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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The California Highway Patrol has arrested two men in connection to a fatal November hit-and-run near Upper Lake.
The CHP’s Clear Lake Area office said Phillip Ferris Harrison, 35, of Potter Valley was arrested for hit-and-run, vehicular manslaughter, conspiracy and concealing evidence, and Kirk David Hamilton, 48, of Upper Lake was arrested for conspiring to cover up the crash, making criminal threats, intimidating witnesses and possession of a dirk or dagger.
Harrison is charged with the death on Nov. 19 of 57-year-old James Jobe Carpenter of Potter Valley, the CHP said.
At 3:30 p.m. Nov. 19, CHP personnel were dispatched to a possible hit-and-run traffic collision involving a pedestrian, as Lake County News has reported.
The CHP said Harrison told officers at the scene that he was driving his Dodge Ram 2500 eastbound on Elk Mountain Road near the Blue Slide area when he noticed Carpenter lying on the side of the road.
Harrison said he responded to a nearby residence to seek help, and he and the resident returned to the scene, loaded Carpenter into the back of the vehicle and transported him to the Soda Creek Store to call 911. Harrison then began CPR until medical personnel arrived on scene and pronounced Carpenter deceased, the CHP said.
The CHP said that in the weeks to follow, a joint effort between the CHP’s Clear Lake Area office, CHP’s Northern Division Investigative Services Unit and the Lake County District Attorney’s Investigator’s Office resulted in a followup investigation leading to several search warrants being served and the arrests of Harrison and Hamilton.
Through the investigation, it was determined Harrison was driving his 1979 International water truck delivering a load of water to a private residence at 27363 Elk Mountain Road where 30-year-old Jayson Malson of Upper Lake and Carpenter were waiting for him, the CHP said.
Harrison followed Malson and Carpenter onto the property down a steep road within the property to the delivery location. The CHP said Malson had parked his Subaru in the road and both Malson and Carpenter had exited the Subaru.
Harrison lost control and the front of the International hit the Subaru and ultimately collided with Carpenter, causing injuries leading to his death. Carpenter was transported to Soda Creek Store to seek medical aid, the CHP said.
Soon after the crash, Harrison contacted Hamilton – his friend and a nearby resident. The CHP said the two of them then conspired to conceal and destroy evidence from the crash and the location where it occurred.
Over the following few days, Hamilton also made repeated visits to witnesses where he made criminal threats to harm them in order to keep them from coming forward regarding the facts about the crash, the CHP said.
On Dec. 12, the CHP warrant service team, Lake County District Attorney’s Office investigators and the US Forest service executed a search warrant at Hamilton’s property, the CHP said.
As a result of the search warrant, the CHP said evidence pertaining to the crash was located on the property where Hamilton was residing and soon after he was located and interviewed and arrested.
District attorney’s investigators later determined Hamilton was a prohibited person in possession of a loaded firearm and ammunition, and they are currently seeking separate charges, the CHP said.
On Monday, Harrison met with CHP investigators and was arrested, the CHP said.
Both men remain in custody, with Harrison being held with bail set at $100,000 and Hamilton’s bail set at $1 million for the threatening witnesses charge, according to jail records.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Deputy sheriffs addressed the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday to ask that the county’s leadership make increasing staffing at the Lake County Sheriff’s Office a priority.
Sgt. John Drewrey, president of the Lake County Deputy Sheriff’s Association, and the group’s treasurer, Det. Richard Kreutzer, went before the board on Tuesday morning to speak to the sheriff’s office’s worsening staffing issues, which are in turn impacting public safety.
Kreutzer said that the sheriff’s office has 172 personnel allocated in its budget, but 52 of those jobs are vacant. Six deputies are filling positions at the Hill Road Correctional Facility, which has 20 vacancies out of 55 total jobs.
“This means that our shifts are running with three deputies and one sergeant, sometimes less than that,” he said.
The sheriff’s office has 40 patrol positions, which breaks down as eight sergeants and 32 funded deputy sheriff’s jobs. However, Kreutzer said that they now are working with only four sergeants and 11 deputies, not counting the six deputies working in the jail. As such, he said patrol is running at 37 percent of its allocated staffing.
