Author: KION

Dania Romero

COUNTY OF MONTEREY, Calif. (KION-TV) — Five days after a deadly officer-involved shooting, the Monterey County D.A. has identified the CHP officer who shot and killed a man while responding to a crash near Prunedale.

The newly released dashcam video this morning.

The Monterey County District Attorney’s Office released the identity of the office they say shot and killed a man with a knife on Saturday.

A newly released video shows CHP Officer Felix Prieto making contact with 42-year-old James Combs.

The incident took place Saturday evening on Highway 101 and Ralph Lane.

According to the D.A.’s office, the video shows Officer Prieto responding to a solo vehicle crash into a guardrail around 7 p.m.

Officer Prieto then checks on Combs saying “Hey man, are you ok?” “You ok, man?” and “You ok?”

The D.A.’s office says Combs is then seen walking towards Officer Prieto holding a knife saying “Drop the knife.”

Officer Preito could be heard repeating the command multiple times before they moved out of frame.

Officer Preito reportedly fired two shots at Combs, which proved to be fatal.

The D.A.’s office says the investigation is ongoing. Those with any additional information can call the D.A.’s office.

Officer Prieto was placed on administrative leave following the shooting.

Person killed in officer-involved shooting after crash in Monterey County identified

The Monterey County D.A. says they’re investigating a CHP officer for shooting and killing a Salinas man while responding to reports of a crash on Saturday night.

The D.A. identified the man as 42-year-old James Frederick Combs.

According to the D.A., the CHP officer arrived at the scene at Highway 101 and Ralph Lane on March 15th.

The DA’s office says that at 6:55 on Saturday, the CHP responded to a crash involving one car. At 7:07, an officer arrived, and one minute later, shots were fired. Combs was shot and killed by the CHP.

“The da’s analysis is determining if a crime was committed and so we are evaluating a whole range of crimes from a very low-level assault up to first-degree murder and everything in between,” said Lana Nassoura, Monterey County Assistant District Attorney.

The D.A. says this is the knife Combs had, a 3-and-a-half-inch folding knife, just before shots were fired.

How many shots were fired and where they landed on his body have not been released.

The purpose of our analysis and our investigation is to see if the use of force that the officer used amounted to a crime in the penal code,” said Nassoura.

Lana says all the CHP vehicles are equipped with dash cams, but was not able to confirm if it captured the incident.

“It’s on the front of the vehicles and it records incidents that happen in front of the vehicle. And so if the incident occurred in front of the vehicle and if the dash cam was on, there could be potentially video of the incident. An autopsy was performed yesterday. We will be able to determine any intoxication-controlled substances, alcohol, from the autopsy,” said Nassoura.

The DA says the officer’s identity will not be released at this time, but did tell me he was not injured and will be interviewing him tomorrow. That officer has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcoming of the investigation.

Austin Castro

HOLLISTER, Calif (KION-TV) – On Thursday, Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital was notified about a potential terror threat targeting mid-sized U.S. cities.

According to the hospital, the warning came from a joint bulletin between the American Hospital Association and Health Information Sharing and Analysis Center. The agencies are sharing the information out of an abundance of caution to spread awareness of the potential threat and are in contact with the FBI.

Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital adds that at this time there is no information available to corroborate or discount the threat’s credibility. 

HHMH’s Security and Emergency Management teams are working closely with local and federal law enforcement agencies and providing informational updates as they become available.

Jeanette Bent

SALINAS, Calif. (KION-TV) — Salinas Police say that on Saturday morning around 9:40 a.m., one man in his 30s was shot and killed near Pellet Avenue and Sandborn Place in Salinas.

Police say that when they and the medics arrived on scene, they found the victim with gunshot wounds and pronounced him dead on the scene.

They say that they are still out investigating the active scene and there is currently little to no suspect information at this time.

Police say that there is no current threat to public safety.

Victor Guzman

GREENFIELD, Calif. (KION-TV) — Greenfield Police said officers disrupted a cockfighting operation on Friday night while patrolling a vineyard near the city.

Police said they found a large gathering along the 41000 block of Elm Avenue.

While approaching the group of people — more than 40 people ran away and escaped in various vehicles.

Police later found the gathering was for a cockfighting activity, which police said they strongly condemn due to its cruel nature and the abuse of animals involved.

