How to resolve AdBlock issue? Police receive new info on pickup, possible accomplice in Lakeport gas thefts
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Police Department said Wednesday that it has received additional details about a vehicle believed to have been involved in a rash of gas thefts this week, as well as information pointing to the involvement of a second individual.
Eight vehicles were hit by the thefts, which occurred on Sunday and Monday nights in the area of Del Lago, 15th Street and the 1800 block of S. Main Street, as Lake County News has reported.
Chief Brad Rasmussen said that, thanks to additional information received from the community on Wednesday, police believe the vehicle involved is a white Ford Ranger pickup.
Previous information indicated that the vehicle may have been a Mazda or Chevrolet, Rasmussen said.
The driver of the pickup has been described by witnesses as a white male adult, 19 to 23 years old, with a thin build and short hair, and wearing a flat bill cap, according to police.
Rasmussen said his agency also has received new information regarding a second male subject who may have been associated with the Ford Ranger and a gasoline theft in the 1800 block of S. Main Street.
The second subject was believed to be out on foot, possibly casing the area or acting as a lookout, but got left behind when the driver fled the area, Rasmussen said.
No description was available of that second male subject, according to Rasmussen.
Rasmussen said police appreciate the alert community members who have provided information in this case.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Lakeport Police Department at 707-263-5491 or by private Facebook message at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lakeport-Police-Department/176101292414821?ref=stream .
- Details
- Written by: Lake County News reports
Police: New rash of gas thefts hits Lakeport
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Police Department is asking community members to be on the lookout for subjects believed responsible for another series of gas thefts in the city this week.
Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen said eight vehicles were targeted for gas theft on Sunday and Monday nights.
Rasmussen said six vehicles were targeted in the Del Lago area, one on 15th Street and one in the 1800 block of S. Main Street. The responsible subjects were able to obtain fuel from some vehicles but not from others.
In addition, Rasmussen said a stereo was taken from one of the vehicles in the Del Lago area.
On Monday evening a witness reported seeing a white male subject fleeing the scene of the gasoline theft in the 1800 block of S. Main Street in a small white mini pickup – possibly a Mazda or older Chevrolet S-10 – that may have damage to the passenger rear fender and bumper, according to Rasmussen.
Rasmussen said that on Tuesday evening his officers interviewed another witness who saw the white mini pickup fleeing the scene of the gasoline theft in the 1800 block of S. Main Street.
The witness described the pickup as being a Ford Ranger and the driver as being a white male adult, 19 to 23 years old, with a thin build and short hair, and wearing a flat bill cap.
Although police aren't certain of the pickup's make and model, they believe it may have damage to the passenger rear fender and bumper, Rasmussen.
Rasmussen said police don't believe the gas thefts this week are related to a series of gas thefts that occurred in the middle of January.
The January cases involved a white 1995 Chevrolet Cheyenne three-quarter ton shop/utility bed pickup with a fuel siphoning system which was seized by Lakeport Police officers after they secured a search warrant, Rasmussen said.
The Lakeport Police Department had put out a call to the community for leads in the January gas thefts.
The community responded, and Rasmussen told Lake County News that his department received a lot of help in the form of leads and pictures of the suspect vehicle.
Rasmussen said 51-year-old Lake County resident Doug Trimmer has been identified as the suspect in the January gas thefts.
Trimmer has a lengthy criminal record that includes prior arrests for narcotic and controlled substance violations, receiving stolen property, burglary and possession of burglary tools, Rasmussen said.
Rasmussen said Trimmer hasn't been arrested, however, the Lakeport Police Department has sent a case against Trimmer to the Lake County District Attorney's Office for review.
Rasmussen, who updated the Lakeport City Council on the situation Tuesday evening, said gas thefts in the city have been a “serious problem ongoing for some time.”
Anyone with information on the recent thefts is asked to contact the Lakeport Police Department at 707-263-5491.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
Police recover stolen vehicle, arrest two
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – On Monday Clearlake Police officers recovered a vehicle that had been stolen last week and arrested two Clearlake men.
Sgt. Nick Bennett said Daniel Wayne Boylen, 31, was arrested for vehicle theft, and Idale Alexander Lavalley, 26, was arrested for methamphetamine possession.
On Monday the Clearlake Police Department was contacted by a victim who stated she was following her vehicle which had been reported stolen on Feb. 10, Bennett said.
Officers converged on the area where the vehicle was reported to be and located it on the 15000 block of Lakeshore Drive near Old Highway 53, according to Bennett.
The driver of the stolen vehicle, Boylen, was taken into custody without incident as was Lavalley, his passenger. Bennett said a search of the vehicle resulted in suspected methamphetamine being located.
Boylen was booked into Lake County Jail on a felony charge of taking a vehicle without the owner's consent, with bail set at $15,000, according to his booking sheet. He remained in custody on Tuesday afternoon.
Lavalley, booked on a felony charge of possession of a controlled substance, also remained in custody on Tuesday, with his bail set at $15,000, according to jail records.
- Details
- Written by: Lake County News reports
K9 unit offers key support to Clearlake Police Department; annual 'Tip-A-Dog' fundraiser set for Feb. 21
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake Police Department has continued to build and maintain a K9 unit to augment its crime-fighting abilities, and this week the community is invited to take part in one of the important annual fundraisers that supports the agency's canine members.
The “Tip-A-Dog” fundraiser will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Friday, Feb. 21, at Main Street Bar and Grill, 14084 Lakeshore Drive in Clearlake.
Not only will Clearlake Police officers help serve up breakfast, but there will be chances to purchase T-shirts and sweatshirts featuring the agency's three K9 officers – Dex, Harley and Max.