“These numbers are not a worst case scenario, they are the present reality,” said Kreutzer, explaining that, “As correctional officers and deputies continue to leave for better pay and benefits, our ability to provide services to the community also drops.”
That’s of greater concern when considering how many wildland fires the county has dealt with in recent years. Kreutzer asked what would happen if the sheriff’s office continues to lose staff, and who will respond to future disasters.
“The issue of wages is always the elephant in the room, and whenever it is broached during negotiations, we hear the same response – the county cannot address any fiscal concerns,” Kreutzer said.
He said that it has been suggested that benefits and costs in Lake County are comparable to adjacent and similarly sized counties. While that may be true, he said what isn’t comparable is the amount that neighboring counties contribute overall to benefits.
Kreutzer then went over the contributions of nearby counties to health benefits, including Colusa, which pays $1,420 per month; Napa, which pays up to $1,737.80 per month; and Mendocino, which pays up to $2,153.74 per month.
Lake pays $1,000 per month, after recently adding $200. However, he said that addition came late and is now having to be appealed through the California Public Employees' Retirement System.
Kreutzer said the board needs to prioritize the sheriff’s office staffing and find a fiscally responsible way to augment benefits for deputies.
Drewrey told the board that while staffing already is down, it could go down even more as several deputies have conditional job offers elsewhere or have – like him – applied to other local agencies. He said those who are leaving have pointed to the high costs of benefit.
He also pointed out the loss to the county, noting one deputy who has a conditional offer with another local agency has 12 years of experience and more than 1,700 hours of training that he’ll take elsewhere.
Supervisor Jeff Smith explained that, for a single person, the county’s $1,000 health benefits contribution mean that the employee doesn’t pay anything. However, if they add one person, it’s $700 per month, and can range up to $1,200 a month out of pocket if more family members are added.
“It’s substantial, the cut out of a take home paycheck,” said Supervisor Rob Brown, noting the insurance is hitting them so hard.
Drewrey said an alternate 80/20 cost-sharing plan that he’s explored would lower the family cost to $443, cost the single person $163 per month and would only cost the county $1,315 more a month overall for Deputy Sheriff’s Association employees.
Sheriff Brian Martin thanked the board for hearing the matter, noting it was a good time for the Deputy Sheriff’s Association to address the board as a group, which they can’t always do during negotiations.
Martin said his constituents call him about their concerns. “People don’t want to hear excuses, they just want services.”
He said he stood with the Deputy Sheriff’s Association to ask the board to make staffing a priority.
Martin said some decisions do need to be made. “We all want to do our job.”
Correctional Officer Jeremy Wichlaz, who has worked for the county in the jail since 1997, recalled that when he began there were as many as 130 inmates in the jail. Since then, capacity has doubled, but staffing hasn’t changed.
He said the county jail now houses inmates that should be in state prisons, making the job more dangerous for correctional officers.
“It’s Band-Aid on top of Band-Aid at this point,” Wichlaz said, adding that roughly one-third of the county’s correctional officers are looking to go to other agencies.
Deputy Nathaniel Newton told the board he’s also looking elsewhere because of the cost of benefits for his growing family. He said he had hoped to live, work and retire in Lake County.
Board members acknowledged the county’s struggles and said they are working to bring more money into the county.
“We do hear you loud and clear,” said Supervisor Moke Simon, adding that sheriff’s staffing is a priority for the board.
“We’ve always really tried to support law enforcement,” said Smith.
He said it’s time to do something out of the box, and suggested that maybe the 80/20 split suggested by Drewrey might be an option.
Later in the meeting, the board approved a memorandum of understanding with the Lake County Sheriff Management Association for the period from Jan. 1, 2019, through Dec. 31, 2019.
The agreement is similar to agreements the county has with other labor groups, said County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson.
Huchingson said the agreement includes no salary increases because of lack of funds, but gives two days of personal work leave, $1,000 per month per employee contribution to health benefits and a 2.5 percent increase above base salary due to educational degrees.
She said the agreement also allows for straight time overtime for management during board-declared emergencies, as was introduced a few months ago with other employee units. The overtime allowance is capped at 40 hours.
Email Elizabeth Larson atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
Sgt. John Drewrey, president of the Lake County Deputy Sheriff’s Association, and the group’s treasurer, Det. Richard Kreutzer, went before the board on Tuesday morning to speak to the sheriff’s office’s worsening staffing issues, which are in turn impacting public safety.
