Yuba County Sheriff's Office

Deputy Nelson Magana began his law enforcement career at the Yuba County Sheriff’s Department in 1999 as part of its newly developed cadet program. Nelson grew up in Yuba County, and attended Lindhurst High School, where cadet advisors remember recruiting him and describe him as eager to become involved in law enforcement. Nelson was soon recognized for his maturity and leadership skills when he was made one of the cadet program’s first sergeants.

Nelson remained active as a cadet until he began work as a reserve deputy in the jail in 2002. A few months later, he was hired full time as a jail deputy. Nelson attended the modular police academy at Yuba College, and graduated in 2005.

In July 2005 Nelson was promoted to a patrol deputy position, where he continued to prove himself as a reliable, dedicated, hard worker. Nelson’s supervisors recognized him for his proactivity and his team work. He continued to represent the department as a member of its Honor Guard, and is also a sniper on Yuba County’s SWAT Team. In July 2007, his hard work paid off when he was assigned to the Detective Division’s new in-house Gang Intelligence Unit as an investigator.

Nelson helped to get the Gang Unit up and running by establishing ground rules, goals, and a solid intelligence foundation. Nelson’s supervisors soon found that his background in the community was an invaluable asset to his position in the Gang Unit. His knowledge of the neighborhoods and the people of Yuba County is second almost to none. One supervisor joked that Nelson made more arrests from the office than other detectives did on the streets, simply by looking out the courthouse window and arresting anyone coming into the building that he knew had a warrant.

While assigned to Investigations, Nelson had the opportunity to assist with several in-depth homicide cases. Nelson was able to establish rapport with a key witness in the Malvern homicides, who in turn identified many of the major players in the investigation. His knowledge of Spanish and the Hispanic culture gave him the ability to communicate and build an understanding with several witnesses, which placed him in an instrumental role in the case. A few months later, Nelson’s knowledge of local gang members and connections proved crucial in the speedy apprehension of the suspects in a drive-by shooting.

During his time in the Gang Unit, Nelson assisted with the arrest of 261 gang members, and saw 42 convictions with gang enhancements, which resulted in sentences of 211 years and 2 life sentences. More importantly, he did his job with enthusiasm, and enjoyed his work.

Nelson returned to patrol in January 2010. His supervisors note that he consistently works hard to help other deputies and the public. He has also taken on a mentor role to pass on the information he picked up in investigations to less experienced deputies.

No biography of Nelson would be complete without mentioning his attention to his appearance. If there was a best-dressed list at the Sheriff’s Department, Nelson would have a permanent spot. His desire to always look his best has caused some coworkers to refer to him as “GQ”. Perhaps this natural tendency was difficult to overcome, or maybe he’s just not used to being inconspicuous. At any rate, when he first started as a sniper on the SWAT team, Nelson’s ability to camouflage himself left something to be

desired, causing his teammates to affectionately refer to him as “WWS”, or “World’s Worst Sniper.” Fortunately, Nelson overcame this initial obstacle, and is now practically invisible.

Nelson and his wife, Kibbe, live in Plumas Lake. His devotion to his family, says one supervisor, is one of the best things about Nelson. Recently, Nelson and Kibbe have been staying busy with the newest addition to their family, Santino, who was born December 29.

YUBA COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT

CORRECTIONAL OFFICER OF THE YEAR 2010

STEVE HOUSTON

“Excellence in serving others” might be a good way to sum up Steve Houston’s work ethic. Steve is usually not the guy who gets a lot of glory from his work. He’s generally kept busy doing things like making sure toilet paper and soap are stocked and garbage cans are emptied, or photographing department functions on his time off.Steve’s interest in law enforcement began at the age of 14 when he saw a flyer at Yuba City High School advertising a local police cadet program. When he was 17 years old, he joined the Sutter County Sheriff’s Department as a cadet.

After he graduated from Yuba City High School, Steve joined the US Army, where his primary responsibility was maintaining and troubleshooting avionics systems for Army aircraft. Steve discharged from the army in 1995 as a Sergeant, and took on a job as a Deputy Sheriff I for the Yuba County Jail. When asked what he enjoys about working in the jail, Steve talks about the diversity and variety of the position. He describes the position as a “fun roller coaster ride,” adding, “When you think you’ve seen it all, something new comes along.”

