Regional Roundup

Police chase suspect fit to stand trial

A man accused of leading Lodi police on a pursuit into Stockton, then stealing a patrol car and leading them on another pursuit, was found mentally competent to stand trial Tuesday.

Erving Martinez, 23, of Antioch, has been jailed on $270,000 bail since the June 17 incident, which began with the theft of several hundred dollars worth of alcohol from the Lodi Safeway.

By the time the caper ended, police had chased the vehicle into Stockton, reaching speeds of 90 mph. At one point, Martinez allegedly sideswiped a vehicle at Eight Mile Road, and his car finally got stuck in a Hammer Lane parking lot.

When an officer leapt out of his car to take Martinez into custody, the 401-pound suspect knocked the significantly smaller officer to the ground and took off in the patrol car, lights flashing and siren blaring, police said at the time. The officer tried to grab onto the car door but was knocked loose and not seriously injured.

The stolen patrol car fled down Hammer Lane, going over curbs along the way, went the wrong direction on Interstate 5 and came to a stop after a tire came off. Martinez was arrested inside a nearby home, where he had knocked on a door and said people were chasing him.

Before long, attorneys were questioning Martinez's mental capacity, and on June 25 criminal proceedings were halted so a doctor could evaluate him.

The criminal case resumed Tuesday, after a doctor determined that Martinez was competent to stand trial and could cooperate with his public defender.

Martinez will return to court next Tuesday, where attorneys are scheduled to set a preliminary hearing date.

Vehicle stop leads to gun charges

A Lodi man on probation was jailed after an officer stopped him Tuesday night for a minor vehicle infraction and then allegedly found a loaded gun in his pocket, according to a police report.

The gun was registered to a Fair Oaks man who had 12 guns stolen from him earlier this year.

Michael Tellardin, 30, was driving along on Lodi Avenue near Hutchins Street at 9:49 p.m. when Officer Eric Versteeg noticed that a license plate light on Tellardin's 1974 pick-up truck wasn't working. Versteeg pulled the truck over and asked Tellardin if he was on probation or parole; Tellardin said he was on probation and agreed to get out of the truck, according to the police report.

When asked if he had any weapons, Tellardin said he had a gun in his back pocket, which Versteeg soon confiscated. Another officer found two rounds in the gun, according to Versteeg's report.

Tellardin allegedly told police he bought the gun for protection, spending $50 on it at the Stockton Flea Market.

Officers soon learned that the gun belonged to a burglary victim who told Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies that 12 rifles and handguns were stolen from his home. That man was evicted from his home two weeks ago and police could not immediately contact him to determine if the gun found Tuesday was one of those reported stolen.

Tellardin was arraigned Wednesday on misdemeanor charges of carrying a concealed weapon and carrying a loaded firearm.

A female passenger in his truck was not arrested.

9th person pulls papers in Galt council race

Yet another person intends to run for the Galt City Council.

Kelly Keagy pulled papers this week for a council run, said Sue Cory, Galt's deputy city clerk. Keagy ran unsuccessfully in 2004 for a seat on the council.

Only three of the nine people who have pulled papers have filed them so far, Cory noted. Those include council incumbents Tim Raboy and Barbara Payne, and Tom Santillan, an engineer who works in Sacramento.

The deadline to file is 5 p.m. Friday, and the election will be held Nov. 4.

Fundraiser planned to honor military heroes

A new foundation based in Manteca plans to honor servicemen and women who served in Iraq or Afghanistan with a celebration on Nov. 8, the Saturday before Veterans Day.

The Welcome Home Heroes Foundation will have a military aircraft display, NASCAR automobiles, a traveling memorial of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a parachute ceremony and dinner at Sacramento Metropolitan Airport.

In addition to authorization to use the airport, the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors waived permitting fees for this year at its meeting Tuesday.

Foundation board members are Michael Anderson Sr., Pastor Mike Dillman, John Larue, Steve Trapp and Vincent Nastro.