A special Ceres Police Department ceremony was held Thursday evening to formally promote three into higher ranks, recognized outstanding employees and introduce new officers and dispatchers.

Ceres Police Chief Chris Perry promoted Matt Vierra and Aaron Pinion from officers to sergeants; Jeff Godfrey from sergeant to lieutenant; and Trenton Johnson from lieutenant to captain.

Chief Perry also honored:

• Michael Vierra as “Sergeant of the Year.”

• Kiashira Ortiz as “Officer of the Year.”

• Jerry Kessler as “Reserve Officer of the Year.”

• Desirae Gutierrez as “Dispatcher of the Year.”

• Jack Taylor as “Professional Staff of the Year.”

Mike Vierra was nominated as 2023 “Sergeant of the Year” for his wealth of knowledge and experience in multiple areas of police work, and because of his commitment and availability to his officers that sets him apart.

“Sgt. Vierra is a leader, mentor, and resource to his officers,” said Chief Perry. “Whether they are seasoned officers or new officers learning their trade, Sgt. Vierra takes the time to teach and train officers in all facets of law enforcement. Through detailed and comprehensive briefing trainings, pertinent case law review, training on search and arrest warrants, Sgt. Vierra takes the time to identify areas of need to ensure his officers have the knowledge, skills, and ability to execute their duties at a level that exceeds expectations.”

Vierra is also the team leader for the Ceres Police SWAT team. As the SWAT commander, Lt. Travis Hudson praised Sgt. Vierra’s leadership, saying “Sgt. Vierra is dedicated to the safety and success of every operator as well as every operation by providing clear and decisive direction even in the most stressful of situations. His ability to remain calm under duress and make critical decisions with precision ensures that the team operates with a high degree of efficiency.”

“Sgt. Vierra’s proactive approach to training is outstanding. He identifies areas for improvement and implements training programs that enhance the team’s skills, abilities, and cohesion. The respect our SWAT team receives from other agencies in Stanislaus County and beyond reflects Sergeant Vierra’s success in keeping the team highly prepared and maintaining positive relationships with other tactical teams and leaders.

“In short, Sergeant Vierra’s leadership, organizational skills, and approachable attitude are crucial to our department SWAT team. His dedication, strategic thinking, and commitment to excellence set a great example to others and reflect great credit upon himself and the Ceres Police Department.” 

Kiashira Ortiz was named “Officer of the Year” after wearing many hats and filling vacancies in the past year. She was unable to attend the ceremony as she was witnessing her husband being sworn as a new Livermore Police officer.

While working modified duty in July 2023, Officer Ortiz resigned from the K9 team after eight years, which was a “selfless act” in order to work as a full-time dispatcher at a time when the center was critically understaffed and overworked.

“Ortiz was willing to step up and fill a dispatcher position when most were not,” said the chief.

Her decision cost her several thousand dollars in lost pay, “but she did not want to reduce resources knowing that another officer was fully trained and prepared to fill her position.”

In November 2023, Ortiz transitioned into her new role as a School Resource Officer where she’s made a big impact on the Central Valley High School campus and gave presentations on various topics to parents, staff and students. She also attends many extracurricular school events. She has also taken a proactive approach to campus safety.

Officer Ortiz went above and beyond the call of duty to investigate a December burglary at Central Valley High School that resulted in the loss of $20,000 of electronic equipment. Her effort led to the arrest of the suspect.

“Reserve Officer of the Year” Jerry Kessler joined Ceres Police Department eight years ago as a reserve officer, but previously had a remarkable 31-year career with the California Highway Patrol. 

“Officer Kessler exemplifies the highest standards of law enforcement professionalism and expertise,” said the chief. “Additionally, he always comes to work with a positive, infectious attitude that rubs off on whoever he encounters.”

Skilled at traffic safety issues, collision investigation and traffic enforcement, Officer Kessler has been a reliable resource for the department and always available to offer guidance and support, even on days off. 

Due to his high level of experience and expertise, Kessler handles all fatal commercial vehicle inspections for not only Ceres Police Department, but for all our surrounding agencies in the county. 

In addition to being out on the street, he conducts training and remedial training for officers, as well as taking standard collision reports from patrol, which is something he is not required to do.

Officer Kessler continually adjusts his schedule at a moment’s notice to benefit the department and, specifically the traffic unit. Since becoming the Unit Supervisor 16 months ago, we have had 9 traffic fatalities. 

During the fatal traffic collision that occurred on the evening of Fourth of July, other than Lt. Godfrey and Sgt. Ferreira, Officer Kessler was the only other employee to respond to the scene, once again proving his dedication to the unit, even on a holiday.

He also makes himself available for community events like National Night Out even if it means adjusting his schedule.

Officer Kessler was unable to receive his honor as he was on a family vacation.

“Dispatcher of the Year” Desirae Gutierrez was hired in December 2022 and has made tremendous strides, going above and beyond her assigned duties. 

