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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....
Upper Lake couple in court on drug and weapons charges; investigation into fatal shooting continues
LAKEPORT, Calif. – An Upper Lake couple whose property was the scene of a fatal Christmas day shooting were in court on Monday for charges relating to large amounts of marijuana and weapons found in their possession during the death investigation.
James Michael Jean, 50, and his wife Nora Katherine Jean, 49, were arraigned in Lake County Superior Court on Monday afternoon, according to Senior Deputy District Attorney Art Grothe.
Grothe said the Jeans were arraigned on charges related to the discovery of marijuana, weapons and ammunition found at an address on Broadway Avenue in Nice and at their business, Lake County Car Audio and Security in Upper Lake.
As of Monday afternoon, no charges had been filed against the Jeans involving the fatal Christmas morning shooting of 30-year-old Maurice Oliver Watts at their home at 1475 Hunter Point Road outside of Upper Lake, or the discovery of marijuana or weapons at the same location, Grothe said.
“That case is still under investigation,” Grothe said.
The Lake County Sheriff's Office reported that James Jean had called 911 to report that he had shot an intruder who attempted to break into his home.
Watts was found shot to death in an area of the Jeans' property that appeared to have formerly been a marijuana grow. The sheriff's office said he was found with a fake gun.
Officials did not release details of Watts’ injuries pending the results of a Monday autopsy.
During the investigation into the shooting, Sheriff's Narcotics Unit detectives found and seized 980 pounds of marijuana, three handguns, 13 rifles, and restricted armor piercing and tracer ammunition at the three properties, officials reported.
The counts against both James and Nora Jean include cultivation of marijuana and possession of marijuana for sale at Lake County Car Audio and Security, 325 W. Highway 20, Upper Lake; cultivation of marijuana and possession of marijuana for sale at 6841 Broadway in Nice; and a special allegation of possession of multiple firearms in the commission of a felony.
Separate counts filed only against James Jean include two charges of a felon in possession of ammunition, one charge of a felon in possession of weapons, and a special allegation of convictions for previous violent felonies, including five second-degree robbery cases that he was convicted of in 1992 in Orange County.
Altogether, James Jean has six prior second-degree robbery convictions, five of them occurring in the Santa Ana area of Orange County, according to Grothe.
Jeffrey Callison, a spokesman for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, told Lake County News that James Jean was in state prison from 1992 to 2000 due to the robbery cases, which came from Orange as well as Los Angeles counties.
The only previous case against James Jean locally is a 2006 exhibition of speed case, according to District Attorney Don Anderson. Grothe said Nora Jean has no previous criminal history.
County assessor-recorder records show that James Jean purchased the 19-acre Hunter Point Road property in November 2003.
The Jeans remain in the Lake County Jail with bail set at $500,000 for each, Grothe said.
They're being held on a “source of bail hold,” Grothe said, “Meaning they cannot post bail until they show it was obtained from legitimate, nonfelony sources.”
Grothe said the Jeans are next scheduled to appear in Lake County Superior Court in Department 3 at 8:15 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 7.
Watts had no state prison record, Callison said, but did have a number of local criminal cases and convictions, according to the District Attorney's Office.
Anderson said Watts had a felony drug case under review stemming from a Nov. 30 arrest for selling or furnishing marijuana or hashish, and transportation of a controlled substance.
Watts also had numerous arrests going back to 1999 on charges including burglary, elder abuse, battery and terrorist threats, Anderson said.
Of those cases, Watts had several convictions that resulted in probation and minor amounts of jail time, including theft from a gas station and battery in 2002, violation of probation in 2004, petty theft for stealing from Kmart in 2007, and in 2008 carrying a concealed weapon and first-degree burglary. In the latter case, he received the most jail time of his local cases – 288 days, plus three years formal probation.
Watts and his younger brother, Cody, also were witnesses in the murder trial of John Gray, who was accused of the February 2009 beating death of Eric Joaquin. Cody Watts lived at Gray's Kelseyville home, along with Joaquin.
A jury would acquit Gray of the murder charges the following year.
Maurice Watts took the stand in the case, but jurors – who spoke to a District Attorney's Office investigator afterward – “didn't believe a word he said,” said Anderson.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
Police officers join with Santa Claus to deliver Christmas presents
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – On Christmas morning members of the Clearlake Police Officers Association assisted Santa Claus in delivering toys to several families in the city of Clearlake.
