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UPPER LAKE, Calif. – Firefighters are close to fully containing the Saratoga Fire, which destroyed a home shortly after it began on Wednesday afternoon.
Cal Fire, which his overseeing the incident, rolled back its size estimate on the fire to 87 acres, with containment on Thursday night at 90 percent.
The fire began at around 4 p.m. Wednesday after a vehicle driven by 52-year-old Shellie Denise Boulais of Jackson crashed into a ditch on Highway 20 east of Scotts Valley Road near Saratoga Springs Road, as Lake County News has reported.
The California Highway Patrol said Boulais, who was taken to Sutter Lakeside Hospital for treatment of minor injuries, was arrested for misdemeanor driving under the influence.
Boulais was booked into the Lake County Jail, with bail set at $30,000. She remained in custody early Friday, according to jail records.
Northshore Fire Chief Jay Beristianos said the fire is located in the State Responsibility Area, which is why it's in Cal Fire's jurisdiction, however there was a multiagency response, with Northshore Fire and the US Forest Service also working on the fire.
He said quite a few structures along Highway 20 were threatened at one point.
One home, belonging to Leslie Humphrey, burned to the ground, Beristianos confirmed.
“The house was almost completely consumed by the time I got there,” he said, adding that Humphrey got away from the home safely.
Beristianos said Thursday afternoon that units already were being released from the fire as it was being brought further under control.
Humphrey, who escaped only with the clothes she was wearing and her cat, is staying with friend Claudine Pedroncelli in Upper Lake.
Her friends are asking for help in gathering donations to assist Humphrey. Those interested in donating or offering assistance are asked to contact Pedroncelli at 707-275-9030.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff's Office has released the identity of the man whose body was found in a pond on the Hidden Valley Lake golf course last month, confirming he was the third suspect in a break-in at a nearby restaurant.
Billy Vassiliou, 45, of Martinez, was identified after an extensive forensic review that officials said was necessary due to his body's state of decomposition.
Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office said the autopsy determined that Vassiliou's cause of death was drowning.
Authorities said Vassiliou and 44-year-old Vallejo resident Glenn Anthony Ramirez attempted to steal the ATM machine in Mulligan's Bar at the Greenview Restaurant in Hidden Valley Lake early on the morning of July 30, as Lake County News has reported.
Hidden Valley Lake Security Officer Davis Fox and Lake County Sheriff's Deputy Walter White, who had been in the area on another call, halted the burglary while it was in progress at around 4:30 a.m., according to the Hidden Valley Lake Association.
Ramirez and Vassiliou both fled, with Fox and White capturing Ramirez. However, Vassiliou got away from them, running back across the golf course toward Spyglass Road, the association reported.
Ashley Lorraine Meyers, 23, was arrested later that morning at Twin Pine Casino in connection to the case, officials said. Officials said she was found in possession of burglary tools as well as Vassiliou's driver's license.
The District Attorney's Office said Ramirez is charged with conspiracy to commit a crime, use of an acetylene torch or a cutting tool for breaking into a safe, felony vehicle theft with a prior and felony vandalism, while Meyers is charged with burglary, conspiracy and possession of burglary tools.
As it was filing its criminal case in the matter, the District Attorney's Office reported that it also filed charges against Vassiliou for safecracking, possession of stolen property and vandalism. A $50,000 warrant was issued for his arrest on Aug. 1.
On the morning of Aug. 4, sheriff's deputies and firefighters were dispatched to a report of a body in a pond between the first and ninth fairways on the Hidden Valley Lake golf course, as Lake County News has reported.
A sheriff's office diver helped retrieve Vassiliou's body from the pond, Brooks said.
Brooks said the diver stated that it would have been impossible for Vassiliou to get out of the pond by himself, as there was nothing to grab onto and due to the slickness of a thick rubber tarp used as a lining. The diver himself had to be pulled out of the water by other sheriff's personnel and firefighters.
Brooks said the autopsy did not reveal any other possible causes of death or injury, such as head trauma.
The toxicology report showed that, along with some regular medications, Vassiliou had methamphetamine in his system, but it was hard to determine if it was at a toxic level, Brooks said.
