Sheriff's office investigates Sunday night armed robbery; marijuana and meth, cash taken

NICE, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff's Office is investigating an armed robbery in Nice last weekend during which three suspects held two people at gunpoint and took marijuana, methamphetamine and $2,000 in cash.

Lt. Steve Brooks said sheriff’s deputies responded to the reported robbery at 11 p.m. last Sunday, Oct. 20, in the 7000 block of Butte Street in Nice.

So far no suspects have been taken into custody, according to Brooks.

Brooks said deputies contacted the victim, who said two acquaintances who he only knows as “Carolina” and “Eduardo” came over to his house on Saturday, Oct. 19.

The victim described Carolina as being a Hispanic female adult, approximately 30 years old, 5 feet 6 inches tall with long brown hair and brown eyes. He described Eduardo as being a Hispanic male adult, approximately 35 years old with short brown hair and brown eyes, Brooks said.

Carolina and Eduardo told the victim that they wanted him to be their “meth seller.” The victim explained to them that he was only a user and did not sell methamphetamine. Brooks said the pair continued to press the matter with the victim, saying he knew several people who would purchase methamphetamine, due to his marijuana sales.

The victim agreed to the offer and traded one pound of marijuana for half an ounce of methamphetamine. He said after the trade Carolina and Eduardo left without incident, according to Brooks.

On Sunday afternoon, Carolina called the victim and said she had a buyer for his marijuana. She told him she would be bringing the buyer to his residence. Brooks said the victim said Carolina arrived at his residence at approximately 9:30 p.m., and noticed she was driving a white or cream color Cadillac Escalade. He noticed Carolina was with at least two other Hispanic male adults.

Brooks said the victim described one of the suspects as being approximately 30 years old and having well trimmed brown hair and brown eyes. The subject was wearing a dark blue and white jacket and brown pants.

The second male suspect was approximately 45 years old with “fair skin” and a goatee. He wore a baseball cap and his hair was slightly longer than the first suspect, but well groomed, according to Brooks' report.

The victim said Carolina was wearing a silver color sweater, white blouse and beige high heels. He was unable to provide any additional identifying information, Brooks said.

The victim invited the three suspects into the residence through the front door. Also at the residence was a friend of the victim. The victim escorted the three suspects into dining room. On the dining room floor, the victim had placed a canvas bag filled with approximately 13 individually wrapped bags of marijuana. According to the victim each individual bag of marijuana was valued at $1,000, Brooks said.

Carolina and the victim discussed payment for the half ounce of methamphetamine he received the previous day, deciding on $2,000. Brooks said Carolina handed the victim $1,000 in $20 bills, which the victim began counting.

When the victim reached approximately $980, he saw the older male suspect draw a firearm and point it at him, Brooks said. At the same time the younger suspect produced a firearm, which the victim described as a .45-caliber handgun with gold trim and placed it against the victim’s neck. The two suspects directed the victim to the ground.

Carolina, who was standing in the entry way, had a firearm similar to a Military Armament Corp. Model 10 (MAC-10) and pointed it at the victim’s friend, Brooks said. Carolina told her to get on the ground and not move. The suspects then tied up both the victim and his friend. They were told not to look up and to remain on the floor.

One of the suspects made the statement “Don’t make me kill you.” Brooks said the victim said Carolina stood guard over them while the two males searched the residence for cash and credit cards.

The victim said the male subjects took the $2000, the half ounce of methamphetamine from the previous day, the canvas bag containing 13 pounds of processed marijuana, the victim’s cellular telephone and exited the residence. Brooks said the victim said the suspects had also gone into each of his detached garages and stole several dozen pounds of processed marijuana.

The victim estimated the total value of the marijuana stolen from him to be worth $55,000, according to Brooks.

This investigation is ongoing and if anyone has information pertinent to this investigation, please contact the Lake County Sheriff’s Office at 707-263-2690.

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Written by: Lake County News reports

Published: 23 October 2013

California attorney general files amicus brief in U.S. Supreme Court in support of Affordable Care Act

California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris on Monday filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the U.S. Supreme Court asking the court to review whether for-profit businesses may claim religious exemptions from a requirement under the Affordable Care Act that employee health plans cover contraception.

Attorney General Harris’ brief urges the U.S. Supreme Court to hear Kathleen Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., and asks the court to overturn a lower court’s ruling that would allow two for-profit corporations to avoid full compliance with the law.

