Press Releases

Today, District Attorney Tori Verber Salazar announced defendant Robert Elmo Lee, 83 of Lodi, was found guilty of first-degree murder with a special circumstance of murder for financial gain in his role in the shooting death of Dr. Thomas Shock, a Lodi podiatrist.

San Joaquin County Health Care Services Director Greg Diederich told the Board of Supervisors yesterday that COVID-19 case rates, hospitalizations, and ICU admissions are on the decline allowing the lifting of additional statewide mandates. He noted that COVID-19 case rates are dramatically decreasing from 22.3 to 5 cases per 100,000 since March 2, 2022.

Today, San Joaquin County District Attorney Tori Verber Salazar announced co-defendants Christina Lyn Garner, 42, and Jeremy Wayne Jones, 49, were arraigned on murder charges with a special circumstance alleging the victim, Justin Peoples, was intentionally killed because of his race, color, religion, nationality, or country of origin. It is further alleged that weapons, including a firearm, were used to commit the murder. Defendant Christopher Dimenco, 58, was arraigned on accessory charges.

On March 15, 2022, District Attorney Tori Verber Salazar announced defendant Afzal Khan, 43, of Lodi was convicted of one count of contacting a minor to commit lewd and lascivious acts or serious felony and one count of arranging a meeting with a minor for lewd purposes.

The Lodi House Board of Directors is excited to announce the opening of a four unit property to expand transitional housing for homeless families, representing a monumental step forward in helping bridge the gap between single working mothers and the challenge of finding affordable housing. Just blocks away from their shelter, Lodi House was able to purchase and renovate the facility with the help of CARES Act funding from San Joaquin County.