Good Friday, April 14 was not so good in the City of Action, with a couple of crime incidents that occurred during the day in Riverbank.

At approximately 10:15 a.m. on April 14, Riverbank Sheriff’s Deputies responded to an attempted armed robbery at Star Market on Patterson Road. According to police reports, an adult male suspect brandished a large hunting knife and punched the clerk at the store, with the suspect then fleeing the scene on a bike. Sheriff units were quickly on the scene and the reporting party was able to give dispatch the suspect’s information and location. Deputies captured the suspect who was attempting to hide in the middle of an apartment complex and who was still armed with the knife. Fortunately, authorities said, the clerk had minor injuries only. The suspect, identified as Ignacio Rivas, 50, from Riverbank was arrested and booked for the attempted robbery, resisting/obstructing/delaying an officer, and two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia.

Another incident occurred later on in the afternoon, shortly before 2:30 p.m., when Deputy Price was dispatched to the Wells Fargo Bank in Crossroads regarding an adult male that was trying to cash a fraudulent check. Wendell Jones, 54, from San Jose was contacted and stated he received the check for work in San Jose. The owner of the check was called. They had already reported the check stolen on April 1 to San Jose Police Department. The victim did not know Jones and did not authorize the check in the amount of $1,780. The original check was written to pay property taxes, authorities said. Jones was arrested and booked into the county jail for forgery, passing a fictitious check, and possession of stolen property.