CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Police interrupted a burglary in progress at South Lake Refuse and Recycling early Monday and arrested two Clearlake men, one of whom is believed to have been responsible for previous burglaries targeting the facility.

James Lee Dotson, 24, and Richard Dwayne Tillman, 28, were arrested after they tried to escape from officers, according to Sgt. Travis Lenz of the Clearlake Police Department.

At about 2:20 a.m. Monday Clearlake Police officers were dispatched to the South Lake Refuse and Recycling on Davis Avenue for a reported burglary in progress, Lenz said. Gossett Alarm advised that the hazmat door had been breached and the power was cut to the storage building.

Lenz said officers arrived on scene and encountered two males – later identified as Dotson and Tillman – in the process of burglarizing the storage building.

Dotson and Tillman fled on foot when encountered by police. Lenz said officers gave chase, which led them into a wooded area on the south side of the building.

Lenz said both men got into a vehicle, which was concealed in the brush. As the driver, Dotson attempted to drive away from the scene, however, Officer Chris Kelleher opened the driver side door and physically removed him from the vehicle and detained him in handcuffs.

At that time, Tillman exited the passenger side of the vehicle and fled down a hill on foot, further into the brush and out of the officer’s line of sight, Lenz said.

Officers established a perimeter to keep Tillman from escaping. After officers conducted a thorough search of the area, they found Tillman on the hillside, attempting to conceal himself in the brush, Lenz said.

Lenz said Tillman was found to be in possession of property which had just been stolen from the building.

A search of the vehicle the men were using revealed property that had been stolen from several previously reported burglaries at South Lake Refuse and Recycling, during which thousands of dollars of property had been taken, Lenz said.

Based on his investigation, Officer Kelleher was able to determine that Dotson had committed several of the previously reported burglaries, according to Lenz.

All the recovered stolen property was returned to the business, Lenz said.

Both Dotson and Tillman were later booked into the Lake County Jail on charges of burglary, conspiracy to commit a crime, possession of stolen property, resisting arrest, possession of burglary tools and possession of methamphetamine, Lenz said.

Jail records indicated both remained in custody early Tuesday, with bail for each set at $15,000.

Anyone with information in regard to this investigation is asked to contact Officer Chris Kelleher at the Clearlake Police Department at 707-994-8251, Extension 543.

Dotson and Tillman had been arrested in September by Mendocino County Sheriff's deputies assisting with patrols in the Valley fire area, which at that point was still evacuated, as Lake County News has reported: www.bit.ly/1FP8M6H .

They had attempted to flee from deputies who spotted them in the Cobb area, with Dotson arrested for vehicular fleeing, child endangerment and possession of methamphetamine, and Tillman arrested for Mendocino County probation violations, officials reported.