With the arrival of the Christmas Season caution should be exercised by county residents. The Sheriff’s Office receives an increase in calls during the holidays for mail theft, package theft, burglary, and telephone scams. All residents are encouraged to not leave packages on their porches and to watch their neighborhoods for suspicious activity. Never release any personal information over the telephone to anyone allowing credit card fraud and identity theft. Do not leave anything of value in your car. Remain mindful that thieves choose the holiday season to commit crimes of opportunity and your heightened awareness can save you and your neighbors the discouragement of becoming a victim and spoiling your holiday season.

In years past, residents of El Dorado County have experienced package delivery thefts in the month of December. The thefts usually occur after a package was delivered to your doorstep. Thieves have been known to follow delivery trucks to residences. Once a package is dropped off they will wait a few moments before taking it. Most of these thefts occur in neighborhoods where thieves can see the packages from the street.

To assist in the prevention of these thefts please consider the following:
• Require a signature on all package deliveries. You can also write specific instructions on where to leave your package.
• Have your packages delivered to you at work, or an alternate destination like a friend or family member who is home during the day.
• Have the package delivered to a FedEx, or UPS location.
• Insure the package.
• Some delivery companies offer email or text alerts when your package is going to be delivered, and upon its delivery.

If you are a victim of a package theft, or see something suspicious in your neighborhood please call the Sheriff’s Office at (530) 621-6600 or during an emergency, dial 911.

For neighborhood watch, crime prevention tips, or extra patrols while you are on vacation, please contact the Sheriff’s Team of Active Retirees (STAR’s) for information at (530) 621-7545.

On 12/04/15 at about 7:00 AM, sheriff’s deputies responded to a home invasion robbery in the 4500 block of Meadow Circle in Rescue. The female caller said one person had been stabbed.

At the house, deputies located three occupants, including one male who was bleeding. The three occupants were escorted to a safe place where medics could evaluate them.

Checking the rest of the house for additional victims and/or suspects, deputies noticed the house appeared to have been ransacked. In addition, marijuana was seen in almost every room. It looked like the residence and property was being used as a commercial marijuana facility to include growing, drying, processing, and packaging. No one else was located.

According to a victims, they were asleep when someone kicked-open the door to the backyard. Several people came in the house, two or possibly more, one armed with a shotgun. The suspects ordered them to turn face down and be quiet. As the suspects searched the house, they demanded the male resident tell them where the money was.

During the robbery, one of the suspects threatened the male resident with a knife. The male received several cuts, some that required stitches. He was later treated at the hospital and released. The suspects tied all three victims and left taking money and marijuana. By the time the sheriff’s office was called, the suspects had been gone for some time.

The suspects were described as possibly Hispanic, in their late 20’s to mid-30’s. One suspect was described as wearing a hoodie and some sort of a mask. They were heard talking to each other in English and Spanish.

Detectives and CSI responded and processed the scene. Anyone having information on this crime is encouraged to call the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office Detective Bureau at (530) 642-4703.

Lt. Tom Murdoch

An unidentified male suspect forcibly entered the Coloma Club the night of December 1, 2015 during the early morning hours and accessed both a safe and free standing ATM machine. He escaped with several thousand dollars in cash. He was captured on surveillance wearing a dark hooded jacket and dark square-framed prescription eye glasses.

Anyone who recognizes this suspect is urged to call the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office at (530) 621-5655 or Detective J. Robertson at (530) 642-4722. Anonymous crime tips can also be submitted via the El Dorado County Sheriff’s website at www.edso.org.