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Lakeport Police logs: Saturday, Jan. 10
Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026
00:00 EXTRA PATROL 2601100001
Occurred at Lake County Law Library on 3D....
Body of missing Mendocino County man located at vehicle wreck site in forest
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Authorities said they have located the body of a Mendocino County man who went missing in April at a crash site in northern Lake County.
Randolph Albert Wilson, 63, of Covelo was identified as the man found dead along with his wrecked vehicle on Thursday morning, according to Lauren Berlinn of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
Lt. Commander Dan Fansler of the California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office said that on Thursday at 11:30 a.m. his officers, along with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and fire personnel, responded to a report of a solo vehicle crash on Hull Mountain Road, approximately two miles east of Simmons Road.
That location is a short distance away from Lake Pillsbury in the Mendocino National Forest in northern Lake County.
Fansler said the initial crash investigation led to the discovery of a 1990 Pontiac Sunbird sedan down a steep 400 foot embankment.
He said Wilson, the Pontiac’s suspected driver and solo occupant, was found dead at the scene.
Fansler said investigators believe the crash occurred over a month ago.
A Feather Alert — used to help locate at-risk Indigenous people — was issued for Wilson after it was reported that he was last seen in Ukiah April 17.
The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office said Wilson was reported missing April 21 and had been believed to be driving the white Pontiac Sunbird convertible.
Fansler said the crash is still under investigation.
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Board of Supervisors terminates Public Works director
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Lake County’s Public Works director was dismissed this week after just a year on the job.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Board of Supervisors emerged from closed session to vote to terminate Public Works Director Glen March.
The board appointed March to the job on a limited term basis last June. The goal was for him to work alongside retiring Public Works Director Scott DeLeon in order to facilitate a leadership transition before March’s permanent appointment became effective June 29, as Lake County News has reported.
March came to Lake County after serving three decades in what the county said at the time were “engineering-focused roles in the private and public sectors” in places including the cities of Hollister and East Palo Alto.
Department heads typically have reviews once or, occasionally, twice a year, especially if they are new. More closed session performance evaluations than that during a year are generally a sign that a department head may be about to leave.
Since his hire was announced in May of 2024, March had been evaluated Dec. 3, with the next evaluation set for June 3. Another evaluation followed at the board’s June 10 meeting, with “Public Employee Discipline/Dismissal/Release” included on this week’s agenda under closed.
After the closed door discussion, the board came back into open session, with Supervisor Brad Rasmussen moving to terminate March immediately. The board voted unanimously to approve the motion.
Rasmussen followed up with a second motion, also approved unanimously, to appoint County Administrative Officer Susan Parker and Public Services Director Lars Ewing as interim Public Works directors, effective immediately.
The Public Works director job has typically been one of the county’s more reliably filled department head positions.
Scott De Leon, who retired at the end of June 2024, held the job for 13 years, following Brent Siemer, who had resigned in 2011 after four years on the job because he said he couldn’t meet the board’s expectations.
Board dealing with other recruitment issues
In addition to now having to begin a recruitment to fill the Public Works director position, the supervisors continue to seek a permanent Animal Care and Control director.
Gregory Wilkins, who the board had appointed to head animal control in October, tendered his resignation on Feb. 25, the same day as he had a performance evaluation. His departure was effective May 28.
The supervisors were scheduled to hold a closed session to conduct interviews for an Animal Care and Control director on May 12.
On Tuesday, as part of the regular board consent agenda, the supervisors appointed Assistant County Administrative Officer Stephen Carter Jr. to the post on an interim basis, effective July 1.
This spring, Public Health Officer Dr. Noemi Doohan also resigned.
Earlier this month, the board appointed Robert S. Bernstein, MD, MS, MPH, PhD, to succeed Doohan, effective Sept. 2.
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Are California’s efforts to address retail theft working?
Is California making progress in addressing the rise of retail theft?
That’s a question a new report is attempting to answer.
Reported retail theft has increased in California in recent years, growing by around 11 percent between 2014 and 2023. Current levels, however, remain below historic 1980s highs.
In response to mounting public concern on this issue, the state is implementing new laws aimed at reducing retail theft, primarily by making prosecutions easier and increasing punishment for offenders.
A new report from the state’s Legislative Analyst’s Office, or LAO, suggests that stronger oversight of these efforts, bolstered by enhanced data collection, is needed to assess whether the state is successfully curbing retail theft.
This echoes the Little Hoover Commission’s call for an evidence-based approach to address retail theft in our state.
The LAO report, Retail Theft in California: Looking Back at a Decade of Change, surveys a decade of changes — both inside and outside of the criminal justice system — that could have contributed to higher rates of retail theft. This includes reforms to increase prosecutorial flexibility through Proposition 47 or the expansion of store policies directing staff to not engage with suspected shoplifters.
The report concludes with a framework for enhancing legislative oversight of implementation of new enforcement and prosecutorial tools to reduce retail theft, including whether and how they are being used, and if promising practices are being shared and adopted.
It also offers suggestions to better understand the outcomes and efficiencies of various strategies, such as whether reported retail theft is going down and by how much the justice system costs changed.
It notes, however, that pursuing this research will require better and more complete data, and, in some cases, more rigorous analysis.
Last year, the Little Hoover Commission learned retail theft is not always reported and it’s challenging to estimate how frequently it actually occurs. At the time of the commission’s study, the state did not collect or track data on organized retail theft.
In its report, Retail Theft: A Data-Driven Response for California, the commission called on the state to mandate and appropriately fund the collection of detailed data to help California leaders and researchers better understand the circumstances around retail theft and the people involved in it.
Specifically, the commission called on the California Department of Justice to expand its existing data initiatives to include:
• Circumstances surrounding the crime.
• Demographics on those arrested.
• Law enforcement response times.
• Whether and what charges prosecutors filed.
• Final case outcomes.
• The offender’s rehabilitation, reentry and recidivism.
Next, to build understanding and guide development of future solutions, the Commission urged the state to collaborate with universities or other nonpartisan research institutions to fund in-depth studies on:
• Retail theft preventative measures and effectiveness.
• Underreporting of retail theft.
• Commercial victimization.
• Economic impact of retail theft.
• Drivers of public perception of retail theft.
• Fencing of stolen goods.
Without comprehensive data on retail theft, California lacks a vital tool to understand the effects of this crime or how to best stop it.
To read the commission’s full report on retail theft implementation and find more information about the commission’s work on the subject, visit its website.
Clearlake Animal Control: ‘Bella’ and the dogs
“Bella.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. — Clearlake Animal Control has dozens of great dogs who would make wonderful additions to new homes.
The shelter has 49 adoptable dogs listed on its website.
This week’s dogs include “Bella,” a pit bull terrier mix who staff describe as “a loving and friendly dog who enjoys spending time with people and other dogs.”
Staff said Bella has good leash manners, making her easy to walk on outings.
“Bella is also playful and enjoys her toys, which adds to her engaging personality. She would likely do well in a home with other dogs, as she seems to appreciate their company. Bella would be a great addition for families or individuals looking for a companion that enjoys walks and playtime,” staff said.
The shelter is located at 6820 Old Highway 53. It’s open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
For more information, call the shelter at 707-762-6227, email
This week’s adoptable dogs are featured below.
Email Elizabeth Larson at