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- Written by: Lake County News reports
California Attorney General Kamala Harris announced Monday that two bills that will make it more difficult for human traffickers to hide their assets have been signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown.
Assembly Bill 2466, by Bob Blumenfield (D-San Fernando Valley), ensures that criminal defendants involved in human trafficking will not dispose of assets that would otherwise be provided as restitution to victims.
Senate Bill 1133, by Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), expands the list of assets that a human trafficker must forfeit and provides a formula for using those resources to help victims of human trafficking. Both laws will take effect on January 1, 2013.
“With these new laws, California prosecutors and law enforcement officials will be able to seize assets of human traffickers, cripple their operations and aid victims,” said Harris. “Human trafficking is big business in California. It is a high profit criminal industry that is expanding rapidly across the globe, including here in California.”
Assembly Bill 2466 (Preservation of Assets for Victims of Human Trafficking), will help to ensure that more victims of human trafficking receive restitution.
Under California law, victims are entitled to mandatory restitution; however there are no laws to help prevent human trafficking defendants from liquidating and hiding their assets before conviction.
Assembly Bill 2466 will allow a court to order the preservation of the assets and property by persons charged with human trafficking.
“We need all hands on deck to confront trafficking,” Blumenfield said. “Trafficking is slavery. Now, the perpetrators of this despicable crime cannot game the system and keep their money when caught and convicted. Justice will come for victims.”
Senate Bill 1133 ensures that those convicted of human trafficking crimes involving minors will not be able to keep the financial benefits reaped from their unlawful activity.
The law expands the scope of property subject to forfeiture and provides a formula to redirect those resources to community groups that aid victims of human trafficking.
“Today we are one step closer to dismantling the economic infrastructure that convicted child sex traffickers rely on to continue to lure young people into the sex trade,” said Sen. Leno. “In addition to taking away the lucrative profits from these horrendous crimes, we are providing much-needed financial support for increased investigations and victim services.”
Attorney General Harris is committed to the fight against this fast-growing crime that deprives persons of basic human rights.
Harris cosponsored the California Human Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2005, which made human trafficking a felony in California. She also has served on the California Alliance to Combat Trafficking and Slavery Task Force.
Last Friday, Attorney General Harris and Mexico Attorney General Marisela Morales Ibáñez signed an accord to expand prosecutions and secure convictions of criminals who engage in the trafficking of human beings.
The accord will increase coordination of law enforcement resources targeting transnational gangs that engage in the sale and trafficking of human beings across the California-Mexico border.
It also calls for closer integration on human trafficking investigations between the two offices and the sharing of best practices for law enforcement to recognize instances of human trafficking and provide support and services to victims.
Human trafficking is estimated to be a $32 billion industry, the world’s third most profitable criminal enterprise behind drugs and arms trafficking.
Human trafficking involves the recruitment, smuggling, transporting, harboring, buying, or selling of a person for purposes of exploitation, prostitution, domestic servitude, sweatshop labor, migrant work, agricultural labor, peonage, bondage, or involuntary servitude.
While human trafficking often involves the smuggling of human beings across international borders, numerous Americans are trafficked around the United States ever year. Human trafficking strips people, especially women and children, of their freedom and violates our nation’s promise that every person in the United States is guaranteed basic human rights.
For more information on the trafficking of human beings, go to www.oag.ca.gov/human-trafficking .
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – A Clearlake Oaks man was arrested late last week for allegedly stabbing another man he had accused of being involved with his ex-girlfriend.
Daryl Eugene Ney, 51, was arrested following the stabbing, which occurred on the night of Thursday, Sept. 20, according to Sgt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
Brooks said Lake County Sheriff’s deputies responded to an address in the 12000 block of Oak Grove Avenue in Clearlake Oaks shortly before 10 p.m. Sept. 20 on a report of a male subject who had been stabbed.
When deputies arrived they contacted the victim, who said Ney had stabbed him, Brooks said.
Brooks said the victim told deputies that he had been at Ney’s residence that evening, socializing with Ney and two additional occupants of the residence.
Ney left the residence to go to the store and returned a short time later, Brooks reported. When Ney entered the residence he noticed his ex-girlfriend was standing in the bathroom with the victim, and he accused them of having a sexual relationship.
Brooks said Ney became upset and starting fighting with the victim inside the residence. As the victim was attempting to leave the residence, Ney allegedly picked up two kitchen knives and told the victim that he was going to kill him.
Ney allegedly chased the victim who was attempting to escape the yard area and stabbed him once in the abdomen, Brooks said. According to witnesses, they could hear the victim yelling that he was hurt. Ney returned to the residence and allegedly was overheard saying that he had just stabbed the victim.
The victim was treated on scene by medical personnel from Northshore Fire Protection District’s Station 75. Brooks said the man later was transported out of county by air ambulance due to the seriousness of his injury.
The victim, who underwent surgery for his injuries, was reported to be recovering and was expected to be released from the hospital in a few days, Brooks said.
