 2022
CASE: Jose Aguilar-Chavez (Case #21FE015228)
PROSECUTOR: Deputy District Attorney Mark Ott, Major Narcotics Unit
Welcome Back, Cinco!
CARMICHAEL, CA (MPG) - Home to nearly a dozen Mexican restaurants, Carmichael last week rolled out red, white and green flags for Cinco de Mayo.
In the space of several hours, more than 300 people‒eating, drinking and being mucho merry‒crammed Cantina Azteca on Fair Oaks Boulevard. The fiesta was the first Cinco celebrated by most restaurants since gatherings were nixed by pandemic restrictions in 2019. Floodgates opened and margaritas flowed. “It’s like the old days are coming back,” rejoiced Cantina Azteca owner Ismael Pantoja.
The restaurateur provided performances by Aztec dancers and mariachi musicians. Cinco de Mayo commemorates Mexico’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla. The date remains precious to naturalized American Pantoja. “Two years without a Cinco de Mayo are like two years without Christmas,” he said.
“It’s great to feel normal again. I made plans for a big celebration without knowing what response to expect. I was surprised by how many people came. It was an opportunity to thank customers who’ve supported us. This community turnout makes me positive about the future.”
Like many restaurateurs Pantoja has been badly hit by the pandemic‒followed by cost inflation and the difficulty of retaining staff. “We’ve had a tough time,” he said. “But May 5 encouraged us that the good old days might be coming back, at last.”
7 Northern California football stars agree to professional contracts
LAS VEGAS, NV (MPG) – Each April, football players from around the world have their dreams realized and shattered over the course of three stressful days known simply as the National Football League (NFL) Draft.
The 2022 NFL Draft was held April 28-30 in Las Vegas, Nevada as several Northern California hopefuls anxiously awaited through 262 picks for their names to be called. The Sacramento region only had one player fulfill his dream of hearing his name called this year. However, the Northern California region had six prominent players agree to terms on professional contracts as undrafted free agents.
Cornerback DaRon Bland out of Fresno State heard his name called on the draft’s final day and was selected with the 167th pick by the Dallas Cowboys. Bland played high school football in Modesto at Central Catholic before committing to play collegiately for Sacramento State beginning in 2017. Bland recorded 92 tackles (26 assisted), three interceptions, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one sack in 30 games played over three years with the Hornets.
Bland shined as a junior at Sac State, earning first team All-Big Sky Conference honors as a defensive back and the Hornets’ Outstanding Defensive Back Award. Following the pinnacle of his Hornets career, Bland transferred south to Fresno State where his brother, Keane, previously had run track.
In one season with the Bulldogs, Bland had at least one tackle in every game and tallied 45 total (11 assisted) in 13 games which ranked fifth on the team, second among all defensive backs and first among all cornerbacks. Bland also had five pass break ups, two interceptions, one tackle for loss, one forced fumble and one quarterback hit.
The 6-foot-2 Modesto native’s play on a bigger stage going from the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) impressed the Cowboys enough for them to spend a fifth-round pick on him rather than risk attempting to sign him as an undrafted free agent.
For those who are not fortunate enough to hear their names called, the final pick of the draft isn’t necessarily the end of the road. Each year, many undrafted players are signed as free agents from teams around the NFL, Canadian Football League (CFL) and now even the recently resurrected United State Football League (USFL) immediately after the draft concludes.
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One of the first NorCal natives to sign with an NFL team as an undrafted free agent was tight end Stone Smartt from Old Dominion University. The Sacramento native who played high school ball at Del Oro in Loomis agreed to a deal with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Smartt is a versatile player that offers L.A. flexibility, similar to New Orleans Saints’ do-it-all Swiss army knife type player, Taysom Hill. The 6-foot-4 Smartt spent the first half of his college career as a quarterback before converting into a wide receiver. With his weight at 232 pounds and given height, Smartt could become a formidable tight end in the NFL.
The next tight end from Northern California to sign an NFL contract was Tucker Fisk who played at Davis Senior High School before going on to play in the PAC-12 Conference at Stanford. Fisk, who split time in college between tight end, defensive end and special teams, reached an agreement with the Atlanta Falcons.
The 6-foot-4 Davis native could provide flexibility for Atlanta given his ability to play on all sides of the ball. Fisk earned the Jack Huston Award in 2021, which “goes to the player exemplifying aggressiveness, exceptional performance and unheralded efforts.”
Tucker has followed the same path as his dad, Jason, who played football at Davis and Stanford before moving on to the NFL. Jason Fisk was a seventh-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings in the 1995 NFL Draft. The Davis native played defensive tackle for five teams during his 12-year career, recording 386 tackles, 19 sacks, four forced fumbles and three interceptions. Tucker will now attempt to top his father’s accolades in the league.
Joining Fisk in Georgia was another Davis product, except this 309-pound rusher played collegiately for the Aggies. Bryce Rodgers was a defensive lineman at UC Davis for five seasons dating back to 2016, earning All-Big Sky second team honors during his senior season in 2021. Rodgers led the Aggies defensive linemen in tackles with 18 (10 assisted) while adding two sacks, two quarterback hurries, one forced fumble and one blocked kick.
