The latest edition of police trading cards are now out and as a way to celebrate, Clearlake Police is having a contest open to kids up to the age of 13.

Just collect all 36 cards, be the first to submit them to the police department, and you could win a first place prize of an autographed set of cards and lunch with Police Chief Allan McClain.

The second place winner will receive a set of autographed cards.

A complete list of cards is available for viewing at the Clearlake Police Department.

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That scenario apparently provided an opportunity for a car theft earlier this month, on a day in which another, similar car also was stolen, according to Lakeport Police.

Lt. Brad Rasmussen said the two car thefts occurred on Monday, Jan. 12.

The first theft took place at Safeway on 11^th Street. Rasmussen said the owner of a blue 1993 Saturn stopped into the grocery store at about 8:30 a.m.

The owner left the keys in the ignition and the car running with unlocked doors while they ran into the store for something, said Rasmussen. When they returned a few minutes later, the car was gone.

Rasmussen said the Saturn later was found at Grocery Outlet on S. Main and Lakeport Boulevard. The keys were missing, as was the owner's cell phone, but the car did not appear to be damaged.

That wasn't the case for another vehicle stolen that same day, said Rasmussen.

Somewhere between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. Jan. 12, a burgundy 1994 Saturn was taken from the parking lot of Bank of America on N. Main, said Rasmussen.

In this case, the owner had locked the vehicle and taken their keys, he said.

The California Highway Patrol recovered that vehicle on Jan. 15 in Nice, said Rasmussen.

It had been damaged, with its stereo and stereo speakers stripped from the vehicle. Rasmussen said damage was reported to total about $1,300.

He said police believe the two thefts are related, but so far have no evidence to prove it.

“We thought it might develop into a pattern but there's been nothing else,” he said, with no new car thefts since then.

Even in Lakeport, where the small town feel pervades, leaving a car unlocked with the keys inside isn't a good idea, said Rasmussen.

“We definitely advise people to lock their vehicles and maintain possession of their keys,” he said.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Sgt. Kevin Odom reported that Lakeport Police officers, investigators from the state's Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) and an officer from the Petaluma Police Department conducted a countywide “decoy shoulder tap” operation at various ABC-licensed premises on Dec. 23.

Odom said the operation was conducted under the auspices of the ABC's Decoy Shoulder Tap Program, which local law enforcement agencies use to detect and deter shoulder tap activity – which is when young people approach someone to purchase alcohol for them.

During this program, a minor decoy, under the direct supervisor of law enforcement officers, solicits adults outside ABC licensed stores to buy the minor decoy alcoholic beverages, Odom explained.

Operations were conducted at a total of 12 licensed premises in the areas of Middletown, Lower Lake, Clearlake Oaks and Kelseyville, he said.

The underage decoys made 64 attempts to solicit subjects to purchase alcoholic beverages for them. Odom said five persons were arrested for purchasing alcohol for a minor.

This operation was funded by a grant from the Alcohol Beverage Control obtained by the Lakeport Police Department in 2008, according to Odom.

Similar operations have already taken place in the Lakeport area, such as one held on Sept. 11, reported on by Lake County News.

The grant runs for one year and future operations are planned in other areas of Lake County, Odom said.

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Gas station owner Sukhbir Singh, 36, was arrested Wednesday after allegedly shooting a .22 caliber pistol at Clearlake Oaks resident Bruce Hutchins, 47, on Highway 20 in Clearlake Oaks, as Lake County News has reported.

Capt. James Bauman reported that Hutchins used his cell phone to call 911 to report the incident at about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The call was received by the California Highway Patrol. Bauman said Hutchins stayed on the phone with CHP dispatch as he and the suspect vehicle, a black Lexus sedan, continued westbound on Highway 20. Information was relayed by CHP to the sheriff’s dispatch center as deputies responded to intercept the suspect.

About 20 minutes after the initial report, the suspect vehicle was spotted by Deputy Steve Herdt, who was traveling westbound on Highway 20 in Upper Lake. Herdt stopped the vehicle and detained Singh without incident. The weapon, a .22 caliber revolver, was recovered at the scene of the car stop, said Bauman.

Hutchins, who had been traveling about quarter-mile ahead of Singh, returned to the area of the detention and positively identified Singh as the shooter in the incident, Bauman said.

Bauman said that Hutchins told deputies he had pulled out onto Highway 20 from the Clearlake Oaks Post Office and as he drove westbound, Singh drove up behind him and started tailgating him. Hutchins gestured at Singh with his finger and Singh gestured back.

Singh then passed Hutchins, slowed down, and started weaving back and forth in front of Hutchins, said Bauman. Singh then pulled off the highway, got out of his car and opened his trunk as Hutchins passed.

As Hutchins continued westbound on the highway, Singh passed him again and further down the road, pulled off onto the shoulder. Bauman said that as Hutchins passed Singh’s parked vehicle, Singh got out, pointed a handgun in the air and fired one shot.

Hutchins continued westbound on the highway as he called 911 and eventually saw Singh traveling behind him again until they reached Upper Lake where Singh was stopped by deputies, Bauman said.

Singh was arrested and booked at the Lake County Jail on a felony charge of negligent discharge of a firearm and a misdemeanor charge of brandishing a firearm. He was released on a $10,000 bond later that evening.

Hutchins and Singh did not know each other and neither were injured as a result of the incident, Bauman said.

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Monday, December 8, 2008

9:24 a.m. – Noninjury traffic collision reported at Clearlake City Hall. Two vehicles involved.

12:33 p.m. – Thirteen-year-old was assaulting caller in the restroom of Terrace Middle School a few minutes earlier.

1:56 p.m. – Caller said her mother called to advise that he ex-boyfriend is in the house and she is afraid of him.

