Merced County Sheriff’s detectives arrest two in Winton.
Detectives were conducting surveillance on 29-year-old Gerardo Valencia Jr. in Winton. Valencia was wanted for felony domestic violence and assault with a deadly weapon and had a warrant for his arrest.
Detectives saw a vehicle Valencia has been using, traveling in the north Winton area on September 23, 2020. Deputy Dustin Bender attempted a vehicle stop, and a short, high-speed pursuit ensued. The suspect vehicle was being driven by a female identified as 19-year-old Joanna Mendoza who had a warrant for probation violation. During the pursuit, the vehicle crashed in an orchard and both subjects took off running. With the help of several detectives, patrol deputies, the Supervised Release Team (SRT), and the Sheriff’s Office Helicopter (Sable 1), both subjects were caught a short time later.
Valencia was arrested and booked into the Merced County Jail for felony domestic violence and assault with a deadly weapon. Mendoza was arrested and booked into the Merced County Jail for violation of probation, evading officers, and false impersonation.
