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Lakeport Police logs: Saturday, Jan. 10
Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026
00:00 EXTRA PATROL 2601100001
Occurred at Lake County Law Library on 3D....
Jury convicts man of several charges for ramming, injuring police officer with SUV
LAKEPORT, Calif. – A man who last year rammed a vehicle into a Clearlake Police officer is facing a lengthy prison term after a jury convicted him on five of the six counts against him in a trial that concluded last week.
The jury handed down the verdict in the case of Daniel Alan York, 54, of Clearlake on Thursday, according to Senior Deputy District Attorney Art Grothe.
Grothe said the jury convicted York of five felonies: assault on a peace officer, resisting arrest, hit and run causing injury, vandalism and auto theft with a prior conviction, plus the jury found true special allegations of great bodily injury on all of those five counts.
The jury deadlocked on the first and most serious count, attempted murder. Grothe said he later dismissed that charge.
York's defense attorney, Barry Melton, declined comment, saying it would be inappropriate considering the fact that York is not to be sentenced until Oct. 20.
On the morning of Sept. 22, 2013, York rammed an SUV into Clearlake Police Officer Tom Riley, who had pulled York over at Redbud Park. York at the time had an outstanding arrest warrant.
York put the stolen SUV he was driving into reverse and slammed into Riley, who was pinned up against a Ford pickup.
Riley had to be flown to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital for treatment of serious injuries, which included broken ribs, a fractured spine, and head and neck lacerations, according to the police report on the incident.
York fled the scene and police later found the abandoned SUV. About four hours after the incident, officers located York at a West 40th Avenue residence, where a police K9 was used to take him into custody after he attempted to evade police.
The jury began deliberations on the morning of Friday, Sept. 5, and due to court scheduling didn't return to continue deliberations until this past Thursday, Grothe said.
At about 11 a.m. Thursday, the jurors sent out word that they had verdicts on five of the six counts, Grothe said. After it was determined they had deadlocked on the attempted murder charge, Grothe dismissed that count.
After the jury gave its verdict, it was reported in the court that York made an obscene hand gesture toward the jurors, Grothe said.
York has a lengthy criminal record over the last three decades, with convictions on charges related to drugs, weapons, vehicle theft and other charges in Lake, Nevada and Sonoma counties, according to court records.
Grothe said Judge Andrew Blum found that York had three prior serious or violent felonies and seven prior prison terms.
The case was extraordinarily well investigated, said Grothe. “I really had a lot to work with on evidence.”
That included thorough crime scene diagrams provided by the California Highway Patrol and the extensive work by Clearlake Police and District Attorney's Office investigators, Grothe said.
He said the investigators even went to the Taylor Observatory to find an expert to talk about the phase of the moon and where it would have been on the horizon, which had bearing on the case due to the incident occurring at around 4:30 a.m. that day.
Altogether, the investigators did “a hell of a job,” Grothe said.
Melton also did “a very businesslike job” on the case, according to Grothe.
Grothe said York will return to court on Oct. 20 at 1:30 p.m. for sentencing before Judge Blum.
While Grothe did not offer an exact estimate of how long York faces in prison, he said it will be lengthy due to the seriousness of the charges and York's past convictions.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
Off-duty sheriff's deputy arrested on suspicion of DUI
LAKEPORT, Calif. – A off-duty Lake County Sheriff's deputy was arrested late Wednesday on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.
Jay Vanoven, 31, of Lakeport was taken into custody at approximately 11:57 p.m. Wednesday by Lakeport Police Officer Angie Bell, according to his booking sheet.
Vanoven was booked into the Lake County Jail shortly after 8 a.m. Thursday on one count of misdemeanor driving under the influence of alcohol, with bail set at $5,000. Jail records indicated he later posted the required percentage of bail and was released.
Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office said he could not comment on the incident, and referred all questions about it to the Lakeport Police Department.
Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen said the investigative report on Vanoven's arrest is not yet completed, but he was able to share preliminary information about the incident that led to the arrest with Lake County News.
At 11:20 p.m. Wednesday Bell and fellow Lakeport Police Office Mike Sobieraj were dispatched to a call for service on Palm Drive at 15th Street, according to the department's dispatch records.
Rasmussen said a resident called police to advise that a vehicle had pulled up into the area with its headlights on. A short time later, the reporting party noticed that the driver was slumped over the driving wheel, with the vehicle still running.
