How to resolve AdBlock issue? San Francisco woman arrested for making false police report, assaulting Lakeport Police officer
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Lakeport Police took a San Francisco woman into custody on Wednesday night on a number of charges after she made a false police report and ended up assaulting an officer.
Lucia Della Corace, 51, was arrested for obstructing/resisting officer by use of force, resisting arrest, false report of a crime and driving without a license, according to a report from Lt. Jason Ferguson.
At about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Corace flagged down Officer Joe Medici in the 100 block of S. Main Street to report that someone was breaking into her house in the 2600 block of Reeves Lane. Corace requested Officer Medici follow her to the residence, Ferguson said.
Ferguson said that while heading to the residence Officer Medici was notified by dispatch of multiple prior calls the Lake County Sheriff’s Office had received earlier in the day from Corace involving a civil matter with the current tenants that were staying at the residence.
Dispatch further advised Medici they would send a cover unit to assist him due to Corace being aggressive, Ferguson said.
Upon arrival at the residence, Medici instructed Corace to remain in her vehicle to avoid further conflict with the tenants. Ferguson said Corace became hostile toward Medici and began yelling profanities, stating she was going into the house and he could not stop her from going in.
Corace then aggressively swung the driver’s side vehicle door open and struck Medici, Ferguson reported. Medici ordered Corace out of the vehicle but she refused to comply by stating she would not get out.
Ferguson said Corace remained hostile during the encounter and continued to yell while Medici was giving her commands to get out of the vehicle.
Medici told Corace he was going to remove her from the vehicle if she didn’t comply and she immediately jumped into the passenger seat and put her foot up in an attempt to resist Medici, Ferguson said.
Due to Corace's hostile nature, Medici requested additional units respond to assist. Ferguson said the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and California Highway Patrol responded to assist with removing Corace from the vehicle.
While attempting to remove Corace from the vehicle, she kicked Medici in the face and chin and continued to actively resist by swinging her arms. Corace was eventually taken into custody, Ferguson said.
Corace was transported to the Hill Road Jail where she was booked, with bail was set at $15,000. Jail records showed that she later posted bail and was released.
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
Police arrest Lakeport man for killing his dog with a machete
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Police Department said Tuesday that it has arrested a city resident after it was discovered he had killed his small dog with a machete.
William Richard Gatlyn, 27, was taken into custody on Tuesday morning, according to a report from Chief Brad Rasmussen.
At 10:30 a.m. a Lakeport Police officer and a Lake County Sheriff's deputy responded to the 70 block of Lily Cove Avenue to investigate a report of a man who witnesses said was threatening to cut up his dog and kill people with a machete, Rasmussen reported.
Rasmussen said the officer and deputy found the man, identified as Gatlyn, standing on the steps to the entryway of an apartment complex at the Lily Cove Avenue location.
Gatlyn was uncooperative and refused to walk off the steps and talk with the officers. Rasmussen said Gatlyn also attempted to reach into his pants pocket, at which point the officer and deputy physically restrained and handcuffed him for their safety.
Rasmussen said the officer and deputy then entered Gatlyn's apartment unit to clear it and located a deceased brown Chihuahua, with a machete lying across its body, on the living room floor. The dog had multiple deep lacerations on its body.
Additional Lakeport Police officers responded to conduct an investigation. Rasmussen said the officers also requested assistance from Lake County Animal Care and Control, which sent an officer to assist.
Lakeport Police officers arrested Gatlyn for felony animal cruelty and transported him to the Lake County Correctional Facility, where he was booked, Rasmussen said.
Rasmussen said Lake County Animal Care and Control took possession of the dog’s body, which was transported to the animal control facility in Lakeport for further investigation.
Gatlyn has prior arrests for battery, burglary, trespassing, public intoxication and being under the influence of a controlled substance, Rasmussen said.
Rasmussen said the investigation, involving both the Lakeport Police Department and Lake County Animal Care and Control, is ongoing.
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
Police seek to identify female subjects involved in Monday night stabbing
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Police Department is investigating the circumstances of a Monday night stabbing that injured a man, with three young females reported to have been involved in the attack.
Lt. Jason Ferguson said officers responded to a report of an assault with a deadly weapon just after 9:30 p.m. in the 200 block of N. Main Street.
When officers arrived they located the victim, a 52-year-old Lakeport resident, with a stab wound to the right side of his lower back, Ferguson said.
