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- Written by: Lake County News reports
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff’s Office has arrested two people following an early morning vehicle stop and two separate high speed chases.
Daniel Anton Bennett, 37, of Oakland was arrested following a vehicle stop early Wednesday morning and Hannah Joy Mizner-Welch, 32, of Kelseyville was arrested about an hour later following two vehicle pursuits in which she was found to be driving a stolen car.
At 11:45 p.m. Tuesday, a Lake County Sheriff’s deputy patrolling in the Middletown area attempted to stop a black Mercedes sedan for a traffic violation, Paulich said.
The deputy noticed a silver Saab sedan travelling behind the Mercedes. Paulich said when the deputy activated his lights the driver of the Saab slowed and the driver of the Mercedes accelerated away.
The Mercedes continued on Highway 175 towards Cobb at speeds reaching 100 miles per hour. Paulich said the deputy pursued the Mercedes, but lost sight of it in the Cobb area and terminated the pursuit.
At approximately 12:10 a.m., the same deputy observed the silver Saab he had seen earlier travelling on Bottle Rock Road, Paulich said.
The deputy conducted a traffic stop on the Saab for a traffic violation. Paulich said the deputy contacted the driver, later identified as Bennett, who denied any connection to the black Mercedes from the earlier pursuit.
Bennett was arrested for being under the influence of a controlled substance. During a search of his vehicle, deputies located approximately one ounce of methamphetamine, Paulich said.
Paulich said Bennett was later booked at the Lake County Jail for being under the influence of a controlled substance. Due to the $0 bail rules that are in effect, Bennett was not able to be booked for the charges of transportation and possession of narcotics for sale. The sheriff’s office will be requesting charges through the District Attorney’s Office.
At 1 a.m. Wednesday, as deputies were leaving the area, they observed the black Mercedes from the earlier pursuit travelling north on Bottle Rock Road at a high rate of speed, Paulich said.
He said the deputies pursued the Mercedes, but the driver would not yield. Another deputy in the immediate area was able to successfully deploy spike strips.
The Mercedes continued on Bottle Rock Road until it collided with a hillside near Sulphur Creek Road and came to a stop, Paulich said. The driver, identified as Mizner-Welch, exited the vehicle and was arrested.
Paulich said a records check determined the Mercedes was reported stolen from the Oakland area on March 9.
Deputies located messages on Mizner-Welch’s cell phone that she had sent to Bennett related to evading law enforcement, Paulich said.
In the Mercedes, Paulich said deputies located approximately 9 grams of Methamphetamine, 1 gram of Heroin, 88 grams of Marijuana and $2,817 in US currency.
Mizner-Welch was booked at the Lake County Jail on charges of evading, evading while driving in opposing lanes and possession of a stolen vehicle. She remains in custody with bail set at $35,000, Paulich said.
Due to the $0 bail rules that are in effect, Mizner-Welch was not able to be booked for the charges of transportation and possession of narcotics for sale. Paulich said the sheriff’s office will be requesting charges through the District Attorney’s Office.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A fire that began at Anderson Marsh State Historic Park on Tuesday afternoon continued burning overnight, with firefighters reported to have it mostly under control.
The fire was first reported at around 2:45 p.m. Tuesday, according to radio reports.
State Parks staff were at the park’s ranch house doing some burning to clean up burn piles – a control burn had been conducted there in late February – when they spotted a fire on Slater Island and called it in, said Aaron Wright, public safety chief for State Parks.
Cal Fire and Lake County Fire responded and had challenges trying to access the fire, radio reports indicated.
Firefighters had requested the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Marine Patrol respond to the area, but dispatch reported over the air that the sheriff’s office couldn’t launch the boat due to the low lake level.
Wright said parks staff were able to access the fire on foot.
He said the fire was completely unrelated to the control burning going on at the park.
By evening, the fire had burned about 40 acres and had containment lines mostly around it, Wright said.
Radio traffic indicated the fire was burning near the lake in tules.
“We’re still investigating what the cause was,” said Wright, who added that he anticipated the cause could be manmade.
Firefighters monitored the fire overnight, according to radio traffic.
State Parks staff were reported to be on scene through the night, with fire agencies to meet at 8 a.m. Wednesday to assess the fire’s status.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The District Attorney’s Office has filed numerous charges against a Novato woman who authorities say was driving drunk late Saturday night when she crashed into a van, killing two Clearlake residents.
Keilah Marie Coyle, 21, made her first appearance in Lake County Superior Court on Tuesday.
Officers with the California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office took Coyle into custody early Sunday, about an hour after the wreck that claimed the lives of Miguel Maciel Dominguez, 47, and Cassandra Elaine Rolicheck, 53.
Shortly after 11 p.m. Saturday, Coyle was driving her black 2003 Ford F-250 pickup southbound on Highway 29 near Bar X Road north of Middletown when she crossed the highway’s solid double yellow lines and collided head-on with the 2000 GMC van that Rolicheck was driving northbound.
Both Dominguez and Rolicheck were declared dead at the scene, the CHP said.
