News 3/27/12

FATAL ACCIDENT JKB 3/27/12

• THE CHP IS INVESTIGATING A SINGLE CAR ACCIDENT THAT CLAIMED THE LIFE OF THE DRIVER ON HIGHWAY 128 NEAR ELKHORN ROAD IN YORKVILLE YESTERDAY MORNING.

ACCORDING TO THE CHP, THE ACCIDENT WAS REPORTED AT 11:18 AM. THE VEHICLE APPARENTLY LEFT THE ROADWAY, OVERTURNED AND LANDED IN A CREEK BED ABOUT 40 FEET FROM THE HIGHWAY. THE DRIVER, A 41 YEAR OLD BOONEVILLE MAN, DIED AT THE SCENE. THE NAME OF THE VICTIM HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED PENDING NOTIFICATION OF RELATIVES.

HIGH SPEED CHASE ARREST IN LAKE COUNTY JKB 3/27/12

• A GLENHAVEN MAN WAS ARRESTED AFTER LEADING POLICE ON A HIGH SPEED CHASE ON RESIDENTIAL ROADS EARLY SATURDAY MORNING.

25 YEAR OLD ROMONDIS THOMPSON REFUSED TO PULL OVER FOR A ROUTINE TRAFFIC VIOLATION AND ATTEMPTED TO ELUDE A SHERIFFS DEPUTY BY DRIVING ON NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS IN CLEARLAKE AT SPEEDS ESTIMATED AT 70 MILES AN HOUR. HE TURNED THE VEHICLES LIGHTS OFF AND PULLED INTO A VACANT LOT NEAR SCHINDLER AND LAKE STREETS AND FLED ON FOOT. THOMPSON WAS EVENTUALLY ARRESTED AT A NEARBY RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE HE WAS DRIVING TURNED OUT TO BE STOLEN. HE WAS BOOKED INTO THE LAKE COUNTY JAIL ON A NUMBER OF CHARGES, INCLUDING VIOLATION OF PROBATION.

HIGH SPEED CHASE FORT BRAGG JKB 3/27/12

• A HIGH SPEED CHASE ON THE COAST RESULTED IN THE ARREST OF A FORT BRAGG MAN ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON.

47 YEAR OLD PETER BUCKNER REFUSED TO PULL OVER AFTER A FORT BRAGG POLICE OFFICER SAW HIM EXIT A TRAILER PARK IN A RECKLESS MANNER. THE OFFICER PURSUED BUCKNER, BUT BACKED OFF ON THE CHASE AS IT HEADED NORTHBOUND ON HIGHWAY ONE DUE TO CONCERNS ABOUT THE PUBLICS SAFETY. CHP OFFICERS LATER LOCATED BUCKNERS VEHICLE LYING ON ITS SIDE ABOUT 50 FEET OFF THE ROADWAY FOUR MILES NORTH OF FORT BRAGG. BUCKNER AND HIS MOTHER, WHO WAS A PASSENGER, WERE TRAPPED INSIDE THE VEHICLE. BOTH SUFFERED MODERATE TO SERIOUS INJURIES AND WERE TRANSPORTED TO HOSPITALS OUT OF THE AREA. DUE TO HIS INJURIES, BUCKNER WILL BE ARRESTED AFTER HE IS RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL.

THIEF MAY HAVE CALLED 911 FOR TODDLER JKB 3/27/12

• SANTA ROSA INVESTIGATORS SAY THEY BELIEVE THE MAN WHO STOLE A PICK UP TRUCK WITH A TWO YEAR OLD BOY INSIDE, MAY HAVE BEEN THE SAME PERSON WHO ANONYMOUSLY CALLED 911 TO REPORT A SUSPICIOUS TRUCK BEING ABANDONED, IN ORDER TO ENSURE THE CHILD WAS FOUND.

THE CALL CAME IN ABOUT 25 MINUTES AFTER THE CHILD AND PICK UP WERE TAKEN FROM AN APARTMENT COMPLEX PARKING LOT AT AROUND 5 PM. THE FATHER OF THE BOY TOLD POLICE HE HAD STEPPED OUT OF THE RUNNING VEHICLE AND WAS ONLY 10 FEET AWAY WHEN THE THIEF JUMPED IN AND DROVE OFF. POLICE BELIEVE THE THIEF ABANDONED THE VEHICLE AFTER ONLY A FEW BLOCKS WHEN HE DISCOVERED THE TODDLER IN THE BACK SEAT AND CALLED 911. THE TRUCK WAS SPOTTED A SHORT WHILE LATER BY A SHERIFFS HELICOPTER CREW. THE BOY WAS NOT HARMED.

