How to resolve AdBlock issue? 
News
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Napa County authorities have arrested and charged a Middletown man with multiple felonies after they said he set two fires on Thursday, assaulted his father, and carjacked and seriously injured a good Samaritan, kidnapping her young daughter in the process.
William Ralph Harbour IV, 37, was arrested Thursday afternoon by a Napa County Sheriff’s deputy and booked into the Napa County Jail later that night, according to booking records.
He’s alleged to have started the McKinley fire in Middletown, which was dispatched just after noon on Thursday, and is accused of elder abuse for running over his father and setting fire to his car.
Harbour also is charged with carjacking for taking the vehicle of a woman who stopped to help him, severely injuring her in the process, while also kidnapping her 7-year-old daughter before leading officers on a high-speed chase.
On Monday, the Napa County District Attorney’s Office filed a complaint charging Harbour with 14 felonies and four special allegations in the case. Court records show he was arraigned Monday afternoon.
Harbour is charged with kidnapping for carjacking, which upon conviction could carry a life sentence; kidnapping; carjacking with a special allegation of causing great bodily injury to the woman whose vehicle he took; evading an officer against traffic; evading an officer with willful disregard; two counts of assault on a peace officer for assaulting two California State Parks officers; attempted unlawful driving or taking of a vehicle; unlawful driving or taking of a vehicle; carjacking; elder or dependent adult abuse of his father, William Harbour III; grand theft of personal property, specifically, $1,000 from William Harbour III; arson of property of another for setting fire to his father’s Mercedes; and recklessly causing a fire of a structure or forest near the intersection of Highway 175 and McKinley Drive.
He’s also charged with special allegations of committing arson during a state emergency; violence, cruelty, viciousness or callousness in committing seven of the acts; that the three victims were particularly vulnerable; violent conduct; and committing the offenses in two or more jurisdictions, specifically, Lake and Napa counties.
The agencies involved in pursuing and apprehending Harbour included the California State Parks, the Napa County Sheriff’s Office, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the California Highway Patrol.
When contacted about the incident, California State Parks referred Lake County News to the Napa County Sheriff’s Office, which is leading the investigation and whose narrative the Napa County District Attorney used for the Monday court filing.
Asked for more information about the case on Tuesday, Napa County District Attorney’s Office spokesman Carlos Villatoro said he had nothing additional to share.
Tyree Zander, Cal Fire’s Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit spokesperson, said he did not have information about a determination on the McKinley fire’s cause.
Spree of violence continuing over two counties
What sparked the spree of violence that Harbour is alleged to have carried out so far isn’t clear, but the trail can be pieced together through a series of radio calls with Lake County Sheriff and fire dispatch along with the case documents released so far.
The McKinley fire, at McKinley Drive and Highway 175, was reported at around noon on Thursday. Firefighters were on scene quickly and held it to about two acres, according to radio reports.
Just after 12:10 p.m. Lake County Sheriff’s dispatch reported receiving a call from the 17000 block of Arroyo Vista Road near Whispering Pines about a subject named “William” who was chasing people, had run over his dad and was fighting with his grandma. The caller requested medics.
It was then reported that the subject had left in a green Jeep Liberty headed toward Highway 175. Radio traffic indicated that it was not known where he might be traveling, that he “has no friends,” and that the vehicle had possible body damage on the rear passenger side.
A short time later, dispatch said there was a black Mercedes on fire at the Arroyo Vista address. Smoke was coming from the gas tank. Cal Fire later responded from the McKinley fire to the incident.
Deputies reported looking for Harbour along Highway 175 but didn’t locate him.
Shortly before 1 p.m., the California Highway Patrol reported that there was a rollover crash on Highway 29 on the Napa County side, near mile post marker 45, which is close to Robert Louis Stevenson State Park.
State Parks officers had arrived on the scene and saw Harbour walking on the roadway bleeding. As one of them stopped and got out of his vehicle Harbour attempted to steal the vehicle. The State Parks officer had to forcefully remove Harbour from the driver's seat. Harbour then fled on foot.
