How to resolve AdBlock issue? Police investigate case of abused dog; fund set up for care of ‘Molly’
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Police are investigating a case of animal cruelty involving a severely emaciated dog found at a Clearlake home last week.
The brown and white white female Labrador Retriever mix, dubbed “Molly” by a city animal control officer – was found last Friday, Jan. 25, according to Clearlake Police Department Animal Control Officer Lee Lambert.
At 11:20 a.m. that day Clearlake Police Officer Tyler Paulsen responded to a request for a welfare check at 15190 Cass Ave., Lambert said.
It was reported that the tenant at this residence had not been seen for a month and there was a “bad odor” coming from a window in the back of the residence. Lambert said the reporting party also stated that they had custody of one of the tenant’s dogs.
When Paulsen arrived he performed a welfare check and no persons were found to be at the residence. Looking through a partially broken window into a bedroom, he saw a dog that appeared to be very thin and looked ill, Lambert said. Officer Paulsen then contacted Clearlake Animal Control and asked for them to respond.
While waiting for animal control to arrive, Officer Paulsen spoke with neighbors who stated that the prior tenant has not been seen for approximately three weeks to a month, Lambert said. Officer Paulsen also was told by one of the neighbors that they had taken in a dog which had been left behind by the tenant.
At approximately 11:50 a.m. Lambert and another city animal control officer, Frankie Blavet, arrived at the residence, where Paulsen advised them of what he had found and what neighbors had stated, Lambert reported.
After locating the dog, it was determined that she was in need of immediate veterinary care. In the opinion of the officers, the dog was extremely emaciated and appeared to be very weak, according to Lambert.
Lambert said he was able to call the dog to the broken window and remove it from the house.
After placing the emaciated dog in the animal control vehicle, officers began their investigation and photographing the scene, Lambert said.
The dog – which Blavet later named Molly – appeared to have been locked in a small bedroom for approximately three weeks to a month. Lambert said the door to the bedroom was closed and there were scratch marks on the bottom of the door, appearing to have been caused by the dog attempting to scratch her way out.
In addition, Lambert said the room was filled with trash and debris as well as a large amount of dog feces, with a strong odor of dog urine present as well.
A food and water bowl were found, however they were both empty and dry, he said.
Molly was transported to Clearlake Veterinary Clinic and examined by licensed veterinarian Alison Stambaugh, who Lambert said concluded that Molly weighed only 23 pounds, about half of what a dog her size should weigh.
Molly also was determined to be dehydrated and her body temperature was below normal. Lambert said Molly was left at Clearlake Veterinary Clinic for further treatment and observation under the care of Dr. Stambaugh.
A donation account has been set up at Clearlake Veterinary Clinic for those wishing to assist in the treatment, care and recovery of Molly.
Donations can be mailed to Clearlake Veterinary Clinic at 3424 Emerson St., Clearlake CA 95422, or directly to the city of Clearlake Animal Control at 14050 Olympic Dr., Clearlake CA 95422.
A Chip In account is in the process of being set up and those wishing to donate online will be able to do so by visiting Clearlake Animal Control’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CityOfClearlakeAnimalControl .
The case is still under investigation. Upon completion, the case will be forwarded to the Lake County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution, Lambert said.
He said they will be seeking felony and misdemeanor charges against Molly’s owner.
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Police: Lakeport woman in stable condition after being hit by vehicle
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Police Department is continuing to investigate the circumstances of a Tuesday night incident in which a minivan struck a pedestrian crossing S. Main Street.
Lt. Jason Ferguson said Wednesday that the pedestrian, Jessica R. King, 22, of Lakeport, was listed in stable condition at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital.
King had been flown to Santa Rosa after she was struck by a Ford Aerostar driven by Lakeport resident
Sarah Celeste Schultz, 21, according to Ferguson.
At about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday Schultz was driving southbound on S. Main Street when she hit King, who was crossing the street, Ferguson said.
He said drugs and alcohol are not factors in the crash, which remains under investigation.
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REGIONAL: Police arrest physician's assistant on suspicion of kidnappings, sexual assaults near college campus
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – The Chico Police Department said it has made an arrest in a case involving multiple kidnappings, attempted kidnappings and sexual assaults that have occurred near the California State University campus over the past 18 months.
Police said Tuesday they had arrested 40-year-old Chico resident Lonnie Scott Keith for the kidnappings and assaults in the city's South Campus area.
Keith is employed as a physician's assistant at Oroville Medical Center and Enloe Occupational Health. Police said the married father of four children has no prior arrest record.
The incidents – the most recent of which had occurred last September and October – had targeted college-aged women, according to a report from Lt. Mike O'Brien.
