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Joseph Henri Deshetres, 62, of Santa Rosa and Cheryl Ann Reese, 56, of Lakeport were both arrested on Wednesday in connection with the Oct. 20 break-in at the S. Main Street home of 49-year-old Ronald Greiner, according to Capt. James Bauman of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
Deshetres and Reese are charged with threatening witnesses in the case, Bauman reported.
Greiner was beaten, shot and hogtied by his assailants, who he told investigators had broken into his home to steal his medical marijuana, as Lake County News has reported.
On Wednesday, the Lake County Sheriff’s Major Crimes Unit executed two more arrest warrants and three more search warrants in Santa Rosa as a result of the ongoing investigation into the attempted murder of Greiner, Bauman said.
Members of the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department and the Santa Rosa Police Department assisted with the execution of the warrants.
Bauman said the warrant teams converged on two homes and a business in Santa Rosa during the Wednesday searches.
Reese was arrested at her place of business, Rod Buntjer Bail Bonds on West College Avenue, and a search warrant was executed on the business, Bauman said. Deshetres was arrested at his home on Gloria Drive and a search warrant was executed there as well.
A third search warrant was served at another, undisclosed residence in Santa Rosa, but no other arrests were made, according to Bauman's report.
Following execution of the three search warrants, both Reese and Deshetres were eventually transported to the Lake County Jail where they were both booked on Thursday afternoon on felony charges of preventing or dissuading a witness with threats, Bauman said.
Other suspects arrested in the case so far include Thomas Loyd Dudney, 59, of Fulton, a validated member of the Misfits motorcycle gang, who has remained in custody since his Oct. 20 arrest; Joshua Isaac Wandrey Sr., 35, of Rohnert Park; and Deborah Ann James, 47, of Windsor.
Dudney allegedly had been conspiring with other members and associates of the Misfits residing in the Santa Rosa area to threaten and intimidate key witnesses in the case, Bauman said.
Bauman said both Deshetres and Reese remain in the Lake County Jail on the no-bail warrants for their alleged involvement with Dudney and the Greiner case.
More arrests are anticipated as the ongoing investigation continues, according to Bauman.
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Rowland James Mosser, 65, made a brief appearance in Lake County Superior Court's Department 1 on Friday morning.
Mosser is charged with two felony counts of embezzlement and two felony grand theft charges for allegedly taking funds from the center between Jan. 1, 2005, and Aug. 12, 2005. He was the center's director from July 2002 to August 2005.
On Friday, Lakeport attorney Mitchell Hauptman made a special appearance on Mosser's behalf, although Mosser hasn't retained him as an attorney. Hauptman had made a similar appearance for Mosser at a November court date.
Hauptman told Judge Richard Martin on Friday that Mosser hasn't yet hired an attorney.
“He's still trying to arrange the money to hire counsel,” Hauptman said, noting Mosser was hoping for another two to three weeks in which to make arrangements.
“Judge, it's been a long time already,” said Gary Luck, the retired district attorney who now works cases in a part-time capacity.
Luck said there has been nearly a four-month lapse in the case while they've waited for Mosser to hire an attorney.
“I'd like to get this case moving forward again,” said Luck, who suggested that if Mosser can't afford an attorney that a public defender should be appointed for him.
Martin asked Hauptman the reason for the delay.
Hauptman said it was a matter of money. Mosser currently is trying to close a business deal that will pay him a commission.
“He thinks that the deal is imminent, that it will close sometime in the next week or two,” and will allow him to hire counsel, Hauptman explained.
Luck suggested they come back on Jan. 29.
Martin agreed, noting that in two weeks, “He either has the money or he doesn't,” and can then have defense counsel appointed.
The next court appearance will take place at 9 a.m. Friday, Jan 29, in Lake County Superior Court Department 1, at which time Mosser will be expected to enter a plea.
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On Tuesday, following a two-day trial and 30 minutes of deliberation, a nine-woman, three-man jury found 28-year-old Lawrence Nye Jr. guilty of driving under the influence of marijuana, according to a report from Mendocino County District Attorney Meredith Lintott.
The jury also found true a special allegation of a prior conviction for driving under the influence, Lintott's office reported.
Judge Ronald Brown sentenced Nye to five years probation, 15 days in the Mendocino County Jail, fines and fees of $2,410, and the second offender driving under the influence class. In addition, Nye’s license will be suspended for two years.
