A 64-year-old South Lake Tahoe man wanted on multiple sex abuse charges was arrested at a Carson City casino on Monday, a Carson City sheriff’s deputy said.
Samuel John Hernandez was arrested at 2:31 p.m. in the 3800 block of South Carson Street after a brief pursuit by deputies. He was considered a fugitive from justice in South Lake Tahoe on El Dorado County, Calif., warrant charges of continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14 and lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14. Hernandez is being held on $500,000.
According to the arrest report, deputies received information that Hernandez was in Carson City and was as a passenger in a white Jeep Cherokee with California plates. A deputy located the Jeep and advised it was occupied by two men with Hernandez being the passenger. The deputy attempted to initiate a traffic stop but got held up in traffic.
A Carson City sheriff’s sergeant found the Jeep in a parking lot of the casino and detained the driver. The passenger was not in the vehicle. While inside the casino, a deputy found the man who identified himself as Hernandez and told the officer he was the one they were looking for, the report states. He was arrested and taken to jail. The driver of the Jeep was released from the scene.
In other arrests: a 54-year-old Carson City man, Gary Lee Sturdevant, was arrested Monday, 4:04 p.m. in the 800 block of College Parkway on suspicion of a third DUI. According to the arrest report, deputes were called to the area in reference to a vehicle crash in which the reporting party believed the other male driver was intoxicated.
Deputies met with both drivers who declined medical attention. The reporting driver said Sturdevant admitted drinking a beer in Virginia City earlier in the day. The deputy asked the man if he had been consuming alcohol. When the man replied no, the officer could smell a moderate odor of an alcoholic beverage on his breath.
He had red watery eyes. He was asked if he would complete standardized field sobriety tests. The man replied he would and did so in the parking lot of a fast food restaurant. The report states the man showed signs of impairment. He provided a preliminary breath test of .137 and was arrested. A records check showed the man was convicted of DUI third offense in June 1997. The man provided jail deputies with an evidentiary blood test.
— A 49-year-old Carson City man, Christopher O’Connor, was arrested Monday, 9:47 a.m. in the area of William and Rand streets on a felony charge of parole and probation violation. According to the arrest report, the man was stopped for going 45 mph in a 35 mph zone. Officers attempted to talk to the man, who became agitated with them. A check through dispatch showed the man to be on parole and probation.
The man was asked what he was on parole for. O’Connor instead became more agitated, swearing at the officers. He told them “I don’t need to tell you why I have a felony,” the arrest report states. During a pat down, he told officers “Go ahead and inform Parole of my attitude. They won’t do anything to me for this,” followed by “I am off parole on the 25th and they won’t do anything.”
Parole and probation requested the officers arrest O’Connor for felony violation of parole and probation conditions. He’s being held without bail pending a hearing.
— A 30-year-old Carson City man, Oswaldo Mariscal, was arrested Monday, 9 p.m. in the 3000 block of Airport Road on a felony parole and probation violation charge.
All information for the crime log (unless otherwise noted) comes from the arrest reports supplied by the Carson City Sheriff's Office, and is considered by law to be public information. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The policy of Carson Now is to name anyone who is arrested for a felony offense.