Dec

By Nick Baptista

Peace in the Valley Springs area during the holiday season was shattered by a roadway shooting spree last Tuesday.

The Calaveras County Sheriff’s Department received reports from six motorists who were victims of the shootings and miraculously none of them were injured.

It appears at this time the suspect is shooting at vehicles from the side of the road as well as when he or she passes in a vehicle, according to Sgt. Dave Seawell of the sheriff’s department.

There is one description that the suspect vehicle might be a light-colored late model sedan

The sheriff’s department has called in all available personnel to patrol the Valley Springs area in response to the shootings and urges anyone with information regarding the case to call the department’s public line at 754-6500, or the anonymous tip line at 754-6030.

The first shooting occurred at 5:15 a.m. when a 37-year-old female was on her way to work traveling north on Hartvickson Lane near Partridge Road. The glass on the driver’s side window of her vehicle shattered. The victim pulled to the side of the road and discovered a bullet hole in the driver’s side door just below the window. The victim reported she did not see any vehicles pass her.

The second shooting occurred a half-hour later on Highway 12 near Evans Road. A woman was traveling westbound on the highway when she heard a loud bang. The victim thought her vehicle kicked up a rock that struck the vehicle. The victim later discovered her vehicle had a bullet hole in the driver’s side passenger door. The victim reported she had passed a vehicle that was traveling eastbound on Highway 12, but could not provide a description due to it being dark.

Ten minutes later at approximately 5:55 a.m., a 52-year-old woman was driving was eastbound on Highway 26 near St. Andrews Road when her vehicle was shot. Deputies recovered a bullet that traveled through the vehicle's hood and lodged in the engine compartment. The victim reported a vehicle had passed her westbound, but she could not provide a description due to the darkness at that time.

The last shooting in the morning occurred at 6:10 a.m. on Highway 26 at Silver Rapids Road. A 49-year-old man was driving westbound on the highway when a bullet struck the side view mirror of his vehicle. The victim said he did not pass any vehicles or see any vehicles in the area.

The shootings resumed that night at 10:30 p.m. on Highway 26 west of Vista Del Lago. A 55-year-old man was driving eastbound on the highway west of Vista Del Lago as an unknown vehicle approached from the opposite direction. The victim said he heard a loud bang and his vehicle’s windshield shattered. The victim stated he could not identify the suspect vehicle as it had its high beams on.

The final shooting was at 10:50 p.m. on Highway 26 near the Jenny Lind Approach Road. A 37-year-old male was westbound on the highway when a bullet was shot through the driver's side window of his vehicle. The bullet exited through the passenger side window. The victim said he had passed a vehicle traveling eastbound on Hwy 26. The victim observed a flash as the vehicle passed and then his windows shattered. He said he pulled to the side of the road and noticed the vehicle he had passed had stopped. The victim, fearing for his safety proceeded to drive out of the area. The victim described the suspect vehicle as being a light-colored late model sedan.

In addition, the department is investigating a drive-by shooting on Dec. 17 at a residence on Highway 26 near Vista Del Lago. It is unknown whether the drive-by shooting is related to Tuesday’s roadway shootings. Investigators have recovered bullets from the shootings and can confirm all of the bullets are similar and came from a small-caliber weapon. Investigators have not found a link between the victims or a motive for the shootings at this time.

Decorating contest winners 112 Gold Standard Court, above, and 1005 Mockingbird Hill, below.

Tis the season for outdoor decorating in the Valley Springs area with a wide array of lights ushering in the Christmas season and two local homeowners groups announcing the winners of their holiday decoration contests.

Gino and Jamie Baiocchi at 112 Gold Standard Court took first-place honors in the Gold Creek Estates contest, while the third annual Christmas Decorating Contest at New Hogan Lake Estates had several winners in separate categories.

The economy may be down this year, but the spirits were up on Mockingbird Hill and all the other streets in New Hogan Lake Estates. More than 30 homes were decorated and there was even a motor home decorated whose owners were visiting friends for the holidays.

The New Hogan Lake Estates winners were: Nick and Sheena Sauders, 1005 Mockingbird Hill, best lights; Cloves and Tiffani Tennis, best theme; Larry and Diane Wolff, best yard display, and Lynn MacKenzie, best effort. Each of the winners received a $100 cash prize.

The judges felt this was the toughest year yet to decide upon the winners and New Hogan Estates is planning on having more categories next year so more people can win. The public is invited to drive through the neighborhood and enjoy the holiday spirit.

Christmas is a special time of year for Gino Baiocchi. He and his family have been decorating their house for a number of years. The Baiocchis finished second in last year’s Gold Creek contest.

“It’s a huge team effort,” Gino said. He concentrates on decorating the outside, while Jamie and their daughters decorate the inside.

“I always decorate,” Gino said. “This has a lot of meaning to me. It brings up special feelings of how it ought to be.”

The Baiocchis switched from regular to LED lighting this year and Gino said it made a huge difference in the number of lights in use and they hope to see their electric bill decrease.

They paid an extra $350 last year on their Christmas time electric bill and hope to see the cost lowered by two-thirds.

The family also is big on Halloween decorations and a popular stop for trick-or-treaters.

Liz and Phil Weaver accepting the Valley Springs Area Business Association's annual Citizen of the Year Award Saturday evening.

The couple instrumental in working behind the scenes organizing the annual Christmas Parade will be close to the beginning of the entourage at next year’s event in the grand marshal car as Liz and Phil Weaver have been named the Valley Springs Area Business Association’s Citizens of the Year.

Liz, among her many civic duties has been the parade’s chairwoman, and Phil does the heavy lifting.

Phil has lived in Calaveras County for 20 years and Liz for nearly 12. Phil has been in the martial arts business for 15 years and seven years ago the couple opened Sheng Chi, which is located at 139 Main St.

