New emergency notification system set up in county
San Benito County has entered into an agreement along with Santa Cruz County for a CodeRED emergency notification system, according to an announcement from the Hollister Police Department.Â
Updated: Authorities ID two Hollister men killed in suspected DUI wreck
Two Hollister residents were killed in a solo vehicle accident early Friday morning, and the driver who survived with major injuries was suspected of drunk driving, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Police need help ID’ing suspect in food bank burglary
Hollister police need the public's help in identifying a suspect from a burglary last Friday at the Community Food Bank building on San Felipe Road.
San Juan residents want answers on camper explosion, fire
San Juan Bautista officials Tuesday discussed a fire caused by explosion to a camper Oct. 13 at The Alameda.
Police Blotter: Slew of burglaries, vehicle thefts
Read the latest blotter items as reported by the Hollister Police Department.
DA adds third suspected victim in case against teacher from Hollister
Authorities added another suspected victim to the criminal complaint against Paradise Valley Elementary School teacher John Loyd, 52 of Hollister, and a judge denied the suspected child molester’s request to reduce bail at an Oct. 20 hearing.Â
Loyd remains in custody at Santa Clara County Jail with no bail on charges that he sexually assaulted three female victims. At least one of the children was a student at Paradise Valley who alleged being assaulted by Loyd in his fifth-grade classroom, according to authorities.
Investigators have declined to release any further information about the other two victims.
Loyd pleaded not guilty to a total of five charges at the Monday hearing at South County Courthouse, where Superior Court Judge Alfonso Fernandez heard and denied his request to reduce bail.Â
With the latest charge added to the list of allegations against Loyd on Monday, he now faces five counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office. Each charge carries a penalty of 15 years to life in prison.Â
Loyd was arrested by Morgan Hill police Oct. 2, after a student at Paradise Valley alleged to another staff member that the teacher made inappropriate contact with her.Â
The ongoing investigation has found that Loyd made similar contact with two other students, according to authorities.Â
Loyd has been a teacher at MHUSD since 2000. He has taught at Paradise Valley Elementary School since 2008.
The Morgan Hill Unified School District placed Loyd on administrative leave immediately after his arrest, according to MHUSD staff. As of his first court appearance Oct. 7, that leave has been unpaid.Â
Loyd’s next hearing is scheduled for Nov. 13 to set a preliminary hearing date.
Teacher files motion to allow bail on molestation charges
A fifth-grade teacher from Hollister accused of sexually assaulting two Morgan Hill students filed a motion to allow his release from custody upon posting bail.
Police find more than 1K pounds of marijuana in Betabel Road building
Drug enforcement authorities Thursday confiscated more than 1,000 pounds of processed marijuana from a Betabel Road building.
Fire crews put out fourth Park Hill fire in two months
Firefighters on Thursday afternoon put out the fourth suspected arson fire at Park Hill in about the past two months.