Ferguson said the victim told officers that he was walking somewhere near Library Park and Park Place restaurant in the 50 block of Third Street at approximately 9:10 pm.
As he walked past three young female subjects, one of them ran up behind him and stabbed him in his lower back. Ferguson said the victim did not initially know he was stabbed until he realized he was bleeding.
The victim told officers that all three females walked away heading northbound on Main Street, Ferguson said.
During the course of the investigation, Ferguson said officers were provided with limited descriptions of the three female subjects. All three are described as being “young” white females approximately 18 years of age.
Ferguson said the victim described the female who stabbed him as having black hair. The victim also described one of the three females as having a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. No further descriptions or details were provided.
Officers cordoned off the immediate area and continued with the investigation which included a search of the area with the assistance of the Lake County Sheriff’s Department and the California Highway Patrol, Ferguson said.
The victim was airlifted to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. Ferguson said the victim is listed in stable condition.
The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact the Lakeport Police Department at 707-263-5491.
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
Lakeport Police Department investigates flag vandalism cases
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Police Department said it is investigating recent cases of vandalism in the city involving United States flags.
Two incidents – which police suspect are related – were reported on Saturday, one in the morning and one at night.
The agency reported that on Saturday morning a day shift officer found a US flag had been removed from the wall of a business in the 1600 block of S. Main Street and placed in a garbage can.
The officer stopped and recovered the flag and returned it to its location, the department reported.
Then, on Saturday night, a citizen told officers that a US flag had been cut down from a pole and was on the ground in the 900 block of S. Main Street.
Two officers responded and recovered the flag, properly folding it and placing it in safekeeping until it can be returned to the owner on Monday, the department reported.
“Our officers were alerted to this flag having been deliberately cut from its flag pole in front of a Lakeport business on S. Main Street,” said a written statement from the Lakeport Police Officer's Association. “We were disgusted to find it lying in the bushes. We folded it with the respect it deserves and it will be returned to its owner.”
Anyone with information about the recent vandalism cases is asked to contact the Lakeport Police Department by sending a private message on its Facebook page @LakeportPolice, emailing
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
Police arrest man with concealed knives, shotgun
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – On Friday Clearlake Police detectives arrested a city resident found to be armed with concealed knives and a sawed off shotgun.
Van Michael Null, 29, was arrested for several weapons charges, according to Det. Ryan Peterson.
Peterson said that just before 10:30 a.m. Friday and and Det. Elvis Cook were conducting an investigation in the area of the Dollar Tree, located at 14804 Olympic Drive, when they observed Null walking in an open lot toward the parking lot of the Dollar Tree with a large backpack.
Peterson said he and Cook decided to stop and conduct a consensual contact of Null. As they asked to speak to him, Peterson observed what he believed to be a concealed knife under Null’s shirt and ordered him to stop.
Null stopped and appeared to reach for the suspected knife, and Peterson said he quickly grabbed a hold of Null to prevent him from grabbing the suspected knife.
Cook then moved to the front of Null and observed he also had a concealed 6-inch fixed-blade knife and a Winchester 20-gauge single shot short barrel shotgun, commonly referred to as a sawed off shotgun, with a front and rear pistol grip concealed under his clothing. Cook then alerted Peterson about those additional weapons, according to Peterson's report.
Peterson said Cook removed the firearm and knife from Null, who was taken into custody without incident.
The shotgun was determined to be loaded with a single 20-gauge shotgun shell, Peterson said.
Van Null was placed under arrest and a further search incident to arrest was conducted of Null and his backpack, with Peterson reporting that Null was found to be in possession of an additional 20 live 20-gauge shotgun shells.
Peterson said he and Cook interviewed Null, who said he possessed the weapons and shotgun shells for his protection.
A records check of Null found that he was arrested on June 10 for a weapons violation where he was found to be in possession of a handgun, Peterson said.
Null also told officers that he was currently on probation for the weapons violation, but Peterson said records at this time did not note any probation status.
Peterson said Null later was booked into the Lake County Jail on felony counts of possession of a short barrel shotgun, carrying a loaded firearm concealed on his person and possession of a concealed dirk or dagger, with pending charges to be determined after his probation status was confirmed.
Jail records showed that Null's bail was set at $25,000. He remained in custody on Saturday night.
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