Nye allegedly was seen smoking marijuana in his pickup as he drove north on Highway 101 near Ukiah. Lintott's report said another motorist called 911 and reported a driver who was smoking marijuana and who was all over the road.
California Highway Patrol dispatch put out an alert that included a description of the pickup and its license number, and a CHP unit responded from the scales at Ridgewood Summit and parked at the base of the grade a couple of miles south of Willits.
About 10 minutes later Nye drove by at over 70 miles per hour and the CHP followed him. Nye allegedly continued at more than 70 miles an hour as the road narrowed to two lanes and the speed limit changed from 65 mph to 55 mph.
Nye did not appear to see the CHP parked in plain sight next to the roadway as he went by, he did not see it pull in behind him and he did not see the red lights when the attempted to pull him over. It was only when all of the emergency lights were turned on that he noticed them. Nye yielded very suddenly, stopping from 70 miles an hour in only 200 feet.
When CHP officers contacted Nye there was a strong odor of burned marijuana in the pickup and on his breath. He failed the field sobriety tests and was arrested. An evaluation by a drug recognition expert confirmed that Nye was under the influence and too impaired to drive safely.
Lintott's office reported that marijuana DUI cases are more difficult than alcohol cases because scientific evidence has not been developed to show impairment based solely on certain levels of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) – the main psychoactive substance found in the marijuana plant – in the human body the way it can be proved with alcohol.
While a person with .08 percent of alcohol in their blood is presumed to be under the influence, there is no comparable standard for marijuana, according to the report.
Proof of impairment depends on objective symptoms and the driver’s behavior. A doctor's prescription or a medical marijuana recommendations is not a defense to driving under the influence – driving while impaired by any drug is against the law and it does not matter that the drug was approved by a doctor, according to the report.
The statement from Lintott's office said impaired drivers present a tremendous hazard to everyone, endangering other drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists, to name a few.
Lintott said her office is committed to keeping impaired drivers off the road and prosecuting anyone who drives while under the influence, and it does not matter if it is marijuana, alcohol or any other drug.
She said that this verdict proves that Mendocino County jurors likewise see the danger that impaired drivers present and drivers impaired by marijuana are no less dangerous than drivers impaired by alcohol or any other drug.
Deputy District Attorney Brian Newman prosecuted the case, while Deputy Public Defender Jessyca Hoagland represented Nye.
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The death toll in Haiti is estimated to reach as high as 50,000, based on numerous press reports, and the American Red Cross is reporting that as many as three million people may be affected by the quake.
Aftershocks triggered by the huge Tuesday earthquake have continued to hit the region. By early Friday morning, approximately 43 quakes, ranging in size from 4.4 to 5.9 in magnitude, had occurred since Tuesday, according to the US Geological Survey.
On Thursday President Barack Obama pledged $100 million in US aid and announced that he had deployed members of the US Armed Forces to help support recovery efforts.
Included in that deployment are several Coast Guard cutters providing basic services, members of the Army's 82nd Airborne Division, a Marine Expeditionary Unit, the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson and the Navy's hospital ship, the Comfort, the White House reported on Thursday.
Assisting with the recovery efforts are a number of humanitarian organizations such as Doctors Without Borders, Oxfam America and the American Red Cross.
Doctors Without Borders medical teams have reportedly given medical care to more than 1,000 earthquake victims in the four tented facilities that the organization set up,and are trying to get an operator theater or a major hospital opened.
On Thursday, Doctors Without Borders said one of its inflatable field hospitals, complete with two operating theaters, was expected to arrive in Haiti, and doctors and other medical personnel were on the way.
American Red Cross Disaster management specialists were set to arrive Thursday from the United States, Peru and Mexico to join local Red Cross staff already on the ground in Haiti's disaster zone. The International Committee of the Red Cross already head deployed medical supplies and medical staff.
Blood and blood products to help the injured already were shipped to Guantanamo Bay to help Haitian evacuees and patients, and other supplies are prepared for shipping once airports can receive relief shipments, the Red Cross reported.
The Red Cross said Thursday it has released $10 million so far to help Haiti, and was leading a text message campaign to draw donations.
The group said priority needs are food, water, temporary shelter, medical services and emotional support.
Donna Neu with the Yolo and Lake County Red Cross chapter, said they're primarily collecting financial donations for the effort.
“We're not sending any volunteers,” Neu said. “They are not asking for any at this time.”
They ask that contributions be mailed to the Red Cross office at 401 Martin St. in Lakeport, with a notation that the money be sent directly to the Red Cross International Response Fund.
