News 8/20/10

ARRESTS MADE DURING FATAL POT BUST JKB 8/20/10

• THE MENDOCINO COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT HAS RELEASED THE NAMES OF 4 MEN WHO WERE ARRESTED ON PROPERTY THAT CONTAINED SEVERAL LARGE MARIJUANA GARDENS IN LAYTONVILLE IN WHICH AN ARMED SUSPECT WAS SHOT TO DEATH ON WEDNESDAY.

JUST PRIOR TO THE RAIDS BEING CONDUCTED ON THE GARDENS, AGENTS SERVED SEARCH WARRANTS ON SEVERAL HOMES ON THE PROPERTY LOCATED ON BRANSCOMB ROAD AT AROUND 6 AM. 52 YEAR OLD GERALD STEPHENSON WAS ARRESTED FOR BEING AN EX-FELON IN POSSESSION OF A FIREARM AND AMMUNITION AS WELL AS CULTIVATION CHARGES. 50 YEAR OLD DAVID HIGGS WAS CHARGED WITH POSSESSION OF AN ASSAULT RIFLE, TAMPERING WITH A FIREARMS SERIAL NUMBER AND POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE. 41 YEAR OLD KELLY DUTRA WAS BOOKED ON POSSESSION AND CULTIVATION CHARGES. 22 YEAR OLD DEFINO CONTRERAS IS BEING HELD ON AN IMMIGRATION VIOLATION. A TOTAL OF A 2,406 PLANTS WERE ERADICATED FROM THE GARDENS AFTER THE FIREFIGHTS. SEVERAL OTHER FIREARMS WERE ALSO CONFISCATED. THE MAN SHOT TO DEATH HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS 31 YEAR OLD MARIANO LOPEZ FERNANDEZ. OFFICERS NAMES OF THE OFFICERS INVOLVED IN THE SHOOTING HAVE NOT BEEN RELEASED.

STABBING IN COVELO JKB 8/20/10

• A MAN AND A WOMAN WERE STABBED IN COVELO LAST NIGHT. THE WOMANS 13 YEAR OLD SON HAS BEEN ARRESTED FOR THE CRIME.

THE INCIDENT OCCURRED AT 5:08 PM. ACCORDING TO POLICE THE COUPLE WERE INVOLVED IN A DOMESTIC DISPUTE WHEN THE WOMANS SON INTERVENED WITH A KNIFE. THE 28 YEAR OLD MALE VICTIM SUFFERED NUMEROUS STAB WOUNDS AND WAS AIRLIFTED TO THE UKIAH VALLEY MEDICAL CENTER WHERE HE WAS LISTED IN STABLE CONDITION. THE 31 YEAR OLD MOTHER SUFFERED A WOUND TO THE BACK OF ONE LEG DURING THE ALTERCATION WAS TAKEN BY AMBULANCE TO HOWARD MEMORIAL HOSPITAL IN WILLITS WHERE SHE WAS LISTED IN GOOD CONDITION. THE 13 YEAR OLD WAS ARRESTED AND BOOKED INTO JUVENILE HALL FOR ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY WEAPON.

MAN ARRESTED FOR THREATS OF FOOD TAMPERING JKB 8/20/10

• A LUCERNE MAN WAS ARRESTED AFTER CLAIMING HE INTENTIONALLY CONTAMINATED PRODUCE WITH FECAL MATTER AT THE LAKE PORT SAFEWAY ON WEDNESDAY.

THE INCIDENT BEGAN THE DAY BEFORE WHEN DEPUTIES WERE CALLED TO THE LUCERNE COMMUNITY CLINIC ON HIGHWAY 20 TWICE WHERE 46 YEAR OLD ROGER GORDON WAS CAUSING A DISTURBANCE. HE WAS TAKEN TO SUTTER LAKESIDE HOSPITAL FOR A MENTAL HEALTH EVALUATION. WHILE THERE HE TOLD HOSPITAL STAFF THAT AMONG OTHER IRRATIONAL THOUGHTS HE WAS HAVING, HE WAS CONSIDERING GOING TO THE LAKEPORT SAFEWAY WITH FECES ON HIS HANDS TO CONTAMINATE PRODUCE THERE. HE WAS LATER RELEASED. DEPUTIES CONTACTED MANAGEMENT AT SAFEWAY WITH GORDONS STATMENTS, AND THEY SHUT DOWN THE PRODUCE DEPARTMENT FOR SANITATION MEASURES AS A PRECAUTION. GORDON WAS ARRESTED FOR MAKING MALICIOUS STATEMENTS AND FOR POSSESSION OF A NON-PRESCRIBED CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE. HE WAS BOOKED INTO THE LAKE COUNTY JAIL WITH BAIL SET AT $10,000.