In addition to his regularly assigned duties as a jail deputy, Steve was also made responsible for coordinating inmate workers, which involves routine janitorial work at the department, as well as all manner of special projects. Steve’s electronics experience in the military has also helped with his assignment of programming all of the department’s car and portable radios.

Steve’s love of photography has made him the unofficial department photographer. Steve can often be seen at department events, on and off-duty, with his camera in hand. When the department issued new trading cards, Steve was responsible for taking all of the professional-quality photos that graced the cards. Steve even took pictures at the annual Christmas party honoring him as the correctional officer of the year.

One of Steve’s most notable traits is his positive attitude. Because of his assignment as the inmate worker coordinator, he and his workers are in demand by many individuals at a time, needing things moved, fixed, or cleaned. Steve never gets frustrated or angry with the many requests for his services, and manages his time skillfully to fulfill everyone’s needs.

Steve lives in Yuba City with his girlfriend, Sharon. His son Arthur is currently serving in the Army and deployed in Iraq. His daughter, Amberle, lives in Washington with her husband. In addition to enjoying photography, Steve is also a licensed amateur radio operator who plays the guitar in his spare time.

YUBA COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT

EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR 2010

LESLIE CARBAH

You’ll never see a TV show dedicated to crime analysis. There are no frantic 911 calls, no high speed chases, no one wrestling a suspect to the ground. Instead there is a lot of, well, analysis – of thefts and vandalisms, long term and recent crime patterns, recovered stolen property, and new trends in fraud – all used to predict and prevent new crimes before they occur.

Crime Analyst Leslie Carbah set out in college to become an Agriculture Teacher and majored in Animal Science while working for a local Veterinarian during her teen and early adult years. After pausing from pursuing her teaching career goals to start a family, she accepted a job as a records clerk for Yuba City Police Department in 1999. Although Leslie had “never had much interest in being a cop” prior to this, she found that law enforcement “just clicked” and she knew that this was the field she belonged in.

In 2002, she was promoted to a position as a Crime Analysis Clerk in Yuba City’s Crime Analysis Unit. As she reviewed crime reports, Leslie found she had a knack for connecting the dots and seeing patterns between crimes. She enjoyed this aspect of her job so much that she went to Sacramento State University and received her certification in Crime and Intelligence Analysis in 2003.

In November of 2007, Leslie took the opportunity to be a part of the inception of a brand new Crime Analysis Unit at the Yuba County Sheriff’s Department. The unit’s formation came at a pivotal time in the department, and accompanied a shift in its crime prevention philosophy. The Compstat method, which the department now espoused, focused on computer analysis of crime trends with an emphasis on crime prediction and prevention.

Leslie’s new role brought several challenges, not the least of which was introducing a new concept in law enforcement to veteran officers, and gaining the trust of law enforcement personnel as an outsider and a civilian. She worked to get the necessary technology implemented to support her position, and set about to change the original NYPD “big city” model of Compstat to suit the needs and profile of Yuba County.

Three years later, Leslie has gained the support and acceptance of her coworkers. Managers praise her for changing the way the department does business. One of the divisions that has benefitted the most from Leslie’s assistance is the Investigations Division. She helps them with researching suspects, putting together timelines and graphs in their cases, and showing connections between potential suspects. Her support frees up detectives from some of their computer work, and enables them to spend more of their time in the field investigating, interviewing, and pursuing leads. For her part, Leslie is appreciative of the detectives’ willingness to involve her in major cases and share sensitive information with her.

No matter how busy she is, Leslie is always willing to take on new projects at others’ requests, and constantly seeks out new ways to get information out to deputies in a timely fashion. She often changes the format of her reports to better suit the needs of deputies and the department, sometimes at their request, and sometimes because she sees a better or more efficient way to deliver her product.

Leslie says she enjoys her work, and loves the fact that she gets to “do puzzles” every day. She takes satisfaction in watching investigations progress from start to finish, and says she enjoys the feeling that she has contributed to the resolution of a case.

Leslie lives in Yuba City with her son Cache. When she is not at work, she spends time pursuing her lifelong love of horseback riding, or stays busy with other outdoor activities, such as camping and gardening.

YUBA COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT

RESERVE OFFICER OF THE YEAR 2010

HENRY ABE

Henry Abe was raised in Wheatland and grew up helping on his family’s ranch. He graduated from Wheatland High School in 2005, where he played football and baseball. Henry’s father had been a police officer when he was younger, and Henry was always curious about law enforcement. After talking with an acquaintance who worked for the Yuba County Sheriff’s Department, Henry decided to check out the department’s cadet program.