“Access to contraceptive services is critical to the health of women and infants; women’s economic and social wellbeing; and women’s opportunities to participate fully in society,” the amicus brief states.

Further, the brief argues that a lower court’s determination that for-profit corporations may assert religious exemptions to certain laws could interfere with enforcement of other important regulations that protect public safety, civil rights, social welfare, housing, employment and public health.

“The freedom of individuals to exercise the religion of their choosing is one of the most important values in our society, as reflected by its enshrinement in the federal Constitution. The federal government’s contraceptive coverage regulations under ACA respect that freedom through inclusion of appropriate exemptions, while also advancing the similarly compelling interests in public health and gender equality in access to health care. The court of appeals’ decision would upset that balance and threaten far-reaching impacts on the States beyond the issues presented by this action,” the amicus brief states.

Ten states joined Attorney General Harris’ brief, including Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington.

The brief addresses a ruling from the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.

102113 Attorney General ACA Amicus Brief

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Written by: Lake County News reports

Published: 22 October 2013

Clearlake Police K9 helps catch Vallejo man wanted on felony warrant

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A Vallejo man wanted on a felony warrant was taken into custody on Monday with the help of a Clearlake Police K9.

“Dex” assisted in apprehending Brandon Conwell, 25, according to a report from Sgt. Tim Hobbs.

Hobbs said that just before noon on Monday Clearlake Police officers responded to a residence in the 15000 block of Pineview Drive to serve an outstanding felony arrest warrant on Conwell.

Clearlake Police had received information Conwell was at the residence on Pineview Drive and possibly had a firearm, Hobbs said.

When officers arrived, Conwell was standing in the driveway of the residence and fled into the back yard. Hobbs said Conwell then climbed over several fences while running through neighboring yards as officers were chasing after him.

Officers lost sight of Conwell in the backyard of a residence several house west of where he had run from, Hobbs said.

Hobbs said there was on open rear sliding glass door at the residence. Officers surrounded the house and contacted the sole occupant on her front porch. She stated she was alone in the house and gave permission for officers to check inside. The resident then secured her two dogs.

Officer Michael Carpenter gave numerous announcements that he was going to deploy Dex, his K9 partner, into the house if Conwell did not come out. Hobbs said Conwell refused to come out and Dex was sent into the home.

A short time later “Dex” apprehended Conwell hiding under a bed in one of the bedrooms. Hobbs said Conwell was arrested for the warrant and resisting arrest.

Conwell was briefly treated by medical personnel from the Lake County Fire Protection District at the scene prior to being transported to St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake for treatment, according to Hobbs.

After being medically cleared for incarceration, Conwell was transported to the Lake County Jail, Hobbs said.

Details

Written by: Lake County News reports

Published: 21 October 2013

Police make arrests in three burglary cases, recover thousands of dollars in stolen property

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A Clearlake Police Department investigation has resulted in several arrests and the recovery of thousands of dollars' worth of stolen property in connection to three burglary cases in the city.

The agency reported Wednesday that its officers arrested Clearlake residents Shelly Leann Brown, 30; Robert Eugene Bradley, 32; Charles Edward Young, 46; Ronald Lee Whitmire, 44; and Crystal Cruise, 28, on various charges during the course of the investigation.

On Monday at 2 a.m. Clearlake Police officers responded to a residential alarm call in the 14400 block of Ridge Road. The report said officers arrived at the residence and discovered an opened door. Officers searched the home for suspects and none were located.

Officers learned the homeowner lived out of the area and was not able to respond. The report said officers were able to partially resecure the residence before clearing the call. It was not known if the residence had actually been burglarized at that time.

At about 4 a.m. that same day, officers responded back to the same address for another alarm call. Clearlake Police reported that when its officers arrived they discovered the door they had found open during the earlier call was once again open.

Officers reentered the home and again found no one inside, police said. This time officers noticed two off-road motorcycles were missing from the garage area which had been in the garage during the earlier alarm call.

Officers Trevor Franklin and Michael Ray found apparent tire tracks and drag marks leading from the residence to a nearby residence on Jago Avenue, police said.

Officer Franklin looked over a tall wooden fence at the Jago Avenue residence and observed two off-road motorcycles in the backyard. The report said Franklin recognized these two motorcycles as being the ones he had seen in the garage at the time of the earlier alarm call.

Additionally, officers located shoe print impressions leading from the victim residence to the Jago Avenue home where the two stolen motorcycles were then located, police said.

