How to resolve AdBlock issue? Police arrest Kelseyville man on weapons, domestic battery charges
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Lakeport Police officers this week arrested a Kelseyville man on weapons charges and domestic battery, and also took his girlfriend into custody for having in her vehicle a concealed weapon which later was determined to have been stolen.
Marco Antonio Meza, 24, and Marcella Ann Milenewicz, 23, of Lakeport were arrested Thursday afternoon, according to a report from Lakeport Police Lt. Jason Ferguson.
Ferguson said that at approximately 2:44 p.m. Thursday Lakeport Police officers were dispatched to
the area of Second and N. Forbes streets to contact Milenewicz.
Milenewicz told officers that Meza, her boyfriend, had taken her car keys and left the area. Upon arrival, officers located Milenewicz sitting on the sidewalk and the vehicle stopped in the middle of the street, Ferguson said.
While speaking to Milenewicz, an officer approached the passenger side of the vehicle and, looking through the window, noticed a silver-colored .25-caliber handgun with white grips, lying on its side, in plain view, according to Ferguson.
Ferguson said the officer inquired about the handgun and learned it belonged to Milenewicz, and that she and Meza had been out at Cow Mountain target shooting. Officers conducted a check on the loaded firearm and learned it was registered to Milenewicz.
Officers obtained consent to search the vehicle and located a loaded .22-caliber pistol concealed
inside a yellow zippered bag in the center console, Ferguson said. When asked about the pistol, Milenewicz denied ownership but claimed the yellow zippered bag belonged to her.
Located on the floorboard of the vehicle was a box of .22-caliber hollow point ammunition, containing 100 rounds, which were determined to belong to Meza, Ferguson said.
Based on the location of the pistol, combined with the fact it was concealed in the vehicle, Ferguson said officers placed Milenewicz under arrest for possession of a concealed firearm in a vehicle and transported her to the police station for questioning.
While at the station, officers at the scene of the vehicle located Meza as he returned to the area. Ferguson said Meza was placed under arrest for being a driver in possession of a concealed firearm in a vehicle, felon in possession of a firearm, felon in possession of ammunition and domestic battery.
Both Meza and Milenewicz were transported to the Hill Road Jail where Meza’s bail was set at
$15,000. Milenewicz was later released on a citation, Ferguson said.
Throughout the course of their investigation, Ferguson said officers learned that the .22-caliber pistol had been reported stolen in a recent burglary in the Kelseyville area.
Additional charges of possession of stolen property are being sought against Milenewicz and Meza, Ferguson said.
Jail records indicated that Meza later posted the required percentage of his $15,000 bail and was released. He's tentatively scheduled to appear in court on Monday.
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Lakeport Police seek felony domestic violence suspect
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Police Department is asking for the public's help in locating a man who assaulted and threatened to kill a woman early Saturday.
Ben Emerson Brooks, 33, is wanted for felony charges of domestic violence and terrorist threats, according to a report from Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen.
At 3 a.m. Saturday Lakeport Police officers – assisted by Lake County Sheriff’s deputies – were dispatched to a residence in the 2200 block of Green Street to investigate the report of Brooks assaulting a female subject and tearing up the yard of the residence, Rasmussen said.
Rasmussen said Brooks fled the residence on a bicycle prior to officers arriving at the scene.
A Lakeport Police officer conducted an investigation and talked to the 29-year-old female victim who stated that Brooks hit her and threatened to kill her while strangling her with his hands to the point she could not breathe, Rasmussen said.
A male subject associated with the residence heard the victim yelling and confronted Brooks, who then fled the area, according to Rasmussen's report.
Rasmussen said the victim complained of pain and had visible injuries on her face and neck. She was checked by medical personnel from the Lakeport Fire Protection District.
Officers searched the area for approximately 45 minutes in an effort to locate Brooks but were unable to find him, Rasmussen said.
At about 4 a.m. Saturday, Rasmussen said officers were again dispatched to the residence to investigate the report that Brooks had returned. At approximately 4:30 a.m. Brooks was spotted in the area by law enforcement but fled before he could be apprehended.
Officers searched the area until approximately 6 a.m. but were again unable to locate Brooks, Rasmussen said.
Rasmussen said officers have continued to conduct a followup investigation, including checking a Mendocino County location where Brooks may have been hiding. However, they have not been able to locate him, and at this time it is not known if Brooks is in Lake or Mendocino County.
