LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force this week located and eradicated approximately 38,695 marijuana plants from multiple south county locations.

On Tuesday narcotics detectives eradicated 35,155 marijuana plants, which were growing in two large corn fields. The corn fields were located off of Spruce Grove Road in Lower Lake, according to Lt. Steve Brooks.

Brooks said detectives also located five marijuana grow sites in the Jerusalem Valley area, where they eradicated 325 marijuana plants. The grow sites were on vacant land parcels which were absent dwellings or structures. Detectives searched the grow sites and were unable to locate any suspects, witnesses or additional evidence.

On Wednesday, narcotics detectives eradicated 3,215 marijuana plants from 25 separate grow sites. The majority of the grow sites were vacant land parcels, which were located in the Rocky Creek and Morgan Valley area of Lower Lake, Brooks said.

One of the marijuana grow sites was located in the 10000 block of Sky High Ridge in Lower Lake. Brooks said the site had an unpermitted structure on the parcel.

He said detectives noticed that the front half of the structure was being used as a honey oil lab, which was in plain view. The back half of the structure which appeared to be used as sleeping quarters contained an SKS rifle and a .22 caliber rifle, which were seized as evidence. Detectives also located two handguns which were also seized as evidence.

During the investigation, 45-year-old Paul Mozal of Boulder, Colo., arrived at the grow site. Mozal denied being involved with the honey oil lab, but admitted to growing marijuana plants on the property, according to Brooks.

Brooks said detectives are submitting the report for complaint against Mozal.

The majority of the grow sites were identified during prior overflight missions. The purpose of the overflights is to seek out probable illicit marijuana growing operations, Brooks said.

The Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force can be reached through its anonymous tip line at 707-263-3663.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff's Office on Monday released the name of an elderly Bay Area man whose body was recovered from Clear Lake over the weekend.

Lt. Steve Brooks identified the man as Rudolf Schulze, 87, of San Lorenzo.

Schulze had been unloading his boat at the Fifth Street boat ramp on Saturday shortly after 3 p.m. when he dove into about 10 feet of water, according to witness accounts given to police.

After Schulze failed to resurface, Lakeport Fire and the Northshore Fire Dive Team responded, with divers finding his body a short time later, about 45 feet offshore, as Lake County News has reported.

“According to witnesses, Mr. Schulze drove to Lake County every couple of weeks to go fishing,” Brooks said.

While Schulze's death appears to have been from drowning, Brooks said the exact cause is pending the results of an autopsy.
 
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Police Department has offered additional information about an elderly man's drowning in Clear Lake on Saturday.

Officer Mike Sobieraj said the drowning victim was an 87-year-old man from San Lorenzo, whose name has not yet been released.

Sobieraj said witnesses reported that man was launching his boat off of the Fifth Street boat ramp on Saturday afternoon. The man was offered help in launching but said he was fine.

“According to witnesses he dove into the water,” said Sobieraj. “And then they saw some bubbles and he never resurfaced.”

The man was said to have gone into water that was about 10 feet deep, according to Sobieraj.

Police and firefighters were dispatched for a water rescue at 3:20 p.m., Sobieraj said.

In addition to Lakeport Fire, Northshore Fire sent its dive team to help look for the man, as Lake County News has reported.

Divers found the man's body about 45 feet offshore, according to Lakeport Fire Chief Doug Hutchison.

Sobieraj said the county coroner's office will investigate the cause of the man's death.

Based on common protocols, the coroner's investigation is expected to include any preexisting medical issues the man may have had.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake Police Department is asking for the public's help in identifying a man who last week attempted to use a camera to take pictures under the skirt of a woman shopping at Walmart.

Sgt. Rodd Joseph said the disorderly conduct incident was reported last Thursday, June 12.

At around 6:30 p.m. that day two women were shopping together in the Walmart “households” area of the store, Joseph said.

While one of the women was reaching up in an attempt to get an item from a top display shelf, a male subject walked up and squatted down behind her. Joseph said the man was holding store merchandise which he used in an attempt to conceal a small camera.  

The man positioned himself so he could place the camera up under the unsuspecting woman’s skirt in order to take a photograph. Joseph said the victim was unaware of the suspect’s actions at the time of the incident.

However the woman’s friend witnessed the incident and confronted the subject. The man denied his actions and began complementing the two women on how beautiful they were. Joseph said the subject then fled the store without being identified.

The subject is described as a light-skinned black male adult in his 30s, about 5 feet 11 inches tall, with an average build. He had very short, shaved and styled hair, according to Joseph.

The man was last seen wearing blue jeans and a dark colored T-shirt with a large white design on the front which read “DAD,” and driving a dark blue, newer model Jeep Liberty.

On Thursday, the Clearlake Police Department was able to secure video footage from Walmart of the crime, along with photographs of the subject both entering and leaving the store, which are shown here.

Anyone with information regarding this man's possible identity or current address are urged to contact Joseph at 707-994-8251, Extension 338. Callers may remain anonymous.