LAKEPORT, Calif. – Lake Family Resource Center is excited to announce the anticipated return of our annual Wine and Chocolate fundraiser.
This event will take place on Saturday, Feb. 2, from noon to 4 p.m. at Mt. Konocti Winery and Event Center, located at 2550 Big Valley Road in Lakeport.
Lake Family Resource Center’s Wine & Chocolate Fundraiser is a very important event. Proceeds raised through this fundraiser are instrumental in supporting multiple services and valuable resources for our local communities and families.
This upcoming Wine and Chocolate Fundraiser will showcase Lake County’s finest premium wine with sweet and savory bites by our local chefs and will also feature a silent auction, a raffle for an original Ron Keyes art piece, and workshops facilitated by Chacewater Mill Master Emilio de la Cruz and Sommelier Stephanie Green.
For those wishing to sponsor our fundraising event, Lake Family Resource Center will also be hosting an all afternoon catered lunch with reserved seating.
Tickets may be purchased in advance for $60 each or at the door for $70.
NORTH COAST, Calif. – The American Red Cross of the California Northwest is currently seeking nominations for our 2019 Heroes Breakfast, which recognizes members of the communities in Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma counties, who have shown courage, dedication, and character through acts of heroism and kindness.
These people could be your neighbors, co-workers, friends or family.
Extraordinary acts of heroism occur in our community every day. Help identify local community heroes by completing our online nomination form below and spread the word.
The community is encouraged to nominate a hero at www.redcross.org/CalNWHeroes for one of the following categories:
Animal Hero: This award honors an animal that has protected a human in a time of need or a human who has rescued an animal from a traumatic situation.
Disaster Services Hero: This award is given to an individual who has shown extraordinary courage in the face of a disaster or emergency, or made a significant contribution to their community’s disaster preparedness, resilience, or recovery.
Environment Hero: This award is given to an individual who has had a significant impact on the protection and caring for the environment and is vital in changing the way their community interacts with the environment.
First Responder Hero: This award is given to a professional first responder, such as a police officer, deputy sheriff, firefighter, search & rescue team member, or 911 dispatcher, whose life-saving action or service to the community goes above and beyond the call of duty.
Healthcare Hero: This award is given to a healthcare professional, such as a physician, paramedic, or nurse whose life-saving actions or service to the community went above and beyond the call of duty. This award honors an extraordinary commitment to saving/improving lives or treating illnesses.
Humanitarian Hero – Adult: This award is given to an ordinary citizen (adult) who used life-saving skills (such as CPR, water rescue, or first aid) to assist or save the life of another or to a person whose actions have made a significant contribution toward the betterment of his or her community. Humanitarian Hero – Youth: This award is given to an ordinary citizen (youth) who used life-saving skills (such as CPR, water rescue or first aid) to assist or save the life of another or to a person whose actions have made a significant contribution toward the betterment of his or her community.
Service to the Armed Forces Hero: This award is given to someone who has provided exceptional support to service members, veterans, or their families. This award may also be given to a member of our armed forces (active, reserve, National Guard, retired, commissioned or non-commissioned) whose life-saving actions or service to the community went above and beyond the call of duty.
The deadline to submit nominations is Friday, Feb. 15, 2019.
Any of these categories can be awarded as a posthumous award.
The 2019 California Northwest Heroes Award recipients will be selected by a committee of local community leaders based on the degree to which their acts of heroism uphold the values of the American Red Cross and leave a lasting and positive impact on the residents of the Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma counties.
All nominees must work or reside in Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, and Sonoma counties. The heroic acts may have occurred elsewhere.
The heroic event must be either an ongoing commitment to the community for more than one year or have occurred between Jan. 1, 2018, and Jan. 15, 2019.
Selected heroes will be honored at the 2019 Heroes Breakfast on Friday, May 17, 2019, at Hyatt Vineyard Creek in Santa Rosa.
The annual Red Cross California Northwest Heroes Breakfast recognizes acts of heroism by local residents and pays tribute to those who have performed lifesaving deeds while supporting the lifesaving programs and emergency services provided by your local Red Cross Chapter.
Visit www.redcross.org/CalNWHeroes for more details on each of the 2019 Heroes Award categories as well as the online nomination form, how to purchase tickets, and how to become a sponsor.