On Wednesday, Rasmussen said the Lakeport Police Department submitted the investigation reports to the Lake County District Attorney's Office, which filed felony charges of domestic violence and terrorist threats against Brooks.
Rasmussen said his agency then obtained an arrest warrant for Brooks from a Lake County Superior Court judge for the charges.
Police are seeking public assistance in providing information to locate and arrest Brooks.
If you have information on Brooks’ location, call the Lakeport Police Department at 707-263-5491.
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Police shoot, wound Clearlake man who held women hostage
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A Clearlake man who held two women hostage at gunpoint Thursday morning was shot and wounded by police.
Brenden Fanucchi, 25, was shot in the confrontation with police, according to Lt. Tim Celli of the Clearlake Police Department.
At approximately 8:06 a.m. Thursday Clearlake Police Dispatch received a call on the nonemergency line from an anonymous male, who told dispatch he heard a female yelling for someone to “put the gun down” at a residence located in the 16050 block of 18th Avenue, Celli said.
Celli said Clearlake Police officers arrived on scene and contacted subjects at the residence who reported that a male – identified as Fanucchi – was armed with a gun and holding two women captive inside the attached garage.
Officers cleared the residence of any additional occupants, however, Celli said Fanucchi refused to let one woman go, while threatening to kill her. Fanucchi also warned officers not to come inside the garage.
Celli said officers pleaded for a lengthy period of time with Fanucchi to let the hostage go.
At some point during the confrontation with Fanucchi, Celli said it was apparent to police that there was an imminent threat to the female hostage's life and officers entered the garage.
Celli said that, at that time, shots were fired, with Fanucchi suffering apparent gunshot wounds.
Fanucchi was flown to an out-of-county hospital for treatment. An officer on scene suffered a minor injury not related to gunshots, Celli said.
Fanucchi was the apparent victim in an October 2011 stabbing in Austin Park. However, neither he nor witnesses in that case were cooperative with police as they attempted to investigate the assault, as Lake County News has reported.
The Lake County District Attorney’s Office has assumed the investigation into the Thursday officer-involved shooting, according to Celli.
Anyone with information related to this investigation is asked to either call Det. Mark Barnes at Clearlake Police Department, 707-994-8251, or the Lake County District Attorney’s Office, 707-263-2251.
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Lakeport Police looking for male subject who attempted to lure children into vehicles
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Police Department is trying to identify a male subject who they say attempted to lure two children into his vehicles in separate incidents.
Lt. Jason Ferguson said the two incidents occurred over the last several days.
At 11:30 a.m. Wednesday Ferguson said Lakeport Police officers responded to the 200 block of Lange Street regarding an 11-year-old juvenile female who reported that a male subject attempted to lure her into his vehicle.
Ferguson said the girl told police that at 7:40 a.m. Oct. 16, while she was at the bus stop in the 400 block of N. Forbes Street, a black male subject who was driving a white four-door compact-type vehicle passed by her slowly and began staring at her.
The juvenile reported the male drove up the block and came back around a second time driving very slowly and looking at her. She said the male drove around the block a third time, came back, and pulled his vehicle against the curb in front of her and told her to get into the car, Ferguson reported.
After the girl told him no, the male subject replied, “Get into the car now.” The juvenile reported her 8-year-old brother told the male subject to leave and he drove away, Ferguson said.
The girl described the male subject as being in his mid-20s with a fade-type hair style, wearing a white t-shirt, according to Ferguson.
She described the vehicle as being a newer white four-door compact vehicle with tan seats and clear windows. Ferguson said the girl didn't give police any further information regarding the male’s description or the vehicle.
Then, at about 5 p.m. Wednesday, Lakeport Police confirmed information from the mother of an 8-year old-juvenile that a male subject attempted to lure the juvenile into his vehicle, Ferguson said.
The juvenile reported that on Tuesday shortly before 8 a.m. a black male subject, driving a tan four-door compact vehicle, pulled up to her at the bus stop in the 400 block of N. Forbes St., opened the door, and told her to get in the car, according to Ferguson.
Ferguson said the girl reported that the male subject told her it was OK to get into the car. The juvenile reported that when the bus came, the male subject drove away.
The juvenile described the male subject as being a black male with a chubby face, wearing a dark green shirt and holding a dark and shiny object in his hand, Ferguson said.
Ferguson said that, based on the location of the two incidents, and the description of the male subject and the vehicle, police believe this may be the same person.
Police contacted the Lakeport Unified School District to alert them of the suspicious circumstances, Ferguson said.