Fisk and Rodgers may be teammates for the first time, but they may already have several mutual friends and acquaintances after each played football in Davis and Palo Alto. Fisk started in Davis before moving to Palo Alto. Rodgers did the opposite growing up in East Palo Alto before migrating to Davis.
Rodgers was not the only former Aggie agreeing to terms with a National Football Conference (NFC) South division team, as punter Daniel Whelan signed with the Saints. Whelan currently holds the UC Davis record for longest punt average (44.01 yards) in a career and a single season average record (46.25) that he achieved in 2021.
The Irish All-American is “arguably the greatest punter in Aggie history,” according to UC Davis Athletics. Whelan earned All-America first team honors from four organizations in 2021: Stats Perform, AFCA, HERO Sports and Phil Steele. The 6-foot-6 Irishman was also named to the All-Big Sky Conference first team and a finalist for FCS Punter of the Year after the shortened 2021 spring season.
Whelan will be competing with third-year punter Blake Gillikin for the starting job. Gilikin is ranked second all-time in career punting average (43.03) at Penn State. However, Whelan’s average in college was nearly one full yard longer, which may have led to the Saints organization deciding to sign him.
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Rodgers and Whelan were not the only former Aggies to agrees to terms with a professional football team. Offensive lineman Kooper Richardson, who spent his first four collegiate seasons at UC Davis, signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the CFL. Richardson was adaptable for the Aggies splitting time at tackle, guard and center.
Before coming to UC Davis, Richardson played at Folsom High School for his dad, Kris, who was the Bulldogs’ coach until 2019 when he became the assistant head coach and offensive line coach at Sac State. Richardson played two more seasons for the Aggies but ultimately deciding to transfer to Sac State to play for his dad again in his final year of eligibility. The 6-foot-5, 295-pound lineman earned All-Big Sky second team honors in 2021.
In a draft that was widely considered to be “weak” when it came to quarterbacks, Vacaville native Carson Strong expected to hear his name as one of the 262 called, but the moment never arrived. Strong, who attended Vacaville High School, was not drafted due to medical concerns over his knee according to the NFL Network. Strong agreed to terms with the Philadelphia Eagles who, if Strong stays healthy, could have gotten a steal of a prospect.
The 6-foot-4 Strong started for three seasons at the University of Nevada, Reno where he completed 852 of 1,252 (68%) attempts for 9,368 yards and 74 touchdowns in 31 total games. In 2021, Strong earned Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Year honors after tossing 366 of 523 (70%) passes for 4,175 yards and 36 touchdowns.
Two players from Sacramento to keep an eye on who were expecting to be signed but have not yet been are Grant Union High School alumni, center Orlando Umana and safety TieNeal Martin. Umana played collegiately at The University of Utah and Ole Miss. Martin began his college career at Yuba College before transferring to the University of Tulsa.
SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) – On Monday, May 9, Sacramento Kings General Manager Monte McNair named Mike Brown as the team’s new head coach. Per team policy, the terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“Mike has consistently demonstrated his ability to lead winning teams throughout his long and successful coaching career,” said Sacramento Kings General Manager Monte McNair. “He has worked with some of the best players in the NBA and is one of the league’s premier defensive minds. I am excited to bring his extensive experience to Sacramento.”
Brown joins the Kings from the Golden State Warriors, where he is currently in his sixth season as an assistant coach. He helped guide the team to back-to-back titles in 2016-17 and 2017-18. Prior to the Warriors, Brown held head coaching duties with the Cleveland Cavaliers (2005-10, 2013-14) and Los Angeles Lakers (2011-12). Brown’s teams qualified for the playoffs in six of his seven full seasons as a head coach, advancing past the first round in each appearance.
In 2007, Brown led the Cavaliers to their first-ever NBA Finals appearance and was named the NBA Coach of the Year in 2008-09 after guiding the Cavaliers to a franchise-record 66 wins. Cleveland won at least 50 games in four of Brown’s first five seasons with the club, including back-to-back 60-win campaigns in 2008-09 (66) and 2009-10 (61). During the 2011-2012 lockout-shortened season, Brown led the Lakers to a Pacific Division title and a 41-25 (.621) record. He owns a career head coaching record of 347-216 (.616) over eight seasons, which ranks as the ninth-best winning percentage in NBA history among coaches who have registered at least 500 games at the helm.
Prior to joining the Cavaliers in 2005, Brown was associate head coach of the Indiana Pacers for two seasons (2003-05) after spending three years as an assistant with the San Antonio Spurs (2001-03), where he also captured an NBA title. Brown began his career with the Denver Nuggets in 1992, spending five seasons as a video coordinator and scout before serving as an assistant under Bernie Bickerstaff in Washington beginning in 1997.
A native of Columbus, Ohio, Brown is a graduate of the University of San Diego, where he played collegiately for two seasons after spending two years at Mesa Community College.
Brown was the head coach of the Nigeria men’s national basketball team during the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, held in August 2021. He has two sons, Elijah and Cameron.
For more information visit Kings.com.