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- Written by: Lake County News reports
NORTH COAST, Calif. – A woman with numerous identity theft cases around the North Coast and Bay Area has reached a plea agreement with Sonoma County prosecutors.
Sonoma County District Attorney Jill Ravitch said Denise Hankins, 42, entered a plea to 20 different felony charges, all relating to identity theft involving numerous victims, on Nov. 16.
Ravitch said Hankins obtained her victims’ information mostly through stolen mail and by stealing wallets. Hankins then used that information to open bank accounts and store accounts.
Hankins was arrested in September of this year after a joint investigation by the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department and the Calistoga Police Department, according to Ravitch’s office.
Hankins’ victims and crimes range from Sonoma County to Calistoga and into the East Bay, where she is currently on probation for a forgery conviction out of Alameda County, Ravitch said.
As part of the agreement, Hankins stipulated to a prison term of 15 years and six months. Ravitch said the court indicated that it will likely impose that sentence as 10 years in custody with five years, six months to be served on mandatory supervision.
Hankins will be sentenced formally on Jan. 30, 2013, at 9 a.m. in Department 13 by the Honorable Robert LaForge.
Deputy District Attorney Amy Ariyoshi prosecuted the case.
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A Clearlake woman was injured Sunday evening when she was hit by a vehicle while crossing Olympic Drive.
Amber Byrne, 48, sustained moderate injuries in the incident, which the Clearlake Police Department said occurred near the intersection of Olympic Drive and Uhl Avenue.
Officers were dispatched to the scene at approximately 5:37 p.m., finding Byrne lying on the side of the road when they arrived, according to a report from the Clearlake Police Department.
Police identified the driver of the vehicle involved in the crash as 41-year-old Wendy Newsome of Clearlake.
The Clearlake Police Department’s preliminary investigation indicated that Byrne was crossing Olympic Drive traveling north when she was hit by Newsome’s 2007 Dodge Caliber, which was traveling west on Olympic Drive.
Byrne was flown to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital via air ambulance, police said. Newsome and the passengers inside her vehicle were uninjured.
Olympic Drive was closed to traffic for approximately one hour. Police said Newsome was released on scene.
Police said the cause of the collision is still under investigation, adding that drugs and alcohol do not appear to be a factor.
Anyone who may have witnessed the collision is urged to contact Officer Mike Carpenter at 707-994-8251.
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The National Weather Service in Sacramento on Monday issued a flood watch to be effective from Wednesday morning through late Saturday night for portions of Northern California including the Clear Lake area.
A flood watch means there is a potential for flooding based on current forecasts.
The flood watch indicates that prolonged periods of precipitation will begin midweek through the weekend throughout Northern California and will bring wet and windy weather, likelihood of urban and small stream flooding, and the possibility of debris flows especially near areas burned in recent forest fires.
More than 7 inches of rainfall has been forecasted for Lake County during the four-day period.
According to Lake County Department of Water Resources staff, flooding from Clear Lake is not anticipated; however, flooding from local creeks is likely.
Be aware, be prepared: Important flood safety tips
Lake County residents are asked to be informed, alert and prepared.
To be prepared for possible flooding, residents are encouraged to assemble a family emergency kit, create a family emergency plan and be aware of flood risks.
Following are a few important flood safety tips:
- Know your risk and take action to reduce your risk.
- Be prepared with an emergency kit. Include flashlight, battery-operated radio, extra batteries, candles, matches, first-aid kit, medications, blankets, food, and water. The American Red Cross ( http://www.redcross.org/prepare/location/home-family ) offers simple checklists to create an emergency preparedness kit.
- Be aware of your surroundings and know your evacuation routes. Relocate to a safe area before access is cut off by rising floodwaters. Don’t forget to take an emergency kit and copies of important documents with you.
- Choose a family meeting place and have a plan for how to communicate during an emergency.
- Tune to local radio or television stations. Listen for emergency information, flood watch and warning bulletins, and instructions from authorities.
- Stay away from rising creeks, streams, and rivers.
- Do not attempt to cross flowing water that may be more than six inches deep. When in doubt, don’t cross.
- Don’t drive through water on the roadway; during floods, more people are trapped and die in their vehicles than anywhere else. Don’t drive around road barriers as floodwaters may have washed out a road or bridge.
- Look out for small animals, especially snakes, which have been flooded out of their homes and may be seeking shelter. Use a pole or stick to poke and turn things over and scare away small animals.
- Look before stepping. After a flood, the ground and floors may be covered with debris, including broken bottles and nails. Floors and stairs covered with mud can be very slippery.
- Be alert for gas leaks. Use a flashlight to inspect for damage. Do not smoke or use candles, lanterns, or open flames unless the gas has been turned off and the area ventilated.
- Stay away from power lines and electrical wires. Electric current can travel through water. The second major cause of flood-related death is electrocution. Report downed power lines to PG&E at 800-743-5000.
- Have the electricity turned off by PG&E. Some appliances, such as televisions, maintain electrical charges even after being unplugged. Do not use appliances or motors that have been exposed to water until they have been taken apart, cleaned, and dried.
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – The California Highway Patrol on Monday identified the two men who died last week in a two-vehicle collision near Clearlake Oaks.
Officer Kory Reynolds of the CHP’s Clear Lake Area Office said Dennis Glik, 58, and Zemmie Cedric Potter, 54, both of Clearlake Oaks, died in the crash, which occurred on the night of Wednesday, Nov. 21.
The crash occurred at 6 p.m. on Highway 20 west of Highway 53, as Lake County News has reported.
Glik was driving a 1974 Ford F350 box pickup truck eastbound on Highway 20 approaching Highway 53 with Potter as his passenger when he crossed the double-yellow dividing lines and traveled into the westbound lane, directly in the path of a 1964 Toyota FJ40 driven by 36-year-old Scott Flora of Ukiah.
The CHP said both Glik and Potter were declared dead at the scene.
Flora was flown to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital while his 12-year-old passenger, Emma Steele-Hunt of Santa Rosa, was taken by air ambulance to UC Davis Medical Center. She had been sitting in the Toyota’s backseat and was not wearing a seatbelt, and was thrown from the vehicle.
A third passenger, Zachary Roes, 30, of Santa Rosa, had minor injuries and was treated at the scene, the CHP said.
Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital spokesperson Katy Hillenmeyer said Monday that Flora remained in critical condition.
On Monday, UC Davis Medical Center said Steele-Hunt was not listed as a patient at that point, so no update on her condition was immediately available.
The investigation into the causes of the crash remain under investigation, the CHP said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at