Since being cleared in June of 2023, she has continued to grow, striving to master her dispatching skills. As a result, she has proven herself to be dependable, knowledgeable, and trusted among her peers and co-workers.

Gutierrez freely took the initiative to train and mentor new dispatchers on her own. 

When the Dispatch Center experienced an unprecedented staffing crisis in the latter part of 2023, Gutierrez selflessly stepped up to help, putting the needs of the department, and the community above her own.

“Professional Staff of the Year” Jack Taylor joined Ceres Police in October 2022 after spending four years in the Army and 17 years as a Modesto Police officer. Since coming on board, he’s hit the ground running. 

His superiors say he is incredibly dedicated and hard working — so much so that it’s often a challenge to catch him in the office to discuss business. 

Officer Taylor has improved the quality of life in Ceres through his efforts to remedy code violations and mitigate blight. He has volunteered to be the homeless outreach liaison for the police department – outside the scope of his assigned responsibilities but for which he is well fitted since he has the ability to talk to the homeless with respect, empathy and a sense of compassion. 

His collaboration with county homeless outreach teams has made a huge improvement within the homeless community when it comes to tracking numbers, locations and/or getting them the assistance they desperately need. 

In addition to his exceptional work performance, Taylor has outstanding public relations skills and excels at building positive relationships with the community, addressing concerns with patience and clear communication. 

Promotions

Trenton Johnson was promoted to rank of captain on March 17. He began as a Ceres Police Explorer in 1993, became a reserve officer in January 1998 and hired as a fulltime sworn officer in August 1998. He worked in detectives, as a SWAT member for 20 years and as a Field Training Officer (FTO).

Johnson became a sergeant in June, 2008 and worked as watch commander, SCU sergeant and detective sergeant.

In January, 2023 he was promoted to lieutenant in charge of detectives, code enforcement, SWAT team, Drone Team, Crisis Negotiation Team, Property and Evidence and the armory.

His wife is dispatch center supervisor Tammie Johnson.

Jeff Godfrey was promoted from sergeant to lieutenant in May. He started his law enforcement career with the Hughson Police Department in 1998 and became a Stanislaus County Sheriff’s deputy in 2000, working as an FTO, court bailiff, narcotics detective, SWAT member and Salida community deputy.

Godfrey joined Ceres Police in November 2020 and rose to sergeant in January 2023.

Jeff is a major advocate for Special Olympics of Northern California since 2012.

Aaron Pinon, who became sergeant on June 23, started in law enforcement as an explorer scout with Newman Police in 2003. Gustine Police hired him as a reserve officer in 2012 and fulltime in 2013. He went to work for Los Banos PD in 2016, where he was an FTO and detective.

Since being hired in Ceres in November 2020, Pinon worked patrol and was an FTO. He was then assigned to the Traffic Division and a member of Recruitment Team and Public Relations team.

Pinon and wife Lydia have twin girls, Adlee and Rylee.

Promoted to sergeant on June 23, Matt Vierra was hired in June 2021 after two years as a Stanislaus County deputy sheriff and 11 years as an Atwater Police officer. He worked as a detective, FTO, SWAT operator, range instructor, defensive tactics instructor and Taser instructor.

Matt is the fourth member of the Vierra family to serve as a Ceres Police officer. His father is Lt. Danny Vierra who retired in 2023 and his brothers are Sgt. Mike Vierra and Officer Kao Saechao.

He and wife Leah have one daughter, Chayse Marie.

New hires recognized

Ceres Police recently hired a large number of officers, some by sponsoring recruits through the local police academy.

The new hires introduced on Thursday were police officers Josiah Mardirosian, Angel Murillo, Ian Perry, Tyler Wilson, Isaac Carter, Salin Chrim, Christian Diaz and Mike Ferreira. In addition, David McCann became a fulltime Community Service Officer from part-time.

New dispatchers recognized were Celine Gaitan Naranjo, Hannah Hiti, Kassandra Pond, Kyla Yotsuya, Angela Kent, and reserve dispatcher Jeanette Bowles.

Officer Isaac Carter is one of three recruits sponsored by Ceres Police Department for the spring 2024 Police Academy. He graduated on August 9 and hit the streets three days later.

He graduated from Arizona State University with a BS in geography and a minor in Urban Planning.

His girlfriend, Shannon Martinez, pinned on his officer badge

Salin Chrim joined Ceres Police on Nov. 13, 2023 and was previously a deputy with Merced Sheriff’s Office and an officer with Stockton Unified Schools.

Chrim was born in Thailand and immigrated to the U.S. when she was three. She earned her an AA degree in Criminal Justice.

Salin is and husband Emiliano have three children: Gabby, Mila and Mateo. Gabby pinned on her officer badge.

Christian Diaz is another one of three recruits sponsored by Ceres Police in the Spring 2024 Police Academy. He graduated on August 9 and began patrols on August 12.

He graduated from California State University Stanislaus with a BA in History. His badge was pinned by his mother, Celia.