About 10 minutes later, a report went out over the air about a possible carjacking, with the subject traveling southbound on Highway 29 over Mount Saint Helena towards Tubbs Lane. The vehicle involved was reported to be a brown Jeep, traveling at high speeds. A few minutes later, it was reported that a juvenile was believed to be in the vehicle with the responsible subject.
As the State Parks officers were searching for Harbour they found an injured woman on the ground in the roadway who told them that someone took her vehicle with her 7-year-old daughter inside.
The case narrative said the woman encountered Harbour as he was walking along Highway 29 inside Napa County. She pulled over because she thought he needed help.
When she got out of her Jeep, Harbour took the vehicle. The case narrative said she grabbed the steering wheel and begged Harbour to stop because her child was inside.
The woman fell off the vehicle as Harbour accelerated and she lost consciousness after hitting the ground. She sustained a fractured skull, brain bruise and road rash, the case narrative said.
Harbour continued to drive with the terrified child inside the vehicle, dropping her off a short distance away before he continued on and was located by the State Parks officers.
The Napa County Sheriff’s case narrative stated that Harbour then led them on a pursuit with speeds reaching over 80 miles per hour.
He drove over the double yellow line into oncoming traffic several times during the pursuit, with the ranger reporting that other motorists had to move out of the way to avoid a collision during the pursuit.
Harbour intentionally rammed a State Parks vehicle twice before the pursuit ended, the narrative said.
Based on radio traffic, Harbour was taken into custody shortly before 1:30 p.m.
Case documents said the pursuit ended when Harbour came to a dead end at a
gate in the 7200 block of Heide Ranch and Sonoma roads in Napa County and he was taken into custody.
Just after 1:30 p.m., an ambulance was requested to report to the 7100 block of Sharp Road, south of Calistoga.
The California Highway Patrol advised deputies that Harbour was suspected of being under the influence of a “central nervous system stimulant,” a category that can include amphetamines and other drugs.
Harbour was taken to Queen of the Valley Hospital for clearance before he was transported to the Napa County Jail, according to case documents.
Napa County Jail records show he was booked into custody just before 8 p.m. Thursday and is being held without bail.
At his Monday arraignment, Harbour was ordered to return to court for entry of plea on Sept. 11, and a protective order has been put in place for the woman he injured in the carjacking.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lake County Planning Commission is set this week to discuss a new event permit, a cannabis operation and an appeal of a denial of a temporary dwelling permit.
The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 28, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The agenda is here.
To participate in real-time, join the Zoom meeting by clicking this link.
The webinar ID is 994 1760 2765, the pass code is 155982.
Access the meeting via one tap mobile at +16699006833,,99417602765#,,,,*155982# or dial in at 669-900-6833.
The meeting also can be viewed on the county’s website or Facebook page.
At 9:05 a.m., the commission will hold a public hearing to consider a major use permit to allow events, including serving food and wine, at 3210 and 3280 Big Valley Road, Kelseyville.
The applicant is Mara Mehlman, whose project, “Harmony,” will feature farm-to-table dining and fine wine events.
Mehlman brings experience in the hospitality industry to the project. She and her partner, Jevgenija Saromova, a professional chef, previously owned the Lincoln Inn & Restaurant at the Covered Bridge, in Woodstock, Vermont. They sold the Vermont property and moved to Lake County earlier this year.
Also on the agenda is a 9:20 a.m. public hearing to consider a major use permit for MIT Farms, as well as an initial study and mitigated negative declaration for approval of a commercial outdoor cannabis cultivation of up to 42,066 sf canopy at 22368 and 22430 Jerusalem Grade, Middletown.
At 9:35 a.m., the commission will hold a public hearing to consider the administrative appeal of Scott Renkes, whose request for renewal of his temporary dwelling permit at 1800 New Long Valley Road in Clearlake Oaks, where he and his wife are building a new home, was denied by planning staff.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
COBB, Calif. — Congressman Mike Thompson is coming to Lake County this week to host his latest "Coffee with our Congressman" event.
The community meeting will take place beginning at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 28, at the Little Red Schoolhouse, 15780 Bottle Rock Road in Cobb.
Community members are invited to drop in, have a cup of coffee and discuss federal policies of importance to our community.
RSVP here to attend.