This has been a tradition for the Clearlake Police Officers Association for many years.
Throughout the year, association members meet a lot of families and children who are going through difficult times.
Through theses contacts, families are chosen and asked to see if they would like a visit from Santa Claus on Christmas morning.
Police officers collect handwritten letters from the children and deliver them to Santa Claus. On Christmas morning, Santa Claus is given a personal escort to deliver toys to the children, which this year resulted in 15 children receiving a visit from Santa Claus.
This program means a lot to the Clearlake Police Officers Association and has been successful because of community support.
This year, the Police Officers Association would like to send a special thank you to Angelo Sendejas, Paul Gehringer, Janice Douglas and Melanie Douglas for their donations and support to the Clearlake Police Officers Association Christmas Program.
Ryan Peterson is president of the Clearlake Police Officers Association.
Clearlake Police Department issues advisory on counterfeit bills
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake Police Department on Tuesday advised residents and businesses to be on the lookout for counterfeit US currency being circulated in the city.
In the last week, several new cases of counterfeit US currency being used to pay for goods and services have been reported to the Clearlake Police Department, according to Sgt. Rodd Joseph.
Joseph said these latest cases all have involved counterfeit $100 bills.
In at least one of the most recent incidents, a genuine US $5 bill was washed and reprinted to resemble a $100 bill, Joseph said.
Washing is a procedure where the currency’s ink is removed from the genuine bill, then the bill is reprinted to resemble a larger note, chiefly $20 and $100 bills, Joseph explained.
Since the paper on these “washed” bills is genuine US currency, the counterfeit check pen used to check this type of counterfeit currency will always indicate the bill as being genuine, when in fact it may be a counterfeit, he said.
The original presidential watermarks and security strips usually will remain and indicate the actual value of the “washed” currency, according to Joseph.
Joseph said the other form of counterfeit currency police have seen recently has been printed counterfeit currency made by a scan or photocopy of the actually currency.
The paper used in this type counterfeiting process is not genuine and usually a counterfeit check pen will easily identify these types of bills as being counterfeit, Joseph said.
He said the paper will often look and feel odd as compared to genuine US currency and will be missing most if not all of the security features used to help reduce counterfeiting.
Police asked businesses and residents to remain vigilant in helping to identify counterfeit currency before it is accepted as legal tender for services or payment.
Joseph said all cases of counterfeit US currency reported to the Clearlake Police Department are forwarded to the US Secret Service for review.
Anyone with a suspected counterfeit bill or with information as to where these counterfeit bills are originating is asked to contact the Clearlake Police Department at 707-994-8251.
Callers may remain anonymous.
Police: More mail thefts reported in Lakeport
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Two days after police discovered unreported mail thefts in the city, Lakeport Police said they're received a report of two subjects stealing from mail boxes.
Late on Friday morning Lakeport Police officers were dispatched to the 400 block of Hillcrest Drive to investigate the report of two male subjects taking mail from residential mail boxes, the agency said.
The responding officer investigated and determined that an alert resident saw two subjects taking mail from a box, according to police.
The resident yelled at the subjects and they dropped the mail a short distance away and then fled the area. The subjects were not located by the police, the report noted.
The subjects are described as Hispanic or American Indian male juveniles between the ages of 14 and 17, between 5 feet 8 inches tall and 5 feet 10 inches tall, and wearing black and red ball caps and clothing, police said.
Police said the subjects are likely looking for cash, gift or credit cards, checks or other valuable items that may be contained in both incoming and outgoing mail.
On Wednesday, while investigating a report of a stolen purse, police discovered mail stolen from residents in the 1200 and 1300 blocks of Hartley Street and the 1400 block of Mellor Drive, as Lake County News has reported.
In that case, items of mail – including Christmas cards – were torn open, police said.
Police have leads as to potential suspects and are following up on in the earlier case, but at this time it is not currently known if the two cases are related.
The Lakeport Police Department urges residents to take precautions with their incoming and outgoing mail.
Police suggested that residents pick up incoming mail as soon as possible and not leave outgoing mail in the box for long periods prior to pick up or drop it off at the post office or a secure box in town.
These investigations are ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact the Lakeport Police Department at 707-263-5491.