From left, Phillip Ferris Harrison, 35, of Potter Valley, Calif., was arrested and charged for a fatal hit-and-run crash in November 2018 and his friend Kirk David Hamilton, 48, of Upper Lake, Calif., is charged with conspiring to cover up the crash, and threatening and intimidating witnesses. Lake County Jail photos. LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The California Highway Patrol has arrested two men in connection to a fatal November hit-and-run near Upper Lake.
The CHP’s Clear Lake Area office said Phillip Ferris Harrison, 35, of Potter Valley was arrested for hit-and-run, vehicular manslaughter, conspiracy and concealing evidence, and Kirk David Hamilton, 48, of Upper Lake was arrested for conspiring to cover up the crash, making criminal threats, intimidating witnesses and possession of a dirk or dagger.
Harrison is charged with the death on Nov. 19 of 57-year-old James Jobe Carpenter of Potter Valley, the CHP said.
At 3:30 p.m. Nov. 19, CHP personnel were dispatched to a possible hit-and-run traffic collision involving a pedestrian, as Lake County News has reported.
The CHP said Harrison told officers at the scene that he was driving his Dodge Ram 2500 eastbound on Elk Mountain Road near the Blue Slide area when he noticed Carpenter lying on the side of the road.
Harrison said he responded to a nearby residence to seek help, and he and the resident returned to the scene, loaded Carpenter into the back of the vehicle and transported him to the Soda Creek Store to call 911. Harrison then began CPR until medical personnel arrived on scene and pronounced Carpenter deceased, the CHP said.
The CHP said that in the weeks to follow, a joint effort between the CHP’s Clear Lake Area office, CHP’s Northern Division Investigative Services Unit and the Lake County District Attorney’s Investigator’s Office resulted in a followup investigation leading to several search warrants being served and the arrests of Harrison and Hamilton.
Through the investigation, it was determined Harrison was driving his 1979 International water truck delivering a load of water to a private residence at 27363 Elk Mountain Road where 30-year-old Jayson Malson of Upper Lake and Carpenter were waiting for him, the CHP said.
Harrison followed Malson and Carpenter onto the property down a steep road within the property to the delivery location. The CHP said Malson had parked his Subaru in the road and both Malson and Carpenter had exited the Subaru.
Harrison lost control and the front of the International hit the Subaru and ultimately collided with Carpenter, causing injuries leading to his death. Carpenter was transported to Soda Creek Store to seek medical aid, the CHP said.
Soon after the crash, Harrison contacted Hamilton – his friend and a nearby resident. The CHP said the two of them then conspired to conceal and destroy evidence from the crash and the location where it occurred.
Over the following few days, Hamilton also made repeated visits to witnesses where he made criminal threats to harm them in order to keep them from coming forward regarding the facts about the crash, the CHP said.
On Dec. 12, the CHP warrant service team, Lake County District Attorney’s Office investigators and the US Forest service executed a search warrant at Hamilton’s property, the CHP said.
As a result of the search warrant, the CHP said evidence pertaining to the crash was located on the property where Hamilton was residing and soon after he was located and interviewed and arrested.
District attorney’s investigators later determined Hamilton was a prohibited person in possession of a loaded firearm and ammunition, and they are currently seeking separate charges, the CHP said.
On Monday, Harrison met with CHP investigators and was arrested, the CHP said.
Both men remain in custody, with Harrison being held with bail set at $100,000 and Hamilton’s bail set at $1 million for the threatening witnesses charge, according to jail records.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Deputy sheriffs addressed the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday to ask that the county’s leadership make increasing staffing at the Lake County Sheriff’s Office a priority.
Sgt. John Drewrey, president of the Lake County Deputy Sheriff’s Association, and the group’s treasurer, Det. Richard Kreutzer, went before the board on Tuesday morning to speak to the sheriff’s office’s worsening staffing issues, which are in turn impacting public safety.
Kreutzer said that the sheriff’s office has 172 personnel allocated in its budget, but 52 of those jobs are vacant. Six deputies are filling positions at the Hill Road Correctional Facility, which has 20 vacancies out of 55 total jobs.
“This means that our shifts are running with three deputies and one sergeant, sometimes less than that,” he said.
The sheriff’s office has 40 patrol positions, which breaks down as eight sergeants and 32 funded deputy sheriff’s jobs. However, Kreutzer said that they now are working with only four sergeants and 11 deputies, not counting the six deputies working in the jail. As such, he said patrol is running at 37 percent of its allocated staffing.