DOGS IN ATTACK TRACKED DOWN JKB 3/27/12

• THANKS TO THE PUBLICS HELP, AUTHORITIES IN LAKE COUNTY WERE ABLE TO TRACK DOWN TWO DOGS THAT ATTACKED A MAN AND HIS SMALLER DOG TWO WEEKS AGO.

AN ANONYMOUS CALL OVER THE WEEKEND LED ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICIALS TO THE HOME OF THE OWNER OF THE DOGS IN CLEARLAKE OAKS, WHO ALLEGEDLY GAVE THE VICTIM FALSE CONTACT INFORMATION AFTER THE INCIDENT MARCH 12TH. HIS DOGS, A NEUTERED MALE BOXER MIX AND AN UNALTERED FEMALE PIT BULL MIX, WERE POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED AS THE DOGS IN THE ATTACK. THEY WERE CLEARED THROUGH QUARANTINE FOR RABIES, BUT STILL MAY FACE A VICIOUS ABATEMENT ORDER AND LEGAL ACTION. THE SMALLER DOG THAT WAS ATTACKED, A POMERANIAN, SUFFERED EXTENSIVE INJURIES BUT IS EXPECTED TO RECOVER.

TSUNAMI WARNING TEST TOMORROW JKB 3/27/12

• THE ANNUAL NORTH COAST TSUNAMI WARNING TEST WILL TAKE PLACE TOMORROW MORNING.

THE TEST WILL RUN SOMETIME BETWEEN 11 AM AND NOON. TELEVISION AND RADIO BROADCAST WILL BE INTERRUPTED WITH THE TEST TONE WARNINGS. ON RADIO, THE TONE WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A MESSAGE SAYING THE TEST IS UNDERWAY. ON TELEVISION, CRAWLERS WILL APPEAR ACROSS THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN THAT SAY TSUNAMI WARNING, BUT THE AUDIO WILL CLEARLY SAY TEST. TSUNAMI WARNING SIRENS WILL SOUND IN SOME AREAS, AND THE CIVIL AIR PATROL WILL FLY BETWEEN CLEONE AND BIG RIVER TO TEST THEIR P.A. SYSTEM WITH AUDIO MESSAGES.

CLEARLAKE SURVIVOR OF PEARL HARBOR DIES JKB 3/27/12

• WALT URMANN, ONE OF THE FEW REMAINING SURVIVORS OF THE ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR, DIED AT HIS HOME IN CLEARLAKE RIVERA ON SUNDAY. HE WAS 88.

URMANN UNDERSTATED HIS AGE IN ORDER TO ENLIST IN THE NAVY IN 1940 WHEN HE WAS 17. HE WAS A FIRE CONTROL MAN THIRD CLASS ABOARD THE DESTROYER USS BLUE WHEN JAPANESE PLANES ATTACKED PEARL HARBOR ON DECEMBER 7TH 1941. HE SERVED ON THE USS BLUE UNTIL IT WAS SUNK NEAR GUADALCANAL IN AUGUST OF 1942. HE SERVED THE BALANCE OF THE WAR ON OTHER DESTROYERS.

WINTER STORM WARNINGS JKB 3/27/12

• A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 4000 FEET HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR MENDOCINO COUNTY AND WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 AM TOMORROW MORNING.

8 TO 16 INCHES OF SNOW IS EXPECTED AT ELEVATIONS ABOVE 4000 FEET THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING, MOSTLY IN THE NORTH AND NORTH EAST PART OF THE COUNTY. UP TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW ARE POSSIBLE AT ELEVATIONS AS LOW AS 3000 FEET.

IN LAKE COUNTY A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 3500 FEET REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM TONIGHT.

4 TO 8 INCHES OF SNOW ARE POSSIBLE FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 3500 FEET WITH 1 TO 2 FEET OF SNOW POSSIBLE AT ELEVATIONS ABOVE 6000 FEET.

THE SNOW, COMBINED WITH WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MILES AN HOUR COULD LEAD TO HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. AS ALWAYS, MOTORISTS TRAVELING INTO THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS ARE ADVISED TO BE PREPARED FOR EXTREME WINTER WEATHER DRIVING CONDITIONS, AND TO DELAY TRAVEL IF POSSIBLE.