3 men arrested after a home invasion style robbery in Ukiah. One person calling the sheriff’s office saying six white men, some with masks on, wearing uniforms that said “Security”, came to their house, one person was hit by a firearm. Then those in the house were restrained at the remote location. Soon after the rip off two suspects took off. One of them in one of the victim’s cars. As officers responded they passed them on Orr Springs Road and took off after them. One of the men stopped and jumped out, running across the 101. The second vehicle was stopped, and the two men detained. They’re identified as Azuriah Paul and Shane Waier. Evidence from the robbery was found on them. Deputies patrolling the area arrested one other man, Nathan Kurtz. All of the suspects charged with several serious crimes including Robbery, Kidnapping, Armed in Commission of Felony and False Imprisonment.
A man from Lake County gets more than three decades behind bars for drug dealing and employing minors to help. Ryan Balletto got 372 months in prison for conspiracy to manufacture, possess with intent to distribute, and distribute marijuana; possessing firearms and employing a minor to violate drug laws. The man pleaded guilty in December to working to sell weed back in 2013 after growing hundreds of plants with others then coercing a 15 year old girl to work on the pot farm. She was reportedly coerced into it and abused, holding her in a small metal box, electrically shocking her and raping her. He admitted he had multiple guns including assault rifles too. He was indicted back in 2013 and has been in jail since then. His co-defendant, Stephen Pearmain, also pleaded guilty to drug violations and got 150 months. The female victim rescued.
A flyer being circulated in Eureka looking to recruit youngsters to a white supremacy group. Kym Kemp dot com reporting police got a tip about the propaganda and assigned a detective to investigate to make sure there were no threats to anyone’s safety in the community and find the source of the hate propaganda. They’re also working with the FBI and a Terrorism Liaison Officer on the matter. The police chief saying “racism, hate and violence by the group… has no place in the community and will not be tolerated.” They’re asking anyone with info to call police.
The body of a missing boater from Laytonville has still not been found with the help of an underground robot, but there’s a lead. The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office out at Lake Mendocino yesterday looking for Vincent Soto after his dad Carlos was found dead there a month ago. Dad apparently died of either a heart attack or stroke, but his 40 year old son has not been seen since. Someone on the lake saw their empty boat and called for help. Family, friends and volunteers assisting in the search ever since. One family member has been holding vigil at the spot too. The Sheriff’s office presuming the son is also dead. Searchers say they saw something that might be a body, but they could not confirm, saying it also could be a log. The Sheriff’s office working with a deep water dive team to see if it’s indeed a body over the next several days.
PG&E, now being accused of not fixing old power lines that could have been a wildfire threat, knowing they needed replacing or repairs. The Wall Street Journal reports the utility company told the US Forest Service in 2017 and 18, there were 49 older steel towers on a transmission line that had to be replaced and 57 more that had to have their hardware and aluminum lines replaced. The newspaper got the info from a Freedom of Information Act request. The paper reported previously PG&E also put off safety work on the line, known as the Caribou-Palermo line, for five years. The same line that started the Camp Fire. At the same time yesterday another victim of the fire was positively identified as 67-year-old Shirley Haley of Paradise.
The body of a man found in a crushed jeep may be connected to the July 4th 6.4 earthquake in Ridgecrest. The 56 year old man’s body found Tuesday pinned under a jeep in the Nevada town of Pahrump. It’s about 150 miles from the epicenter. Police say they think the man, who had been seen the day before at a gas station alive, was working on the jeep when it fell of its jacks as the earthquake rumbled thru. There have been no other deaths or any serious injuries reported in connection to that temblor or the 7.1 that hit the next night. The President declared an emergency in California after the quakes at the request of Governor Newsom so federal aid could pour in.
Reports of shots fired in Fort Bragg at an apartment complex, but the shooter’s on the run. Cops get a call Tuesday night from several people about shootings, and were told to be on the lookout for someone in a black hoodie, seen running from the area. Officers couldn’t find anyone right away, but say at least two rounds hit the building, but there were no injuries. They found evidence at the scene and it’s been taken to a lap. More shots fired later in the night, same thing, no suspects. More evidence recovered there. Cops investigating it as a gang related crime and say there was property damage and they’re still looking for whoever’s responsible… reminding they have a zero tolerance position on gang activity and will beef up patrols in the area.
A new coast commander has been hired by the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office. The officer in charge is Lt. Andrew Porter or Ukiah, who succeeds the now retired Lt. Greg Stefani. Porter, a Ukiah native, started in the sheriff’s dept. back in 1995, left for a bit, then came back in 2008. He’s been a detective and in the department’s investigations division the last six years. He became a lieutenant last year, in preparation to take over the coast substation, managing 10 deputies on the coast from Gualala to Westport.
Two proposals have been released by Mendocino Coast Hospital for the public to see about a lease option to buy the hospital. The interim Chief Executive Officer Wayne Allen released the proposals that came in from Adventist Health and Advanced American Medical Group from last month. They were supposed to be private, but apparently a local newspaper published some of the details of the proposals as an ad hoc committee was examining them. So soon after the full details were released, which are now widely available online. Allen says they’ll still follow the plan of the committee’s review, then discussions about the proposals, with the committee then reporting back to the Board of Directors. Each of the proposals are for a lease with an option to buy the hospital down the road.
The nonprofit that bought the Lucerne Hotel is in and ready to do business. New Paradigm College is working to get funding and build their curriculum. The Record Bee reports former Lake County Supervisor Denise Rushing, along with long time county resident, William Stranger are the co-founders of the college. The news site reports they’re looking to start an accredited four-year, “trans-disciplinary” college deeply connected to the community that offers alternative agriculture practices, wildfire resiliency, fine arts, environmental studies and other subjects. They’re starting a speaker series next week and are beginning classes on permaculture and climate change soon. Also the last week of the month, they’re opening their “Hub,” the news site framing it as an entrepreneurism-focused meeting and workspace.
A man accused of killing two people nearly two years ago in Clearlake Oaks and pleaded not guilty, by reason of insanity may finally be set for trial. Alan Leroy Ashmore with a list of charges against him including murder, attempted murder, burglary and assault, his trial was set for January, but was continued repeatedly. He was recently in court and a doctors evaluation was entered into documentation last year, now it looks as though his court proceedings will start Tuesday. He’s charged in the death of his father Douglas and another man, Richard Braden and the attempted murders of CHP Officer Steven Patrick, Harold Noell, and Mauro Lopez. The jury trial currently set to start next month.
A man from Potter Valley accused in a fatal hit and run moving thru the court system with his preliminary hearing around the corner. Kirk Hamilton in custody since the accident last November, facing charges of dissuading a witness by force or threat, felon in possession of firearm, threaten to commit a crime and more for which he’s pleaded not guilty. Hamilton charged with hit and run with death, vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence, destroying evidence and providing false information to an officer. He told officers he noticed someone lying on the side of the road, went to a house and called for help, went back to the scene took the victim in his truck to a convenience store and called for help there too. But police say Harrison was driving a water truck with two men waiting for a delivery, one was hit and Harrison covered the whole thing up.
Several reports in Lake County of a phone scam. The Sheriff’s Office reports getting a call from folks saying someone called saying they’re from the Sheriff’s Office and the person answering had outstanding arrest warrants. The office says the caller requests personal info from the victim and says they need to pay money with wire instructions or to pay with a prepaid visa cards. The Sheriff’s office says they never call for money and are not connected to these calls. They also urge anyone who may have received a call to not respond, don’t give any personal info, like your name, date of birth, address, Social Security card, bank information or credit card information. They also say they’re investigating this as fraud.