“These numbers are not a worst case scenario, they are the present reality,” said Kreutzer, explaining that, “As correctional officers and deputies continue to leave for better pay and benefits, our ability to provide services to the community also drops.”
That’s of greater concern when considering how many wildland fires the county has dealt with in recent years. Kreutzer asked what would happen if the sheriff’s office continues to lose staff, and who will respond to future disasters.
“The issue of wages is always the elephant in the room, and whenever it is broached during negotiations, we hear the same response – the county cannot address any fiscal concerns,” Kreutzer said.
He said that it has been suggested that benefits and costs in Lake County are comparable to adjacent and similarly sized counties. While that may be true, he said what isn’t comparable is the amount that neighboring counties contribute overall to benefits.
Kreutzer then went over the contributions of nearby counties to health benefits, including Colusa, which pays $1,420 per month; Napa, which pays up to $1,737.80 per month; and Mendocino, which pays up to $2,153.74 per month.
Lake pays $1,000 per month, after recently adding $200. However, he said that addition came late and is now having to be appealed through the California Public Employees' Retirement System.
Kreutzer said the board needs to prioritize the sheriff’s office staffing and find a fiscally responsible way to augment benefits for deputies.
Drewrey told the board that while staffing already is down, it could go down even more as several deputies have conditional job offers elsewhere or have – like him – applied to other local agencies. He said those who are leaving have pointed to the high costs of benefit.
He also pointed out the loss to the county, noting one deputy who has a conditional offer with another local agency has 12 years of experience and more than 1,700 hours of training that he’ll take elsewhere.
Supervisor Jeff Smith explained that, for a single person, the county’s $1,000 health benefits contribution mean that the employee doesn’t pay anything. However, if they add one person, it’s $700 per month, and can range up to $1,200 a month out of pocket if more family members are added.
“It’s substantial, the cut out of a take home paycheck,” said Supervisor Rob Brown, noting the insurance is hitting them so hard.
Drewrey said an alternate 80/20 cost-sharing plan that he’s explored would lower the family cost to $443, cost the single person $163 per month and would only cost the county $1,315 more a month overall for Deputy Sheriff’s Association employees.
Sheriff Brian Martin thanked the board for hearing the matter, noting it was a good time for the Deputy Sheriff’s Association to address the board as a group, which they can’t always do during negotiations.
Martin said his constituents call him about their concerns. “People don’t want to hear excuses, they just want services.”
He said he stood with the Deputy Sheriff’s Association to ask the board to make staffing a priority.
Martin said some decisions do need to be made. “We all want to do our job.”
Correctional Officer Jeremy Wichlaz, who has worked for the county in the jail since 1997, recalled that when he began there were as many as 130 inmates in the jail. Since then, capacity has doubled, but staffing hasn’t changed.
He said the county jail now houses inmates that should be in state prisons, making the job more dangerous for correctional officers.
“It’s Band-Aid on top of Band-Aid at this point,” Wichlaz said, adding that roughly one-third of the county’s correctional officers are looking to go to other agencies.
Deputy Nathaniel Newton told the board he’s also looking elsewhere because of the cost of benefits for his growing family. He said he had hoped to live, work and retire in Lake County.
Board members acknowledged the county’s struggles and said they are working to bring more money into the county.
“We do hear you loud and clear,” said Supervisor Moke Simon, adding that sheriff’s staffing is a priority for the board.
“We’ve always really tried to support law enforcement,” said Smith.
He said it’s time to do something out of the box, and suggested that maybe the 80/20 split suggested by Drewrey might be an option.
Later in the meeting, the board approved a memorandum of understanding with the Lake County Sheriff Management Association for the period from Jan. 1, 2019, through Dec. 31, 2019.
The agreement is similar to agreements the county has with other labor groups, said County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson.
Huchingson said the agreement includes no salary increases because of lack of funds, but gives two days of personal work leave, $1,000 per month per employee contribution to health benefits and a 2.5 percent increase above base salary due to educational degrees.
She said the agreement also allows for straight time overtime for management during board-declared emergencies, as was introduced a few months ago with other employee units. The overtime allowance is capped at 40 hours.
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 Lake County Continuum of Care homeless coalition's newly formed Interfaith Committee will hold its first meeting on Thursday, Dec. 20, and faith-based groups are encouraged to attend.
The Lake County Continuum of Care, or COC, is a coordinating group that aligns resources to facilitate solutions to end homelessness in our community.
The Interfaith Committee specifically helps faith-based groups to align their work to serve our homeless neighbors.
