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- Written by: Lake County News Reports
KELSEYVILLE – A Lake County Parks and Recreation employee was startled Monday morning when two Mendocino County seniors emerged from a concrete and steel bathroom asking for help in finding their automobile.
County employee Jennifer Lyon explained that she was setting sprinklers near the Lakeside County Park baseball field around 7:15 a.m. Monday when two people approached her seeking assistance.
The pair, later identified as Russell and Sandra Troxler of Redwood Valley, had apparently spent the night in the ballfield bathroom, located several hundred yards from the park's boat ramp.
The two asked Lyon for a ride to town where they wanted to seek additional help in finding their missing vehicle, Lyon said.
Once downtown local California Highway Patrol and fire safety officials quickly determined that the two were confused and disorientated, said CHP Officer Craig Van Housen.
At about 10 a.m. authorities received a phone call from an individual launching a boat at the park, who saw a car antenna sticking up out of the water and an oxygen bottle floating in the area, according to the CHP Incident Logs. The car was found in what was estimated to be between 6 and 8 feet of water.
Emergency crews from Kelseyville Fire Department and divers from the North Shore Dive and Rescue Team advanced on the scene. It was quickly determined that the vehicle was a convertible with no apparent occupants.
Divers and fire and rescue personnel managed to remove the vehicle from the water by 11:15 a.m.
Upon closer inspection Van Housen speculated that the 2006 Sebring may have been running and the car appeared to have been in gear when it entered the water.
A number of the Troxler's personal belonging were found in the vehicle as well as a trunk full of fishing gear.
CHP Officer Adam Garcia said investigators believed the car went into the lake Sunday night or early Monday morning. Garcia said both of the Troxlers were very confused, and made statements about their car going into the “ocean.”
“We're still trying to figure it out,” Garcia said.
E-mail Harold LaBonte at
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- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
As Lake County News first reported Monday, Farrington, 37, was injured in the collision in the Cow Mountain off-highway recreation area.
California Highway Patrol Officer Adam Garcia reported Monday that the collision occurred at about 5 p.m. when Farrington, riding a 2006 Yamaha YZ450 dirt bike, collided with a four-wheel-drive Ford pickup on a blind curve. Information on the pickup's driver was not available.
Garcia explained that Farrington tried to avoid the accident but slid into the front left of the pickup.
On Monday Farrington told Lake County News that he and his uncle decided to take their dirt bikes out for a few hours Sunday.
They decided to head home, with Farrington leading the way down the hill; he estimated he was traveling between 25 and 30 miles per hour. The ground, he said, was still wet following recent rains.
As they made their way around a blind curve, Farrington said he saw the Ford F-150 pickup – going between 10 and 15 miles per hour – coming around the corner in the middle of the road.
Farrington said he hit the brakes, which locked up on the wet ground and caused the bike to accelerate into the oncoming truck.
“I hit them head on,” said Farrington.
His body hit the truck's left front fender and, along with his bike, was thrown into the dirt embankment.
The pickup driver took Farrington down the hill, which he estimated took a half hour, as his uncle followed in another vehicle. From there, Farrington – nearly in shock – was driven to Sutter Lakeside's emergency room, arriving at about 5:30 p.m.
Farrington said he spent about five hours at the hospital, undergoing x-rays and examinations. He suffered a fractured and dislocated right shoulder, and also suffered injuries to his left wrist, left hip, pelvis, right femur and right hand.
X-rays showed that his hip and pelvis aren't broken but Farrington said he can barely walk and is in a lot of pain.
Fortunately, Farrington said he was wearing full riding gear, including a full face helmet and body protection. Without the helmet, Farrington said he's sure he would have died, as there was a large chunk taken out of the back of the helmet.
“The doctor and CHP officer said I was really lucky,” he said.
Farrington added that he feels he was blessed because he was not more critically hurt in the accident, which he said was the “wrong place, wrong time for both of us.”
Still in a lot of pain and bedridden, Farrington said he isn't going to be moving around much for a little while.
“I'm obviously not going to be at the board meeting,” he added, which is scheduled for today.
Farrington said he'll be seeing an orthopedic surgeon soon to get a sense of the extent of his other injuries.
Garcia reported that the investigation is still in progress, led by CHP Officer Dallas Richey.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
Judge Arthur Mann sentenced Edward James Munoz, 27, to life without the possibility of parole on Monday afternoon, according to Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff.
On June 27 a jury convicted Munoz of the brutal murder of Leah Leister in March 2002.
Munoz also was convicted of a special gang enhancement, said Hinchcliff. As Lake County News previously reported, Munoz originally told investigators he carried out Leister's murder on the orders of Norteno gang leaders in Pelican Bay State Prison, although he later changed his story.
Because of that gang enhancement, the mandatory sentence was elevated from 25 years to life to life without the possibility of parole, Hinchcliff said.
“Special circumstances make it a capital crime, which can either be the death penalty or life without parole, and we didn't seek the death penalty,” Hinchcliff explained.
In a previous interview, Hinchcliff said that the District Attorney's Office didn't believe the case would meet the necessary statutory guidelines for a death penalty case, which usually requires multiple homicides, the murder of a peace officer or an extensive previous criminal record.
Hinchcliff said George Boisseau, the Santa Rosa attorney defending Munoz, has filed a notice that he is planning to appeal the conviction. That's typical in every homicide case, said Hinchcliff.
Munoz – who has been housed in the Lake County Jail for nearly five and a half years, a stay which Hinchcliff estimated is the longest in the jail's history – will next be transported to San Quentin State Prison. There, Hinchcliff said prison officials will evaluate Munoz and decide where in the prison system to permanently house him.
Hinchcliff, who has worked on the case since its beginnings in 2002, said he's relieved that's it's finally over.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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- Details
- Written by: Lake County News Reports
LAKEPORT – The highly anticipated Western States Seaplane Festival came to a close Sunday as the last of the very popular sea and floatplanes released themselves from the bounds of gravity for one last pass by Library Park.
The two-and-a-half day festival began with the arrival of more than two dozen aircraft on Friday,with many of them ramping out and parking at the ball park adjacent to Natural High School in downtown Lakeport.
By mid-day Saturday several more planes had arrived with dozens of land-based aircraft touching down at Lampson Field.
Downtown Lakeport, from Library Park on up through the high school grounds, was covered with classic automobiles, remote-controlled racers and a street full of visiting vendors displaying and selling shirts, skirts and artistically crafted gourds.
Also on display were three helicopters. A REACH Bell model 407, a CHP AS-350-B3 and the much larger U.S. Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin Rescue helicopter.
Saturdays change of weather did not prevent the US Coast Guard copter and crew from demonstrating a sea rescue.
Festival organizer Damon Trimble complimented the large group of owners and pilots, and was appreciative of their willingness to bring the entire event much closer to the public.
The public enjoyed the opportunity as well, with attendance estimates well above 2,000 for the main events held Saturday, according to festival officials.
Weather conditions prevented two of the Splash-In’s much-anticipated aircraft from participating on Saturday. The Coast Guard's C-130 and a Grumman Albatross were unable to join the celebration of flight.
Sunday’s weather gave photographers and pilots a background that few could resist. Many of the smaller aircraft’s pilots provided those on the ground with several opportunities for that last great shot.
E-mail Harold LaBonte at
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