During those specific incidents, the male suspect forced the female victims into the back seat area of a dark-colored sedan – which occurred in September incident – or the rear cargo area of a dark colored, larger SUV, which is what happened in the October assault, O'Brien said.
The suspect then injected both victims with an unknown substance that caused a sedating, drowsy like effect for both. O'Brien said at least one of the victims was then sexually assaulted.
The victim in the September attack described the interior of the suspect vehicle as having blankets and/or sheets covering the windows of the rear passenger compartment. In the October incident, the victim described the rear window of the SUV as being covered to conceal visibility, O'Brien said.
Additionally, the white male suspect was described as wearing rubber/latex gloves in at least one incident, and had a nylon stocking and/or mask over his face. O'Brien said both victims in the most recent assaults had their hands and feet bound with plastic “zip ties” and their eyes covered with tape.
During the early morning hours of Saturday, Jan. 26, Chico Police detectives were engaged in an operation in the South Campus area. O'Brien said that during that operation, a dark colored sedan was observed driving on two occasions in the target area, at approximately 2:30 a.m. and 3:30 a.m.
After observing a traffic violation, the vehicle was stopped by detectives. Upon contact with the driver, it was observed by the detectives that the rear passenger compartment had blankets and bedding partially covering the windows, O'Brien said.
The driver, identified as Keith, then provided consent to search his vehicle, according to O'Brien.
Inside the vehicle, in the rear passenger compartment, detectives found blankets and bedding partially covering the rear window and concealing the compartment area, along with two syringes loaded with an unknown clear substance, rubber/latex gloves, several nylons and adhesive tape cut into strips, O'Brien said.
Later, after the service of a search warrant on the vehicle, O'Brien said detectives found a concealed compartment under the front passenger seat that contained metal handcuffs and metal leg restraints, plastic zip ties, multiple syringes and multiple vials of prescription drugs, each with a sedating effect when introduced into the body.
O'Brien said several of the prescription vials contained a specific substance found in one of our victims' toxicology screen after the October kidnap and sexual assault.
In addition, detectives found more rubber/latex gloves, a combination flashlight/stun gun as well as looped zip ties concealed in the trunk of the vehicle. O'Brien said it appeared as if the vehicle was staged for another assault.
Through investigation, it was learned that Keith had sold a dark colored sedan and a dark colored SUV in December of 2012. O'Brien said police have seized both of those vehicles, and pursuant to a search warrant, both will be processed for evidence purposes.
O'Brien emphasized that the investigations remain active, and there is DNA evidence associated with several of the incidents.
He said the DNA and other evidence have been collected and are being forensically processed. There is an additional investigation being conducted by the Butte County Sheriff's Office regarding a similar type incident in their jurisdiction.
Bail was requested at $3.2 million, with Keith making an initial court appearance on Tuesday afternoon in Butte County Superior Court, O'Brien said.
O'Brien said Keith was arraigned on two counts of kidnapping, one count of rape and one count of assault with intent to commit rape relating specifically to the September and October assaults.
If convicted, Keith could face a total potential sentence of 32 years to life imprisonment, O'Brien said.
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Police investigate motorcycle thefts at Lakeport business
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Police Department is investigating the theft of several motorcycles from a city business.
Lt. Jason Ferguson said the agency responded just before 10 a.m. Tuesday to a report of thefts at Hillside Honda, located on S. Main Street.
During the investigation police learned that one Yamaha TTR50ED and two Honda CRF50FDs, valued at $5,323, were stolen from an enclosed locked yard on the property within the past week, Ferguson said.
Employees were unable to provide a specific date when the thefts occurred but reported they discovered the thefts while conducting inventory Tuesday morning.
The investigation is on going, Ferguson said.
Anyone with information should contact Officer Gary Basor at 707-263-5491.
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Police investigate confrontation at Clearlake store
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Clearlake Police officers are investigating a Saturday confrontation between two people in a city store.
Two people got into an argument at the Dollar Tree on Olympic Drive in the Burns Valley Mall, which was reported to police at approximately 5:16 p.m., according to Sgt. Martin Snyder.
“One of the people made a criminal threat of shooting somebody,” said Snyder.
Other customers in the store took that threat to mean that the subject actually had a gun, although Snyder said no gun actually was brandished or seen, based on the investigation so far.
A number of people ran to the back of the store, where they called police, Snyder said.
Witnesses reported to Lake County News that a number of police responded to the shopping center in response to the incident.
By the time police arrived, Snyder said both of the individuals involved in the confrontation had left the scene.
Snyder said the case currently is under investigation.
Anyone with information on the incident can call the Clearlake Police Department at 707-994-8251.
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