Officers made contact at the home and met with the three occupants, identified as Brown, Bradley and Young, with Young being a resident of the Jago Avenue home. Police said all three suspects denied knowing anything about the residential burglary or how the motorcycles ended up in the backyard.

Officers matched shoe prints from Bradley and Brown’s shoes to shoe print impressions left by the suspects during the burglary and vehicle theft. Both Brown and Bradley were arrested and charged with felony violations of residential burglary and vehicle theft, according to the report.

Bradley is on formal felony probation with the Lake County Probation Department and is a documented Norteno gang member. Brown also is on formal probation with the Lake County Probation Department, police said.

During the investigation officers were able to contact a family member of the owner of the victim residence. Police said the family member responded to the scene and took possession of the two stolen motorcycles. It was learned that additional items had also been stolen from the home which were not located or found at the Jago Avenue residence.

Bradley and Brown were taken to the Clearlake Police Department. At that time, Young was not arrested and the case investigation continued, police said.

During the course of the investigation, which continued into the morning hours when dayshift police officers were then on duty, officers gather evidence linking Young to the crime, according to the report.

At about 8:30 a.m., the agency said officers returned to the Jago Avenue residence and took Young into custody for possession of stolen property.

Officers also developed additional information identifying Whitmire of Clearlake as possibly being involved in the residential burglary. Police said Whitmire is a convicted felon on Post Release Community Supervision probation with the Lake County Probation Department.

Police said that at about 9 a.m. officers went to Whitmire’s residence, located in the 14700 block of Palmer Avenue, to conduct a probation search. At the residence, officers found Whitmire and located approximately 2 grams of suspected methamphetamine in his pants pocket. Whitmire’s girlfriend, Crystal Cruise, also was located at the residence.

During an extensive search of the residence and surrounding property, several additional stolen items were located in and around Whitmire’s home from the earlier residential burglary on Ridge Road, police said.

Officers found five stolen automotive batteries at Whitmire’s residence which had been reported stolen from a rear locked fenced storage yard at Napa Auto Parts on Lakeshore Drive on Oct. 9, police said. In addition, investigating officers located a large tool box full of tools which had been stolen from a locked vehicle at Lakeside Appliance on Lakeshore Drive on Oct. 12.

Officers discovered evidence of methamphetamine sales in Whitmire’s residence, an illegally possessed rifle with the serial numbers removed, an illegally possessed set of brass knuckles, an illegally possessed can of pepper spray, approximately 6 pounds of processed marijuana and several pounds of unprocessed marijuana combined with evidence of marijuana sales and drug paraphernalia, police said.

As a result of the lengthy investigation, which continued into the late afternoon hours, three open burglary and theft cases were closed with arrests made and several thousand dollars worth of stolen property recovered, police said.

Whitmire ultimately was charged with multiple felony counts including burglary, vehicle theft (two counts), possession of stolen property (three counts), possession of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance for sale, conspiracy, felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a brass knuckles, felon in possession of tear gas, possession of a firearm with the serial numbers removed and possession of marijuana for sale, according to police.

He was later booked into the Lake County Jail, where he remained on Wednesday on a no-bail hold, according to jail records.

Additional charges against Whitmire include one count of burglary, and two misdemeanor counts of theft and vandalism, which police said have been referred to the Lake County District Attorney’s Office.

Cruise was only charged with a misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia as officers have not yet been able to establish her involvement in the earlier burglary, police said. She was later cited and released. Additional charges could be warranted on Cruise as the investigation continues.

Brown and Bradley were each charged with felony violations of burglary, vehicle theft (two counts) and conspiracy with additional charges also possible. They were both later booked into the Lake County Jail, where they remained on Wednesday; Brown was being held on a no-bail felony hold, with Bradley's bail set at $50,000.

Young was charged with a felony count of possession of stolen property and was also later booked into the Lake County Jail. Jail records showed he was still in custody on Wednesday, with bail set at $15,000.

Young also could face additional charges for his involvement in the residential burglary, police said.

The Clearlake Police Department asked anyone with information on any of these crimes to contact Officer Trevor Franklin at 707-994-8251. Callers should press No. 1 when prompted then extension No. 514 to reach Franklin.

While providing your name is not required, it can be a great assistance to officers in complex investigations such as this, police said.

Details

Written by: Lake County News reports

Published: 16 October 2013