Please note that signs, flags, poles, megaphones and large bags are prohibited.
Thompson represents California’s Fourth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties.
At the direction of Gov. Gavin Newsom, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and Cal Fire continue to preposition resources and respond aggressively to new fires.
California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, or Cal OES, predeployed firefighting resources and personnel to 12 counties in anticipation of critical fire weather that started last Wednesday and will continue to persist through today.
Since Aug. 22 there have been over 74,000 lightning strikes in the state of California with over 33,000 strikes happening just in the last 24 hours.
The National Weather Service forecasts critical fire weather for Tuesday and Wednesday due to abundant lightning and gusty winds that will increase fire spread.
Officials said this will affect the Inland Region, including Sacramento Valley and mountain ranges.
In addition, portions of the Southern and Inland regions of the state may be under a flood watch due to threats of heavy rainfall.
Despite extreme heat, widespread red flag warnings, and thousands of lightning strikes recorded across the state, California kept numerous new wildfires small and manageable, with most being quickly extinguished within the first 24 hours.
The state has deployed 2,700-plus personnel, 14 helicopters, 248 engines, 75 dozers and 29 water tenders to the Pickett Fire in Napa County — helping stop its forward growth and ramp up containment.
“California continues to be in a readiness posture for extreme heat and fire weather. Our aggressive response to this weather and our predeployment strategy has meant that only a handful of the more than 200 new fire starts have grown past 10 acres. We continue to have thousands of personnel deployed across the state to keep communities safe,” said Newsom.
For more than one week, high temperatures, low humidity and dry lightning were present throughout the state. California took action by predeploying available resources to communities that could be impacted by severe fire weather.
Local fire agencies identify when conditions in their community may require additional resources and submit a request to the state for support.
A total of 78 fire engines, 20 water tenders, nine bulldozers, five helicopters, 10 hand crews, 16 dispatchers, and two Incident Management Teams were approved for 12 counties, including Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Sierra, Nevada, Plumas, Placer, Calaveras, and Trinity.
Staging locations and response assignments are coordinated by local officials.
These efforts ensure that resources are ready to respond quickly, minimizing the potential impact of new fires.
Officials said this proactive approach has proven to be a critical component of California’s wildfire response strategy, reducing response times and containing fires before they escalate into potential major incidents.
The preposition program is in addition to California’s Fire and Rescue Mutual Aid System, which remains available for emergency response support throughout the state where resources are needed.
At the governor’s direction, the State Operations Center at Cal OES remains on an “enhanced watch” status for both heat and fire conditions.
Cal Fire responds quickly during fire weather conditions
Since Aug. 21, California has seen more than 200 new fire starts, with 132 of those within Cal Fire's jurisdiction.
Thanks to an aggressive initial attack strategy and strong mutual aid system, only a handful of these fires grew to over 10 acres. Officials call this a “remarkable success rate” that’s a testament to the dedication and preparedness of the state’s firefighters.
In anticipation of the predicted fire weather conditions, Cal Fire bolstered resources by pre-positioning crews and equipment in Southern California.
In Northern California, Incident Management Team four was assigned to the Pickett Fire in Napa County, supporting the Cal Fire Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit in combating this quickly spreading fire in a highly populated area.
This strategy of aggressively attacking all fires has proven incredibly effective. By achieving containment quickly, communities face less disruption and worry, and more resources are available for the next new fire starts. This swift and decisive initial attack strategy will continue as challenging conditions persist into the fall.
Residents are urged to stay vigilant during heightened heat and fire weather. Californians are reminded to:
• Prepare a wildfire action plan, including planning evacuation routes and packing a go-bag with essentials.
• Sign up for local emergency alerts to stay informed about changing conditions.
• Visit CalHeatScore.CalEPA.ca.gov to find heat safety information specific to your area.
For more information on fire safety and general preparedness, visit Ready.ca.gov.
LAKEPORT, Calif. — A former Lake County Code Enforcement officer convicted of bribery was sentenced to a year in jail and two years of probation on Monday afternoon.
Judge J. David Markham handed down the sentence to Antonio Chavez Anguiano, 37, of Clearlake.