Police said 14 roosters were recovered, but one other was found dead.

The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office and SPCA are taking over the investigation.

Victor Guzman

Walan from Our Neighborhood Pet Project stops by the KION News Channel 46 studio to talk about Kitten Season and how people at home can volunteer!

Visit www.ourneighborhoodpetproject.org and click the volunteer tab at the top to find the forms needed to be a volunteer. You can also help the shelter with other programs they offer by clicking the other tabs available.

KTVU FOX 2

WATSONVILLE, Calif. (KION-TV) — Skeletal remains discovered from 30 years ago in a Santa Cruz County riverbed have been identified as those of a 13-year-old New York girl who was reported missing in 1975, officials said.

Remains were found in 1995

What we know:

Partial skeletal remains were found on March 22, 1995, in a riverbed off Highway 129 east of Rogge Lane. For decades, the victim’s identity remained a mystery, according to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office.

Initial DNA testing confirmed the remains belonged to a female.

Case reexamined 24 years later

Dig deeper:

The case was reexamined in 2019 and sent for additional forensic testing, including carbon dating, which determined the victim was likely born in the 1960s and died between 1977 and 1984, officials said.

Between 2022 and 2023, the sheriff’s office used advanced genetic genealogy to locate potential family members. They partnered with Othram, a Texas-based genetic genealogy company specializing in forensic DNA analysis.

Remains identified as missing New York teen

What they’re saying:

Scientists at Othram extracted DNA from the remains, developed a genetic profile, and conducted genealogical research to trace possible relatives. Through that work, they were able to identify the remains as those of Laura O’Malley, a 13-year-old girl from Queens, New York.

She was reported missing in August 1975, and her family had not heard from her since.

How did the victim end up in Santa Cruz County?

What we don’t know:

“It is not known when, or under what circumstances, Laura O’Malley arrived in California,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

Sheriff’s officials credited forensic advancements with finally providing answers to Laura’s family.

Othram noted on its website that “investigators are now working to piece together the details of her life and the events that led to her discovery in the Santa Cruz County riverbed.”

Authorities are urging anyone with information about the case to contact the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office at (831) 471-1121.

Jeanette Bent

CAPITOLA, Calif. (KION-TV) — Capitola Police announced Tuesday morning that they arrested a suspect for the fraudulent use of stolen bank cards after providing officers a false name and accumulating outstanding felony warrants for theft.

They said that thanks to surveillance footage as well as the suspect wearing a distinctive shirt, police were able to easily track him down.

According to police, the suspect is linked to organized retail crime throughout the state with the investigation ongoing.

Police say that the suspect has been booked in jail.

And despite Capitola Police citing a Tony Montana quote [“I always tell the truth. Even when I lie.”], they say that he did not give them Montana’s name as an alias.  

Jeanette Bent

DEL MONTE FOREST, Calif. (KION-TV) — CAL FIRE BEU announced Wednesday that at around 4 a.m. they were dispatched to a report of a stranded vessel in Stillwater Cove.

They said that upon arrival, crews were able to locate a 50-foot yacht that had run aground and was occupied by two people.

The fire department said that they made contact with the people on the boat and were able to safely rescue them from the yacht without injury.

The boat remained in Stillwater Cove until resources were able to safely tow it to the Monterey harbor, according to CAL FIRE BEU.

Jeanette Bent

WATSONVILLE, Calif. (KION-TV) — Watsonville Police announced Wednesday that they’ve solved an attempted murder case from September 8, 2024.

They said that a shooting at a shopping center on the 1700 block of Freedom Boulevard produced several spent shell casings that officers found in the parking lot.

According to police, there was no sign of a victim or a suspect at that time, but surveillance footage from the scene showed the suspected shooter approaching and confronting tow victims who were exiting a store.

They said that the victims could be seen on video running away and jumping into a nearby car.

The shooter was later identified as 19-year-old Pedro Taz Hernandez, and he opened fire as the car sped away, according to police. They said no one was injured during the shooting.

Earlier this month, detectives say that they served several search warrants but could not find Hernandez.

According to police, Hernandez later turned himself in, and they arrested a 17-year-old in connection to the case.

Hernandez faces multiple felony charges, including attempted murder, willful discharge of a firearm, shooting at a vehicle and assault with a firearm, according to police.