2:23 p.m. – Warning issued during traffic stop at Central Park and 11^th.

3:42 p.m. – Report taken for case of fraud reported at business in the 500 block of S. Main.

5:27 p.m. – Caller reports problem with a neighbor who has been going through her mail box. Report taken.

8:28 p.m. – Business in the 100 block of Park reports a suspicious person who was trying to get the waitress' attention by banging his head on the window, walking back and forth, etc. May have been drinking. Report taken.

10:08 p.m. – Warning issued to male subject reportedly going through recycle cans on the street.

10:15 p.m. – Warning issued during traffic stop at Fifth and Estep.

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Lt. Dave Garzoli of the Lake County Sheriff's Office said the operations concluded with 13 arrests and the seizure of over 400 marijuana plants, 210 pounds of processed marijuana, 33 firearms and the seizure of more than $1 million in assets.

Garzoli reported that the operations were conducted by sheriff's deputies, agents from the Lake County Narcotics Task Force and Lake County Code Enforcement.

Garzoli said they served a series of six search warrants at five locations in the Upper Lake area. With the exception of one warrant, the items sought were marijuana and items associated with the production and sale of marijuana.

The arrests began with that of Travis McKinney, 41, of Bakersfield, arrested during a traffic stop on Westlake Drive on Oct. 30. Garzoli said McKinney was traveling home to Bakersfield after having just picked up approximately 90 pounds of marijuana from 7960 Bridge Arbor Road, the residence of Neil Hartson.

The first law enforcement operation was held Nov. 12, when sheriff's investigators served a search warrant on the property located at 7960 Bridge Arbor Road. Garzoli said investigators located approximately 85 plants, 45 pounds of processed marijuana, 2 ounces of hash, two firearms and materials consistent with the sale of marijuana.

During the service of the warrant, officials arrested 31-year-old Clayton Smith and Crystal Pulido, 39, who were tending the property. The owner, 54-year-old Neil Hartson, was not at the location. At the conclusion of this warrant service, Lake County Code Enforcement red-tagged the residence as it was unfit for occupancy.

Garzoli said the first operation and McKinney's arrest were unrelated to the following raids.

The following week, on Nov. 19, a search warrant was served at 8910 Bridge Arbor Road, in Upper Lake. The warrant was obtained following observations made by the sheriff's helicopter crew of a large marijuana grow in the yard the residence, Garzoli said.

Upon serving the warrant, Garzoli said investigators found that the residence was not occupied as a residence but solely for the cultivation and processing of marijuana for sale. At this location investigators located and seized approximately 121 pounds of processed marijuana and 95 plants

under cultivation.

Arrested at this location were Kevin Santos, 21; Matthew Elliott, 29; John Hodge, 31, of Fort Collins, Colo.; Ryan Minor, 21; Luke Meiers, 21; and Miles Roth, 37, of Denver.

On Nov. 20, a search warrant was served at 8190 Reclamation Road in Upper Lake. The warrant

was obtained following observations made by the sheriff's helicopter crew of a large marijuana grow in

an open field surrounded by a tall fence with an outbuilding attached, said Garzoli.

Upon serving the warrant, investigators found that the outbuilding was being used for the processing and packaging marijuana for shipment. Garzoli said investigators located and seized approximately five pounds of processed marijuana and 50 plants under cultivation.

Arrested at this location were David Shields, 48, and Misty Nickerson, 31. Garzoli said information was gathered at this scene indicating that in the months preceding this raid, the grow had produced and the suspects shipped in excess of 300 pounds of processed marijuana to 56-year-old Joe Santos.

The next operation took place in the afternoon of Nov. 22 when investigators served a search warrant at 11463 Elk Mountain Road in Upper Lake. Garzoli said the warrant was obtained following earlier investigations.

At this location investigators located and seized approximately 180 marijuana plants being grown inside a mobile home that had been completely converted into an indoor grow, 5 pounds of processed marijuana and packaging materials, a large number of firearms and in excess of $1 million in cash and bank accounts.

Garzoli said investigators located Joe Santos, who was arrested and booked.

As the officers made entry to the residence to serve this warrant the sheriff's helicopter was used as an

aerial command and control platform for officer safety purposes.

While the helicopter circled the scene, the crew observed that the residence directly across the road had a marijuana grow in the back yard. It was learned during the investigation that this house was occupied by Mark Santos, the 31-year-old son of Joe Santos.

Later that same day, after investigators learned of the helicopter crew's observations, a search warrant was served at 11568 Elk Mountain Road in Upper Lake. At this location investigators found that the marijuana that was growing and intact when the helicopter crew saw it had been destroyed with a tractor.

In addition, Garzoli said investigators found a processing room that appeared to have been hastily

destroyed. Further evidence found at this location included marijuana packaging materials and a

handgun. Mark Santos subsequently was arrested.

Then, on Dec. 6, Lake County Sheriff's investigators served a search warrant at the residence of Neil Hartson on Bridge Arbor Road in Upper Lake. The purpose of this warrant was to locate a

convicted sex offender who they believed resided or was residing at the residence.

The subject sex offender was not located at the residence, however Hartson was, said Garzoli. In addition to Hartson, investigators located approximately 4 pounds of packaged marijuana in his vehicle along with approximately 4.4 grams of Psilocybin ("Magic Mushrooms") mushrooms and a small quantity of hashish.

He was arrested and booked on drug charges, as well as charges for occupying a red-tagged residence.

The Lake County Sheriff's Office intends to prove in court that these are not medical marijuana cases

but instead a complete abuse of the intent of the Compassionate Use Act of 1996, said Garzoli. He said the agency is committed to pursuing these drug dealers and any who continue to use the Compassionate

Use Act as a means profiting from their criminal enterprise.

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