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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKEPORT, Calif. – A Kelseyville man has been ordered to stand trial for attempted murder and numerous other charges for allegedly shooting his wife’s male friend and brutally assaulting her in an incident last September.
Andrew James Serrano, 39, will return to court in March for arraignment on the charges.
He allegedly shot Willy Turner in the chest with a .40 caliber handgun on Sept. 10, 2011, while Turner was helping Serrano’s estranged wife, Lesa, move furniture and clothing from the home that she had shared with her husband up until five months before at 3050 Big Valley Road.
In the same incident Andrew Serrano allegedly beat Lesa Serrano severely, holding the handgun to her head and threatening to kill her before deputies arrived on scene.
In testimony on Thursday, Lesa Serrano said that by the time of the shooting she had been subjected to months of harassing and threatening phone calls and text messages, death threats, physical assault and an incident in which her estranged husband rammed her SUV with his pickup in downtown Lakeport.
Judge Richard Martin ruled that Serrano should stand trial at the end of nearly two days of testimony in his preliminary hearing.
Regarding the Sept. 10 incident, Martin found there was evidence to hold Serrano for trial for attempted murder, an act which Martin said showed deliberation and premeditation; aggravated mayhem, a charge used when someone shows extreme indifference to the well-being of another person, with an intent to do physical and psychological harm; simple mayhem; assault with a firearm; spousal abuse; criminal threats and false imprisonment.
Consolidated with the shooting case were other pending criminal cases against Serrano, with Martin also ordering him to stand trial on counts of assault with a deadly weapon; hit and run; stalking; and three misdemeanors relating to Serrano’s alleged violations of a domestic violence restraining order against his wife and civil restraining orders against him held by two of her friends.
Serrano also will be held to answer for about a dozen special allegations involving use of a firearm, great bodily injury and potential strikes; Martin dismissed three of those charges because he did not feel they had enough evidence to support them.
Turner, who first took the stand on Wednesday afternoon, continued testifying Thursday, explaining how he spotted Andrew Serrano driving by his Kelseyville home on several occasions prior to the shooting.
In one incident, one of Turner’s sons was walking across the street to return a table that had been borrowed for a party when Serrano came speeding down the street and had to slam on his brakes to avoid hitting the boy. He then sped off, Turner said.
Lesa Serrano, who followed Turner to the stand, said she and her husband – now legally separated – have been married over 18 years and have three sons, ages 20, 15 and 10.
The marriage’s most serious problems started four to five years ago, and escalated from verbal arguments into physical violence, which the first incident occurring in April 2011. That was the first time she called the police on him. A few days later he would admit himself to the hospital.
She said on separate incidents in May 2011 he called to threaten her life – telling her, “You’re dead, I planned this out” – and in another confrontation threatened her again and used his hand to gesture at her like a gun. Also that month, he called her cell phone 33 times over an hour and a half period late one night.
On July 2, 2011, Lesa Serrano had dinner at Renee’s Cafe in Lakeport with friends Katrina and Kayla Hickey. While sitting near a window overlooking Main Street they saw Andrew Serrano drive by several times.
As they left in Lesa Serrano’s SUV, driving southbound on Main Street near the Courthouse Museum, Andrew Serrano – who was driving northbound in his pickup – got into the middle lane and then the southbound lane, ahead of his wife’s vehicle. Both vehicles stopped and he gestured as if pointing at each woman.
Lesa Serrano tried to drive around him and he revved his engine and rammed her vehicle. “He looked straight at me,” she said.
While he appeared to be reaching for something, Lesa Serrano said she put her vehicle in drive and tried to get away from him, with her vehicle getting scraped as she drove off.
Additional witnesses testify about ramming incident
Lesa Serrano described how on the day of the shooting her husband drove up while she and Turner were gathering items from the house. She went out to speak with him. He was standing by the side door of his pickup, doing something with his hands.
“He looked over his right shoulder at me, looked back down and I could see he was loading a gun,” she said, explaining how she ran back in the house.
Turner told her to go and hide, which she did in the garage. That’s where she was when she heard a loud gunshot. She crouched behind an electric cart and Andrew Serrano walked through and then left the room, coming back a minute later, spotting her when she moved slightly.
