News 3/21/12

AUTOPSY RESULTS JKB 3/21/12

• ACCORDING TO THE MENDOCINO COUNTY CORONERS OFFICE AN ELDERLY WILLITS MAN, WHO WAS ALLEGEDLY KILLED BY HIS GRANDSON, DIED OF MULTIPLE BLUNT FORCE TRAUMAS.

THE BODY OF 84 YEAR OLD RICHARD WILKINSON WAS FOUND 150 FEET DOWN A STEEP EMBANKMENT OFF A REMOTE DIRT ROAD 5 MILES FROM HIS HOME A COUPLE OF HOURS AFTER DEPUTIES WERE CALLED TO THE RESIDENCE LATE SATURDAY NIGHT. INVESTIGATORS SAY THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT A CRIME HAD TAKEN PLACE IN THE HOME, BUT HAVE NOT RELEASED DETAILS. 22 YEAR OLD KENNETH WILKINSON IS EXPECTED TO BE FORMALLY CHARGED WITH HIS GRANDFATHERS MURDER TODAY. ACCORDING TO AUTHORITIES, THE SUSPECT LIVED WITH HIS GRANDFATHER AND ACTED AS HIS CARE TAKER.

GUILTY VERDICT IN MOLESTATION TRIAL JKB 3/21/12

• AN ALBION MAN WAS FOUND GUILTY YESTERDAY OF MOLESTING A 7 YEAR OLD GIRL WHOM HE BABY SAT FOR.

68 YEAR OLD RICHARD KRUSE ADMITTED TO TOUCHING THE GIRL, BUT CLAIMED IT WASNT SEXUAL, AND THAT THE VICTIM HAD BEEN SEXUALLY FORWARD WITH HIM. DURING HIS TRIAL, A 40 YEAR OLD WOMAN TESTIFIED THAT SHE HAD BEEN SEXUALLY ABUSED BY KRUSE WHEN SHE WAS ABOUT THE SAME AGE, WHEN HER FAMILY WAS A NEIGHBOR OF KRUSE AND HE BABY SAT HER. THE JURY CONVICTED KRUSE OF ONE COUNT OF LEWD AND LASCIVIOUS ACTS WITH A CHILD UNDER THE AGE OF 14 BY FORCE, DURESS, MENACE OR FEAR. HE COULD NOW FACE UP TO 10 YEARS IN STATE PRISON.

POLICE LOOKING FOR MOLOTOV COCKTAIL MAKER JKB 3/21/12

• THE CLEARLAKE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS ASKING FOR THE PUBLICS HELP IN IDENTIFYING THE PERSON OR PERSONS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING AT LEAST THREE MOLOTOV COCKTAILS THAT HAVE BEEN FOUND DURING THE PAST WEEK.

ONE OF THE INCENDIARY DEVICES WAS BROUGHT TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT YESTERDAY MORNING BY A CONCERNED CITIZEN, PROMPTING THE TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT PARKING LOT. THE GLASS BOTTLE CONTAINING A FLAMMABLE LIQUID WAS RENDERED SAFE AND HAS BEEN SENT OF EVIDENTIARY TESTING. ACCORDING TO POLICE, IT WAS THE THIRD SUCH DEVICE FOUND ON UHL AVE IN LESS THAN A WEEK. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION ABOUT THESE INCIDENTS IS ASKED TO CONTACT THE CLEARLAKE POLICE DEPARTMENT.

BIG RIG OVERTURNS JKB 3/21/12

• THE SEARCH IS ON FOR EIGHT COWS THAT ESCAPED AFTER A BIG RIG THAT WAS TRANSPORTING THEM OVERTURNED ON HIGHWAY 20 SIX MILES EAST OF THE HIGHWAY 53 CUTOFF YESTERDAY EVENING.

THE CRASH OCCURRED WHEN THE REARMOST TRAILER CLIPPED THE SIDE OF AN EMBANKMENT AND EDGED OVER ONTO ITS SIDE AT AROUND 6:25 PM. A TEAR IN THE ALUMINUM SHEETING ON TOP OF THE TRAILER ALLOWED THE COWS TO ESCAPE. 38 COWS WHO DIDNT MAKE A BREAK FOR IT WERE CORRALLED INSIDE THE TRAILER UNTIL WORK CREWS PULLED THE TRAILER UPRIGHT LATE LAST NIGHT. THE CRASH BLOCKED THE WESTBOUND LANE OF HIGHWAY 20 FOR SEVERAL HOURS. NO COWS OR PEOPLE WERE INJURED IN THE ACCIDENT.

THEFT ARREST JKB 3/21/12

• A FORT BRAGG AREA TRANSIENT WOMAN WAS ARRESTED AFTER SHE ADMITTED TO BREAKING INTO A HOME ON POINT CABRILLO DRIVE TWICE TO STEAL GUNS.

THE HOMEOWNER REPORTED THAT SOMEONE HAD BROKEN INTO HIS HOME AND STOLE MULTIPLE FIREARMS MARCH 9TH. THE INVESTIGATING DEPUTY WAS GIVEN INFORMATION CONCERNING A PERSON OF INTEREST AND HE INTERVIEWED 46 YEAR OLD ELAINA UNDERHILL LAST THURSDAY. DURING QUESTIONING, UNDERHILL ALLEGEDLY CONFESSED TO ENTERING THE VICTIMS HOME ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS WITHIN THE LAST MONTH AND STEALING GUNS ON BOTH OCCASIONS. SHE WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY ON FRIDAY AND BOOKED INTO THE COUNTY JAIL ON CHARGES OF BURGLARY.

ASSAULT ARREST JKB 3/21/12

• A FORT BRAGG MAN WAS ARRESTED AFTER ASSAULTING ANOTHER MAN IN HIS HOME WITH A BASEBALL BAT LATE SATURDAY NIGHT.

DEPUTIES WERE CALLED TO THE HOME OF THE 48 YEAR OLD VICTIM JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT. HE TOLD THEM 62 YEAR OLD DONALD HAKE CAME INTO HIS HOUSE AND ASSAULTED HIM A BASEBALL BAT. DEPUTIES LOCATED HAKE AT HIS HOME AND ARRESTED HIM WITHOUT INCIDENT. INVESTIGATORS HAVE NOT RELEASED A MOTIVE FOR THE ATTACK.