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Clearlake Police officers arrest man alleged to have raped acquaintance
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – On Monday Clearlake Police officers arrested a local man who is alleged to have raped a female acquaintance over the weekend.
Eric Jeff Vangelder, 49, of Clearlake, was arrested early Monday morning, according to a report from Sgt. Nick Bennett.
Bennett said that at approximately 6:15 p.m. Sunday a Clearlake woman reported to police that she had been raped by an acquaintance, who was known to her by the name of “Eric.”
An investigation by Sgt. Dominic Ramirez and Officer Chris Reagan revealed the alleged victim and “Eric” had been with mutual friends the night before and were drinking alcohol, Bennett said.
On Sunday the alleged victim and the suspect were hanging out when she decided to go to bed because she was feeling the effects of the alcohol from the night before. Bennett said the woman reported awakening to find the suspect on top of her, having intercourse with her.
Ramirez and Reagan determined through their investigation and interviews that the suspect was possibly Vangelder, however, Bennett said they initially were unable to find him.
Then, at 12:55 a.m. Monday Officer Bobi Thompson located Vangelder while investigating a suspicious vehicle in the 7000 block of Old Highway 53. Bennett said Vangelder was taken into custody without incident.
Vangelder was booked into the Lake County Jail for felony rape of a drugged victim and misdemeanor possession of controlled substance paraphernalia, Bennett said.
Vangelder's bail was set at $50,000, according to jail records.
Anyone with any further information on this case is asked to contact Det. Ryan Peterson at 707-994-8251.
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
Man arrested after leading police on foot chase through neighborhood
CLEARLAKE PARK, Calif. – An attempt to pull over a bicyclist on Saturday afternoon ended up with police chasing the suspect through several yards in a city neighborhood before apprehending him.
Kyle Wesley Taylor, 35, of Clearlake was arrested after the chase, which ended in the area of Ninth Street, according to Sgt. Tim Hobbs of the Clearlake Police Department.
Taylor was in the Clearlake Park area riding his bike when Officer Alan Collier attempted to pull him over, Hobbs said.
During a probation search Collier found Taylor in possession of a controlled substance. “Then he took off running,” said Hobbs.
Collier chased Taylor for about a block and a half, and when he caught up to him, Taylor attacked him, Hobbs said.
Following a brief physical confrontation Taylor took office again, running another half block before Hobbs said he got away from Collier.
A short time later, a resident in the 3300 block of Ninth Street called police to alert them that Taylor was hiding in their garage, Hobbs said.
Hobbs said he and another officer went into the garage and Taylor went running out.
Hobbs chased Taylor through four more yards, going over fences, before Hobbs caught Taylor.
Taylor was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance, battery on a police officer, a probation violation and resisting arrest, Hobbs said.
Collier was OK following the fight with Taylor. Hobbs said Collier had been kneed in the chest and suffered some scrapes.
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Police nab suspects in Thursday burglary of Lakeport church
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Two Lucerne residents are in custody in connection with the burglary of a Lakeport church on Thursday morning.
Miguel Antonio Velez, 30, and Michelle Denise Miller, 44, were arrested by Lakeport Police officers following the burglary at United Christian Parish, according to a report from Police Chief Brad Rasmussen.
At 10:15 a.m. Thursday Lakeport Police units were dispatched to investigate the report of a burglary in progress at the church, located in the 700 block of North Brush Street, Rasmussen said.
He said the reporting party advised that the two suspects – later identified as Velez and Miller – took a $1,500 laptop computer from the church office.
Responding officers located and detained both Velez and Miller at the scene and determined that they acted together in removing the laptop computer from the church, Rasmussen said.
Rasmussen said Velez is currently on Post Release Community Supervision (PRCS) due to California AB 109 Realignment.
Velez has numerous prior arrests for drugs and violence charges and a felony conviction for burglary where he was sentenced to state prison for four years in February 2011, Rasmussen said.
Velez was arrested and booked into jail for burglary and violation of probation, according to Rasmussen, while Miller was arrested and booked into jail for burglary and possession of controlled substance paraphernalia.
The computer was recovered and returned to the church, Rasmussen said.
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
Board votes to amend contract for sheriff's attorney; district attorney said he's made 'Brady' decision
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted to amend a contract for legal services for the county's sheriff, who has been under investigation for allegations that he lied during a 2008 shooting investigation – a matter the county's district attorney said has now been concluded.
The 3-2 vote – with Jim Comstock and Rob Brown voting no – approved amending the contract with the Jones and Mayer law firm of Fullerton, with another $2,000 added to it, for a total of $8,500.
The original contract, which had a $6,500 cap, was approved last year, as Lake County News reported.
The action wasn't popular with board members, but County Counsel Anita Grant reminded the supervisors that a judge had ordered the county to provide the outside legal services for Sheriff Frank Rivero.
That decision, handed down last year, was reached after the court determined that Grant could not erect an ethical wall in her department to offer Rivero legal representation.
“This is not an ideal situation,” said Supervisor Anthony Farrington. “We're forced to act.”
Grant said the court made “a very specific ruling” in ordering the county to cover Rivero's legal fees in the deliberations with District Attorney Don Anderson, and she encouraged the board to allow the additional attorney fees in order to be in compliance.
In 2011 Anderson opened an investigation into allegations that Rivero – while working as a sheriff's deputy – had lied to sheriff's office personnel about his actions during a February 2008 incident in which he shot at a man with a can of pepper spray at a Cobb home. The man was uninjured.
Anderson conducted the inquiry under the auspices of the 1963 U.S. Supreme Court case Brady v. Maryland, which requires the government to disclose to defendants in criminal cases any information that could clear them. That includes information about any credibility issues relating to law enforcement officers who are witnesses in criminal cases.
The Board of Supervisors originally had considered the Jones and Mayer contract amendment at its Feb. 5 meeting, but held the matter over for two weeks so Grant could get an update on the status of Anderson's inquiry.
Grant told the board Tuesday that the matter “should be winding down.” She added that she didn't anticipate another 10 days would pass before there was a final resolution.
In fact, Anderson told Lake County News on Tuesday that he had made his decision.
“It's been done,” he said, explaining that he emailed his decision to Rivero's attorney early that same morning.
Because of the requirements of the Peace Officer's Bill of Rights, Anderson could not disclose his finding.
He said he and Rivero's attorney have a “gentleman's agreement” that for 10 days after the decision is issued none of the facts of the investigation will be released, unless Rivero wants to go public with it.
“That's up to him,” said Anderson.
At the end of that 10 days, Anderson plans to make a public statement on the facts of the case – but not the decision itself – along with offering an explanation of Brady requirements.
Rivero and another local officer – who Anderson could not name – are the only individuals recently considered for placement on the “Brady list,” Anderson said.
Having a negative Brady finding can often end a person's law enforcement career.
When Anderson came into office, he inherited a Brady list of about 12 to 14 individuals who previous district attorneys had decided had credibility issues.
All of those individuals had, by that time, left the law enforcement profession, he said.
Anderson said he wrote his own Brady policy, which drew in part from some established policies at other agencies.
He then went back through his office's Brady list and, based on his policy's guidelines and a lack of evidence, immediately crossed off about half of the former officers who were listed.
Anderson then wrote letters to those who remained on the list, met with some of them, and reduced the number further, down to three or four now, he said.
He believes that, eventually, all of the individuals who were on the original Brady list he inherited will be cleared.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson