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The Mendocino County Sheriff's Office reported that a body was discovered early Saturday morning at Hendy Woods State Park in Boonville.
The body has been identified as that of Salvadore Alfonso Aguilar, 20, of Fort Bragg.
On Saturday, the same day as Aguilar's body was discovered, Mendocino Sheriff's Dispatch received a phone call from one of his relatives, who stated that she had been contacted by another family member who told her that the victim had shot himself and friends took him to a park and dropped him off.
Detectives contacted the family member in Fort Bragg and learned the victim had been dropped off in the park by his girlfriend and two others.
The detectives were able to contact the girlfriend and the two males. After interviews detectives were able to determine that Aguilar had been working in a marijuana garden in a remote part of Fishrock Road, Yorkville.
Aguilar was said to be despondent over a breakup with his girlfriend. He had walked off when the other four subjects heard a gunshot and found him dead.
They carried the victim up to Fishrock Road where they were met and transported Aguilar to the area where he was found.
Detectives are attempting to identify the location of the marijuana garden crime scene and recover a firearm.
The case remains under investigation the victim's family has been notified.
The cause of death will be determined by autopsy.
LOWER LAKE – A California Highway Patrol sustained major injuries and a Lake County Sheriff's deputy were hurt when they were each hit in separate crashes that occurred early Monday morning.
The identities of the two law enforcement officers were not released.
The CHP reported that the first crash occurred at 12:21 a.m. at the entrance of the DNA Rock quarry north of Diener Drive on Highway 29.
Officer Adam Garcia reported that the CHP officer from the Clear Lake area office was conducting a drunk driving evaluation at the quarry's entrance.
At the same time, the deputy was stopped on southbound Highway 29 preparing to make a left turn into the quarry entrance with his rear emergency lights activated, Garcia said.
As the deputy sat along the highway 58-year-old Edward Choroski of Clearlake struck the rear of the sheriff’s patrol vehicle with his white 1997 Volvo, according to Garcia.
Garcia said the collision pushed the patrol vehicle into the highway's northbound traffic lane.
The CHP officer attempted to give medical aid to the deputy who was standing adjacent to the driver’s side door, Garcia said.
At that point, the Sheriff’s patrol vehicle was struck head-on by a 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan driven by 65-year-old Mary Gomez of Lakeport, according to Garcia.
Garcia said the second collision pushed the sheriff’s patrol vehicle into the CHP officer, throwing him off the roadway and into some nearby bushes.
Kelseyville Fire Protection District ambulance transported the deputy to Sutter Lakeside Hospital, where he was treated for minor to moderate injuries, Garcia said.
Garcia said the CHP officer sustained major non-life threatening injuries and was also taken to Sutter Lakeside for treatment.
Gomez and Choroski were not reported as being injured, Garcia said.
CHP Officer Josh Dye is investigating the collisions.
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Mendo Lake Credit Union was one of 59 community development financial institutions (CDFIs) across the country that was awarded almost $90 million in funding through a competitive grant process, according to Congressman Mike Thompson's office.
“In this tough economy, ensuring that families and small businesses have access to the capital they need to stay afloat is extremely important,” said Thompson. “Credit unions provide important services to the underserved in our community, and this funding will allow the Mendo Lake Credit Union to continue their important work.”
Mendo Lake was one of only two credit unions in California, and nine across the United States, considered for the funds, said Richard Cooper, Mendo Lake Credit Union's president and chief executive officer.
The grant is “very exciting for us,” said Cooper, who explained that ARRA doubled funding for the US Treasury's CDFI program from $50 million to $98 million.
The CDFI fund's mission is to expand financial services to underserved populations in the United States and promote economic revitalization and community development through investment in and assistance to CDFIs, according to its Web site, www.cdfifund.gov . The fund was created in 1994.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Mendo Lake Credit Union's chartering.
The nonprofit financial institution is insured by the federal National Credit Union Administration, and is owned and controlled by members. It serves more than 13,000 community members in Lake and Mendocino counties. Mendo Lake has 33 employees in three offices – six in Lakeport, five Fort Bragg and 12 in Ukiah.
Cooper said the funds will provide an important boost. He explained that Mendo Lake Credit Union is the No. 1 auto loan lender in Lake County. It also works with many small businesses – including many “mom and pops” – and offers free checking services to businesses and individuals.
The funding will allow the credit union to expand its operations back into real estate lending, he said, explaining that the credit union has had first-time homebuyer and manufactured housing loan programs for many years, and has been successful in getting people into their own homes.
“We had actually been out of the real estate market for a good 12 or 14 months due to the current situation,” he said.
Cooper said Mendo Lake does a lot of financial literacy and community work, and reaches out to people who don't trust traditional banks and have used high-interest check cashing and payday lending programs instead– including immigrants, tribal communities and some low-income residents. The goal is to bring them into the mainstream.
Unlike a for-profit bank, credit unions do not generate gains for shareholders. “We have to grow our capital as we grow our organization,” said Cooper. “It would take us years and years to save $2 million out of current earnings.”
This is the second time Mendo Lake Credit Union has received a sizable federal grant.
In 2005 the institution was awarded $1.3 million, said Cooper. That funding helped provide the credit union with the capital needed to grow from $50 million in holdings in 2005 to $75 million in 2007-08.