The committee will meet at 3 p.m. Thursday at Hope Center, 3400 Emerson St. in Clearlake.
The Interfaith Committee will cover what is currently being done to serve Lake County’s homeless, how faith-based groups can help with the operation of the coalition’s new shower trailer and what projects they would like to request funding support for in the future.
Why is this committee needed?
On Tuesday, Jan. 23, the COC held a point-in-time, or PIT, survey to count the sheltered and unsheltered homeless individuals and families in Lake County.
The PIT count helps the COC gain a better understanding of homelessness in our community and needed services and resources. It also enables the county to apply for federal resources to address the homeless crisis.
The 107 volunteers coordinated by the COC counted 612 of our neighbors who are homeless. Of these 504 were adults and 108 children, meaning 1 of 6 people who are homeless in Lake County is a child.
Here is a breakdown by community:
– Lakeport had the highest percentage of children with 29 percent of those counted being under the age of 18. There were 22 children and 54 adults for a total of 76. – Lucerne had a total of 47 residents who are homeless, of which 36 were adults and 11 children. – Nice/Upper Lake also had 47 total homeless, with 39 adults and eight children. – Volunteers counted five children and 46 adults in Middletown for a total of 51. – In Kelseyville volunteers counted 17 people who are homeless, 14 adults and three children. – Clearlake, Clearlake Oaks and Lower Lake were grouped together and 293 adults and 26 children counted and identified as being without shelter.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – As Californians travel this week, the California Highway Patrol is set to begin its Christmas Maximum Enforcement Period.
This additional enforcement is intended to further ensure the safety of the motoring public during the holidays.
The MEP begins at 6 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 21, and continues through 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 25.
The focus of the MEP is speed limit enforcement, but officers will also be watching for any signs of impaired driving.
During this period, all available officers will be out on the roadways for enhanced enforcement efforts and assisting motorists wherever needed.
“The California Highway Patrol wishes everyone a happy and, most importantly, safe holiday season,” CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley said. “Please remember to drive sober, avoid distractions, always buckle up, leave plenty of time to reach your destination, and consider the possibility of inclement weather.”
The holiday season brings celebrations and time spent with family and friends, but unfortunately they also result in a considerable loss of life on California’s roadways.
Sixteen people died in collisions in CHP jurisdiction during the 2017 Christmas MEP.
Of the 12 vehicle occupants who were killed, half were not wearing a seat belt. Three pedestrians and one motorcyclist were also killed, and the CHP made 917 arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Statewide, 27 people were killed in collisions.
Impaired driving, whether by alcohol, legal drugs, or illegal drugs, can result in a DUI arrest. A slowed reaction due to medication is as dangerous as any other impairment and will increase the risk of a traffic collision.
An impaired driving arrest can also mean a significant financial impact. The fine for a first-offense DUI along with associated costs can total more than $15,000 in California. If you see an impaired driver, call 9-1-1 when you can do so safely.
From left, Anita Louise Aney, 52, of Lakeport, Calif., and Jeremy Wayne Griffin, 32, of Kelseyville, Calif., were arrested on Monday, December 17, 2018, for a number of charges. During a search of their vehicle a police officer became ill from an unknown substance. Lake County Jail photos.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – A Lakeport Police officer is OK after his department said he was exposed on Monday to an unknown substance while assisting with a vehicle search.
Officer Andrew Welter was the officer who became ill as a result of the substance, according to a report from the Lakeport Police Department.
On Monday at 4 p.m. Lakeport Police officers conducted a vehicle stop in the parking lot of the Power Mart on Lakeport Boulevard, police said.
During the initial stop an officer noticed the driver, identified as Jeremy Wayne Griffin, 32, of Kelseyville, appeared to be concealing something as he was reaching into the center console. Officers identified the passenger as Anita Louise Aney, 52, of Lakeport, and determined she was on searchable probation, according to the report.
The department said officers initiated a search of the passenger area of the vehicle and located a glass pipe, commonly used to ingest drugs, lying on the floorboard behind the passenger seat. A further search of the vehicle revealed a loaded Smith and Wesson .45-caliber pistol lying under the driver’s seat within reach of the driver. Also located in the driver side door handle was a dollar bill containing a white crystal type substance believed to be methamphetamine.
A records search revealed Griffin is a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing a firearm. Several rounds of 12 gauge shotgun ammunition, .223 rounds of ammunition and 30-06 rounds of ammunition were located in the trunk, police reported.
