A man police were looking for in the fatal hit and run crash that killed UC Berkeley’s top lawyer in Guerneville has been arrested. Jonathan Ritter was arrested yesterday after he surrendered in Monte Rio. The CHP had been searching for the guy for two days after Christopher Patti, the main campus counsel at Berkeley was killed on Highway 116 Sunday morning. Ritter was questioned then officers were set to take him to Sonoma County Jail for booking on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and felony hit and run causing death. Police apparently had multiple tips as to where Ritter was so they set up a sting to nail him, but found he was hiding elsewhere. He came out with his hands up near the amphitheater in Monte Rio.
A motorcycle rider had major injuries after a crash near Cobb in Lake County. The CHP says the rider may have been a teenager in the crash yesterday north of Middletown on Hoberg Drive off Hwy 175. The rider was taken by medical helicopter to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento.
An Excessive Heat Watch has been issued for most of Mendocino County. The National Weather Service announced the alert for tomorrow afternoon all the way through the Labor Day weekend into Monday night. Forecasters also say parts of the county will be at High Heat Risk Friday and Saturday and say some areas will get to the highest level at: Very High Heat Risk, on Saturday. The Office of Emergency Services reports they’re monitoring the weather and various alerts thru this week, into the weekend and will be putting out any needed updates.
A man accused of running down and killing another man in Willits, then leaving the scene, has been found guilty. The Mendocino County D-A’s Facebook page posted the deliberations ended yesterday in the case against 20 year old Justin Phillips who was accused of driving a truck that ran down and killed Donald Wagner in December of 2015. The young man was also accused of leaving the victim to die because he didn’t stop and offer first aid or call for help. Phillips was found guilty of several crimes including, vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, leaving the scene of an accident where serious bodily injury has been inflicted and engaging in a speed contest causing serious bodily injury. There’s another felony case against him, which goes to trial next month, so sentencing may happen after that.
City staffers in Clearlake still working up a Commercial Cannabis Ordinance. The Record Bee reports the city being approached by many, to start up marijuana related businesses. The newspaper reports the city manager saying there’s been many changes in laws that need to be in place next year, so they’re trying to have local regulations in place before state law kicks in regarding cannabis licenses. The city manager also tells the paper that the Marijuana Ad Hoc Committee has met several times already to move on possible ordinances which look like they’re in favor of allowing Commercial Cannabis businesses. Right now the city only allows for up to three retail dispensaries. The city is considering various ideas for businesses, including one that wants to deliver pot to places out of Clearlake.
Lawmakers head back to Sacramento to take up major issues including marijuana regulations. The legislators are also working on other issues, but the recreational market opens in January. The two North Coast lawmakers covering our area, Assemblyman Jim Wood of Healdsburg and Sen. Mike McGuire, also of Healdsburg, are working on legislation to regulate cannabis including the regulation of marketing and advertising of cannabis products, nonprofit status, storefront vs. delivery service, marijuana DUI detection, federal vs. state laws regarding medical and legal use and whether businesses can deduct expenses if they’re in the marijuana field.
2 people accused in a counterfeiting case in Lakeport have pleaded not guilty. Louis Anthony Lopez and Christina Williams are charged with possessing counterfeiting plates and possessing forged items after their arrest in June. Cops had been investigating a possible counterfeiting ring at a downtown motel then when they went to the scene, they found several items they say were evidence of the operation. Police also took a car connected to the pair and say there was paper, ink, soap, printing equipment and other items commonly used in counterfeiting. The two will go to trial the first week of September and will likely stay in custody until that time.
Local marijuana growers show up at the regular Mendocino County Board of Supervisors meeting saying they probably won’t work with the track and trace vendor, SICPA. The Calif. Growers Association at the meeting as the supervisors started revisions on the Cannabis Cultivation Program. The Growers Association representative, Casey O’Neill says it’s too late in the season to get the program going. Others at the meeting yesterday agreed and also said it wasn’t set up in a way that works with their businesses and that it would cut off growers in the county from outside processors or dispensaries who don’t have the extra red-tape. Others raised concerns about possible industrial operations on nonindustrial-zoned properties.
There’s been another arrest in connection to the armed robbery and a kidnapping at pot farm in Covelo last month. The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office reports a fifth suspect was arrested for the July 16th robbery at a remote property on Hwy 162. The group told the property owner they were cops, but the victim said he thought they were lying and wanted to steal the grow. Police say they shot guns and the property owner ran and called 9-1-1, saying he thought someone else he lives with was still at the property hiding. As cops arrived, the suspects took off. 3 people were immediately caught but they abandoned a truck with guns and stolen property inside. A SWAT team arrested the trio, who were held on $150,000 bail each for suspicion of armed robbery, kidnap for ransom, and conspiracy. The next day another suspect was arrested and further charged with kidnapping for the other resident. That person was said to be okay. Then this week, the fifth suspect was busted and also held for other thefts in Redwood Valley.
2 people are recovering after a driver plowed into them Monday on Perkins Street. Ukiah Police say a 44-year-old man and a 35-year-old woman were found lying in the street Monday afternoon after being hit by a silver Buick. They say the Buick driver was a 48-year-old woman from Redwood Valley who hit the man and woman as they were in a crosswalk going towards State Street. The man reportedly had a head injury. Both victims went to Adventist Health Ukiah Valley hospital.
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