The CHP also reported that, about five hours before the fatal wreck, Coyle had been involved in a hit-and-run crash in Sonoma County. She was on Highway 101, south of Gravenstein Highway, when she hit a 2017 Mercedes GLE350 and then fled the scene. In that crash, no injuries were reported.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff told Lake County News that Coyle was still in custody when she was arraigned on Tuesday.
Hinchcliff filed a criminal complaint against Coyle on Monday that includes eight felony charges and three special allegations.
Coyle is charged with two counts each of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, negligent vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, gross vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence causing injury.
The special allegations include causing great bodily injury to both victims and an enhancement that would give additional prison time on conviction for causing death to more than one person.
The complaint notes that the two negligent vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated charges and the great bodily injury special allegation are all serious felonies under California’s three-strikes law.
Hinchcliff said Coyle indicated during her appearance that she wants to hire her own attorney.
She will return to court on March 23 at 10 a.m. in Department 2 for appearance of counsel, Hinchcliff said.
He said her bail remains at $2 million, and Lake County Jail records showed on Tuesday night that she is still in custody.
Hinchcliff said he’s not sure why Coyle was in Lake County that night.
“We are doing additional investigation to answer questions like that,” he said.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The council will meet in closed session at 5:30 p.m. to hold a performance evaluation of the city manager and discuss existing litigation against the county and the treasurer-tax collector over tax-defaulted property sales before the public portion of the meeting begins at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 18.
Because of the county’s shelter in place order, Clearlake City Hall remains closed to the public, however, the virtual meeting will be broadcast live on the city's YouTube channel or the Lake County PEGTV YouTube Channel. Community members also can participate via Zoom.
The agenda can be found here.
Comments and questions can be submitted in writing for City Council consideration by sending them to Administrative Services Director/City Clerk Melissa Swanson at
To give the council adequate time to review your questions and comments, please submit your written comments prior to 4 p.m. on Thursday, March 18.
Each public comment emailed to the city clerk will be read aloud by the mayor or a member of staff for up to three minutes or will be displayed on a screen. Public comment emails and town hall public comment submissions that are received after the beginning of the meeting will not be included in the record.
The council on Thursday will get a presentation on March’s adoptable dogs and hear an update on the Hope Center, which serves the community’s homeless population.
A public hearing will take place at the meeting to consider amending Chapter 18-18, Section 18-18.040 (Use Regulations), Table 6 of the Clearlake Municipal Code to allow “self-storage” facilities in the “RR” Rural Residential and “MUX” Mixed Use Zoning Designations upon securing a conditional use permit. The second reading and adoption is set for April 1.
Under council business, council members will continue the second extension of Emergency Ordinance No. 241-2020 establishing a moratorium on industrial hemp cultivation in the city.
The council also will consider employment services agreements with City Manager Alan Flora and Police Chief Andrew White.
Flora has served as city manager since March 14, 2019, having previously served as assistant city manager and finance director under then-City Manager Greg Folsom.
“Under Mr. Flora’s leadership and following the policy direction of the City Council, the City has seen many improvements in the community over the past two years,” said City Attorney Ryan Jones in his report to the council.
Jones said the council will consider rescinding Flora’s current city manager contract and approving the new employment services agreement.
The new agreement is for five years, with Flora to receive a 7.5-percent increase upon the council’s approval. Jones said that will bring his monthly salary to $13,785.63. That totals $165,427.56 annually.
“Contingent upon a favorable evaluation from the City Council and the Local Economic Benchmark exceeding audited revenues from fiscal year 19-20, Mr. Flora would receive a 3% raise on July 1 of each year thereafter,” Jones wrote.
Similarly, Flora is asking the council to approve a new agreement with White, who has been chief since July 2018.
“Under Chief White’s leadership and following the policy direction of the City Council, the City has seen many improvements to technology, professionalism, impacts to crime rates and overall community support of the department,” Flora wrote.
He said White’s current contract is set to expire in July and accordingly, and Flora has negotiated a new longer-term contract in order to retain the chief.
The new agreement will be for a five-year term, and upon council approval Flora said White will receive a 7.5-percent increase, bringing his monthly salary to $12,647.37. That totals $151,768.44 annually.
“Contingent upon a favorable evaluation from the City Manager and the Local Economic Benchmark exceeding audited revenues from fiscal year 19-20, Chief White would receive a 3% raise on July 1 of each year thereafter,” Flora wrote.
Staff on Thursday also will ask the council to update salary range positions for the positions of police trainee and finance director, and consider authorizing an agreement with Lexipol LLC for local government administration policy manual and daily training bulletins.
On the meeting's consent agenda – items that are not considered controversial and are usually adopted on a single vote – are warrants; adoption of the 10th amendment to the FY 2020-21 Budget (Resolution 2020-27) Appropriating Cannabis Equity Grant Funding; minutes of the Feb. 4, Feb. 18 and March 4 meetings; minutes of the Feb. 10 Lake County Vector Control District Board Meeting; award of contract for the Traffic Signal Relocation Project to DC Electric Group Inc.; and adoption of the 11th amendment to the FY 2020-21 Budget (Resolution 2020-27) appropriating funding for Traffic Signal Work and the Airport Road Project; Resolution No. 2021-17.
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