As a size comparison, he pointed out that Savings Bank of Mendocino – which he said shares a good relationship with the credit union – has $800 million in assets.
The 2008 funding cycle was the first time that Mendo Lake could reapply for more funds. Cooper said it's a “pretty arduous process,” with a six-inch notebook worth of paper as part of the federal application and reporting requirements.
He said the government was looking at organizations and institutions, like Mendo Lake, that offer core services to underserved, urban and rural poor populations.
The current economy has created challenges for the people Mendo Lake serves, particularly with auto loans, said Cooper. Delinquency was once very low and part of a strongly performing portfolio.
Now, delinquency has increased 100 percent, with it becoming a common occurrence to see people coming into the credit union with their car keys and a sad look on their face, Cooper said.
Cooper said the credit union has listened to peoples' needs and tried to work with them. That includes negotiating interest rates and modifying payment plans with a couple hundred of its car loan customers in order to help keep them in cars so they can search for jobs or keep the employment they already have.
“We have worked very hard and I'm so proud of the loyalty and the good intentions of so many of our credit union members,” he said.
In addition to its regular business functions, Cooper said Mendo Lake seeks to be a good corporate citizen through community involvement and support of nonprofits and education.
Their work locally includes offering scholarships for local at-risk students at Mendocino College. Cooper sits on the Mendocino College Foundation's board.
Cooper said Mendo Lake can do a lot with the federal funding.
“It provides that little extra that we need to maintain a really small bottom line,” he said.
For more information visit Mendo Lake Credit Union online, www.mlcu.org/ .
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
THE US GEOLOGICAL SURVEY HAS DOWNGRADED THE QUAKE ORIGINALLY REPORTED AS A 3.0 TO A 2.9. THE ARTICLE HAS BEEN UPDATED TO REFLECT THAT.
THE GEYSERS – The Geysers and Cobb area experienced two more earthquakes close to or above 3.0 magnitude on Sunday.
The US Geological Survey reported that a 3.0-magnitude quake occurred at 4:31 a.m. It was centered two miles north of The Geysers, five miles west of Cobb and seven miles west northwest of Anderson Springs.That quake was later downgraded to 2.9.
The quake occurred at a depth of 1.7 miles, and was reportedly felt nearly 700 miles away in Claremont, according to the US Geological Survey's shake reports.
That quake was followed 18 minutes later by a 3.1-magnitude quake.
Occurring at 4:49 a.m., the second quake was measured at a depth of two miles, the US Geological Survey reported.
Its epicenter appeared to be in the same spot as the first quakes – two miles north of The Geysers, five miles west of Cobb and seven miles west northwest of Anderson Springs, based on monitoring reports.
Shake reports on the second quake came from Middletown, Concord and San Francisco.
Over the last several weeks The Geysers area has seen a spike in quakes measuring 3.0 and above, as Lake County News has reported.
Two earthquakes occurred July 6, measuring 3.7 and 3.8 on the Richter Scale, which followed two quakes above 3.0 the previous week.
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THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED.
LAKEPORT – Firefighters quickly contained a fire Saturday evening in the north Lakeport area.
The fire was reported shortly before 6 p.m.
Michael Selmi of Cal Fire's Incident Command Center said the blaze, measuring an acre and a half, was located in the area of Hill Road and Snyder Drive.
An estimated 40 firefighters – from Cal Fire, Lakeport and Northshore Fire – were on scene for the evening blaze, which came close to area homes. In particular, it burned right up next to one home sitting on a small ridge.
Numerous engines – including five from Cal Fire – responded, along with a bulldozer and a hand crew.
A helicopter and three air tankers were dispatched to the fire, with the helicopter making several water drops.
One area resident, Jack Baxter, looked out his kitchen window, saw the fire and went right for his tractor. Baxter took the front loader with a drag box and headed straight up the hill from his house toward the flames.
He drove into the burning grass and used his tractor to cut a fire line on three sides, which may have helped save the nearest home from fire as well as protect other homes in the immediate area.
Neighbors and firefighters credited his fast action for helping stop the fast-moving fire from reaching other homes over the hill toward Walnut and Lakeshore Boulevard.
The fire was contained just before 6:30 p.m., Selmi said.
Selmi said the fire's cause was a bird that flew into a transformer, a cause which he said is pretty common.
Area residents at the scene indicated that, before the fire, they had experienced a power surge at about 5:45 p.m., followed by a brief blackout.
This is the fourth fire this week reported on the north Lakeport area.
Last Wednesday, three fires amounting to about 22 acres burned along the Highway near the Lakeside Heights subdivision, as Lake County News has reported.
Harold LaBonte contributed to this report.
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The California Highway Patrol reported that the crash occurred at Highway 20 and Harvey at about 6:15 p.m.
A Honda Civic and a motorcycle collided, leaving the roadway blocked, according to the CHP.
The CHP, Lake County Sheriff's Office and Northshore Fire responded to the scene. Tow companies also were called for the vehicles.
The motorcyclist and the passenger in the vehicle were both flown to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, the CHP reported.
Major injuries were reported, but the names of the crash victims and their specific injuries were not available late Saturday.
The roadway was reopened at approximately 7:36 p.m., the CHP reported.
CHP Officer Kory Reynolds is reportedly in charge of the investigation.
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