News 8/30/10

MURDER CONVICTION JKB 8/30/10

• A HOPLAND MAN WAS CONVICTED OF 2ND DEGREE MURDER ON FRIDAY IN THE STABBING DEATH OF ANOTHER MAN AT A PARTY IN SEPTEMBER OF 2008.

38 YEAR OLD TIMOTHY ELLIOTT AND 27 YEAR OLD SAMUEL BILLY WERE AT THE SAME PARTY ON SHANEL ROAD IN HOPLAND WHEN THE TWO GOT INTO A FIGHT JUST BEFORE 4 AM. ELLIOTT STABBED BILLY IN THE ABDOMEN WITH A KNIFE DURING THE ALTERCATION AND HE DIED AFTER BEING FLOWN TO SANTA ROSA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL. IT WAS THE 2ND FIGHT ELLIOTT HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN THAT NIGHT. HE NOW FACES A SENTENCE OF 16 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON. ELLIOT IS SCHEDULED TO BE SENTENCED OCTOBER 8TH.

FATAL POT GARDEN SHOOTING DETAILS RELEASED JKB 8/30/10

• HUMBOLDT COUNTY AUTHORITIES SAY A UKIAH MAN WAS ON THE HUNT FOR TWO MEN WHO ESCAPED THE SCENE OF A FATAL SHOOTING IN A MARIJUANA GARDEN OUTSIDE KNEELAND AFTER KILLING A THIRD MAN LAST WEDNESDAY.

INVESTIGATORS SAY THE TWO MEN, WHO HAD BEEN HIRED BY 28 YEAR OLD MYKAL XYLON ALONG WITH THE THIRD MAN TO TEND THE GARDEN, HID IN FEAR FOR THEIR LIVES THROUGH OUT THE NIGHT AFTER THE SHOOTING OCCURRED IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OF AUGUST 25TH. ONE MAN WHO SUFFERED AT LEAST ONE GUNSHOT WOUND MADE HIS WAY SEVERAL MILES TO A CALFIRE HELICOPTER BASE TO REPORT THE INCIDENT. THE OTHER MAN ESCAPED UNHARMED. THE DEAD MAN WAS IDENTIFIED AS 40 YEAR OLD MARIO ROBERTO JUAREZ MADRID OF SANTA ROSA GUATEMALA. WILDE WAS ARRESTED DURING A TRAFFIC STOP LATE THURSDAY MORNING AND CHARGED WITH MURDER. AUTHORITIES LOCATED 1554 MARIJUANA PLANTS FROM THE GARDEN WHERE THE SHOOTING TOOK PLACE. INVESTIGATORS SAY THEY HAVE A GOOD IDEA WHAT LED TO THE SHOOTING, BUT HAVE NOT RELEASED THAT INFORMATION.

SOME CHARGES DROPPED IN EMBEZZLEMENT CASE JKB 8/30/10

• THE MENDOCINO COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEYS OFFICE HAS DROPPED ALL CHARGES AGAINST ONE OF THE DEFENDANTS IN AN EMBEZZLEMENT CASE INVOLVING THE SHO-KA-WAH CASINO IN HOPLAND, AND WILL NOT PURSUE FORGERY CHARGES AGAINST 6 OTHER DEFENDANTS DESPITE EVIDENCE OF FORGERY.

CHARGES WERE DROPPED AGAINST 77 YEAR OLD GLORIA NELSON OF NICE ON FRIDAY WHEN HANDWRITING ON A TICKET THAT NELSON WAS THOUGHT TO HAVE SIGNED FOR A $1000 JACKPOT DIDNT MATCH HER HANDWRITING. ACCORDING TO HER ATTORNEY KEITH FAULDER, NELSON HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE SCAM UNTIL SHE WAS CHARGED. FORGERY CHARGES WILL NOT BE PURSUED AGAINST THE OTHER DEFENDANTS BECAUSE OF LACK OF EVIDENCE, BUT GRAND THEFT CHARGES REMAIN. 42 YEAR OLD JOAN PICKRON OF UKIAH ALSO REMAINS CHARGED WITH EMBEZZLEMENT FOR ALLEGEDLY USING A HUB MACHINE TO CREATE FALSE SLOT MACHINE PAYOUTS THAT WERE THEN ALLEGEDLY CASHED BY ACCOMPLICES.