Ney was arrested for attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon, Brooks said.
He said Ney was transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked.
Jail records showed the Ney remained in custody on Monday, with bail set at $200,000. He was scheduled to be arraigned on Monday in Lake County Superior Court.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control is offering several young cats as well as some older cats for adoption this week.
The cats range in age from 4 months to 4 years old, with coats of varying color and length.
Cats that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed and microchipped before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.
If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets there, hoping you'll choose them.
The following cats at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (other cats pictured on the animal control Web site that are not listed here are still “on hold”).
Gray male tabby
This gray male tabby is 2 years old.
He has a medium-length coat, weighs nearly 9 pounds and is not yet neutered.
Find him in cat room kennel No. 11a, ID No. 34357.
Domestic medium hair mix
This female domestic medium hair mix is 2 years old.
She has a black coat, weighs 6 pounds and is not yet spayed.
She’s in cat room kennel No. 11b, ID, No. 34358.
Orange male tabby
This male orange tabby is 5 months old.
He weighs 4 pounds, has a short coat and has been neutered.
He’s in cat room kennel No. 15a, ID No. 34145.
Male orange tabby
This male orange tabby is 5 months old.
He is not yet altered, weighs 3.5 pounds and has a short coat.
He’s in cat room kennel 15b, ID No. 34146.
Domestic short hair mix
This female domestic short hair mix is of undetermined age.
She has a short coat and is not yet spayed.
Find her in cat room kennel No. 15c, ID No. 34147.
Siamese tortie
This female Siamese tortie is 4 years old.
She has blue eyes and a short coat, weighs nearly 9 pounds and has been spayed.
She is in cat room kennel No. 31, ID No. 34313.
Domestic short hair mix
This female domestic short hair mix is of undetermined age.
She has blues eyes and a short white coat, and is not yet spayed.
Find her in cat room kennel No. 46, ID No. 34385.
Female gray tabby
This female gray tabby is 4 months old.
She has a short coat and is not yet spayed.
She’s in cat room kennel No. 49a, ID No. 34381.
Domestic short hair mix
This male domestic short hair mix is 4 months old.
He has a white coat and is not yet neutered.
Find him in cat room kennel No. 49b, ID No. 34382.
Adoptable cats also can be seen at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Cats_and_Kittens.htm or at www.petfinder.com .
Please note: Cats listed at the shelter's Web page that are said to be “on hold” are not yet cleared for adoption.
To fill out an adoption application online visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .
Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.
Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm .
For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
A new report from the National Snow and Ice Data Center shows that as of this month arctic sea ice has dropped to what appears to be its lowest level in decades.
The findings, as of Sept. 16, showed that the sea ice extent dropped to 1.32 million square miles, the lowest seasonal minimum extent in the satellite record since 1979.
Officials said the findings reinforce the long-term downward trend in Arctic ice extent.
In response to the setting sun and falling temperatures, ice extent will now climb through autumn and winter. However, a shift in wind patterns or a period of late season melt could still push the ice extent lower.
The minimum extent was reached three days later than the 1979 to 2000 average minimum date of Sept. 13.
This year’s minimum was 293,000 square miles below the previous record minimum extent in the satellite record, which occurred on Sept. 18, 2007. This is an area about the size of the state of Texas.
The September 2012 minimum was in turn 1.27 million square miles below the 1979 to 2000 average minimum, representing an area nearly twice the size of the state of Alaska. This year’s minimum is 18 percent below 2007 and 49 percent below the 1979 to 2000 average.
Overall there was a loss of 4.57 million square miles of ice since the maximum extent occurred on March 20, 2012, which is the largest summer ice extent loss in the satellite record, more than one million square kilometers greater than in any previous year.
The six lowest seasonal minimum ice extents in the satellite record have all occurred in the last six years (2007 to 2012), the National Snow and Ice Data Center reported.
In contrast to 2007, when climatic conditions – winds, clouds, air temperatures – favored summer ice loss, this year’s conditions were not as extreme.
Summer temperatures across the Arctic were warmer than average, but cooler than in 2007. The most notable event was a very strong storm centered over the central Arctic Ocean in early August.
It is likely that the primary reason for the large loss of ice this summer is that the ice cover has continued to thin and become more dominated by seasonal ice. This thinner ice was more prone to be broken up and melted by weather events, such as the strong low pressure system just mentioned. The storm sped up the loss of the thin ice that appears to have been already on the verge of melting completely.
The spatial pattern of ice extent at this year’s seasonal minimum is different than that observed for 2007. This year the ice is more extensive in some parts of the central Arctic Ocean.
However, the ice is less extensive this year compared to 2007 in the Beaufort Sea, the western Laptev Sea, the East Greenland Sea, and parts of the Canadian Archipelago.
The Northern Sea Route opened around mid August this year, compared to 2007 when a tongue of ice extended to the coast, blocking the route throughout the summer.