The District Attorney's Office's complaint showed that Vassiliou had a criminal record including a number of theft-related felony convictions in Contra Costa County.
The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office said Vassiliou was arrested in June after he broke into Lily Kai restaurant in Petaluma early one morning, stole $10 in quarters and then fled. Officers later found him hiding in a nearby field.
In July 2011 Vassiliou was arrested at Cache Creek Casino on a warrant issued for his having stolen about $500,000 in rare coins from a Walnut Creek merchant during an early morning burglary in February of that year.
At the time of that arrest he had evaded authorities for about a month, having fled after law enforcement tried to arrest him on the warrant.
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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – A Lake County man arrested early Thursday in a Humboldt County murder case did not have a lengthy criminal history locally prior to allegedly shooting two people to death Wednesday evening.
Jason Michael Arreaga, 29, of Lucerne was taken into custody shortly after midnight Thursday and booked into the Humboldt County Jail on two counts of murder.
He's accused of the shooting deaths of Eureka residents Harley Wayne Hammers Jr. and Angel Robin Tully, both age 37, in the community of Fieldbrook at around 5 p.m. Wednesday.
Tully was declared dead at the scene, Hammers died a short time later at an area hospital, officials said.
Witnesses told investigators that Arreaga had quarreled with Hammers and Tully before the shooting, according to the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office.
Following the issuance of a be-on-the-lookout for Arreaga's gold 2001 Buick, a Eureka Police officer spotted the vehicle traveling southbound on Highway 101 through south Eureka at 12:30 a.m. Thursday. Officials said he was stopped a short time later near Loleta.
In Lake County, Arreaga had several arrests but no felony convictions, according to Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff.
The Lake County Sheriff's Office said Arreaga was a suspect in an August 2012 willful cruelty to a child case, and that same month had an out-of-area bench warrant. In April 2013 he was a suspect in a case involving resisting arrest.
However Hinchcliff's review of District Attorney's Office records indicated Arreaga was not prosecuted in those cases.
In April 2013 Arreaga – whose booking sheets indicated he was working as a landscaper – was arrested on felony charges of possession of concentrated cannabis and bringing a controlled substance in the jail, and two misdemeanor charges of hit and run with property damage and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, according to sheriff's records.
The following month, Arreaga pleaded to misdemeanor DUI and misdemeanor possession of marijuana, and received a sentence of three years of summary probation and 120 days in the county jail, Hinchcliff said.
Hinchcliff said Arreaga also had a case alleging petty theft, but additional details on that case were not immediately available.
The most serious case Arreaga had in Lake County was for an October 2013 bar fight in which he stabbed another man.
“He didn’t have any prior history of violence,” said Hinchcliff.
The incident occurred at the Driftwood Lounge in Lucerne, where Hinchcliff said “a typical bar fight” broke out.
The man who was stabbed in the case, out-of-county resident James Martin, then age 37, was extremely intoxicated and threatening to stab others, Hinchcliff said. During the fight Arreaga pulled a knife and stabbed Martin.
Hinchcliff said Martin – who had a criminal history – later became very uncooperative with law enforcement officials and didn't want to press charges.
“We can’t make up evidence or force people to become cooperative,” said Hinchcliff.
Arreaga was prosecuted in the case and ended up pleading to misdemeanor assault.
Hinchcliff said Arreaga was sentenced in December 2013 to three years' summary probation and 365 days in jail.
By that time, Arreaga already had served 129 days in jail. Hinchcliff said Arreaga would have served either half or two-thirds of the one-year jail sentence before being released.
Arreaga is being held in the Humboldt County Jail, with bail set at $1 million, according to the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Due to numerous calls from the public asking the Water Resources Department about visible accumulations of cyanobacteria, often referred to as “blue-green algae,” along the shorelines of Clear Lake, Lake County Public Health wishes to remind the public of some recommended safety precautions.
Cyanobacteria are microscopic organisms that occur naturally. Under certain conditions, such as high nutrient and light levels, they can reproduce rapidly, resulting in a dense growth or “bloom.”
Blooms can cause discoloration of the water or produce floating scums or mats, which tend to accumulate along shorelines.
