Sheriff's office to offer escorts into evacuation areas to take care of livestock, pets on Wednesday

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff's Office will offer escorts into evacuation areas to take care of livestock and pets again on Wednesday. 

No escorts will be made into active fire areas, according to Lt. Steve Brooks.

Brooks said that beginning at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday sheriff's deputies will start to escort residents to their homes in order to take care of or pick up livestock and pets that were left during the initial evacuation.

Residents must be able to provide identification in order to be allowed into the evacuation area, Brooks said.

Brooks said the escorts will begin at 8:30 a.m. and end promptly at 5 p.m.

The sheriff’s office will work to get as many residents to their animals during this time frame. If residents who request an escort cannot be assisted due to the number of escorts requested, the sheriff’s office will work to schedule additional escorts in coming days, Brooks said.

He said residents must meet the following criteria:

– Have photo identification listing a residence address in the evacuation area.

– Intend only to retrieve or feed animals.

– Residents must be ready with all food or equipment necessary to accomplish their task.

– Residents must be able to complete the intended task in no more than 15 minutes.

Brooks said residents requesting to enter properties south of Lower Lake, Hidden Valley Lake and Middletown will meet in the main parking lot of the Lower Lake High School.

Due to ongoing firefighting efforts, no escorts will be made to properties west of McKinley Drive on Highway 175, including the communities of Cobb, Loch Lomond or Anderson Springs.

Residents who have been displaced by the Valley fire and are currently staying at the Napa County Fairgrounds in Calistoga will meet at the Calistoga Speedway, 2435 N. Oak St., according to Brooks.

No escorts will be made for residents requesting medications, clothes or any other personal items. Residents needing medications should see their doctor or go to the emergency rooms for assistance, Brooks said.

Sheriff's office to offer escorted visits into evacuation areas to take care of livestock, pets

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – on Tuesday, Lake County Sheriff's deputies will escort residents to their homes in order to take care of or pick up livestock and pets that were left during the initial evacuation, the sheriff's office said Monday night.

Lt. Steve Brooks said residents must be able to provide identification in order to be allowed into the evacuation area.  

The escorts will begin at 10 a.m. and end promptly at 5 p.m., Brooks said.

The sheriff’s office will work to get as many residents to their animals during this time frame. If residents who request an escort cannot be assisted due to the number of escorts requested, the sheriff’s office will work to schedule additional escorts in coming days, Brooks said.

Residents must meet the following criteria:

– Have photo identification listing a residence address in the evacuation area;

– Intend only to retrieve or feed animals.

– Residents must be ready with all food or equipment necessary to accomplish their task.

– Residents must be able to complete the intended task in no more than 15 minutes.

All residents requesting an escort will need to be at the appropriate locations below by 9 a.m.:

– Residents requesting to enter properties on the Kelseyville side of Cobb Mountain off of Bottle Rock Road, Highway 175 or in the Clear Lake Riviera will meet in the dirt parking lot behind the football stadium at Kelseyville High School.

– Residents requesting to enter properties south of Lower Lake, Hidden Valley Lake, Middletown and Cobb will meet in the main parking lot of the Lower Lake High School.

Brooks said no escorts will be made to properties in the communities of Loch Lomond or Anderson Springs due to ongoing firefighting efforts.

No escorts will be made into active fire areas, Brooks said.

Brooks said no escorts will be made for residents requesting medications, clothes or any other personal items. 

Residents needing medications should see their doctor or go to the emergency rooms for assistance, he said.

Police request public's help with investigation into boy's death; cause believed to be accidental

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Police Department is asking for the public's assistance as it continues its investigation into the death last week of an autistic boy whose body was found in the lake.

A report from Chief Brad Rasmussen said his agency has been investigating the circumstances leading to the death of 13-year-old Norman “JR” Mendigorin II on Friday.

“All of the facts and evidence we have gathered indicate that Mendigorin’s death was accidental but our investigation is continuing in order to make sure that all relevant information is gathered,” Rasmussen said in his report.

At about 12:30 a.m. Sept. 4 JR went missing from his residence on First Street, police said.

The boy was last seen dressed in white mesh basketball shorts, a light blue Tommy Hilfiger t-shirt with a small Tommy Hilfiger logo on the left chest, and pale red and white flip flops, according to Rasmussen.

However, Rasmussen said that when his body was located several hours later in the water off the end of the Third Street boat ramp, the clothing was missing. 

Rasmussen said they later recovered the right side flip flop, shown in the photo above, but have not found the left side one.

Lakeport Police officers have searched the area, including having the Northshore Fire Department Dive Team search the lake off the boat ramp and Library Park but have not located the clothing, Rasmussen said.

Rasmussen said police are asking that any members of the public who have seen the flip flop, white shorts or blue Tommy Hilfiger t-shirt either on the land or in the water in the Lakeport area contact the police department at 707-263-5491.

Friends of JR and his family have organized a candlelight vigil in his memory that will take place at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the gazebo at Library Park on Park Street in Lakeport.