LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff's Office reported Monday that the Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force made two felony arrests for narcotics-related offenses and seized suspected methamphetamine last week.

The arrests and the drug seizure took place last Friday, Feb. 25, and were the result of field enforcement efforts to battle the sales and distribution of illicit drugs in Lake County, according to Capt. James Bauman.

At about 5 p.m. last Friday, detectives stopped 62-year-old William Paul Radford in his vehicle in north Lakeport, Bauman said.

As detectives approached the vehicle and contacted Radford, they observed what appeared to be a clear plastic material concealed in one of his hands. Bauman said that further investigation revealed that Radford had been holding a bag of suspected methamphetamine and was apparently about to dispose of the bag as he was being pulled over.

Radford was arrested for felony possession of a controlled substance and misdemeanor driving on a suspended license. Bauman said Radford was booked at the Lake County Jail with a bail of $10,000.

Subsequent to Radford’s arrest, detectives had transported a passenger he had in the vehicle to a home on Alterra Drive in north Lakeport when they observed 45-year-old Manuel Vincent Sotelo leaning over the engine compartment of his truck in front of his home, Bauman said.

Sotelo was known to be on active parole and formal probation, Bauman said. As detectives pulled alongside Sotelo and the truck, they observed him toss something beneath the front of the truck.

While Sotelo was detained, detectives looked under the truck and found a small towel wrapped around a bag of suspected methamphetamine, a glass pipe and other items of narcotics paraphernalia, Bauman said.

Sotelo was arrested for felony possession of a controlled substance, misdemeanor possession of narcotics paraphernalia, and violation of his parole, Bauman said. Sotelo was booked at the Lake County Jail on $10,000 bail.

The Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force will continue its efforts to eradicate narcotics from the communities of Lake County. Anyone with information that can assist the Task Force with this endeavor is encouraged to call the anonymous tip line at 707-263-3663.

Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews , on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .