More than 30 armed deputies in five teams carried out probation checks at close to two dozen locations across the Santa Clarita Valley, making sure probationers are behaving, Captain Robert Lewis of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station told The Signal Tuesday.
“We want to help them reach their goal of staying clean,” Lewis said.
Beginning shortly after 8 a.m. Tuesday, deputies descended on 23 locations making at least one arrest for a man described as a gang member and suspected of violating conditions of his probation, Shirley Miller, sheriff’s spokeswoman said.
At least one 9 millimeter handgun and some cash were seized in one of the raids.
“We are conducting several searches in a proactive operation,” Sheriff’s Sgt. Dan Peacock, of the Santa Clarita station’s Career Offender Burglary/Robbery Apprehension team told The Signal.
“If you’re on probation in the Santa Clarita Valley we are going to come and make sure you are not violating your probation,” he said, noting some of the targeted sites were random.
“At this particular location the probationer was not at home,” Peacock said, referring to one specific case on the 24000 block of Arch Street in Newhall.
“We did a search inside the home and found several pieces of evidence to show he was in violation of his probation,” Peacock said.
The suspect, according to Peacock, phoned deputies during the search from another location and agreed to turn himself in.
“If he doesn’t show up, we will write up a report,” he said.
That was not the case, however. The suspect arrived at the searched home and was taken into custody.
“We want to make sure they (probationers) are living according to the terms of their probation,” Peacock said.
Jose Meza, 24, of Newhall, on probation for negligent discharge of a firearm in public, was arrested on suspicion of having violated conditions of his probation.
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