Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/5650
CORNING — A trio of men were arrested Tuesday morning after stealing beer from a Rich- field store and trying to break into Rite Aid. Tehama County Sher- iff's Deputies were alert- ed to a commercial alarm at about 1 a.m. Tuesday at the School House Market on Alameda Road. The only thing missing was three 40 oz. bottles of Coors Light, according to a TCSD press release. About three hours later, members of the Corning Police Depart- ment were sent to investi- gate an alarm at Rite Aid on Edith Avenue. There, they found Corning resi- dents Timothy Roberts, 19, and Elton Roberts, 18, as well as transient Robert Rose, 21, with a crowbar. Sheriff's Deputies interviewed all three men and they admitted to the burglary of the School House Market, according to a press release. All three were arrested on suspicion of burglary and attempted burglary. Bail was set at $70,000 for each man. Red Bluff Outdoor Power Local outlook HIGH/LOW Weather forecast 6A Cloudy Rain 48/39 N EWS D AILY DAILY 50¢ WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 30, 2009 Salvation Army run Hunting Highlights Breaking news at: www.redbluffdailynews.com N EWS D AILY RED BLUFF TEHAMA COUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U N T Y S I N C E 1 8 8 5 See Page 2A SPORTS 1B Community 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 PHYSICIAN REFERRAL A FREE SERVICE PROVIDED FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE 1-800-990-9971 CHW North State Region 2010 CELEBRATION BULLRIDING & DANCE THURSDAY DECEMBER 31, 2009 Pauline Davis Pavilion Tehama District Fairground Red Bluff, Califorina Doors open 6:00 pm Pre-Rodeo 7:00 pm Opening Cememonies 7:30pm For info, reserve seats, or charge by phone 181 E. 2nd St. Chico 530-891-1650 Diamond W Western Wear N EWS D AILY RED BLUFF TEHAMA COUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U N T Y S I N C E 1 8 8 5 527-2151 • FAX 527-3719 545 DIAMOND AVE., RED BLUFF The Daily News office will be closing early New Year's Eve, Dec. 31 & closed New Year's Day, Jan. 1 Classified deadlines for 1/1, 1/2, & 1/4 will be 9:50am. 365 So. Main Red Bluff (530) 527-2720 Join us for EVE Fun w w w . L a r i a t B o w l . c o m w w w . L a r i a t B o w l . c o m Doctors to evaluate arson suspect By GEOFF JOHNSON DN Staff Writer A man accused of lighting his live-in girlfriend on fire will undergo examination by a pair of court-ordered doctors, Tehama County District Attor- ney Gregg Cohen said Tues- day. Joseph Anthony Verni, 37, Red Bluff, entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insani- ty on Dec. 21. His condition will be subject to review by doctors Kent Caruso and Ray Carlson, with whom the court has worked in the past, Cohen said. The results of the doctors' evaluation could be presented to the court as early as Jan. 25. Verni was arrested in July on suspicion of severely burn- ing a woman in a Kimball Road apartment by pouring flammable liquid on her and lighting it while her children, an 8-year-old boy and a 7-year- old girl, were in the next room. The woman was later taken to the UC Davis Medical Cen- ter in Sacramento for treat- ment. The children were not injured. Verni faces charges of attempting premeditated mur- der with a special allegation of causing great bodily harm in a domestic situation, aggravated mayhem, torture and arson causing great bodily injury. He remains in the Tehama County Jail with bail set at $750,000. Calls to Verni's lawyer, Diane Martin, were not imme- diately returned Tuesday after- noon. ——— Geoff Johnson can be reached at 527-2153, extension 114 or gjohnson@redbluffdailynews. com. Bullish New Year Photo Courtesy of Gary R. Beem Thomas Bert rides with a score of 84 at the NBC New Year's Eve Bullride put on by Diamond W Productions Dec. 31, 2008. By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer The last two years have seen the Bert brothers, Modesto natives, dominate the NBC New Year's Eve Bullride held annually at the Tehama District Fair- ground. Only time will tell if the tradition continues Thurs- day night. The annual event, put on for about 20 years and hosted this year by Diamond W Productions of Chico, is a crowd pleaser that packs the Pauline Davis Pavil- ion. Lines begin forming well in advance of the 6 p.m. Assault and robbery suspect surrenders By GEOFF JOHNSON DN Staff Writer A Red Bluff man turned him- self in Monday night after rob- bing the Shell Gas Station the day before. Detectives are still trying to determine why Nathaneal Lee Armus, 18, also known as "Nasty Nate," surrendered to police at the Red Bluff City Park, Sgt. Quintan Ortega said. It was not even clear whether Armus himself or a relative made the phone call alerting police. Armus has since been booked into the Tehama Wrong way driver seen on Interstate By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer CORNING — A 73- year-old Red Bluff woman drove the wrong way on Interstate 5 Monday evening, how- ever, by the time the California Highway Patrol caught up with her she had already turned herself around. A report of a wrong way driver going north- bound in the south- bound lanes came in at 6:17 p.m., said CHP Public Affairs Officer Phil Mackintosh. This was followed a minute later by the report that the vehicle, a white sedan according to the CHP Web site, had crossed into the center divider. The driver, later iden- tified as Phyllis Har- rington, at some point after entering the divider returned to the southbound lanes travel- ing south, but was going Armus Trio steals beer, attempts break in at Corning store Boaters rescued after striking rock By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer The day after Christmas was lucky for five people, including two young boys, rescued follow- ing a boating accident Saturday afternoon on the upper Sacra- mento River near the Jellys Ferry Bridge. The Tehama County Sheriff 's Department received a call from Kate Hiller of Red Bluff about 4:30 p.m. She reported her hus- band, Joshua Hiller, 34, and his friends were stranded. A sheriff 's boat was sent to the Sacramento River near Massacre Flats, where Hiller and four oth- ers, including his sons ages 9 and 6, were stuck. Hiller said that while on a boat trip, he struck a large rock just below the surface near Ink's Creek. While attempting to pump water out of the boat using a bilge pump, Hiller said he real- ized his 2001 21-foot Custom Weld boat was taking on more water than what he could pump out, a sheriff 's department release said. Hiller decided to beach the boat near the campgrounds of Massacre Flats and secured it to await daylight recovery, the release said. All of the parties were recov- ered from the boat uninjured and taken to a waiting friend near the Jellys Ferry Bridge. The damage to the boat was estimated to be about $10,000. ——— Julie Zeeb can be reached at 527-2153, extension 115 or jzeeb@redbluffdailynews.com. DUI patrol nabs 18 impaired drivers so far A total of 18 DUI arrests have been made since the start of the Avoid the Five Winter Holiday campaign on Dec. 18. Thomas Hickman, 22, of Gerber, was on arrested on Christmas Eve, bringing the total to 13 individuals. During the same time period — Dec. 18-24 — in 2008, five individuals were arrested for DUI. Six people were arrested for DUI on Christmas day last year. This Christmas two arrests were made. California Highway Patrol arrested Ronald F. Ellis, 49, of Redding and Salvador Hernandez Chavarria, 36, of Portland, Ore. for DUI. Since Christmas three more arrests has been made. Corning Police Depart- ment arrested Herminio Aguilar Gomez, 31, of Corning and Mario Mar- tinez Velasquez, 29, of Lodi, both for DUI. Red Bluff Police Department arrested Laura Jean Sargent, 27, of Red Bluff, for DUI. The campaign is sched- uled to continue through the New Year's weekend. See SUSPECT, page 3A See BULLISH, page 3A See WRONG, page 3A