The Silicon Valley Voice is dedicated to public safety, crime news, photos, and crime trials reporting in Sunnyvale and Santa Clara.
Even a savvy Sunnyvale senior can fall for a scam. It happened to Judi Pogue last summer, but it still weighs on her mind, and she wants to share her story as a cautionary tale. It was a new type of scam—at least to her. She confided to friends, perturbed that she had opened the … Read more
A former Santa Clara High School teacher and “well-known” coach stands accused of having sex with a student. Darrin Garcia, 53, has been an athletic director in the Santa Clara Unified School District (SCUSD) since 2022, according to SCUSD. Prior to that role, Garcia was a gym and health teacher at Santa Clara High School, … Read more
California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara on Friday rejected State Farm’s request for “emergency” rate increases, setting up what could be a highly consequential showdown with the state’s biggest insurer — and going against the recommendation of his staff experts. Lara, who has been urging insurance companies to write policies in the state again despite increasing … Read more
Santa Clara police have busted two men for burglarizing storage units at a local apartment complex. The arrest comes after a months-long investigation stretching back to October last year. The Santa Clara Police Department (SCPD) announced the arrest Feb. 5 on its public alert system, Nixle. Capt. Mike Crescini, with the Santa Clara Police Department, … Read more
California Highway Patrol (CHP) is seeking information from anyone who may have witnessed a freeway homicide earlier this month. Just before 10 p.m. on Jan. 13, police received a call of a car having crashed into the center divide along Interstate 280 north of De Anza Boulevard. The person who called the police believed the … Read more
In the wake of the fire earlier this month at Vistra Corporation’s Moss Landing Power Plant and Energy Storage Facility, the California Public Utilities Commission has proposed new standards for battery energy storage facilities. In a statement on Jan. 28, the CPUC said also said it has deployed its Safety and Enforcement Division to the … Read more
A flipped SUV burst into flames near the border of Sunnyvale and Santa Clara, killing a Santa Clara man and injuring three others. Just after 5 p.m. Wednesday, Sunnyvale police responded to a report of an SUV that flipped near the intersection of Lawrence Expressway and Lochinvar Avenue. The SUV’s speed appears to have contributed … Read more
A commercial van fire in the underground garage of the Orchard Glen apartment complex was extinguished quickly on Thursday afternoon, with no injuries thanks to a speedy response from Santa Clara Fire Department. Smoke from the fire was visible on Stevens Creek Boulevard. The fire broke out at about 1:45 p.m., and SCFD was on … Read more
Maybe you’ve gotten a text message from a random number, one that is seemingly confirming a coffee date. Or maybe it said it was nice to meet you the other night. It may have even solicited something more esoteric, like asking to rent your yacht. When you informed the person sending the text that they … Read more
On June 8, 2017, a black GMC Yukon and a dark-colored sedan drove into the parking lot of Club La Ronda, 927 Duane Ave. in Sunnyvale. Driving the wrong way in the parking lot, another man — who club employees had kicked out for fighting — shouted his affiliation with the Mexican prison gang. Just … Read more