How to resolve AdBlock issue? Police investigate Thursday stabbing incident
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake Police Department is seeking information about a male subject responsible for a Thursday stabbing.
Just before 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Clearlake Police officers responded to a report of a physical fight between a male subject and a female subject in the area of Phillips and 40th avenues, according to Sgt. Rodd Joseph said.
As officers were responding, additional calls were coming into police dispatch which advised the fight was now between a male subject and several female subjects, he explained.
Officer Michael Ray was the first officer on scene. Joseph said Ray located a woman near the intersection of 45th and Phillips avenues who was suffering a laceration to her face. She was identified as 35-year-old Holly Harvey of Clearlake.
Harvey reported that she had been assaulted by a male subject who had walked off in the direction of Davis and Villa avenues. Joseph said Ray observed numerous people on Davis Avenue pointing toward Villa Avenue.
Ray arrived on Villa Avenue and located 18-year-old Brandon Clark of Clearlake. Joseph said Clark was combative and argumentative with the officer and was detained in handcuffs.
Once detained, Ray discovered a single stab wound to Clark’s left side middle back area. Clark did not know he had been stabbed until contacted by police, Joseph said.
Clark claimed he had been assaulted in his back by someone near the intersection of 45th and Phillips avenues. Joseph said Clark was uncooperative with the investigation and did not want anyone arrested for stabbing him. He was transported via air ambulance to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital for treatment.
Harvey was transported by Lake County Fire Protection District to St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake for treatment, Joseph said. When interviewed by police at the hospital, Harvey told officers she did not want the responsible subject arrested for assaulting her.
Joseph said the initial investigation appears to indicate Clark was walking in the area of 45th and Phillips avenues with two other known and identified women, and a child.
At some point Clark and one of the women became involved in a physical altercation. When the fight was over, the woman called a family member who soon arrived at the intersection in a vehicle. Joseph said the “family member” himself then got into a physical altercation with Clark.
Once this second fight was over, the family member transported the two women and child to an address on Villa Avenue where they all reside, while Joseph said Clark was left at the intersection.
Witnesses reported an unrelated group of about seven to 10 persons, including several woman and Harvey, then surrounded Clark. Joseph said Clark and another woman then got into a physical fight, which is when Harvey became involved and was struck in the face, presumably by Clark.
Once the fight was over, Clark – not yet knowing he had been stabbed – walked to Villa Avenue where he resides, Joseph said.
Police do not yet know who stabbed Clark, as many persons involved in this incident have not yet been identified, besides the fact that Clark does not wish to pursue charges against his attacker, according to Joseph.
While this investigation was unfolding, officers were monitoring social media sites for possible witness information. Joseph said officers discovered information in one particular post where a woman claimed to have witnessed the entire incident. She even provided a limited description of the stabbing suspect and the weapon used.
Officers, needing this valuable information, tracked the woman down to her residence and found her posted comments to be untruthful, Joseph said.
She initially claimed that she did not post this information but did ultimately admit to it after being confronted. Finally the woman admitted that she never witnessed the incident and had only heard about it from neighbors, according to Joseph.
Joseph said the woman was admonished about providing false leads to law enforcement, which he said “wastefully redirects resources” while police are trying to investigate a particular crime, in this case a violent stabbing. He said providing false information to police during an investigation can result in arrest, as a violation of 148(a)PC.
On Thursday evening, police said Clark was in stable condition after surgery.
Anyone who may have witnessed this incident is urged to contact the Clearlake Police Department. The investigating officer is Officer Mike Ray, who can be reached at 707-994-8251, Extension 504.
- Details
- Written by: Lake County News reports
Clearlake Police Department reports on Thursday robbery in park, arrests
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake Police Department issued a report Thursday detailing the arrest of two men earlier in the day in connection to the robbery in a city park of an elderly man.
Darius Durand Louis of Contra Costa County and Clifford Joseph McDonald of Clearlake, both age 18, were arrested shortly after the incident was reported, according to Sgt. Rodd Joseph.
Just before 11 a.m. a 76-year-old Clearlake resident called police to report that he had just been robbed of his wallet by two black male adults at Austin Park, located at 14077 Lakeshore Drive, Joseph said.
Joseph said the man described the responsible subjects to the dispatcher, who provided the information to responding units.
The victim was uninjured in the attack and no weapons were used. He reported being physically held by one of the subjects while the second man removed his wallet. The two suspects then fled the area on foot, Joseph said.
Within minutes of the call, Det. Mark Barnes observed two black male subjects, matching the general descriptions of the men responsible for the robbery, in the area of Howard Avenue and Ridge Road, Joseph said.
As Barnes approached, the two males fled the area on foot and began jumping fences in and through numerous residential yards, according to Joseph.
Joseph said several uniformed and plain-clothed officers began trying to establish a perimeter around the subjects and, while doing so, were able to apprehend Louis at Tire Pros, located at 14320 Lakeshore Drive.
Louis is a convicted felon on parole who also had a felony arrest warrant out of Contra Costa County for a prior parole violation, Joseph said.
Within a few minutes of Louis’ arrest, officers located McDonald in a vacant field off of Pearl Avenue, not far from Tire Pros, according to Joseph.
The elderly victim was transported to the location near Tire Pros in an attempt to identify the two men. Joseph said the man was able to make a partial identification of both by their respective clothing and some physical characteristics.
