SEXUAL MOLESTATION ARREST JKB 1/12/12
- AFTER A THREE WEEK LONG INVESTIGATION, A UKIAH MAN WAS ARRESTED FOR THE MOLESTATION OF A SEVEN YEAR OLD GIRL.
THE MENDOCINO COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE WAS CONTACTED BY THE VICTIMS MOTHER ON DECEMBER 22ND WHO SAID SHE BELIEVED HER DAUGHTER HAD BEEN SEXUALLY ASSAULTED BY 52 YEAR OLD ALBERTO SANDOVAL WHILE HE HAD BEEN STAYING IN THEIR HOME. DETECTIVES INVESTIGATING THE CASE WERE GRANTED AN ARREST WARRANT BY THE DISTRICT ATTORNEYS OFFICE IN LATE DECEMBER AND SANDOVAL WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY ON TUESDAY.
BRANCHES RESTAURANT CLOSES JKB 1/12/12
- BRANCHES RESTAURANT ON AIRPORT PARK BLVD, CLOSED YESTERDAY, LEAVING 65 EMPLOYEES OUT OF A JOB WITHOUT NOTICE.
A SIGN ON THE DOORS AND POSTS ON ITS FACEBOOK PAGE SAID THE RESTAURANT WAS CLOSED FOR REPAIRS AND REMODELING, BUT LONG RUMORED FINANCIAL TROUBLE APPEARED TO BE THE REASON BEHIND THE SUDDEN SHUT DOWN. THE FACILITY OPENED FOR BUSINESS IN NOVEMBER OF 2010 WITH RESTAURATEUR MUNTHER MASSARWEH IN CHARGE OF OPERATIONS. THE BUSINESS HAD REPORTEDLY BEEN IN CONSTANT FINANCIAL TROUBLE SINCE IS OPENED. OWNERS MARC AND DEBRA WATSON TOOK BACK CONTROL OF THE RESTAURANT IN JULY OF LAST YEAR AND BEGAN PAYING DOWN ACCRUED DEBT THAT WAS REPORTED TO BE IN EXCESS OF $400,000, IN A DESPERATE ATTEMPT TO KEEP THE BUSINESS OPEN. THE WATSONS SAY THEY HOPE TO RE-OPEN THE RESTAURANT SOMEDAY IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
MEDICAL POT PERMITS NOT BEING SOLD THIS YEAR JKB 1/12/12
- MEDICAL MARIJUANA PERMITS THAT WERE RUMORED TO BE SUSPENDED THIS YEAR, THEN NOT SUSPENDED, ARE ONCE AGAIN SUSPENDED AND APPLICATIONS FOR THE PERMITS ARE NOT BEING ACCEPTED.
THATS BECAUSE THE U.S. ATTORNEYS OFFICE HAS THREATENED TO SUE MENDOCINO COUNTY OVER THE MEDICAL MARIJUANA CULTIVATION PERMITS, WHICH VIOLATE FEDERAL LAW. REPRESENTATIVES FOR THE U.S. ATTORNEYS OFFICE DELIVERED THE THREAT IN PERSON TO COUNTY COUNSEL JEANINE NADEL DURING A MEETING ON JANUARY 3RD. 2ND DISTRICT SUPERVISOR JOHN MCDOWEN, WHO HELPED DRAFT THE PERMIT ORDINANCE CRITICIZED THE ACTION, SAYING ITS EFFECT WOULD ONLY DRIVE MEDICAL MARIJUANA PRODUCTION BACK UNDERGROUND, MAKING IT QUOTE, MORE ILLEGAL, PROFITABLE AND DANGEROUS.
REWARD OFFERED FOR ARSONIST JKB 1/12/12
- CITY OF NOVATO AUTHORITIES HAVE OFFERED A $15,000 REWARD FOR INFORMATION LEADING THE ARREST AND CONVICTION OF AN ARSONIST BELIEVED TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR SETTING AS MANY AS 56 FIRES SINCE SATURDAY.
SOME OF THE FIRES WERE STARTED WITHIN A FEW FEET OF OCCUPIED HOMES. POLICE HAVE NO SUSPECTS IN THE CASE. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION IS ASKED TO CONTACT THE NOVATO POLICE DEPARTMENT.
