Porterville Stringer

07/19/2025

Within the past 7 days, the Porterville Fire Department and Porterville Police have responded to two separate drowning incidents involving 3-year-old children within the city. Unfortunately, one child succumbed to the incident, while the other child was rescued. Below is a public service announcement from the Porterville Fire Department emphasizing the importance of water safety around pools.

(Porterville Fire Department PSA)
🌞🏊‍♂️ Stay Safe Around the Pool This Summer! 🏊‍♀️🌞

Before you dive in, remember these pool safety tips:

✅ Always supervise children in and near water — stay within arm’s reach.
✅ Make sure everyone knows how to swim — consider swimming lessons.
✅ Install and maintain proper barriers (like pool fences with self-latching gates).
✅ Keep life-saving equipment (like reaching poles and life rings) poolside.
✅ Learn CPR — it could save a life in an emergency.
✅ Don’t rely on toys like water wings or noodles as life-saving devices.
✅ Establish and enforce pool rules: no running, no diving in shallow water, and no swimming alone.

Let’s make every splash a safe splash! 💦❤️

For more water safety tips, visit: redcross.org/watersafety

07/19/2025

07/18/2025

3:15PM Wildland Fire, (Blue Fire)
Near the 33000 Block of M-56, East of Fountain Springs. TCFD and Cal Fire are responding to a reported vegetation fire with smoke visible on the Blue Mtn Kern camera.

07/18/2025

11:15AM Debris/Grass Fire, 8000 block of Palm Ave. Lindsay. TCFD, assisted by Lindsay Fire, responded. At this time the fire has been extinguished.

07/18/2025

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07/18/2025

Ivanhoe

07/18/2025

8:45 pm Major police and SWAT presence happening now at the Oakwood apartments in Ivanhoe. It is still an active scene; avoid the area.

07/17/2025

(Another glorious day on the river)

3:05PM River Bottom Fire. PFD arrived on scene and was able to quickly extinguish the fire before spreading.

07/17/2025

10:32AM Grass Fire, Behind Al’s Mini Mart, 900 block of W. Westfield. PFD arrived on scene and were able to quickly contain the fire.

07/17/2025

07/17/2025

Porterville Police Press Release

Incident:

Possession of Stolen Property

Theft with Priors

Conspiracy to Commit a Crime

Burglary

Violation of Probation

Date / Time:

July 16, 2025 / 8:00 A.M.

Location(s):

1250 West Henderson Avenue, Porterville, CA

Suspect:

Alejandrino Rios, 35-year-old, Porterville Resident

On July 14, 2025 at approximately 3:55 P.M., Porterville Police Officers were dispatched to Wal-Mart, located at 1250 West Henderson Avenue, regarding the theft of an air conditioning unit that had occurred on July 12, 2025.

Officers contacted Wal-Mart loss prevention, who advised they observed a male subject enter the store and purchase an air conditioning unit prior to leaving. Loss prevention employees advised later that same day they witnessed the previously mentioned male subject had returned to the business and walked to the aisle containing air conditioning units. It was reported the male subject placed an additional air conditioner in a shopping cart and departed the business without an attempt to pay. As the male was exiting the business, he displayed the receipt for the previously purchased air conditioning unit. On July 13, 2025 a female subject entered Wal-Mart and returned the stolen air conditioning while receiving cash for her return.

Officers began to investigate, and with the assistance of Wal-Mart surveillance, were able to identify the male subject as Alejandrino Rios. Prior history with Rios revealed him to have previous arrests for theft, and was on active Tulare County Probation for theft. Due to California Proposition 36, theft with prior convictions is now charged as a felony crime.

On the morning of July 16, 2025, Officers responded to Rios’ residence, located in the 1200 block of North Ohio Street in Porterville, and conducted a probation compliance check of Rios’s residence. While conducting the probation compliance check, officers located the stolen air-conditioning unit and returned it to Wal-Mart. Rios was not present at his residence during that time; however, he was later located by officers in the area of Olive Avenue and Indiana Street and arrested without incident.

Rios was booked into Tulare County South County Detention Facility for the charges of; Possession of Stolen Property, Theft with Priors, Conspiracy to Commit a Crime, Burglary, Violation of Probation where he is being held with “No Bail.”

This investigation remains active and anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to contact the Porterville Police Department at (559)782-7400 or through the departmental Facebook or Instagram page. Those who have information may also provide it anonymously