Chavez Anguiano was arrested July 31, 2024, on felony charges of extortion, soliciting/accepting a bribe and grand theft, and misdemeanor possession of marijuana for sale, as Lake County News reported last summer.
The District Attorney’s Office originally charged him with 12 felonies including an executive officer accepting a bribe, extortion and grand theft, and a misdemeanor for possession of marijuana for sale.
Following an Oct. 9 preliminary hearing, Chavez Anguiano was held to answer on all of the charges. However, in an agreement with the District Attorney’s Office, he entered a nolo contendere plea in April to just two felony charges — two counts of being an executive officer accepting a bribe — with the rest of the charges dismissed.
In a nolo plea, the defendant accepts a conviction but does not admit or dispute the charges.
Chavez Anguiano’s attorney, Angela Carter, said the bribery amount was $2,000, with another $2,000 that was to have been paid.
Chavez Anguiano was prosecuted for accepting a bribe from a cannabis grower. The victim in the case worked with law enforcement, who caught the transaction on video, Carter said.
Family seeks leniency in sentencing
On Monday afternoon, Chavez Anguiano was accompanied by about 25 members of his large family who came to offer their support for him and ask the judge to give him probation rather than a prison sentence.
Judge Markham said he was inclined to follow the recommendation from the Lake County Probation Department that found that the case presented an unusual circumstance and that Chavez Anguiano had no previous criminal record.
During the sentencing hearing, Carter had been prepared to have 28 people speak in support of giving Chavez Anguiano a more merciful sentence. However, that number was reduced to just four when it became apparent that Markham was inclined to give the lighter sentence recommended by probation.
Those who spoke included Chavez Anguiano’s cousin, Paula Thomas; mother-in-law, Sonya Garcia; brother, Edher Chavez; and wife, Alecia Chavez.
All of them spoke of Chavez Anguiano’s devotion to his family, his role as the key bread winner, his parenting to the blended family of five children — ages 3 to 16 — that he and his wife share, and his admission that he was wrong.
“Antonio has taken responsibility and I feel he understands what the consequences may be,” said Thomas.
His family members also spoke of the hardship his wife and children would face if he was incarcerated for two years in state prison.
In their statements and in court documents it was reported that not only did Chavez Anguiano immediately lose his job after his arrest but that his wife was fired from her job at the county of Lake, making it difficult to make ends meet.
When Garcia said her son-in-law going to prison would have negative impacts on this family, Senior Deputy District Attorney Ed Borg asked her if Chavez Anguiano was teaching his children the difference between right and wrong.
“He is,” Garcia said.
Borg followed up by asking if incarceration would show that you cannot commit crimes and not face consequences.
Garcia said no, that Chavez Anguiano has explained to his children that he’s made a mistake.
His brother, Edher Chavez, said the family relies on Chavez Anguiano for everything.
“My brother’s a good man. We’ve had a rough life,” Edher Chavez said.
He said his brother has never been in trouble and is not violent.
Edher Chavez noted, with emotion rising in his voice, “We all make mistakes.”
He also guaranteed accountability. “We will all be there to hold him accountable, all his family.”
Alecia Chavez said her husband realizes he made a mistake and has done everything he can to make up for it. He’s been working long hours at a minimum wage job to make ends meet.
When Carter asked if she can support their children while he’s in jail, Borg objected but Markham overruled him and allowed Chavez to answer.
“I’m going to do my best,” she said.
She said the crime doesn’t define her husband or who he is to their family. “Our kids need him and so do I, and so does our entire family,” she said.
Prosecution, defense offer arguments; judge gives decision
Borg, in his closing statements, said people commit crimes and sometimes the consequences are unfortunate, having a ripple effect across the lives of others.
He said he felt Chavez Anguiano already was getting a break. Borg also wasn’t convinced about the reasoning behind giving him a reduced sentence because of not having a previous criminal history.
People in a position to extort bribes as government officials are unlikely to have a previous record, Borg said.
“This is a betrayal of trust,” said Borg, noting the trust put in people who hold such jobs.
Such criminal activity negatively impacts trust in the government. “That’s kind of a big deal right now,” Borg said.
