Planada News

The couple accused of killing Ana Lila Diaz DeCeja and kidnapping her 2-month-old baby will soon be headed to state prison after being convicted by jurors on murder charges.

The 2013 Merced County Fair kicked off Wednesday night with a flag-raising ceremony and a tribute to the men and women who have served our country.

The testimony of Maria Teresa Ceja Robles, the Planada woman accused of murder and kidnapping, entered its eighth day Tuesday — one of the longest stretches for any witness.

The homicide trial of the Planada man accused of strangling Ana Lila Diaz DeCeja was placed in the hands of jurors Friday, after the prosecution detailed the final moments of the victim's life.

The 2013 Merced County Fair kicked off Wednesday night with a flag-raising ceremony and a tribute to the men and women who have served our country.

Attorneys on both sides finished presenting their evidence Wednesday in the homicide trial of a Planada couple accused of killing a woman and kidnapping her 2-month-old baby.

The testimony of Maria Teresa Ceja Robles, the Planada woman accused of murder and kidnapping, entered its eighth day Tuesday — one of the longest stretches for any witness.

The Planada defendant accused of killing a woman and stealing her infant son recalled the incident in court Monday, while the prosecution had its first crack at questioning her.

That's the picture an attorney painted Thursday of Maria Teresa Ceja Robles, the Planada woman facing life behind bars.

A Merced County woman accused of murdering a mother and kidnapping a baby defended herself on the witness stand Monday.

The mother of Maria Teresa Ceja Robles, a woman accused of murder and kidnapping, took the stand Thursday at her daughter's homicide trial.

Faking a pregnancy using pillows and being drugged against her will: Those were just two of the many claims made by Maria Teresa Ceja Robles, the Planada woman accused of murder and kidnapping, during her testimony in court Friday.

A juvenile was arrested Tuesday after leading a sheriff's deputy on a high-speed chase for about 10 minutes before crashing, said Deputy Delray Shelton, Merced County sheriff's spokesman.

The mother of Maria Teresa Ceja Robles, a woman accused of murder and kidnapping, took the stand Thursday at her daughter's homicide trial.

PLANADA — A juvenile was arrested Tuesday after leading a sheriff’s deputy on a high-speed chase, according to Deputy Delray Shelton, Merced County Sheriff’s spokesman.

MERCED, May 27, 2013 -- Jurors in the homicide trial of Maria Teresa Ceja Robles and Jose Augustine Velarde this week got their first look at video footage of interviews conducted with Velarde by Merced County sheriff's detectives.

After a one week hiatus, testimony resumed Monday in the trial of accused killers Maria Teresa Ceja Robles and Jose Augustine Velarde.

Merced County Sheriff's detectives reported finding the body of a man in a canal in east Planada on Monday.

Emergency crews reportedly recovered a body Monday from a canal in the Planada area after an all-terrain vehicle the victim was driving plunged into the water.