Henry joined the department as a cadet in 2007. His cadet advisors noted his interest in law enforcement and his initiative. He spent many hours riding along with deputies, volunteering for department activities, and gaining an understanding of the sheriff’s department. In 2008, Henry won the department’s cadet competition.

Henry’s time as a cadet reinforced his interest in the job, and made him decide that law enforcement was what he wanted to do. He attended the Yuba College Basic Police Academy, graduating in 2008. In April of 2009, he was hired as a reserve deputy sheriff at Yuba County.

So far, Henry has enjoyed his reserve work. He enjoys the job, which is, he says, the best job he’s had. He also likes the people he works with, and the flexibility of the schedule, which allows him to attend school. Henry’s experiences range from the routine to the unusual. When asked about his most memorable moment on the job, Henry recalls helping to serve a search warrant on a cockfighting operation with approximately 100 birds.

Henry’s supervisors praise his willingness to come in and help whenever he is asked. Fellow deputies mention his proficiency with firearms, his work ethic and his dedication to improving his performance. Henry, they say, is not afraid to take on new challenges and does so with enthusiasm. In 2010, Henry dedicated over 500 hours to the Sheriff’s Department.

Henry lives in Marysville. He is finishing up his general education requirements at Yuba College and preparing to attend Chico State for a business degree. When he’s not busy at school or the sheriff’s department, Henry enjoys spending time with his parents, Roger and Susan, and his two older brothers, John and Brian.

YUBA COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT

VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR 2010

LEWIS TARR

Respectfully called “Mister Tarr” by all members of the Sheriff’s Department, Lewis Tarr has been a volunteer with the Yuba County Sheriff’s Department since 1999, when he was among the first to offer his services to the STARS program that was formed that year. Since 1999, he has volunteered more than 7,000 hours of his time, almost exclusively in the Records Unit.

Mr. Tarr was born and raised in the state of Maryland. He tried enlisting in the military seven times and each time was denied because he was too short. He ultimately was drafted into the US Navy at age 18. Apparently he was too short to enlist, but just the right height to draft. He worked in supplies and quickly became the Supply Superintendent (Corporal) due to his initiative and hard work. True to the motto, “Join the Navy, See the World,” Mr. Tarr traveled to the Philippines, China, England, Morocco & Germany while enlisted. He retired as a Chief Master Sergeant from the military after 20 years of service.

Mr. Tarr quickly realized that he could not live off of his $250 a month retirement so he had to still work. He had his real estate license but the market was not good enough to supply an income to support his family. He decided to work for the military again but as a civilian which he did for the next 18 years. Mr. Tarr and his family located to the Yuba County area when his civilian job brought him to Beale Air Force Base.

Mr. Tarr became a STARS volunteer because his neighbor told him about the opportunity and asked him to sign up. His friend quit shortly after Mr. Tarr started and Mr. Tarr always thought the friend recruited him so he (the friend) could quit with a clear conscience. He obviously enjoys volunteering as he has been an active volunteer for 12 years.

Mr. Tarr has many responsibilities in the Records Unit. Because of his attention to detail, he has been asked to audit all of the reports for errors after they have been indexed and copied. Another project is purging our files of non-retainable offenses more than 7 years old. There are many rules and exceptions to the purging and again, Mr. Tarr does an exceptional job. He also sequences our jail filing so that it is much easier to file the large stacks as they come in. Mr. Tarr is responsible for processing individuals who are ordered to register as drug offenders and he keeps the alphabetized personnel list updated. Mr. Tarr is the primary STARS volunteer assigned to the Records Unit and we have come to rely on him a great deal. Not only he is extremely reliable, but he is always pleasant and cheerful, and greets others with a smile and “Hello” whenever you see him.

Mr. Tarr has been married to his wife Winifred for 61 years. He met her on Valentine’s Day, 1949 while stationed in England and they married in September of 1949. He said of all the places he visited while in the military, England was his favorite because he met his wife there. They have four children and four grandchildren. He joined the Masons in 1961 while he was deployed to Morocco, and has been the presiding officer of his lodge four times: once in Smartsville and three times in Marysville. For leisure, he and his family have traveled to France, Azores, Gibraltar, and Spain.

Photographs taken by Paula Gomes