By Liz Kellar | Staff Writer
A sexual assault suspect facing multiple charges has pleaded guilty to one of the counts and is facing a possible eight-year prison sentence.
Ray Anthony Sears, 49, has been in custody since September on a $375,000 bond on felony charges of kidnapping in order to commit rape and oral copulation of an unconscious victim, jail records state.
On Feb. 19, Sears pleaded guilty to one count of oral copulation of an unconscious person and sentencing was set for April 2. The other charge against him will be dropped, court records state.
Sears made an open plea, meaning there was no agreement as to his sentence, Assistant District Attorney Chris Walsh said.
By Liz Kellar | Staff Writer
A Penn Valley man suspected of breaking into a vehicle was stealing items from a store when he was arrested, authorities said.
Christopher Joel Argento, 30, was booked into county jail on charges of second-degree burglary, forgery, identity theft, theft of debit card data, possession of another’s ID with intent to defraud, shoplifting, possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia, as well as violating post-release community supervision. He is being held without bail, jail records state.
A woman from Alexandra Way in Alta Sierra called 911 Friday afternoon to report a theft from her unlocked vehicle, according to dispatch reports.
Taylor Rae Fletcher
Two suspects linked to a series of thefts in the Lower Colfax Road area remained jailed Monday, authorities said.
The suspects are identified as James Jordan Zinola, 30, and Taylor Rae Fletcher, 27, both residents of western Nevada County.
Each has been booked under felony grand theft and conspiracy charges, with bail set at $20,000, reports state.
According to sheriff’s Sgt. Shane Peltzer, Zinola and Fletcher were delivering newspapers for The Union, and based on the timing of the thefts they are charged with, appear to have committed these while on delivery routes.
Fletcher was a contracted carrier for The Union for under a week. Zinola was not contracted by the newspaper, said Megan Ford, the paper’s circulation director.