Kreutzer said that the sheriff’s office has 172 personnel allocated in its budget, but 52 of those jobs are vacant. Six deputies are filling positions at the Hill Road Correctional Facility, which has 20 vacancies out of 55 total jobs.
“This means that our shifts are running with three deputies and one sergeant, sometimes less than that,” he said.
The sheriff’s office has 40 patrol positions, which breaks down as eight sergeants and 32 funded deputy sheriff’s jobs. However, Kreutzer said that they now are working with only four sergeants and 11 deputies, not counting the six deputies working in the jail. As such, he said patrol is running at 37 percent of its allocated staffing.
“These numbers are not a worst case scenario, they are the present reality,” said Kreutzer, explaining that, “As correctional officers and deputies continue to leave for better pay and benefits, our ability to provide services to the community also drops.”
That’s of greater concern when considering how many wildland fires the county has dealt with in recent years. Kreutzer asked what would happen if the sheriff’s office continues to lose staff, and who will respond to future disasters.
“The issue of wages is always the elephant in the room, and whenever it is broached during negotiations, we hear the same response – the county cannot address any fiscal concerns,” Kreutzer said.
He said that it has been suggested that benefits and costs in Lake County are comparable to adjacent and similarly sized counties. While that may be true, he said what isn’t comparable is the amount that neighboring counties contribute overall to benefits.
Kreutzer then went over the contributions of nearby counties to health benefits, including Colusa, which pays $1,420 per month; Napa, which pays up to $1,737.80 per month; and Mendocino, which pays up to $2,153.74 per month.
Lake pays $1,000 per month, after recently adding $200. However, he said that addition came late and is now having to be appealed through the California Public Employees' Retirement System.
Kreutzer said the board needs to prioritize the sheriff’s office staffing and find a fiscally responsible way to augment benefits for deputies.
Drewrey told the board that while staffing already is down, it could go down even more as several deputies have conditional job offers elsewhere or have – like him – applied to other local agencies. He said those who are leaving have pointed to the high costs of benefit.
He also pointed out the loss to the county, noting one deputy who has a conditional offer with another local agency has 12 years of experience and more than 1,700 hours of training that he’ll take elsewhere.
Supervisor Jeff Smith explained that, for a single person, the county’s $1,000 health benefits contribution mean that the employee doesn’t pay anything. However, if they add one person, it’s $700 per month, and can range up to $1,200 a month out of pocket if more family members are added.
“It’s substantial, the cut out of a take home paycheck,” said Supervisor Rob Brown, noting the insurance is hitting them so hard.
Drewrey said an alternate 80/20 cost-sharing plan that he’s explored would lower the family cost to $443, cost the single person $163 per month and would only cost the county $1,315 more a month overall for Deputy Sheriff’s Association employees.
Sheriff Brian Martin thanked the board for hearing the matter, noting it was a good time for the Deputy Sheriff’s Association to address the board as a group, which they can’t always do during negotiations.
Martin said his constituents call him about their concerns. “People don’t want to hear excuses, they just want services.”
He said he stood with the Deputy Sheriff’s Association to ask the board to make staffing a priority.
Martin said some decisions do need to be made. “We all want to do our job.”
Correctional Officer Jeremy Wichlaz, who has worked for the county in the jail since 1997, recalled that when he began there were as many as 130 inmates in the jail. Since then, capacity has doubled, but staffing hasn’t changed.
He said the county jail now houses inmates that should be in state prisons, making the job more dangerous for correctional officers.
“It’s Band-Aid on top of Band-Aid at this point,” Wichlaz said, adding that roughly one-third of the county’s correctional officers are looking to go to other agencies.
Deputy Nathaniel Newton told the board he’s also looking elsewhere because of the cost of benefits for his growing family. He said he had hoped to live, work and retire in Lake County.
Board members acknowledged the county’s struggles and said they are working to bring more money into the county.
“We do hear you loud and clear,” said Supervisor Moke Simon, adding that sheriff’s staffing is a priority for the board.
“We’ve always really tried to support law enforcement,” said Smith.