Sgt. Rodd Joseph, the Clearlake Police K9 Unit supervisor, said that over the past four years the department has built its K9 unit from the ground up, thanks to community support.
In fact, the unit is an example of a program that is completely funded through donations, according to Joseph.
All three of Clearlake Police's dogs are Belgian Malinois, a breed that looks like a German Shepherd but is smaller and more compact, which allows the dogs to get into small spaces when conducting searches for people or contraband, according to Joseph.
The Belgian Malinois, according to the American Kennel Club, is a breed that has a strong desire to work, and is protective of its owners. As such, it's popular for use both by the police and the military.
Dex, handled by Officer Mike Carpenter, joined the department three and a half years ago, followed by Harley – partnered with Officer Mike Ray – who Joseph said came on board about two years ago.
The third dog, Max, is handled by Officer Elvis Cook, Joseph said. Max joined the department in April 2013.
The city pays for the K9 handlers' salaries and provides the patrol vehicles. Joseph said the unit raises funds to cover the rest of its costs.
“We're completely donation-funded,” said Joseph.
Among the costs covered by donations are those for equipping handlers' patrol cars. Joseph said it costs about $10,000 per car to outfit the vehicles, with special equipment including cage units, remote door openers to let the K9s out of the cars, specialized cooling and temperature alarms.
Then there are training aids like sleeves, bite suits, toys and drug detection training equipment, he said.
And, like all dogs, the K9 officers need to keep up-to-date on vaccinations and health care. Joseph said the department's dogs also have had some expensive veterinarian bills, such as when Max needed emergency surgery last September for a potentially deadly case of gastric torsion, also known as bloat.
Joseph said there are two types of police K9 – apprehension and narcotics.
All three of Clearlake Police's dogs are certified for apprehension and are trained in protection, but only Dex so far has been certified for narcotics detection, which Joseph said is because additional funds are needed to pay for the other two dogs' certifications.
Joseph said all of the dogs have been used for finding evidence and weapons, and for tracking people.
When it comes to searching for drugs, Dex's sense of smell allows him to search a vehicle and find narcotics within just a minute or two, Joseph said, compared to a human officer, who would take much longer in the search process.
To understand Dex's ability, it's helpful to note that scientists say a dog's olfactory sense is between 10,000 and 100,000 times more acute than a human's. A report by the PBS series “Nova” explained that dogs have 300 million olfactory receptors in their noses, compared to six million for the average human.
In addition to making searches quicker and more successful, Joseph said the dogs also reduce officer injury by going into dangerous situations, and helping quickly subdue suspects who are fleeing or otherwise resisting arrest.
Besides their work as crime fighters, the dogs are popular ambassadors for the department. Harley and Officer Ray have visited with local elementary school children, who were eager to learn about the dogs and what they do.
Meeting the training requirements to keep the dogs up-to-date with their certifications is expensive and time intensive. Joseph said the department has an $8,000 annual contract with a service provider that provides training for all three of the department's dogs.
The California Peace Officers Association has issued new training recommendations for K9s throughout the state that suggests 12 hours per month for the dog's first discipline and eight additional hours for the second discipline, Joseph said.
Altogether, Joseph said Dex and Carpenter do 24 hours of training monthly, with the teams of Harley and Ray, and Max and Cook doing 12 hours each of monthly training.
An example of that training took place on Feb. 3. The Clearlake Police's K9 teams – joined by K9 units from other agencies – took part in a training at Mendo Mill that involved “real world” scenarios, the agency reported.
While Joseph said the department would like to have a fourth dog to ensure around-the-clock K9 coverage, there isn't a current plan for purchasing another dog.
The K9 program is very beneficial for the Clearlake Police Department, and the unit's members are determined to cover the cost. “That's why these fundraisers are so important to the unit,” said Joseph.
He said that, in addition to this week's “Tip-A-Dog” event, there are several other fundraisers that take place throughout the year, including a pizza fundraiser and a June dinner and dance.
Plus, there are black sweatshirts that say “Clearlake Police K9, Wrong time to run” for sale at $30 apiece, plus gray T-shirts that depict all three of the dogs and cost $15 each for adults and $10 each for children.
Other fundraising ideas also are in the works, Joseph added.
For more information about the Clearlake Police K9 Unit, as well as upcoming events and fundraisers, visit the unit's Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/CPDK9 , or contact the Clearlake Police Department at 707-994-8251.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
Police: Teen makes up attempted kidnapping story to get back at father
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – An angry teenager was behind a false report made to police this week regarding an alleged attempted kidnapping.
The incident resulted in a large police response on Thursday afternoon, according to Sgt. Tim Hobbs of the Clearlake Police Department.
At 4:30 p.m. Thursday Clearlake Police Department officers responded to the 3200 block of Sixth Street for a report of an attempted kidnapping of a 17-year-old female, Hobbs said.
When officers arrived, they were given a description of the alleged suspect and the suspect’s vehicle. Hobbs said all of the on-duty patrol officers, two on-duty detectives and administration began checking the area for the suspect.
In addition, Hobbs said a “be on the lookout” was provided to all law enforcement agencies in the county.
During the investigation officers recovered a video recording from a surveillance camera at a residence which had a clear view of part of the alleged crime scene, Hobbs said.
When the teenager was advised of this and questioned about several inconsistencies in her statement, she admitted to having made the entire incident up, according to Hobbs.
He said the teen told officers she was mad at her father over an argument they had earlier in the day, so she made the entire incident up to get back at him.
The juvenile was counseled on the importance of not making false crime reports and wasting law enforcement resources. She was then given a ride back to her father in Lower Lake, Hobbs said.
- Details
- Written by: Lake County News reports
