Criminals keep Visalia cops busy

Visalia police made more than a dozen arrests Sunday following a DUI sweep and multiple burglaries, including an instance where two juveniles are suspected of trying to drive over Target store employees in an attempt to steal a cart full of stolen electronics.

5:39 a.m.

Sunday morning started quickly for Visalia police after they were called to a home in the 5200 block of West Heritage Street.

Patrol officers began searching the area for the suspect, but it was soon realized that a man who police had contacted Saturday night may have been the suspect. Police found Joseph Marquez, 31, of Visalia late Saturday night with a generator. When officers realized Marquez may have stolen the generator, they located him and seized the property.

The generator was returned back to the homeowners, police said. Marquez was arrested and booked on suspicion of burglary and possession of stolen goods.

Sunday morning

Visalia traffic officers spent Sunday morning serving 70 warrants during a DUI offender sweep.

Officers with the DUI team arrested eight people during their sweep of people accused or convicted of DUI, but who’ve failed to show up in court or do their time or classes as ordered by the court.

Visalia police said the warrants were both for felony and misdemeanor complaints.

1:13 p.m.

A loss prevention officer and Target employees from the Dinuba Avenue store are lucky to be alive, according to police, who say two juvenile boys tried to use a car to run down the employees.

Sgt. Ozzie Dominguez said one boy, 17, went into the store while another boy, 15, waited in a car in the parking lot of Target on North Dinuba Boulevard. The older boy is accused of walking into store and trying to walk out with electronics. When stopped by loss prevention, he tried to fight his way out of the store.

“He resisted and attacked loss prevention,” Dominguez said.

The second suspect, who had been waiting in the car, tried to run to help his friend, but later went back to the car when his friend was detained. He then tried to use the car to hit store employees, who’d grabbed the suspect. The car hit the front of the store and both suspects managed to flee the scene.

No items were taken. No one was injured in the struggle.

Property crimes detectives used witness statements and surveillance video to find the car the juveniles are accused of using and later the boys were arrested. They were booked at Tulare County’s Juvenile Hall on suspicion of robbery, burglary, assault with a deadly weapon and conspiracy.

11:17 p.m.

A police dog is being praised for helping catch a main suspected of siphoning fuel from trucks.

John Stuhaan, 37, of Visalia was arrested after police were called to the 9000 block of West Grove Avenue in Visalia. Officers said Stuhaan had made his way onto the Broken Drum Installation lot and was stealing fuel from the work trucks parked at the business.

He tried to get away but police used a K-9 team to located and detain the suspect.

Stuhaan was taken to Kaweah Delta Medical Clinic , treated and booked at the Main Jail in Visalia on suspicion of burglary.