REMAINS RECOVERED AT SEA JKB 8/20/10

• HUMAN REMAINS FOUND ENTANGLED IN A FISHING NET 18 MILES OFF THE HUMBOLDT COUNTY COAST HAVE BEEN TENTATIVELY IDENTIFIED AS THOSE OF A FISHERMAN WHO WAS SWEPT OVERBOARD AND DISAPPEARED MORE THAN A YEAR AGO.

A FISHING VESSEL BROUGHT UP ITS NETS ON SUNDAY TO FIND THE SKELETAL REMAINS INSIDE A PAIR OF ORANGE FOUL WEATHER OVERALLS. CLOTHING AND PERSONAL ITEMS HAVE LEAD AUTHORITIES TO BELIEVE THE REMAINS ARE THOSE OF DAVID BURNS MORGAN WHO WAS REPORTED MISSING AFTER HE FELL OVERBOARD LATE AT NIGHT WHEN THE FISHING TRAWLER HE WAS WORKING ON WAS HIT BY A ROUGE WAVE MARCH 10 OF 2009. ABOUT 65% OF THE SKELETON WAS RECOVERED. FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGISTS WILL USE DNA TESTING TO CONFIRM THE IDENTITY. WEDNESDAY WOULD HAVE BEEN MORGANS 50TH BIRTHDAY.

MEN ARRESTED FOR SNIFFING NITROUS OXIDE JKB 8/20/10

• TWO UKIAH MEN WERE ARRESTED FOR HUFFING NITROUS OXIDE OUT OF CANNED WHIP CREAM CONTAINERS IN FRONT OF A CHURCH ON JONES STREET TUESDAY.

AT THE LOCATION OFFICERS FOUND SEVERAL FULL AND EMPTY BEER CANS, NUMEROUS EMPTY AND FULL WHIP IT WHIPPED CREAM CONTAINERS, A DEVICE USED TO EXTRACT NITROUS OXIDE FROM THE CANS, AND A BALLOON TO HOLD THE INHALANT. COLETON MUMMERT AND COLTON HONNOLD, BOTH AGED 20, WERE ARRESTED FOR POSSESSING AN INHALANT INTOXICANT, RESISTING ARREST AND BEING MINORS IN POSSESSION OF ALCOHOL.

SHOOTING CHARGES DROPPED JKB 8/20/10

• CHARGES AGAINST A KELSEYVILLE MAN WHO SHOT ANOTHER MAN WITH A SHOTGUN WHO CAME ONTO HIS PROPERTY ARE BEING DROPPED.

48 YEAR OLD NICKOLAS LEONE SHOT 32 YEAR OLD JOHN KNISS FROM A DISTANCE OF 80 TO 100 FEET WHEN KNISS TRIED TO FORCE HIS WAY ONTO HIS PROPERTY JULY 10TH DURING A CONFRONTATION OVER A WOMAN BOTH MEN KNEW. KNISS SUFFERED WOUNDS TO AN ARM AND SHOULD AND FLED. HE DID NOT REPORT THE INCIDENT TO POLICE BECAUSE HE KNEW HE HAD A WARRANT OUT FOR HIS ARREST. POLICE PICKED HIM UP A WEEK LATER. DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY RICHARD HINCHCLIFF IN DROPPING THE CHARGES, SAID KNISS HAD SHOWED A PREVIOUS HISTORY OF VIOLENT CONDUCT AND HAD MADE THREATS AGAINST LEONE EARLIER IN THE DAY THE INCIDENT OCCURRED.

CHP CHECKPOINT JKB 8/20/10

• THE CHP WILL BE CONDUCTING A SOBRIETY CHECKPOINT SOMEWHERE IN THE UKIAH AREA TOMORROW NIGHT.