Ferguson said the Lakeport Police Department is continuing its investigation into the identity of the male subject and the two vehicles.
Anyone with information leading to the possible identity of the male subject or the vehicles is asked to contact the Lakeport Police Department at 707-263-5491.
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Cases against suspected Valley fire looters move through courts
LAKEPORT, Calif. – As work to fully contain the Valley fire winds down authorities are continuing their efforts to investigate crimes that occurred in areas evacuated due to the fire.
District Attorney Don Anderson is personally handling the felony cases that have arisen so far in connection to the Valley fire, with one of his deputy district attorneys, Danny Flesch, taking on the related misdemeanors.
While Anderson said no criminal cases involving looting emerged from the Rocky and Jerusalem fires, several such cases have come from the Valley fire, during which there were numerous reports of burglaries of evacuated homes.
So far, Anderson has been to court on cases involving Jeremiah Patrick McGinnis, 25, of Cobb; Dyami Gene Connell, 23, of Brisbane; Michael James Jimenez, 28, of Brisbane; and 23-year-old David Michael Cesari of San Francisco.
Connell, Jimenez and Cesari were arrested on Sept. 17 near Hidden Valley Lake, as Lake County News has reported.
Cesari was found with a loaded .40-caliber pistol and magazine hidden in his clothing, with the vehicle the men were in also containing a full face concealing mask, three pairs of gloves, tools, duct tape, zip ties, numerous key rings with keys, acetone, lighter, headlamps, flashlights, binoculars, empty plastic bags, empty garbage bags, backpack and large knives, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
Anderson said the men appeared in court on Sept. 22, and are set for a preliminary hearing on Dec. 2.
He said has charged all three with conspiracy.
Additionally, Anderson said Cesari is charged with having a concealed firearm in his possession, having a concealed firearm in a vehicle, having a loaded firearm in a vehicle, possession of burglary tools and unauthorized entry in a disaster area, while Connell and Jimenez are both charged with possession burglary tools and unauthorized entry in a disaster area.
McGinnis, who appeared in court on Sept. 29, was arrested in Loch Lomond after being found in a vehicle stolen from Lower Lake, the sheriff's office said.
He admitted to having painted the stolen Jeep Grand Cherokee in an attempt to make it look like a law enforcement vehicle, authorities said.
The sheriff's office said a deputy found in the Jeep a box of live ammunition, a flat screen television, a DVD player, an air rifle, an air pistol and a drill, all of which were believed to have been stolen, along with a box of spray paint, a crate filled with aerosol can solvents and a box of matches.
Anderson said McGinnis has two alleged victims. He's charged McGinnis with burglary to a house and burglary to a shed for one victim, and burglary to a detached garage and theft of the vehicle for the second victim.
McGinnis also faces charges for being a felon in possession of ammunition, felony vandalism, unauthorized entry into a disaster area and possession of burglary tools. Anderson said McGinnis is due to be back in court Oct. 6.
Anderson said he has asked the sheriff's office to do additional investigative work on the case of 26-year-old Royce Sterling Moore of Lakeport, arrested early on the morning of Sept. 15 after he was found trying to access Cobb from the Kelseyville area.
Deputies found Moore with gloves, a black bandanna, a BB gun and a backpack that contained pliers, channel locks and a cordless drill with a grinder wheel attachment, along with a methamphetamine smoking pipe, the sheriff's office reported.
So far, the case against Moore looks like it may be a misdemeanor, Anderson said.
Another case that Anderson said may be handled as a misdemeanor is that of Whispering Pines resident Steven Fredrick Worley, 36, who was arrested on Sept. 14 in Cobb after he led a deputy on a short vehicle pursuit.
The sheriff's office said the deputy found in Worley's vehicle six cellular telephones, a portable Wi-Fi hotspot device, an Apple iPod, a wallet which contained identification belonging to someone other than Worley, a safe and an envelope which contained 13 shaped obsidian points.
Anderson said he is waiting to find out what the sheriff's office found in the safe as, depending on the value, that would determine whether Worley was charged with a misdemeanor or felony.
Regarding reports of other forms of crime related to the Valley fire, Anderson said he also has heard about possible price gouging cases, but so far – after local law enforcement has looked into them – none have ended up being submitted to his office.
He said if any such cases are submitted, his office will go after the perpetrators.
As the community moves into the recovery and rebuilding phases, “I anticipate getting a lot of unlicensed contractors or people impersonating contractors, things such as that,” said Anderson.
He added, “We'll be all over them.”
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