Neu said people can make donations online at the Red Cross' Web site, www.redcross.org . The Red Cross also can be reached at 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767).
People also can donate money through their cell phones. Neu said they can text “Haiti” to 90999, which will send a $10 donation. The Red Cross reported that the mobile donations raised more than $3 million by Thursday morning.
Ellen Maremont Silver of the Sonoma and Mendocino County Red Cross chapter reported Thursday that their phones haven't stopped ringing.
That day, she said she sat with a propane tank installer as he counted out more than $127 – mostly in change – from his private piggy bank. “People's hearts are large,” she said.
The American Red Cross has seen an outpouring of support and concern from the public, both locally in Sonoma and Mendocino Counties and around the country, Silver said.
So far, more than $8,000 from more than 90 people has been donated through the Sonoma and Mendocino County Red Cross chapter, with people continuing to call, donate online, mail in donations and bring contributions directly to the Santa Rosa headquarters, Silver said. Residents of those counties also can donate online at www.arcsm.org/donate .
Other groups accepting donations include Doctors Without Borders, http://doctorswithoutborders.org/, Oxfam America, https://secure.oxfamamerica.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=main_donate_go and Yéle Haiti, www.yele.org/.
For those trying to contact friends and family in Haiti, they are urged to call the U.S. Department of State, Office of Overseas Citizens Services at 1-888-407-4747 or 202-647-5225.
As the efforts continue, California Attorney General Jerry Brown on Thursday encouraged Californians to make charitable donations for victims of the devastating earthquake in Haiti, but warned them to avoid scam artists who may prey on the goodwill of California donors.
“After every tragedy, a wave of scam artists take advantage of generous individuals who want to help the victims of a tragedy,” Brown said. “It's important to thoroughly research charitable organizations before you write a check.”
He urged people to donate to charities they know and make sure they're in the Attorney General's Registry of Charitable Trusts at http://ag.ca.gov/charities.php . For additional tips on charitable giving, go to http://ag.ca.gov/charities/charit_giving.php .
Information on national charities is available from the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance at 800-575-4483 or www.give.org .
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Joseph Anthony Frank, 63, was arrested shortly before 3 p.m. Tuesday, according to Lt. Rusty Noe of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.
On Tuesday sheriff's deputies were dispatched to Jensen's Truck Stop at 1460 Lover's Lane in Ukiah on a reported assault, Noe said.
When the deputies arrived they learned that Frank had entered the business and began making comments about the race of the victim, a 23-year-old employee, according to Noe. Frank then told the victim that he was going to kill him.
Noe said Frank allegedly removed his jacket and hit the victim in the side of the face. Frank then left in his truck.
The victim advised Frank's actions seemed to be purely motivated by the victim's race. Noe said the man also told deputies that the incident was captured on the stores video surveillance system.
Deputies issued a “be on the look out” for Frank's truck, and Noe said a California Highway Patrol officer located Frank in his truck on Kuki Lane.
The CHP subsequently placed Frank under arrest for drunk driving, Noe said. Once Frank arrived at the Mendocino County Jail, he was booked for the hate crime charge, with bail set at $20,000.
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NICE – A lit cigarette is believed to have caused a fire that destroyed a home in Nice on Wednesday.
The fire was reported in the older doublewide modular home on Hamilton Street shortly before 3 p.m., according to Northshore Fire Protection District Chief Jim Robbins.
The fire was accessed from Pyle Road, off of Highway 20, according to reports from the scene.
A young woman who was renting the home fell asleep while smoking, Robbins said. The cigarette caught a Christmas tree in the home on fire.
The woman awoke to a lot of heat and smoke, and she tried to throw water on the fire to put it out, said Robbins. However, by that time, the fire had moved to smaller couch.
Robbins said the woman then escaped from the home uninjured.
The call initially came in as a smoke check in the area. Robbins said as he drove to Nice from Lucerne with one engine, he could see a pillar of black smoke.
By the time firefighters arrived, the fire already was well under way, he said.
Older modulars burn quickly, Robbins said. “All they need is about 10 minutes.”
The trailer had a secondary roof built over it. “That caused us a lot of problems with collapsing,” said Robbins.
Three engines and 12 personnel from Northshore Fire's Nice, Lucerne and Upper Lake stations responded, Robbins said. By 5 p.m. they had extinguished the fire and mopped up the scene.
Robbins said the lost property is valued at about $80,000.
“It's a total loss,” said Robbins. “She lost everything she had in there.”
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