Mokelumne Federal Credit Union Operations Manager Tammy Rivera stands at the bank's locked front door Monday. The credit union was closed after a man robbed the Tienda Drive bank at 11:25 a.m. (Angelina Gervasi/News-Sentinel)

Regional Roundup

Man wearing purple wig robs Lodi bank

A man wearing black face paint and a purple wig robbed a Lodi bank Monday, then escaped with an undisclosed amount of money.

Lodi police were called at 11:25 a.m. to Mokelumne Federal Credit Union, 2310 Tienda Drive, where the man had told a teller he was armed with a gun. After demanding cash in large bills, the man ran from the bank, Lt. J.P. Badel said.

Officer searched the nearby shopping area — which includes Arthur's Party World, Target, Staples and Marshall's — but did not find the man. There were no reports of injuries.

The suspect was described as a white man, 5-feet-8-inches tall, 200 pounds and between the ages of 25 and 35. In addition to the face paint and wig, he was wearing a dark baseball cap, a hunter green pullover sweatshirt, dark jeans and a goatee.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Lodi Police Department at 333-6727. Anonymous calls may be made to Lodi-Area Crimestoppers at 333-6771.

Man pleads guilty to fatal DUI crash

A Lodi man charged in the death of a Lodi High School graduate pleaded guilty last week to drunken driving and hit-and-run resulting in death or injury.

Errol Chandler, 25, had also been charged with vehicular manslaughter in the April 23 crash that killed Aaron Dupree Jones, who had turned 21 the previous day. In exchange for Chandler's guilty plea Oct. 24, the San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office dropped the manslaughter charge, according to court records.

Chandler was arrested after allegedly crashing his car into a tree on Harney lane near Hurd Road, then running from the scene just east of Highway 99. Jones, who was riding as a passenger, was trapped in the car and died of head injuries that night at a hospital.

Sheriff's deputies soon found Chandler, and he was jailed on $150,000 bail.

Jones, who played football in high school before graduating in 2003, had just gotten a new job at Wal-Mart and was still celebrating his birthday, members of his extended foster family said.

Chandler will be sentenced Dec. 5.

City delays Lower Sacramento Road opening until Friday

The city of Lodi had planned on opening Lower Sacramento Road today, but will wait until Friday to give San Joaquin County workcrews more time to finish their work on the Harney Lane intersection.

Lodi City Engineer Wally Sandelin said in a statement Monday the city's contractor George Read Construction had performed "admirably" on the project and finished on schedule.

He said the additional time will allow the county to finish paving the Harney Lane intersection and install temporary stop signs and other traffic controls.

The intersection will have a four-way stop during this winter, but the county should install a traffic signal in the spring.

After Lower Sacramento Road is opened, Sandelin said landscaping on the road's medians may require some "temporary, isolated lane closures" during the workday.

Lodi man loses bid to withdraw murder plea

A judge Monday rejected a Lodi man's attempt to withdraw his guilty plea that will send him to prison for life without parole for the gang-related murder of a high school student.

David Orlando Villanueva, 21, pleaded guilty in May to murdering 16-year-old Adrian Cortez, a student at Lodi High School.

In pleading guilty and accepting a sentence of life in prison, Villanueva spared his brother a possible similar sentence. Larry Villanueva, now 17, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and attempted murder, and was sentenced in June to more than 17 years in prison.

David Villanueva allegedly fired the gun that killed Cortez as he ran into his East Elm Street home Oct. 2, 2004. The younger Villanueva had gotten into a dispute with Cortez earlier, and the two brothers drove to Cortez's house later that evening, authorities said.

Also in the car were Modesto resident Martin Castro, 21, who pleaded guilty to accessory to murder and was sentenced to more than 7 years in prison, though he will likely be eligible for parole after about 4 years.

A fourth person in the car, Orlando Delatore, now 15, rejected a plea deal that would have sent him to prison for 28 years. He returns to court Nov. 7 for trial setting.

After several rounds of motions concerning whether David Villanueva was aware of his rights to trial, Judge Bernard J. Garber denied his attempt to withdraw his plea. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 21, said Deputy District Attorney Tom Ziegler.

Midmanagers agree to no increase in salary

The city of Lodi's approximately 40 midmanagers agreed to a memorandum of understanding that could save the city about $82,000.

Curt Juran, assistant street superintendent and president of the city's midmanager association, said his group agreed to the terms of last year's agreement with the city, forgoing a cost of living salary increase.

Without that increase, Juran said he believes the agreement should save the city about $82,000.

The City Council approved the deal in a meeting last month.

"We just thought that would be in the best interest of the city," Juran said, adding the association is fully behind City Manager Blair King and the current City Council and wanted to help Lodi cut some costs.

"When the financial climate gets better we'll do some negotiation," he said.

The association's agreement will cover calendar year 2006, and includes a "me-too" clause whereby if any other of the city's labor associations, such as the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, receives a cost of living increase so too will the midmanagers.