In addition, the couple can be found in the kitchen cooking for the Valley Springs Friends of the Library’s annual melodrama, and their business sponsors the annual Kid’s Day celebration.

Phil is also a director for the Society for the Preservation of West Calaveras History, while Liz has been a board member for the Calaveras Unified School District’s Education Foundation the past six years, is an advisory member on the ABA board, and is a member of the Rotary Club of West Calaveras.

The couple also started the Sheng Chi Foundation, which provides funding for the area’s returning veterans, at-risk and special needs children to receive martial arts instruction and enjoy its mental and physical benefits. The foundation is looking at the possibility of expanding the program next year to serve the area’s senior citizens.

“We were very surprised, especially after hearing who else was under consideration,” Liz said. “We’re in very good company.”

In addition to the Weavers, Dr. Jim Green, Dave and Jan Evans, Valley Springs News owners Nick Baptista and Vip Hale, and Cliff and Willene Seavey were under consideration.

The multipurpose room at Toyon Middle School was filled last Wednesday with more than 300 pieces of student artwork on public display.

Students at Toyon Middle School treated the public to more than 300 pieces of artwork during Wednesday’s end of the semester art show.

The show was entitled “The Power of Peace – A Journey Towards Peace As Seen, Imagined and Painted by Toyon Middle School Art Students” and also contained poems by students in teacher Teresa Fasola’s creative writing class and students in teacher Cyndy Larson’s tech class used their computer skills to typeset the poems in customized fonts.

The artwork of approximately 168 students appeared at the exhibit, said art teacher Kevin Hesser. Student paintings, collages and other pieces of artwork from the semester were displayed in the school’s multipurpose room. Almost every art class student chose to display at least one of the pieces they prepared during the semester.

Another art show is planned for the second semester and students can submit pieces from either semester.

Junior and Natalie Hernandez of Valley Springs take advantage of Monday morning’s rare snowfall by tossing snowballs at one another near the Chevron station located on Highway 26 at Nove Way.

It was turmoil for some and fun for others as Calaveras County was hit with an unusually cold storm that left snow at low levels Monday morning including a few inches in Valley Springs.

Between 5 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Monday, the San Andreas office of the CHP responded to 72 weather-related incidents. Of those, 26 were traffic collisions or spinouts. In addition, there were numerous reports of downed trees, power lines and rockslides blocking lanes and disrupting traffic. PG&E crews were hard at work in the wet and cold conditions on several power outages throughout the county.

It was fun for local youngsters as the Calaveras Unified School District and the county’s other school districts closed for the day. The telltale signs of the snow mixed with children included a number of snowmen dotting the local landscape.

State Route 4 was closed for approximately three hours between Angels Camp and Copperopolis due to numerous vehicles, including a big rig, spinning out.

The county Government Center closed at 3 p.m. Monday due to the storm and did not resume regular hours until 10 a.m. Tuesday. The Board of Supervisors meeting was delayed from its regular starting time of 9 a.m. on Tuesdays until 10:30 a.m. yesterday.

The National Weather Service issued a frost advisory through Wednesday morning and the CHP has issued a warning due to the cold weather and icy roads.

The CHP is asking motorists to carry chains at all times since the snow level may fluctuate and reduce speed and allow additional space between vehicles. In addition, allow extra time for travel in inclement conditions and carry blankets, water, food and extra warm clothing in case of emergencies.

The Calaveras County Sheriff’s Department is asking residents to limit their movement to essential travel only during the icy conditions.

The five-day forecast calls for stormy weather to return on Thursday and last until Sunday.

Although flooding is not expected, sand and sand bags are available locally at the county road department’s Jenny Lind station, 11558 Milton Road, or at the government center in San Andreas below the red barn and past the series of modular buildings.

Historically speaking, it was back in 2006 when the snow level reached New Hogan Reservoir. In the spring of 2007, snowfall was recorded at Pardee Lake and in March of this year, a storm left several inches of snow on nearby Buena Vista Mountain.

The Calaveras County Sheriff's Department and Foothill Fire Protection District cordoned off Laurel Street last Wednesday morning after an explosive device was found in the area.

Three Valley Springs residents were arrested last week on suspicion of a variety of felonies – including drug, cruelty to a child and possession of explosive device offenses.

Vernon Keith Moore, 25, was arrested at 1:45 p.m. Tuesday a short distance from his Sequoia Avenue residence. He fled on foot from his residence while Calaveras County deputies were attempting to serve a warrant. A day later, a pipe bomb was located in the vicinity of his initial arrest. The Calaveras bomb squad was dispatched to the scene and Laurel Street between Sequoia and Daphne Street was closed for about an hour.

The sheriff’s department then obtained a search warrant for a residence Moore was frequenting.

Cameron Patelzick and Brandy Felts-Patelzick, both 36, were arrested at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday after the search warrant was served at their 5975 Thornicroft Drive house.

Approximately .6 grams of methamphetamine and approximately 20 prescription pills were located inside the house, according to the sheriff’s department. A .357-caliber revolver and ammunition were located in a case in the garage.

In the course of the investigation, bomb making materials and unspent explosive devices were also located. The department says Moore made numerous destructive devices and he detonated three of them and two more unspent devices were taken as evidence.

The Patelzicks were arrested on suspicion of possessing a controlled substance, committing a felony while armed and willful cruelty to a child. Bail for each has been set at $105,000.

In addition, to Moore’s warrant, he faces new charges of resisting arrest, destroying or concealing evidence, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a dangerous weapon, possession of an explosive device in public, use of an explosive device with intent to injure, willful cruelty to a child, committing a felony while armed and conspiracy to commit a felony. Bail for him has been set at $7.3 million.