Local News Comments

A long time ago when I was 20, I was robbed at gunpoint - he got $452 and I don't think he was ever caught. I suffered with post traumatic stress for six months. The experience also made me much more conscious of my surroundings, safety in the workplace, etc. My sympathy goes to the clerk at the mini mart and I suggest counseling if needed.

The lady at the mini mart is so nice - I hate that this has happened to her. Glad they caught Birdsong..

Tuolumne County just keeps getting better. It's not the lack of law enforcement it just the overwhelming amount of park people.
This used to be a nice place to live

ahh..such LOVELY people our county is attracting lately.

Too many lowlifes in this county,I've been up here 24 years,I hate to admit this but it's getting worse....

Walk into our town with a nice tan and a neck tatoo should be a free ride to the county line. Ah the days when they could do that. Now we have to feed him.

He should have had better "get away sneakers". This is where he will be soundly spanked and released, in keeping with the Governor's AB-109 program to keep him out of prison and on the streets until he gets shot.

Methamphetamine users commit most of the crime in this county. Too bad we can't get rid of it.

I'm not entirely sure, but I don't think he's a transient (doesn't lessen the crime). Maybe somebody else sees what I see... I hope I'm wrong.

These "lowlifes" are the children of the founding fathers growing up.

Sounds just like the news articles printed in the 1850s.

we need more funding for more LEOs up here.

Sorry to say this boy is one of Tuolumne County's own... not transplanted from somewhere else. There are folks making bad choices all over the planet, sad but true. Hope the clerk will remember that there are many more good people out there than bad ones.

Like the one article said, ITS THE PEOPLE'S CHOICE. I took heat when I made a comment about the tweakers and track rats. The police can only be proactive, the only problem is they are not supported by the DA's office or our liberal judges. What need to happen is a free bus ride to Modesto or a place of their choosing. O I forgot that would require public transportation out the city what we don't seem to have, Guess we could put them on the bus to Yosemite. I'm sure he has already been released from jail.

On probation, had been wearing his foot bracelet for GPS tracking armed with a gun. Model Citizen at age 31.

Leaperman-

Its not lately in this case. The S.O. has been dealing with the Birdsong's for quite some time now; Especially this one.

I moved up here from Merced 3 1/2 years ago. If you think Tuol County is getting "bad" or "undesirable" or whatever, try living there for a month even.. Your view will change very quickly.

I agree KTM/DUMB maybe if our police patrolled more than the main Highways more crime would be diverted. Its time they became cops again and not just traffic maids.

Send your thank-you to Governor Moonbeam Jerry Brown and thank him for how well his AB109 program is working out. The poor clerk will forever look at her customers differently. Annie bar the doors, they are among us and this will only get worse, especially since AB109 has the court sentencing felons to county jail for up to 5 to 10 years for offenses that they should be going to prison for! LA just sentenced one to 16 years county jail! Nowhere to put them, kind of like the mental hospitals of years back, remember, no place to put them, so now they are a major part of our homeless populations! So sad to see this great state in its current state of dysfunction, can’t wait till retirement, anywhere but here!

Well, Mr. Birdsong back to your cage!

They found the AB109 tracker Birdsong was supposed to be wearing in his apartment. Sounds like that program is going very well, for the criminals that is. I think the deputies did a great job on this case. I'm sure the only reason Birdsong was caught is because of the effort put in on their part. Not to worry though Im sure he will be out of jail soon... At least he is off the streets for now.

SHOCKING NEWS: he was an AB-109 release!

Armed and dumb - you couldn't ask for a worse combination. I'm glad the person he held up is ok.

AB-109?!!! Shocking! The state says AB-109 is a MODEL Democratic program!
Shocking I say!

Matthew Birdsong will not be back on the streets anytime soon. I feel awful for the poor clerk that he traumatized. My prayers go out to her. Matthew never got the help he needed nor the support of a family when growing up. I am in no way condoning any of his crimes, he had a choice and he still made the bad choices and he is going where he belongs. I just think it's a shame that he fell through the cracks like many kids and adults. Don't worry guys, this is his third strike, he won't be back.