PACKAGE OF MONEY LEADS TO ARREST OF PAROLEE JKB 1/12/12
- A PACKAGE CONTAINING $15,000 INTERCEPTED BY THE U.S. POST OFFICE, LED TO THE ARREST OF A PAROLEE ON SEVERAL CHARGES TUESDAY.
THE PACKAGE FROM OUT OF STATE WAS ADDRESSED TO 33 YEAR OLD OCTAVIO MARTINEZ, WHO IS CURRENTLY ON FELONY PAROLE. U.S POSTAL SERVICE INSPECTORS, STATE PAROLE AGENTS AND OFFICERS WITH THE ROBINSON RANCHERIA BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS SEARCHED MARTINEZ HOME ON THE RESERVATION AND SEIZED ITEMS RELATED TO DRUG TRAFFICKING AND AN UNSPECIFIED AMOUNT OF MARIJUANA. MARTINEZ TAKEN INTO CUSTODY FOR VIOLATION OF PAROLE AND BOOKED INTO THE COUNTY JAIL.
STORAGE UNIT BURGLARY JKB 1/12/12
- THIEVES TARGETED AT LEAST 15 PUBLIC STORAGE UNITS, AS WELL AS A NUMBER OF BUILDINGS AND VEHICLES LOCATED IN THE CLEARLAKE PUBLIC WORKS YARD NEXT DOOR IN A BURGLARY LATE TUESDAY NIGHT.
INVESTIGATORS BELIEVE AN AUDIBLE ALARM AT B&k STORAGE SCARED THE SUSPECTS AWAY WHEN IT SOUNDED JUST BEFORE 11 PM. SEVERAL ITEMS WERE RECOVERED THAT HAD OBVIOUSLY BEEN LEFT BEHIND BY THE THIEVES WHEN THEY MADE THEIR ESCAPE. BASED ON EVIDENCE AT THE SCENE, POLICE SAY THEY ARE LOOKING FOR SEVERAL SUSPECTS. IT IS UNKNOWN EXACTLY WHAT ITEMS WERE TAKEN FROM THE TWO LOCATIONS.
TWO PAROLEES ARRESTED JKB 1/12/12
- CLEARLAKE POLICE ARRESTED TWO MEN FOR VIOLATING THEIR PAROLE AFTER ONE OF THEM THOUGHT RIDING A STOLEN DIRT BIKE ON CITY STREETS AT 8:30 IN THE MORNING WAS A GOOD IDEA.
USING EYE WITNESS REPORTS, POLICE CONTACTED 35 YEAR OLD PAROLEE ERIC KLEIN AT A HOME ON 31ST AVENUE, WHO ADMITTED TO RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE ON THE STREET, WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE STOLEN FROM THE BLUE LAKES AREA LAST NOVEMBER. A SEARCH OF THE HOME LOCATED WANTED PAROLEE, 36 YEAR OLD RAFAEL GARCIA, HIDING IN A CLOSET, AS WELL AS MORE THAN A GRAM OF METHAPHETAMINE, DRUG PARAPHERNALIA, AND 2 POUNDS OF PROCESSED MARIJUANA. BOTH MEN WERE BOOKED INTO THE COUNTY JAIL.
CITY OF UKIAH TO TAKE OVER RDA =- JKB 1/12/12
- THE UKIAH CITY COUNCIL VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO TAKE OVER THE REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY AT A SPECIAL MEETING EARLIER THIS WEEK.
THE CITY IS BECOMING THE SUCCESSOR AGENCY AS REDEVELOPMENT AGENCIES ARE BEING DISSOLVED AND ABSORBED BY THE STATE GOVERNMENT IN ORDER TO BALANCE THE BUDGET. THE ACTIVITIES OF THE SUCCESSOR AGENCY WILL BE OVERSEEN BY AN OVERSIGHT BOARD, COMPRISED OF MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, THE COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION, THE UKIAH UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY. ALL PROJECTS COUNTING ON RDA MONEY HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED UNTIL FEBRUARY 1ST. AFTER THAT TIME ALL SPENDING WILL NEED TO BE APPROVED BY THE OVERSIGHT BOARD.
