Crime

Authorities on Wednesday morning located about 30 acres of corn concealing marijuana—along with buildings to process it—in the San Juan Bautista and San Martin areas.

Sheriff's authorities Monday released the identity of a man whose body was found in rural Panoche Valley on Aug. 6. The man was Eleazar Roman Cruz, 29, from Oceanside, according to a sheriff's office statement.

An initial report of a vehicle running into a golf cart turned out to be a suspected drunk driver on the course at San Juan Oaks Golf Club in Hollister on Thursday afternoon.

A convicted Morgan Hill horse abuser agreed to pay more than $113,000 in restitution to nine animal rescue organizations that took in and cared for more than three dozen horses that were removed from his care at an Aug. 7 hearing at the South County Courthouse.

David J. Quiroz, the Hollister man accused in the killing of 25-year-old Heather Carroll in October 2012, pleaded no contest Monday to first-degree murder.

The man on a mower at Frazier Lake Airpark killed by an airplane was a Hollister Airport Commissioner.

Sheriff's authorities Thursday afternoon found an adult male's body off Panoche Road and suspect he was the victim of a shooting homicide, a department spokesman confirmed.

The district attorney's office had more questions on July 4 fireworks-related incident involving injuries and referred the case back to Hollister police Thursday for further investigation, a prosecutor told the Free Lance.

Hollister Police Chief David Westrick indicated Thursday that investigators expect to finish the report next week regarding a July 27 fatal bus crash resulting in the death of an 11-year-old boy.

The San Benito County Sheriff's Office wanted to remind residents about the celebration Tuesday night for National Night Out in downtown Hollister.