Officers retraced the steps of Louis and McDonald and were able to recover most of the victim’s stolen property, but Joseph said they did not locate the actual wallet, some cash and some personal identification belonging to the victim.
During questioning, both Louis and McDonald confessed to the robbery, Joseph said.
The two men told police that the victim was chosen as they could see his wallet in his pants pocket and believed it to be full of cash. Joseph said the two worked in concert to rob the elderly victim of his money as Louis needed money to get back to Contra Costa County.
Both Louis and McDonald later were booked into the Lake County Jail on felony charges of robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery and elder abuse. They also were each charged with a single misdemeanor count of resisting arrest, Joseph said.
Joseph said the case will be submitted to the Lake County District Attorney’s Office for filing and to State Parole.
Burns Valley School staff temporarily placed the school on lockdown for precautionary reasons due to the school’s close proximity to the incident. Joseph said the lockdown was lifted as soon as both subjects were taken into custody.
Anyone who may have witnessed this incident is urged to contact the Clearlake Police Department. The investigating officer is Officer Joseph Myers, who can be reached at 707-994-8251, Extension 505.
- Details
- Written by: Lake County News reports
Police arrest men in connection to robbery, assault reported at Clearlake park
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – On Thursday morning Clearlake Police officers arrested two men suspected in an assault and robbery that was reported to have occurred at Austin Park minutes earlier.
The alleged victim reported around 11 a.m. that he was held down, assaulted and robbed of his wallet and other items near the basketball courts at Austin Park, according to reports from the scene. The man provided a description of his alleged assailants and told police the direction they had gone.
Police responded to the area and quickly located two men fitting the description provided by the alleged victim.
The suspects attempted to evade police, initiating a foot pursuit, scanner reports indicated.
One man was quickly detained in the area of Lakeshore Drive near Tire Pros as additional police units established a perimeter in search of the second man.
The perimeter encompassed the areas of Pearl, Alvita, Howard, Uhl and Robinson avenues, in the residential area east of Lakeshore Drive.
The second man was taken into custody within the perimeter a short time after the first was detained, according to scanner reports.
Police recovered some items allegedly stolen from the victim, who provided in-field identification of his alleged assailants.
Both men were detained within about 15 minutes of the alleged victim's report and later arrested.
Additional details will be posted as they become available.
Email Denise Rockenstein at
- Details
- Written by: Denise Rockenstein
Supervisors approve Macedo’s selection as undersheriff
LAKEPORT, Calif. – On Tuesday Sheriff Brian Martin received the unanimous support of the Board of Supervisors in his selection of a permanent undersheriff.
The board voted to approve Martin’s appointment of Capt. Chris Macedo in the undersheriff job and forgo the county’s recruitment process.
Martin’s written report to the board explained that a hiring waiver had been received for the appointment by the County Administrative Office, and the Human Resources director supported Macedo’s selection.
Macedo, a 25-year employee of the sheriff’s office, has been serving in the capacity on an interim basis since last May, when Undersheriff Pat Turturici left.
“I have confidence in his ability to do the job,” Martin told the board, noting Macedo had basically been running the department since his interim appointment.
Martin said he didn’t believe it would be fruitful or beneficial to go out to a full recruitment, adding, “I don’t believe that I will find anybody that I would want in that position.”
Supervisor Rob Brown said Martin’s choice was a “good call,” noting that Macedo’s appointment would provide for a seamless transition for the new sheriff’s administration.
Supervisor Jim Steele said Macedo has a solid, sterling character, and that in his time working with Search and Rescue he had worked directly with Macedo and had seen him make very good decisions.
When Macedo was appointed undersheriff, it seemed to stabilize the department and made some of its problems disappear, Steele said.
Supervisor Jeff Smith also supported Macedo’s appointment, crediting him with holding the department together.
“He’s done an outstanding job under some very difficult circumstances,” Supervisor Jim Comstock said.
Board Chair Anthony Farrington said normally the board wouldn’t support bypassing the recruitment process.
However, “We respect your decision and we respect Chris and his efforts, specifically going through a very tumultuous time with your predecessor,” Farrington said, referring to former Sheriff Frank Rivero, who Martin defeated in the June primary.
Farrington said Macedo had been put in precarious positions quite often but held his composure with grace. Macedo also was the go-to person for county administration when dealing with the sheriff’s office during times of friction.
“I think he’ll be a good asset to your department,” said Farrington.
Brown moved to approve Macedo’s appointment, with the board voting 5-0.
“I appreciate the support of the board. I think this will help me greatly in my transition. Thank you,” Martin said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
Church makes donation to Clearlake Police K9 unit
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake Church of the Nazarene is showing its support for local law enforcement by making a donation to the Clearlake Police Department K9 Unit.
Pastor Chris Gravesen and fellow church member Greg Rippe presented Clearlake Police Chief Craig Clausen with a check for $505 at the Clearlake City Council meeting on Thursday evening.
Donations are an important avenue of support for the unit, whose members also conduct regular fundraisers.
Last year the unit received a $2,500 donation from Charlotte Griswold and $5,000 from Dale and Karen Valentine, as Lake County News has reported.
For more information about the K9 unit, visit https://www.facebook.com/CPDK9 .
Email Denise Rockenstein at
- Details
- Written by: Denise Rockenstein