Officers arrived and woke up the driver, who was identified as Vanoven, and determined he was intoxicated, Rasmussen said.
Rasmussen said the officers subsequently began a DUI investigation. They concluded Vanoven's blood alcohol level was 0.23, nearly three times the legal limit.
With the final report still not completed, Rasmussen did not have details about Vanoven's statements to officers or where he had been that night.
While Vanoven is a Lakeport resident, the area where his vehicle was found was not his neighborhood, and Rasmussen said he did not know why Vanoven was in that part of the city.
Rasmussen said his agency's report on the arrest will be submitted to the District Attorney's Office for review.
He called the situation involving a fellow law enforcement officer “unfortunate,” but added, “We still have to do our job and treat it like any other situation.”
Vanoven has served as a deputy for several years, and in that capacity has worked alongside Lakeport Police officers.
Earlier this year, he shot a burglary suspect, James Ellis Smith of Santa Rosa, after Smith allegedly rammed his vehicle into Lakeport Police Officer Joe Eastham's patrol vehicle.
District Attorney Don Anderson later ruled Vanoven's shooting of Smith was justified.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
Police arrest two for drug charges, child cruelty
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Two people were arrested late last week on drug charges and suspicion of child cruelty.
Dawn Michelle Kocher, 33, of Clearlake and 34-year-old James Kellen Tully, who recently moved to the city, were arrested last Friday, according to Det. Nick Bennett of the Clearlake Police Department.
Just before 6:30 p.m. Friday the Clearlake Police Department received a report of a young child stating he could not wake his mother and she was bleeding, Bennett said.
Officers Travis Lenz, Abigail Hernandez and Joseph Myers responded to Ridgelake apartments, located at 3810 Old Highway 53, and made contact with Kocher and Tully, Bennett said.
Bennett said officers determined there was no injured person at the address. However during the welfare investigation into a possible injured female, methamphetamine as well as drug paraphernalia was observed in plain view.
Clearlake Police detectives were notified and a search warrant was written and subsequently signed by a Lake County Superior Court judge, Bennett said.
Subsequent to a search of the apartment under the search warrant, Bennett said officers discovered several ounces of additional methamphetamine and concentrated cannabis in addition to items which indicated the occupants of the apartment possessed the methamphetamine and concentrated cannabis for sales.
Bennett said both Kocher and Tully were arrested and booked into Lake County Jail on drug-related charges including possession of narcotics for sale and child cruelty.
Tully's bail was set at $75,000, while Kocher's bail was $25,000. Jail records indicated Tully remained in custody on Tuesday, while Kocher had posted the required portion of her bail and was released.
An infant in the residence was released to a responsible relative and Child Protective Services was notified, Bennett said.
Anyone with any information on this incident is encouraged to contact Officer Travis Lenz at the Clearlake Police Department, 707-994-8251, Extension 511.
Clearlake Police chief receives POST Executive Certificate
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Clearlake Police Chief Craig Clausen was recognized Thursday for an achievement accomplished by less than 1 percent of the state's law enforcement community.
Robert Stresak, executive director for the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, or POST, presented Clausen with the organization's Executive Certificate for satisfactory completion of requirements for the award described in Title II, Division 2 of the California Code of Regulations.
Stresak said he wanted to express the great significance of the award and his pleasure for the opportunity to present it to Clausen before the Clearlake City Council and the community Clausen serves.
According to Stresak, POST has presented only 1,500 executive certificates in the past 50 years.
He commended Clausen for his tenacity and dedication in earning the certificate while “juggling” the responsibilities of his employment and his family.
Stresak said Clausen was one of the few to receive the certificate.
“For every 1,000 law enforcement applicants, 100 get accepted to the academy while 90 graduate and 80 complete field training requirements. Only 1 percent join the state's police officer community; even fewer become executive officers,” he said.
Clausen was surprised and speechless at the presentation.
City Manager Joan Phillipe later took time in her report to recognize Clausen's achievement.
“I want everybody to know what a big deal this is,” she said. “I have worked with a lot of police chiefs but not one who has achieved that certificate.”
Stresak said POST serves more than 615 law enforcement agencies and 79,000 police officers throughout the state.
POST maintains 40 academies, offering 4,000 training courses from basic to executive training.
“What just took place right there, is well-deserved. Thank you for serving our community,” Mayor Denise Loustalot said.
Last September, another local law enforcement leader, Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen, also received the POST Executive Certificate, as Lake County News has reported.
Email Denise Rockenstein at