He came around the front of the cart, grabbed her by her hair and drug her outside, pointing the gun at her head and threatening to kill her repeatedly, she said.
She said he accused her of cheating on him, and she tried to talk to him, focusing on their children.
By the time Andrew Serrano was taken into custody, his wife had a wound above her eyebrow, he’d hit her repeatedly in the face and her jaw was knocked out of line.
Katrina Hickey also testified on Thursday to seeing Andrew Serrano drive by the Lakeport home she and her sister shared. She discussed the July 2011 vehicle ramming incident, during which she received an injured right arm and stiff neck. She said she was throwing up with fear by the time Lesa Serrano drove them to the Lakeport Police Department.
Lakeport Police Sgt. Jason Ferguson was on duty that day when Lesa Serrano and the Hickeys showed up at the Lakeport Police Department after Andrew Serrano rammed their vehicle.
“All three of them were hysterical. They were crying. It was rather chaotic in the parking lot,” said Ferguson.
Ferguson put out a countywide be on the lookout for Serrano, who was later taken into custody at his Big Valley Road home by the California Highway Patrol.
Ferguson said Andrew Serrano refused to speak with him after his arrest. They found his damaged truck, showing damage of the collision, in this garage. Inside of it they found a machete.
Andrew Serrano’s attorney, Mitch Hauptman, said Thursday he would not offer a defense for the purposes of the preliminary hearing.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The Konocti Unified School District Board of Trustees will hold a special workshop to shape the coming fiscal year's budget on Saturday, Feb. 11.
The workshop will begin at 8:30 a.m. in the Carol McClung Conference Center, located at 9430-B Lake St. in Lower Lake.
Community and staff members are encouraged to attend the meeting.
The main work of the meeting will focus on budget development and contingency planning for 2012-2013 and beyond.
The district has to cut $2.8 million in order to meet declining funding for the 2012-13 school year.
District Superintendent Dr. Bill MacDougall has introduced a zero based budget model to help the district rebuild its services from the ground up.
On Feb. 1 MacDougall presented to the board a preliminary list of suggestions on how to make the reductions.
At the Saturday meeting he will take to the board a refined list of proposals from the administrative management team.
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020912 KUSD - Zero Based Budget ions 020912 KUSD - Projected 2012-13 Savings
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
MENLO PARK, Calif. – The U.S. Geological Survey has established the USGS California Volcano Observatory, or CalVO, headquartered within existing USGS facilities in Menlo Park.
Establishing CalVO will increase awareness of and resiliency to the volcano threats in California, many of which pose significant threats to the economy and well being of the state and its inhabitants.
“By uniting the research, monitoring, and hazard assessment for all of the volcanoes that pose a threat to the residents of California, CalVO will provide improved hazard information products to the public and decision makers alike,” explained USGS director Marcia McNutt. “This realignment is part of the USGS's efforts to build the National Volcano Early Warning System, a prioritized modernization of USGS volcano monitoring enabled through the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act.”
The list of potentially threatening volcanoes on CalVO's watch list includes the Clear Lake Volcanic Field, which is located in Lake and Napa counties.
Features within the volcanic field are The Geysers geothermal steamfield and the 300,000-year-old Mount Konocti. The area's most recent eruptions occurred around 11,000 years ago around Mount Konocti, according to CalVO.
The volcanic features are Quaternary and include rhyolitic lava dome complexes, cinder cones and maars of basaltic composition, the agency reported.
“Although Clear Lake Volcanic Field has not erupted for several millennia, sporadic volcanic-type earthquakes do occur, and the numerous hot springs and volcanic gas seeps in the area point to its potential to erupt again,” CalVO reported.
Other areas on the watch list include Mount Shasta, Medicine Lake Volcano and Lassen Volcanic Center in Northern California; Long Valley Caldera and Mono-Inyo Craters in east-central California; Salton Buttes, Coso Volcanic Field, and Ubehebe Craters in southern California; and Soda Lakes in central Nevada.
CalVO's watch list is subject to change as new data on past eruptive activity becomes known, as volcanic unrest develops, as monitoring networks are upgraded, and/or as exposure factors change.