TRAFFIC VOLUME PERMITTING, ALL VEHICLES WILL BE STOPPED AND DRIVERS FOUND UNDER THE INFLUENCE OR UNLICENSED WILL BE ARRESTED AND THEIR VEHICLES IMPOUNDED. THE LOCATION OF THE CHECKPOINT WILL NOT BE RELEASED UNTIL JUST BEFORE IN GOES INTO OPERATION.

FLIGHT DELAYED DUE TO THREATS JKB 8/20/10

• AN AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT FROM SAN FRANCISCO TO NEW YORK WAS DELAYED YESTERDAY WHEN SOMEONE PHONED IN A HIGH JACKING THREAT.

FLIGHT 24, BOUND FOR NEW YORKS JOHN F. KENNEDY AIRPORT WAS TAKEN TO A REMOTE LOCATION WERE PASSENGERS WERE INTERVIEWED AND RE-SCREENED WHILE LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT SEARCHED THE AIRCRAFT. AUTHORITIES QUESTIONED TWO PASSENGERS FURTHER. AUTHORITIES FOUND NO EVIDENCE TO BACK UP THE HIJACKING CLAIM. INVESTIGATORS LATER DEEMED THE THREAT NON CREDIBLE.

SALMONELLA OUTBREAK PREVENTABLE JKB 8/20/10

• ACCORDING TO FEDERAL OFFICIALS, THE SALMONELLA OUTBREAK THAT HAS LED TO THE RECALL OF MORE THAN 380 MILLION EGGS WAS PREVENTABLE AND WILL LIKELY SPREAD.

HUNDREDS OF AMERICANS HAVE LIKELY BECOME ILL FROM EATING THE TAINTED EGGS IN RECENT MONTHS ACCORDING TO ESTIMATES FROM THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION. ALMOST 2000 CASES OF SALMONELLA HAVE BEEN REPORTED FROM MAY TO AUGUST OF THIS YEAR, AND THAT NUMBER IS EXPECTED TO GROW. IT IS THE LARGEST EGG RECALL IN HISTORY.

FUGITIVE COUPLE ARRESTED JKB 8/20/10

• A TIP FROM AN OBSERVANT FOREST RANGER LED TO THE ARREST OF AN ARIZONA PRISON ESCAPEE AND HIS ALLEGED ACCOMPLICE FIANCÉ WHO HAD BEEN ON THE RUN SINCE LAST MONTH.

JOHN MCCLUSKEY AND CASSLYN WELCH WERE TAKEN INTO CUSTODY AT A CAMPGROUND NEAR THE APACHE AND SITGREAVES NATIONAL FORESTS IN SPRINGERVILLE ARIZONA. BOTH ARE SUSPECTED IN THE KILLING OF A NEW MEXICO COUPLE WHOSE BODIES WERE FOUND IN THEIR BURNED OUT CAMPER. MCCLUSKEY WAS SERVING A 15 YEAR SENTENCE FOR ATTEMPTED 2ND DEGREE MURDER WHEN HE AND TWO OTHER INMATES BROKE OUT OF A PRIVATE PRISON JULY 30TH WITH WELCHS HELP. THE OTHER TWO ESCAPEES WERE CAPTURED SHORTLY AFTER THE ESCAPE.

22 MILE OIL PLUM DISCOVERED IN GULF OF MEXICO JKB 8/20/10

• A 22 MILE LONG, 650 FOOT HIGH PLUME OF OIL, MORE THAN A MILE WIDE, HAS BEEN DISCOVERED 3000 FEET BELOW THE SURFACE IN THE GULF OF MEXICO.

SCIENTISTS MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT YESTERDAY, AND SAY THAT ITS PRESENCE EXPLAINS THE APPARENT DISAPPEARANCE OF OIL ON THE SURFACE. RESEARCHES FIRST SPOTTED THE PLUME 2 WEEKS AGO, BUT HAD TO LEAVE THE AREA DUE TO BAD WEATHER. RESEARCHES HAVE CONCLUDED THAT OIL MAY HAVE SETTLED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE GULF FARTHER EAST THAN PREVIOUSLY SUSPECTED AND THAT 70 TO 70% OF THE ESTIMATED 4.9 MILLION BARRELS OF OIL RELEASED FROM THE RUPTURED BP WELL HAS NOT BEEN RECOVERED AND REMAINS A THREAT TO THE ECO SYSTEM.