Public Safety
Suspect in Newman officer’s slaying was wanted man for nearly 4 years
The suspect accused of shooting and killing a Newman police officer had been a wanted man for almost four years prior to the shooting.
An arrest warrant for Gustavo Perez Arriaga, who has also gone by the name of Paulo Virgen Mendoza, was issued in January 2015, according to court records.
Court records obtained by KCRA 3 show Arriaga, was first arrested for a felony DUI with an injury to a man on Aug. 14, 2011. Arriaga was arrested again on June 5, 2014, on suspicion of a second misdemeanor DUI.
After that second arrest, court records show Arriaga agreed to a plea deal in the first case. He pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence, a first offense, and prosecutors agreed to drop the felony charges.
In December 2014, Arriaga was sentenced to five days in the Madera County Department of Corrections and three years’ probation for the first DUI. He was also ordered to enroll in a DUI program.
Arriaga was scheduled to appear in court in January 2015 to be arraigned for his second DUI case, but he never showed up, court records show. A warrant was then issued for his arrest, making him a wanted man.
Almost four years later, prosecutors said Newman police Cpl. Ronil Singh pulled Arriaga over on Dec. 26 for a DUI stop. Arriaga, who now goes by the name Paulo Mendoza, opened fire and killed Singh, the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office said.
After the shooting, detectives said Arriaga drove off, leading officers on a days-long manhunt before his arrest in the Bakersfield area.
During his arraignment last week, Arriaga was charged with murder. However, his case has been put on hold pending a mental health evaluation after his defense attorney questioned Arriaga’s mental competency.
Arriaga was “advised of immigration consequences” during the first sentencing, which is a standard part of sentencing procedures, according to court records. Court records do not indicate whether his immigration status was ever brought up in court.
Then-Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson said last month Arriaga is a native of Mexico and came into the country illegally.
U.S. immigration authorities said they had no contact with Arriaga before Singh’s shooting death. ICE said the agency placed its first immigration detainer on Arriaga after the shooting.
By: NBC Palm Springs
January 11, 2019
Latest Instagram Posts
Drop your thoughts in the comments 👇 #therogginreport #coachellavalley #localnews #explore #nbcpalmsprings
⚡️ TOP STORY: A man is recovering after he was struck by lightning. Firefighters battled a brush fire along Snow Creek Road, while another lightning strike in Chino Canyon sent a man to the hospital. If you hear thunder, stay indoors for at least 30 minutes after the last rumble. #PalmSprings #Lightning #FireSafety
🚨 Chasing that year-round “summer glow”? A social media tanning trend involving the unapproved peptide melanotan-2 is raising serious safety concerns. Dermatologists say safer sunless tanning options are available. ☀️ #YourHealthToday #SkinHealth #Melanotan2 #TanningSafety
Palm Springs firefighters responded Thursday to a report of a person struck by lightning in the Chino Canyon area. The person was transported to a hospital for medical treatment. Firefighters also responded to a palm tree fire in Chino Canyon that officials say was caused by an apparent lightning strike. NBC Palm Springs News Director David Reese is in the neighborhood tonight knocking on doors and trying to learn more about what happened. Did you see the lightning strike? Did you hear or see anything unusual? Do you know who was struck or have information that could help us understand what happened? We’d like to hear from you. Send us a DM here or contact NBC Palm Springs if you witnessed the incident or have information to share. #PalmSprings #ChinoCanyon #Lightning #PalmSpringsNews #NBCPalmSprings CoachellaValley BreakingNews
Fred Roggin’s response? Show us the receipts! #therogginreport #coachellavalley #localnews #explore #nbcpalmsprings
A $557k budget shortfall … so why do they need $11.3 million in new taxes? Are you voting Yes or No on Measure P? #therogginreport #measurep #localnews #coachellavalley #nbcpalmsprings
School board trustee wears “FAFO” shirt to court deposition. Drop your thoughts in the comments 👇🏽 #therogginreport #coachellavalley #localnews #explore #nbcpalmsprings
Estevan Figueroa of King’s Club Barbershop is giving back across the Coachella Valley — one haircut at a time. He and his team recently gave dozens of free haircuts to kids at the Boys and Girls Club in Cathedral City. Figueroa also provides clothing, essentials and encouragement to people in need. Inspired by lessons from his father, he’s now started a nonprofit to help even more people in the community. “Look good, feel good.” @barbercipactli Read the full story at NBCPalmSprings.com.
9 months. 5 deposition notices. 1 no-show. What is this official hiding under oath? Let us know what you think in the comments 👇 #therogginreport #jesusgonzalez #localnews #coachellavalley #nbcpalmsprings
Social Time with Thalia & Jerry