CalVO takes on responsibility for research, monitoring, and assessing hazards for all of the potentially active volcanoes in California and coordinating with local and state emergency managers to prepare for responding to renewed volcanic activity.
Previously, the USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory in Vancouver, Wash was responsible for responding to volcanic unrest at some northern California volcanoes.
CalVO replaces the former Long Valley Observatory, established in 1982 to monitor the restless Long Valley Caldera and Mono-Inyo Craters region of California.
The creation of CalVO will improve coordination with federal, state, and local emergency managers during volcanic crises, and create new opportunities for volcanic hazard awareness and preparedness.
The realignment of USGS Volcano Observatories will further facilitate collaboration with federal and state partner agencies including the California Emergency Management Agency and the California Geological Survey.
“California has always led the nation in comprehensive planning for potential disasters. Having the USGS take the initiative to enhance their volcanic threat capabilities and, most importantly, improve planning and coordination with California's emergency managers is welcomed news. At the end of the day, the public expects us to plan for all hazards, and this is another great example,” said Mike Dayton, Undersecretary of the California Emergency Management Agency.
“California is the most geologically diverse state in the nation. We are known for our earthquakes, landslides and flood hazards. But our nearly forgotten hazard is our volcanoes,” said Dr. John Parrish, the State Geologist of California. “The California Geological Survey welcomes the new CalVO with its expanded scope and organization, and we look forward to its successful operations. The new CalVO will streamline our emergency response operations since CGS has offices at the USGS Menlo Park complex, and CalVO’s authority now encompasses all of California's volcanic provinces in one center.”
In 2005, the USGS issued an assessment entitled “Volcanic Threat and Monitoring Capabilities in the United States” (USGS OFR 2005-1164). Volcanic threat rankings for U.S. volcanoes were derived from a combination of factors including age of the volcano, potential hazards (the destructive natural phenomena produced by a volcano), exposure (people and property at risk from the hazards), and current level of monitoring (real-time sensors in place to detect volcanic unrest).
Under the Stafford Act, the USGS has the federal responsibility to issue timely and effective warnings of potential volcanic disasters.
In addition to CalVO, the USGS operates four other volcano observatories.
The Cascade Volcano Observatory oversees efforts at all potentially active volcanoes in Oregon, Washington and Idaho.
The Yellowstone Volcano Observatory is responsible for volcanoes in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona.
The Alaska Volcano Observatory oversees Alaskan volcanoes and those within the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
The oldest USGS volcano observatory, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, is responsible for the state of Hawaii and is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.
All USGS volcano observatories share scientific expertise, administrative staff and equipment.
Visit the new CalVO Web site at http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/observatories/calvo/.
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
COBB, Calif. – EcoArts of Lake County invites artists to apply for a spot in the 10th annual EcoArts: Lake County Sculpture Walk at the beautiful 107-acre Middletown County Trailside Park.
Temporary works with strong artistic merit made from and/or relating to nature will be chosen.
The sculptures will be sited along both sides of a three-eights of a mile central trail through meadows and woodland.
Submission applications must be received by March 15.
Approved works will be installed from Saturday, May 19, through Sunday, May 27, and be removed Sunday, Oct. 14, through Sunday, Oct. 21.
A large public reception will be held at the park on Sunday, June 10, from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.
More than 270 sculptures by local, national and international artists have been installed over the past nine years with public attendance reaching over 3,000 people per exhibit.
EcoArts encourages local schools and community groups to apply and waives any fees for participation.
Visit www.EcoArtsofLakeCounty.org for information on the submission process and installation criteria. There is a $15 submission fee for each entry.
Applications and information also are available at the Lake County Arts Council’s Main Street Gallery, 325 N. Main St. in Lakeport.
Submissions and fees are due by Thursday, March 15, and will be acknowledged upon receipt.
Contact EcoArts directly for late submission information. Visit www.EcoArtsofLakeCounty.org, contact Karen Turcotte at
EcoArts of Lake County is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization dedicated to promoting visual art opportunities for the residents and visitors of Lake County, Calif.
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