Based on the items located in the vehicle, police said both Griffin and Aney were placed under arrest.
Officer Welter arrived on scene and began to assist with the search of the vehicle. He located a small plastic bag, containing a white substance, believed to be methamphetamine, tucked under the center console area, police said.
As Officer Welter was removing the partially opened bag from the center console he notified a fellow officer that something wasn’t feeling right. Officer Welter stated his heart rate was high and leaned into the fellow officer who recognized that Officer Welter had been exposed to the unknown substance in the bag, according to the report.
Officer Welter was placed on the ground and administered Narcan as it was believed he was possibly exposed to Fentanyl, a dangerous opioid that can be made illegally and used as a recreational drug, the police report explained.
Officer Welter was immediately taken to Sutter Lakeside Hospital by Lakeport Fire personnel where he was treated for the exposure and later released, police said.
Griffin and Aney were transported to the Hill Road Jail.
Griffin was booked for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon/addict, carrying a loaded firearm in public, possession of ammunition by a prohibited person, carrying a loaded unregistered firearm, possession of a controlled substance and being under the influence of a controlled substance.
Aney was booked for possession of drug paraphernalia, being under the influence of a controlled substance and violation of probation.
The investigation into the unknown substance is ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact the Lakeport Police Department at 707-263-5491.
At right, Sgt. Michael Davis takes his oath from Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen on Monday, December 17, 2018, at City Hall in Lakeport, Calif. Photo courtesy of Mayor Mireya Turner. LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Police Department started off the week by welcoming a new sergeant.
Chief Brad Rasmussen administered the oath to Sgt. Michael Davis during a Monday morning ceremony at Lakeport City Hall.
Davis comes to the Lakeport Police Department from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
Davis will be formally introduced to the Lakeport City Council at its meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
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.
Stolen property from several residential burglaries was found in a car driven by Tabytha Jarvis, 27, of Lake County, Calif., on Friday, December 14, 2018. Photo courtesy of the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office. NORTH COAST, Calif. – Sonoma County Sheriff’s deputies arrested two Lake County residents on Friday for a string of residential burglaries.
Arrested in the case were Ryan Messing, 33, and 27-year-old Tabytha Jarvis, according to a report from Sgt. Spencer Crum.
At about 4:15 p.m. Friday Sonoma County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call from a woman who just arrived home in the 2900 block of River Road in Forestville to find her home in the process of being burglarized, Crum said.
He said the woman told the deputies when she arrived home a woman was parked in her driveway in a newer light-colored, small SUV. The woman was able to drive away after asking the homeowner if “Gina” lived there.
The homeowner then noticed a window broken to her front door and then heard someone rummaging through her garage. Crum said the homeowner ran back to her car and called the sheriff’s office from her cell phone. at which point she saw Messing, a parolee from Clearlake, run from the north side of her home and into a nearby vineyard.
Deputies, with the help of the sheriff’s helicopter unit, spotted Messing in the vineyard fleeing away from the scene. After a foot pursuit and struggle, Messing was taken into custody and arrested for residential burglary and resisting arrest, Crum said.
Sheriff’s property crimes detectives were called to the scene to assist. Crum said detectives were able to identify Messing’s girlfriend as Jarvis, who they confirmed was the woman driving the SUV at the victim’s home in Forestville after showing the victim a series of photographs.
Through investigative means, detectives tracked Jarvis to a residence in the 1500 block of North Street in Santa Rosa. In the driveway at that address was a silver, newer Nissan Rogue that was reported stolen out of Arbuckle and had been taken during another residential burglary, Crum said.
Crum said detectives contacted and arrested Jarvis at the home. Detectives searched the stolen car, the home and a storage shed at the home and found a trove of stolen property from at least three residential burglaries in Sonoma County, including eight stolen firearms, tools, jewelry and miscellaneous items.
Detectives also are attempting to solve at least two other burglaries that were committed in Lake County, Crum said.
Crum said both Messing and Jarvis were booked and are currently housed in the Sonoma County Jail charged with burglary, possession of stolen property, theft of firearms, possession of a stolen vehicle and conspiracy.
Messing is being held without bail due to a post release community supervision hold out of Lake County. Jarvis is being held on $500,000 bail after a judge increased the standard bail of $50,000, Crum said.
One of California’s elk. Photo by Dale Cotton/courtesy of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has released a Statewide Elk Conservation and Management Plan.