Mike Ferreira joined Ceres Police on May 28, 2024 after serving 17 years with the California Highway Patrol. He graduated from Cal State Fullerton with a BA in Criminal Justice. Mike’s father, Frank is retired from Los Banos PD and his brother, Bryan is a Ceres Police sergeant.

He has two children, Sofia, 6 and Mason, 3, who participated in his badge pinning.

Officer Josiah Mardirosian joined Ceres Police on Dec. 11, 2024 after serving four years with the Los Banos Police. Before entering law enforcement, Josiah served for four years as a rifleman with the 1st Battalion 5th Marine Regiment.

Josiah and wife Lupe have a 6-year old son, Noah, a 5-year old daughter, Eden and a 6-month old daughter, Mila.

He was pinned by his wife.

Officer Angel Murillo joined Ceres Police on June 9, 2024 after serving at the Hercules and Newman police departments. He has a brother who is a Salinas Police sergeant.

Mike has two boys, Angel Lee, 10 and Austin, 6. His badge was pinned by Angel Lee.

Officer Ian Perry is the final of three recruits sponsored by Ceres Police in the spring 2024 Police Academy. He graduated on August 9, and began his law enforcement career three days later. He graduated from California State University Sacramento with a BA in Political Science.

He was pinned by his girlfriend, Sierra Silva.

Officer Tyler Wilson was hired by Ceres Police on Dec. 11, 2024. He started as a Community Service Officer with Los Banos Police in 2018 and a full-time sworn officer in Los Banos in 2020.

Tyler and girlfriend, Vanessa have a 18-month-old son, Zeppelin. She is the daughter of Ceres Police Officer Manny Ramos.

In February David McCann went from a part-time to full-time Community Service Officer after 15 years of service with Ceres Police. He assists detectives and patrol, and serves on the Drone Team, the Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team (MAIT) and the Social Media Team.

He began as the coordinator of the VIPS program until he was hired as a part-time Community Service Officer. 

Code Enforcement Officer Angie Martinez started as a part-time employee working in the Streets Department assigned to Code Enforcement. She was hired as full-time on April 22.

Dispatcher Celine Gaitan Naranjo started with the Ceres Police on Feb. 12. She earned her BA degree in Criminal Justice from CSU Stanislaus.

Ceres Police dispatcher Hannah Hiti was hired on Jan. 22 and promoted to senior dispatcher on August 22. Previously she dispatched with Stanislaus County in 2007 and moved to Stockton Fire in 2023. 

Kassandra Pond started with the Ceres Police dispatch center on Aug. 16, 2023.  While a student in high school, Pond had been a Ceres PD Explorer.

Kyla Yotsuya began as a Ceres Police dispatcher on April 8 after training through a Dispatch Academy organized and presented by Jeanette Bowles and Angela Kent. 

Her father is a retired Stanislaus County Sheriff’s sergeant, an uncle is a retired Ceres Police sergeant and her aunt is a retired Ceres Police senior dispatcher.

Reserve dispatchers Angela Kent and Jeanette Bowles both came to Ceres Police in March with almost 20 years of dispatching experience apiece with SR911.

During Kent’s time with SR911 she went from call taker to dispatcher to lead dispatcher, which included trainer and acting supervisor. Both Kent and Bowles have been invaluable trainers for new Ceres dispatchers.

Special awards

The chief also presented awards to four employees who were involved in the May 10, 2024 deadly encounter with a knife-wielding man who attacked Officer Salin Chrim.

Dispatcher Desirae Gutierrez and Sgt. Aaron Pinon were presented the Meritorious Service Award and Officer Chrim and Sgt. Jon Blount were bestowed the Distinguished Service Award.

The event began at 11:40 a.m. when officers were dispatched to the 3400 block of Dirk Court by family members who said he was brandishing a knife at them. 

Gutierrez and Sgt. Pinon, were both working as dispatchers at the time and quickly determined that Alexander Yepez-Ortega had a Modesto Police arrest warrant for assault with a deadly weapon and domestic violence.

Officers arrived on scene, and Yepez-Ortega ran through the backyards of several residential homes. Additional resources were requested to assist in locating the suspect, including a Modesto PD K9 officer.

Approximately 30 minutes after the initial call, Yepez-Ortega was found hiding in a pickup on an adjacent commercial lot in the 3400 block of Sixth Street.

As Chrim and Blount attempted to take him into custody, Yepez-Ortega came out of the truck, lunged forward and stabbed Officer Chrim twice before he was fatally shot.

Officers started life-saving measures on the suspect and rendered medical aid to Officer Chrim until first-responders arrived and took over. 

Officer Chrim’s injuries were not life-threatening and she was transported to a hospital for treatment.

During the incident, Dispatcher Gutierrez and Sergeant Pinon calmly focused in the necessary radio communications and dispatched much needed personnel to the scene.

“Officer Chrim and Sergeant Blount put their lives in danger in an attempt to take this suspect into custody without incident,” said the chief. “When the circumstances changed, they were quick to take the necessary actions to ensure the threat was stopped.”