FATAL ACCIDENT J KB 8/30/10

• LAKE COUNTY OFFICIALS ARE TRYING TO IDENTIFY THE CHARRED REMAINS OF A DRIVER WHO WAS KILLED AFTER THEIR CAR BURST INTO FLAMES DURING A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT ON HIGHWAY 29 NEAR KELSEYVILLE LATE SATURDAY NIGHT.

ACCORDING TO THE CHP, THE DRIVER OF A DODGE STRATUS COUPE LOST CONTROL, OVER CORRECTED, CROSSED THE CENTER LINE AND COLLIDED WITH A TREE, ERUPTING INTO FLAMES SHORTLY BEFORE 11 PM. ANOTHER DRIVER CAME UPON THE BURNING CAR AND CALLED 911. HE TRIED TO RESCUE THE PERSON INSIDE, BUT THE CAR WAS TOO HOT. THE VICTIM EVENTUALLY HAD TO BE EXTRICATED BY FIREFIGHTERS, WHO ALSO PUT OUT A SMALL VEGETATION FIRE THAT WAS SPARKED BY THE ACCIDENT.

GRAPEVINE MOTH ERADICATION TO BEGIN JKB 8/30/10

• THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE WILL BEGIN TREATING THE UKIAH HOPLAND AREA IN AN EFFORT TO ERADICATE THE EUROPEAN GRAPEVINE MOTH THIS WEEK.

FRUIT REMOVAL ACTIVITIES WILL BEGIN TODAY. ACCORDING TO THE CDFA, THE FIRST CHOICE FOR TREATMENT IS THE HARVESTING OF GRAPES FROM BACKYARD VINES THAT ARE WITHIN 400 METERS OF WHERE THE MOTH HAS BEEN FOUND. THE SECOND CHOICE IS GROUND TREATMENT WITH THE NATURALLY OCCURRING ORGANIC BACTERIAL COMPOUND BT.. BOTH OPTIONS WILL HELP ERADICATE THE MOTH AND REDUCE THE RISK OF IT SPREADING TO COMMERCIAL VINEYARDS. APPROXIMATELY 1000 PROPERTIES ARE WITHIN THE DESIGNATED TREATMENT AREAS. AN INFORMATION OPEN HOUSE TO DISCUSS THE ERADICATION PROGRAM IS SCHEDULED FOR TOMORROW FROM 5:30 TO 7:30 PM AT THE ALEX RORABAUGH CENTER 1640 SOUTH STATE STREET.

MAN TO UNDERGO PSYCH EVALUATION JKB 8/30/10

• A CLEARLAKE MAN CHARGED WITH MURDER IN THE SHOOTING DEATH OF HIS ESTRANGED WIFE WILL UNDERGO A PSYCH EVALUATION TO DETERMINE IF HE IS MENTALLY COMPETENT TO STAND TRIAL.

51 YEAR OLD EDDIE GILLESPIE COULD FACE 50 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON IF CONVICTED OF ALL COUNTS IN THE DEATH OF 52 YEAR OLD TRACEY GILLESPIE ON MAY 25TH. CONCERNED THAT GILLESPIE COULD NOT AID IN HIS OWN DEFENSE, HIS ATTORNEY REQUESTED THAT HE BE EVALUATED FOR MENTAL COMPETENCY AT A HEARING ON FRIDAY. HE IS DUE BACK IN COURT AFTER HIS EVALUATION OCTOBER 1ST. GILLESPIE REMAINS IN THE LAKE COUNTY JAIL ON $1.5 MILLION DOLLARS BAIL.