The plan has undergone extensive public review and will help guide state wildlife managers’ efforts to maintain healthy elk herds.
The plan builds on the success of efforts to reestablish elk in suitable historic ranges, and management practices that have resulted in robust elk populations throughout the state.
It includes objectives for providing public educational and recreational opportunities, habitat enhancement and restoration, and minimization of conflicts on private property.
“This plan demonstrates CDFW’s commitment to build upon its strong foundation for the continued conservation of this iconic species for future management of California’s elk populations,” said CDFW Wildlife Branch Chief Kari Lewis.
There are three subspecies of elk in California: Roosevelt (Cervus canadensis roosevelti), Rocky Mountain (Cervus canadensis nelsoni) and Tule (Cervus canadensis nannodes). California’s 22 Elk Management Units, or EMUs, collectively comprise the distribution of all three species within their respective ranges in the state.
Management activities on those lands include controlling invasive weeds, installing water sources, conducting research and planting food plots.
Lake County is home to tule elk. The Lake Pillsbury Tule Elk Management Unit in Lake County includes land 300,000 acres near Lake Pillsbury within the historical tule elk range.
The plans said the department directly manages only a small fraction of land within current elk range.
The department owns six properties where elk land management activities occur: Grizzly Island Wildlife Area in Solano County, San Antonio Valley Ecological Reserve in Santa Clara County, Cache Creek Wildlife Area in Lake County, North Coast Wildlife Area Complex in Del Norte and Humboldt counties, and Carrizo Plains Ecological Reserve in San Luis Obispo County, and undesignated mitigation land (the future North Carrizo Ecological Reserve) in San Luis Obispo County.
The plan addresses historical and current geographic range, habitat conditions and trends, and major factors affecting all three species statewide, also in addition to individually addressing each EMU.
The EMU plans include herd characteristics, harvest data, management goals, and management actions to conserve and enhance habitat conditions on public and private lands.
More information about California’s Elk Management Program can be found on CDFW’s Web site.
NORTH COAST, Calif. – The remains of a man reported missing last month in Mendocino County have been identified, with authorities reporting that his death no longer appears to have been a case of homicide.
The body of Frank Edward Pinckney, 58, of Eureka was identified by a forensic odontologist, according to Lt. Shannon Barney of the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office.
Pinckney has been reported missing late last month, as Lake County News has reported.
The Mendocino County Sheriff's Office had begun to investigate Pinckney’s disappearance as a possible homicide after a burned Ford van later confirmed as his was found near Leggett, Barney said.
On the afternoon of Nov. 24 a citizen reported a vehicle fire just south of Leggett and stated that they saw an adult male wearing a white jumpsuit and heavy logging style boots fleeing the scene, with a leg on fire.
Authorities responded to the scene, Barney said, finding a deceased male inside the van. They found what appeared to be numerous bullet holes in the side of the van and a gun was located on the ground nearby.
They also searched the area for signs of the male subject the witness had seen near the van, but couldn’t locate anyone, Barney said.
On Nov. 28, a forensic odontologist was able to make a positive identification on the body found inside the van, identifying it as that of Pinckney, according to Barney.
Barney said Pinckney’s family members related that he had been exhibiting what was described as signs of mental health problems in the last few weeks of his life.
Mendocino County Sheriff's detectives re-interviewed an original witness, Barney said. It was previously thought that a subject was "seen fleeing from the scene" onto a private logging road.
However, Barney said the detectives since clarified with the witness that no one was seen running down a logging road and the man, whose leg was on fire, was last seen behind the van where the witness lost sight of him.
Barney said investigators now believe this man was actually Pinckney and that he reentered the van prior to his death.
Pinckney’s cause of death is still under investigation as there are forensics tests being completed, the results of which are not yet known, Barney said. However, investigators now believe homicide is no longer a likely scenario in this case.
Investigators do not believe the witness misled investigators and has been cooperating fully in this investigation, Barney said.
The Mendocino County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's assistance.
Anyone with information related to the suspect or anyone who might have seen Pinckney or his vehicle in the past several days is asked to contact the Sheriff's Office Communications Center at 707-463-4086 or the Sheriff's Tip Line at 707-234-2100.
SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. on Monday announced the appointment of six California Superior Court judges.
The appointments include one in Alameda County, one in Napa County, one in Orange County, one in Sonoma County and and two in Yolo County.
The compensation for each of these positions is $207,424.
