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LAKE COUNTY – Two men who failed to comply with the law and register as sex offenders with local authorities were sentenced to prison last week.
On April 27, Superior Court Judge Stephen O. Hedstrom sentenced Alberto Mendoza, 30, and Jeffery Lee Hackler-Knight, 22, to six years in prison each for violating Penal Code section 290, the sex registration statute, according to a statement from the Lake County District Attorney's Office. The cases were not related.
According to court records, defense attorney Doug Rhoades represented both men. Rhoades could not be reached for comment on the cases.
Deputy District Attorney John R. DeChaine prosecuted both defendants.
Detective Mike Curran of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office investigated the Hackler-Knight case, and obtained evidence that Hackler-Knight had moved from his Middletown residence to Clearlake without notifying the authorities, the District Attorney's Office reported. LCSO has jurisdiction over registrants in Middletown and should have been notified by Hackler-Knight within five business days of any change of residence.
Because Hackler-Knight was on felony probation for his underlying sex offenses at the time he violated the registration law, he also was found in violation of that probation and was simultaneously sentenced to state prison for his underlying sex crimes, according to the District Attorney's Office.
On March 9, Hackler-Knight pleaded guilty to failing to register as a sex offender in violation of Penal Code section 290. The District Attorney's Office reported Hackler-Knight was sentenced to a total of 13 years and four months in prison.
Detective Martin Snyder of the Clearlake Police Department investigated the Mendoza case after CPD Officer Timothy Hobbs learned that Mendoza had moved into Lake County, and that he was a sex offender who was likely out of compliance, the District Attorney's Office reported.
The investigation revealed that Mendoza had been living in Clearlake for approximately eight months before coming to the attention of law enforcement. Mendoza’s violation was aggravated in that he had been registering as a sex offender in Sonoma County, but had moved to Lake County without notifying the authorities, according to the District Attorney's Office.
On Feb. 2, Mendoza pleaded no contest to violating Penal Code section 290.
Failing to register as a sex offender carries a maximum prison sentence of three years, the District Attorney's Office reported. However, because Mendoza and Hackler-Knight were each required to admit a prior felony strike conviction at the time of their pleas, each three-year sentence was doubled to six years pursuant to applicable law.
Committing lewd and lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14, in violation of Penal Code section 288(a), was the prior strike admitted in both cases, according to the District Attorney's Office.
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LAKE PILLSBURY – A 3.0 magnitude earthquake hit the Lake Pillsbury area early Wednesday morning.
The quake was recorded at 6:01 a.m. at a depth of less than one-tenth of a mile, according to the US Geological Survey.
The epicenter of the quake was eight miles west northwest of Lake Pillsbury along a fault that US Geological Survey seismologist David Oppenheimer previously reported is unnamed.
A smaller quake, registering 1.9 in magnitude, followed at 7:59 a.m. It was located eight miles northwest of Pillsbury, whereas most of the recent activity has been located west northwest of the lake.
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LAKEPORT – BoardStock is not coming to the city of Lakeport.
That was the final word from the City Council Tuesday night, following a third public meeting on the subject.
The council's unanimous decision at the end of Tuesday night's meeting effectively put an end to more than two months of discussion about bringing the extreme sporting event to Lakeport.
BoardStock promoter Rob Stimmel and Lakeport businessman Ron Campos had approached the city about hosting BoardStock after Konocti Harbor Resort & Spa decided in February not to host the event for a third year, citing problems with underage drinking.
Stimmel, who wasn't present for the meeting, said previously he believed his event was being blamed unfairly for Konocti Harbor's security and alcohol policies.
Earlier this month, Stimmel began negotiations with Konocti Vista Casino for locating BoardStock there in September rather than the original August dates.
Concerns about the event being located there but still drawing on Lakeport's police and fire resources, with no reimbursement agreements, got the discussions going with the city again. Campos recounted Tuesday that Mayor Roy Parmentier approached him after they began negotiations with Konocti Vista.
About 30 people attended the meeting, which was smaller than past gatherings. Rather than being more evenly split, the people who spoke seemed overwhelmingly opposed to BoardStock.
Lakeport resident Nancy Thornton said she left her daughter's softball game early to come and address the issue, which she said she feels strongly about.