“The bottom line is this, he may be a great dad and all that, but he didn’t care about that when he committed these crimes,” Borg said. “He chose to do this. This is a choice he made.”
Borg said there needed to be significant consequences, and he believed Chavez Anguiano should be imprisoned.
In her arguments, Carter emphasized that Chavez Anguiano made a mistake, admitted it and accepted a plea offer as early as he could.
She said he took full responsibility from the first moment he spoke with her, adding he’s one of the most remorseful defendants she had sat next to at the defense table.
“He’s a man with a big heart and there’s no question he made a mistake,” said Carter, noting that he was always ready to accept whatever punishment that came his way and that she didn’t believe there was any risk of him reoffending.
In his decision, Markham noted, “This was a close call.”
While he understood Borg’s points, the judge said that in the end he did find unusual circumstances and decided that rather than send him to prison he would place Chavez Anguiano on felony probation for two years, which resulted in some gasps and tears from family members.
Markham continued, “Although it was a close call on probation, it was never a close call on jail time.”
Altogether, he sentenced Chavez Anguiano to 364 days in the Lake County Jail, but he will only be required to serve half of that time. He will receive seven days’ credit for time served at the time of his arrest, another six days’ credit for good behavior, bringing the total jail sentence to 176 days.
Carter told Lake County News after the sentencing that Chavez Anguiano had been braced for a two-year prison sentence.
Markham ordered that he turn himself in at the jail on Oct. 8.
Editor’s note: A previous version of the story incorrectly stated Alecia Chavez lost her job with the Lake County Office of Education. It was in fact the county of Lake.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
The California Residential Mitigation Program, or CRMP, has announced its second Earthquake Brace + Bolt grant registration period for 2025, running from Aug. 20 through Oct. 1.
For the first time, this open registration expands eligibility to include non-primary residential properties, giving landlords and other property owners the opportunity to apply for seismic retrofit grants to strengthen wood-framed, homes built before 1980 with raised foundations against earthquake damage.
Following the successful registration of nearly 19,000 homeowners during the January registration period, CRMP is initiating a second registration phase.
With more than 1,100 eligible ZIP Codes across the state — including 303 added earlier this year — qualified homeowners can apply for grants of up to $3,000 to help cover the cost of bolting houses to their foundations and bracing crawl space walls.
In Lake County, this applies to residents in the following ZIP Codes: 95451, 95423,95443, 95467, 95452, 94939, 95458, 95459, 94941, 95464, 95485, 95493, 95493.
The full list of ZIP Codes can be found here.
These seismic retrofit upgrades help to reduce earthquake damage and provide more resilient housing in high-risk areas.
More than $20 million in grant funding will be available to help offset the cost of seismic retrofits.
Since the 2013 Earthquake Brace + Bolt, or EBB, program launch, more than 32,500 California homeowners have received grant assistance for strengthening their homes against earthquake damage.
The EBB grant program is administered by CRMP, a Joint Powers Authority between the California Earthquake Authority and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.
“Offering a second registration period this year is a valuable opportunity in helping us meet the strong demand we’ve seen for earthquake retrofit assistance,” said Janiele Maffei, chief mitigation officer, California Earthquake Authority. “By opening eligibility to include non-owner-occupied residential properties, we are helping ensure more of California’s older homes, including rentals, can be strengthened against earthquake damage. Retrofitting is one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of severe damage in a major quake, protecting both residents and the communities they call home.”
Income-eligible homeowners may also qualify for supplemental grants. Up to $7,000 in additional grant funds are available for households with an annual income at or below $89,040, which may provide up to 100% of the funds needed to cover a seismic retrofit. Grants are contingent upon meeting eligibility requirements and available funds.
“Earthquake retrofits create a safer and more resilient California. Expanding retrofit grants to rental properties means CRMP will provide even greater protection for California’s housing stock and the families who call these properties ‘home,’” said Tom Welsh, chief executive officer of the California Earthquake Authority. “Each retrofit brings us one step closer to a better-prepared California.”
Through Oct. 1, 2025, eligible homeowners can apply for a retrofit grant at EarthquakeBraceBolt.com, where they can also find detailed program information, select a trained California- licensed general contractor and view the full list of ZIP Codes and program areas.
