Methamphetamine Capitol of California
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7/18/2007
Unfortunately, Sonora (and Tuolumne County) is a town with a “Very Dark Side”. Due to the poor local economy and high cost of living, crime is high. Along with that, Methamphetamine is king here. Local’s have become addicts and then have become criminals. Residential Burglary’s have increased and are common place. When the law-abiding residents leave their homes to go shopping, on vacation, or simply to work, the “others” come and take. The murder rate is also high here in comparison to many large cities. The mother load region attracts many folks with different ideas. Many famous Killers have resided in the area. Some examples are Cary Stayner, the Yosemite Killer, Charles Ng and Richard Lake, Killed and Raped 11 People, Wesley Shermantine, Killed at least 4 people and dumped the bodies down abandon mine shafts, and the Russian Mafia killed 11 and dumped the bodies into New Melones Reservoir from two area road bridges.
The area is beautiful but unfortunately holds many secrets. Local citizens are involved in many Skinhead and Aryan Nation groups. Local steams are polluted from dumping of chemicals from drug labs and large marijuana garden grows from the Mexican drug cartels grow everywhere in the Stanislaus National Forest. The areas below 6000 feet in elevation where people do have a chance to fish and recreate is littered with vandalism, arson, dumping, murders, and rapes. The Wild West in some ways still does still occur here.
Unfortunately the local police and sheriff’s department is understaffed and can not prevent such problems other than respond to the complaints for report purposes. For such a small area and community it’s unusual to have so many problems. But after living in this community for a number of years I am glad to have moved my family to a safer community. Mayberry does not exist in Sonora and Tuolumne County but it does in other places.
Abhd | Ashland, OR