"My big concern is the underage drinking," said Thornton, noting that people will find a way to bring in alcohol, despite the fact it would be advertised as an alcohol-free event.
"We need to do family and environmentally friendly events," said Thornton, citing the recent bass tournaments as an example.
"I think we need to promote a classy town," she added. "We have a classy town. We don't need to bring in this element."
Suzanne Lyons of Lakeport said she had a concern that the potential damage to the town's reputation could far outweigh any financial benefits.
George Smith, a 40-year Lakeport resident and retired math teacher, said it's often people coming from outside the community who cause problems at such events. As examples, he recalled the riots at Chico State's Pioneer Days in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and problems at the Stonyford Rodeo.
"I just picture something very similar with BoardStock," Smith said.
John Norcio, owner of Lakeport's McDonald's, said he wouldn't speak either for or against the event. However, he asked the council to be sure any contract they might sign be sufficient to cover their expenses. Norcio also was concerned that the city "still might be on the hook" for police and fire costs if Konocti Vista Casino hosts the event.
Not having control or access to reimbursement was a concern repeated throughout the meeting by Parmentier.
Officials said during the meeting that Stimmel had offered to give the city $40,000 to cover police and fire costs.
Elaine Jolin of Lakeport asked about whether it was better to have BoardStock hosted by the city or the casino.
"It's really a team effort to cover BoardStock," said Police Chief Kevin Burke, who explained that – wherever the event is held – police, the Lake County Sheriff's Office and the California Highway Patrol will be covering it.
Burke said it's hard to anticipate what the event would be like, because it's never been at Lakeport or Konocti Vista before. Later in the meeting, he ventured the event would be similar to how it was in the city of Stockton, where there was little problem within the city, but rather outside of its limits.
Alcohol was the major factor, said Burke, when it was at Konocti Harbor. "At Konocti, they made very little effort at all to control alcohol the last time it was held," Burke said.
As to concerns about tribal jurisdiction, Konocti Vista is private property, but Burke said he anticipated them asking for additional coverage.
"Most of the problems associated with BoardStock occur at the location where the event takes place," said Burke.
Despite assurance from Campos that security money would be paid, other objections couldn't be overcome, such as Councilman Buzz Bruns' assertion that the lake, which is already low, would be much lower during the suggested September dates.
Councilmembers also noted receiving overwhelmingly negative feedback from city residents when it came to hosting the event.
Councilman Bob Rumfelt said he worked with Konocti on security during previous BoardStocks. The event itself, he said, wasn't the problem, but the issues that came with it were.
Parmentier maintained, "If we have it here, at least we'll get paid for it."
No one at the meeting could say for certain if Stimmel already had signed a contract with Konocti Vista, including Campos, who said he was the one who first took the idea to Konocti Vista. Bertsch said he spoke with the casino, where they would only say their lawyers were exploring it.
Councilman Jim Irwin said he liked the idea of having the event in Lakeport to try to maintain control.
"With that said, I'm not comfortable at all with this contract that we have," he said.
Ultimately, the council came back to its previous stance and voted unanimously to decline the event coming to Lakeport.
In other council news from Tuesday, the council approved an employment contract with new city manager Jerry Gillham as part of its consent agenda.
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UKIAH – A Lake County man died late last week after his pickup went off the roadway and into a creek.
The Mendocino County Coroner's Office reported that Paul Jason Rosales, 37, of Nice, was the victim of the early-morning accident that occurred April 28.
The California Highway Patrol's Ukiah office reported that the accident was called in at 7:30 a.m. by a motorist passing 1300 Redemeyer Road near Ukiah.
CHP Officer Matt Holzhauer arrived at the scene within five minutes, according to the CHP statement. There, Holzhauer found a blue Ford F350 pickup on its roof in a creek, 30 feet below the roadway.
Rosales, the vehicle's only occupant, died at the scene, according to Holzhauer's report.
Holzhauer's preliminary investigation found that Rosales' pickup was traveling at an unknown speed southbound on Redemeyer Road. For an unknown reason, the pickup entered the road's west shoulder, where it collided with a wooden guardrail before landing on its roof in the creek below.
Ukiah Valley Fire, Cal Fire, Ukiah Ambulance and the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office responded to the scene.
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