He said it’s time to do something out of the box, and suggested that maybe the 80/20 split suggested by Drewrey might be an option.
Later in the meeting, the board approved a memorandum of understanding with the Lake County Sheriff Management Association for the period from Jan. 1, 2019, through Dec. 31, 2019.
The agreement is similar to agreements the county has with other labor groups, said County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson.
Huchingson said the agreement includes no salary increases because of lack of funds, but gives two days of personal work leave, $1,000 per month per employee contribution to health benefits and a 2.5 percent increase above base salary due to educational degrees.
She said the agreement also allows for straight time overtime for management during board-declared emergencies, as was introduced a few months ago with other employee units. The overtime allowance is capped at 40 hours.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Lake County Continuum of Care homeless coalition's newly formed Interfaith Committee will hold its first meeting on Thursday, Dec. 20, and faith-based groups are encouraged to attend.
The Lake County Continuum of Care, or COC, is a coordinating group that aligns resources to facilitate solutions to end homelessness in our community.
The Interfaith Committee specifically helps faith-based groups to align their work to serve our homeless neighbors.
The committee will meet at 3 p.m. Thursday at Hope Center, 3400 Emerson St. in Clearlake.
The Interfaith Committee will cover what is currently being done to serve Lake County’s homeless, how faith-based groups can help with the operation of the coalition’s new shower trailer and what projects they would like to request funding support for in the future.
Why is this committee needed?
On Tuesday, Jan. 23, the COC held a point-in-time, or PIT, survey to count the sheltered and unsheltered homeless individuals and families in Lake County.
The PIT count helps the COC gain a better understanding of homelessness in our community and needed services and resources. It also enables the county to apply for federal resources to address the homeless crisis.
The 107 volunteers coordinated by the COC counted 612 of our neighbors who are homeless. Of these 504 were adults and 108 children, meaning 1 of 6 people who are homeless in Lake County is a child.
Here is a breakdown by community:
– Lakeport had the highest percentage of children with 29 percent of those counted being under the age of 18. There were 22 children and 54 adults for a total of 76.
– Lucerne had a total of 47 residents who are homeless, of which 36 were adults and 11 children.
– Nice/Upper Lake also had 47 total homeless, with 39 adults and eight children.
– Volunteers counted five children and 46 adults in Middletown for a total of 51.
– In Kelseyville volunteers counted 17 people who are homeless, 14 adults and three children.
– Clearlake, Clearlake Oaks and Lower Lake were grouped together and 293 adults and 26 children counted and identified as being without shelter.
The Lake County Continuum of Care, or COC, is a coordinating group that aligns resources to facilitate solutions to end homelessness in our community.
The Interfaith Committee specifically helps faith-based groups to align their work to serve our homeless neighbors.
The committee will meet at 3 p.m. Thursday at Hope Center, 3400 Emerson St. in Clearlake.
The Interfaith Committee will cover what is currently being done to serve Lake County’s homeless, how faith-based groups can help with the operation of the coalition’s new shower trailer and what projects they would like to request funding support for in the future.
Why is this committee needed?
On Tuesday, Jan. 23, the COC held a point-in-time, or PIT, survey to count the sheltered and unsheltered homeless individuals and families in Lake County.
The PIT count helps the COC gain a better understanding of homelessness in our community and needed services and resources. It also enables the county to apply for federal resources to address the homeless crisis.
The 107 volunteers coordinated by the COC counted 612 of our neighbors who are homeless. Of these 504 were adults and 108 children, meaning 1 of 6 people who are homeless in Lake County is a child.
Here is a breakdown by community:
– Lakeport had the highest percentage of children with 29 percent of those counted being under the age of 18. There were 22 children and 54 adults for a total of 76.
– Lucerne had a total of 47 residents who are homeless, of which 36 were adults and 11 children.
– Nice/Upper Lake also had 47 total homeless, with 39 adults and eight children.
– Volunteers counted five children and 46 adults in Middletown for a total of 51.
– In Kelseyville volunteers counted 17 people who are homeless, 14 adults and three children.
– Clearlake, Clearlake Oaks and Lower Lake were grouped together and 293 adults and 26 children counted and identified as being without shelter.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – As Californians travel this week, the California Highway Patrol is set to begin its Christmas Maximum Enforcement Period.