Alameda County Superior Court
Colin T. Bowen. Courtesy photo. Colin T. Bowen
Colin T. Bowen, 55, of Oakland, has been appointed to a judgeship in the Alameda County Superior Court.
Bowen has served as supervising deputy city attorney at the Oakland City Attorney’s Office since 2015. He was interim board counsel at the Oakland Citizens Police Review Board from 2014 to 2015 and a sole practitioner from 2013 to 2015.
Bowen was a partner at Clay and Bowen LLP from 2007 to 2013 and a deputy public defender at the Alameda County Public Defender’s Office from 1994 to 2007.
He was an associate at McKenna and Cuneo from 1992 to 1994 and at Miller, Starr and Regalia from 1990 to 1992.
Bowen earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.
He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Roy Hashimoto.
Bowen is a Democrat.
Napa County Superior Court
Scott R. L. Young. Courtesy photo. Scott R. L. Young
Scott R. L. Young, 39, of Napa, has been appointed to a judgeship in the Napa County Superior Court.
Young has served as a commissioner at the Napa County Superior Court since 2018. He served as a deputy district attorney at the Napa County District Attorney’s Office from 2017 to 2018 and from 2007 to 2014.
Young served as a deputy district attorney at the Orange County District Attorney’s Office from 2014 to 2017 and was a sole practitioner from 2005 to 2007.
He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law and a Bachelor of Science degree from Southern Oregon University.
He fills the vacancy created by the conversion of a court commissioner position on Dec. 13.
Young is a Democrat.
Orange County Superior Court
Sandy N. Leal. Courtesy photo. Sandy N. Leal
Sandy N. Leal, 46, of Irvine, has been appointed to a judgeship in the Orange County Superior Court.
Leal has served as a deputy chief at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California since 2015, where she has been an Assistant U.S. Attorney since 2004.
She served as an assistant district counsel at the U.S. Department of Justice, Immigration and Naturalization Service from 1999 to 2004.
Leal earned a Juris Doctor degree from Boston College Law School and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Washington.
She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Timothy J. Stafford.
Leal is registered without party preference.
Sonoma County Superior Court
Mark A. Urioste. Courtesy photo. Mark A. Urioste
Mark A. Urioste, 44, of Santa Rosa, has been appointed to a judgeship in the Sonoma County Superior Court.
Urioste has served as a commissioner at the Sonoma County Superior Court since 2018. He served as a deputy district attorney at the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office from 2006 to 2018 and was an associate at Babin and Seeger in 2006.
Urioste served as a research attorney and judicial assistant to the Honorable Julie Spector at the King County Superior Court from 2003 to 2005.
He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Lewis and Clark College School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Connecticut.
Effective Dec. 31, he will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Rene A. Chouteau.
Urioste is registered without party preference.
Yolo County Superior Court
Tom M. Dyer. Courtesy photo. Tom M. Dyer
Tom M. Dyer, 44, of Sacramento, has been appointed to a judgeship in the Yolo County Superior Court.
Dyer has served as chief deputy legislative affairs secretary in the Office of Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. since 2015. He served as legislative director at the California Department of Finance from 2012 to 2015 and at the California Department of Personnel Administration from 2010 to 2012.
Dyer served as staff counsel at the California Department of Social Services in 2009, labor relations counsel at the California Department of Personnel Administration from 2006 to 2008 and enforcement counsel at the California Fair Political Practices Commission in 2006. He served as a deputy district attorney at the Sutter County District Attorney's Office from 2003 to 2005.
Dyer earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Davis School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Davis.
He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Kathleen M. White. Dyer plans to continue serving in his current position in the Governor’s Office until the end of the Administration.
Dyer is a Democrat.
Peter M. Williams. Courtesy photo. Peter M. Williams
Peter M. Williams, 50, of Sacramento, has been appointed to a judgeship in the Yolo County Superior Court.
Williams has served as deputy secretary, general counsel at the California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency since 2016.
Prior to that, he served in several positions at the California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General from 2001 to 2015, where he was supervisor of the Fraud and Special Prosecutions Unit and was a cross-designated special federal prosecutor with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in both the Eastern and Central Districts of California.
He was an associate at Boutin Jones Inc. from 2000 to 2001, at Carle, Mackie, Power and Ross from 1998 to 2000 and at Bolling, Walter and Gawthrop from 1996 to 1998.
Williams earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of San Diego School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Steven M. Basha.
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