This additional enforcement is intended to further ensure the safety of the motoring public during the holidays.
The MEP begins at 6 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 21, and continues through 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 25.
The focus of the MEP is speed limit enforcement, but officers will also be watching for any signs of impaired driving.
During this period, all available officers will be out on the roadways for enhanced enforcement efforts and assisting motorists wherever needed.
“The California Highway Patrol wishes everyone a happy and, most importantly, safe holiday season,” CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley said. “Please remember to drive sober, avoid distractions, always buckle up, leave plenty of time to reach your destination, and consider the possibility of inclement weather.”
The holiday season brings celebrations and time spent with family and friends, but unfortunately they also result in a considerable loss of life on California’s roadways.
Sixteen people died in collisions in CHP jurisdiction during the 2017 Christmas MEP.
Of the 12 vehicle occupants who were killed, half were not wearing a seat belt. Three pedestrians and one motorcyclist were also killed, and the CHP made 917 arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Statewide, 27 people were killed in collisions.
Impaired driving, whether by alcohol, legal drugs, or illegal drugs, can result in a DUI arrest. A slowed reaction due to medication is as dangerous as any other impairment and will increase the risk of a traffic collision.
An impaired driving arrest can also mean a significant financial impact. The fine for a first-offense DUI along with associated costs can total more than $15,000 in California. If you see an impaired driver, call 9-1-1 when you can do so safely.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – A Lakeport Police officer is OK after his department said he was exposed on Monday to an unknown substance while assisting with a vehicle search.
Officer Andrew Welter was the officer who became ill as a result of the substance, according to a report from the Lakeport Police Department.
On Monday at 4 p.m. Lakeport Police officers conducted a vehicle stop in the parking lot of the Power Mart on Lakeport Boulevard, police said.
During the initial stop an officer noticed the driver, identified as Jeremy Wayne Griffin, 32, of Kelseyville, appeared to be concealing something as he was reaching into the center console. Officers identified the passenger as Anita Louise Aney, 52, of Lakeport, and determined she was on searchable probation, according to the report.
The department said officers initiated a search of the passenger area of the vehicle and located a glass pipe, commonly used to ingest drugs, lying on the floorboard behind the passenger seat. A further search of the vehicle revealed a loaded Smith and Wesson .45-caliber pistol lying under the driver’s seat within reach of the driver. Also located in the driver side door handle was a dollar bill containing a white crystal type substance believed to be methamphetamine.
A records search revealed Griffin is a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing a firearm. Several rounds of 12 gauge shotgun ammunition, .223 rounds of ammunition and 30-06 rounds of ammunition were located in the trunk, police reported.
Based on the items located in the vehicle, police said both Griffin and Aney were placed under arrest.
Officer Welter arrived on scene and began to assist with the search of the vehicle. He located a small plastic bag, containing a white substance, believed to be methamphetamine, tucked under the center console area, police said.
As Officer Welter was removing the partially opened bag from the center console he notified a fellow officer that something wasn’t feeling right. Officer Welter stated his heart rate was high and leaned into the fellow officer who recognized that Officer Welter had been exposed to the unknown substance in the bag, according to the report.
Officer Welter was placed on the ground and administered Narcan as it was believed he was possibly exposed to Fentanyl, a dangerous opioid that can be made illegally and used as a recreational drug, the police report explained.
Officer Welter was immediately taken to Sutter Lakeside Hospital by Lakeport Fire personnel where he was treated for the exposure and later released, police said.
Griffin and Aney were transported to the Hill Road Jail.
Griffin was booked for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon/addict, carrying a loaded firearm in public, possession of ammunition by a prohibited person, carrying a loaded unregistered firearm, possession of a controlled substance and being under the influence of a controlled substance.
Aney was booked for possession of drug paraphernalia, being under the influence of a controlled substance and violation of probation.
The investigation into the unknown substance is ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact the Lakeport Police Department at 707-263-5491.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Police Department started off the week by welcoming a new sergeant.
Chief Brad Rasmussen administered the oath to Sgt. Michael Davis during a Monday morning ceremony at Lakeport City Hall.
Davis comes to the Lakeport Police Department from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
Davis will be formally introduced to the Lakeport City Council at its meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Email Elizabeth Larson at