In recent days, Lake County Water Resources has confirmed the presence of blooms in various locations along the shorelines of Clear Lake.
The types of cyanobacteria known to be present include Microcystis and Aphanizomenon.
While most blue-green algal blooms are not harmful, some can be. Some are capable of producing algal toxins that can be harmful to humans, pets and wildlife.
Because it is impossible to tell from a visual inspection whether an algal bloom is toxic, the safest approach is to avoid all blooms.
Although toxins can sometimes be present even when a bloom is not obvious, it is generally the case that the worse it looks, the greater likelihood that there could be cyanotoxins.
It is easy to avoid exposure to harmful toxins and still possible to enjoy recreational activities in and around the lake. People and pets should not swim or wade through algal scums.
It is always advisable to promptly shower off with fresh water after swimming in any lake. Activities that generate aerosol, such as jet skiing, should be avoided in affected areas.
Never drink untreated lake water; boiling the water does not inactivate algal toxins. Pets are more susceptible to illness from algal toxins because they are not repulsed by the foul odors often associated with blooms that cause humans to naturally avoid them.
Pets should not drink lake water during a bloom or be allowed to eat the mats – wet or dry – or lick mats and scum off their fur.
With these simple precautions, activities in and near the lake, such as camping, picnicking, biking and hiking are safe, as is boating in unaffected areas.
More information about cyanobacteria can be found at the following links:
– http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Environmental_Health/Blue-Green_Algae.htm ;
– http://www.cdph.ca.gov/healthinfo/environhealth/water/pages/bluegreenalgae.aspx .
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A federal judge on Thursday denied a request filed by a number of medical marijuana patients who sought a temporary restraining order over searches and eradications carried out under the county's Measure N marijuana cultivation rules.
In his ruling, US District Judge Thelton E. Henderson did not find that the plaintiffs' claims met the legal standard required to grant the temporary restraining order, but left the door open for moving forward on a preliminary injunction.
A group of plaintiffs – including Mona Allen, Carl Ray Harris, Jonathan Holt, Shaun Jones, Scott Outhout, Elvin and Nina Fay Sikes, Nicole Van Schaik, Preston Warren, the California Chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws and 200 unnamed individuals – filed the temporary restraining order last Friday.
The defendants are the county of Lake, Sheriff Frank Rivero and a number of other local officials, as well as Lt. Loren Freeman of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, as Lake County News has reported.
The cases alleges that the plaintiffs’ constitutional rights were violated by a series of warrantless searches this summer during which county and state law enforcement officials eradicated their marijuana plants.
Measure N – known officially as County Ordinance No. 2997 – was passed by voters in June and went into effect July 11. Among other things, it prohibits outdoor marijuana grows within community growth boundaries – which are primarily residential areas – as well as on vacant parcels.
A hearing was held on the temporary restraining order application on Tuesday afternoon before Henderson, at which point he took the matter under submission.
On Wednesday, Henderson had requested more information from the plaintiffs by noon that day, according to County Counsel Anita Grant.
Court documents indicated that the plaintiffs’ attorneys, led by Joe Elford, filed that supplemental information as requested, but that it failed to convince Henderson of the restraining order’s necessity.
In this Thursday ruling, Henderson denied the temporary restraining order request based on three of four legal standards.
In the first, Henderson did not find that the plaintiffs had proven the likelihood of irreparable harm.
In their filings, the plaintiffs claimed a loss of sense of security and suggested their property would be unconstitutionally seized in the future, both arguments which Henderson said he did not find persuasive.
Henderson went on to note that a mere loss of security does not justify a temporary restraining order in this case.
“Plaintiffs have not produced a single case holding that the loss of security resulting from a previous violation of constitutional rights is itself an irreparable injury requiring injunctive relief,” Henderson wrote.
He added that, even if they had, such a case would contradict a 1983 US Supreme Court decision, City of Los Angeles v. Lyons.
“In that case, in the context of whether the victim of a police chokehold had pled a sufficient injury for standing purposes, the Court explained that ‘It is the reality of the threat of repeated injury that is relevant to the standing inquiry, not the plaintiff's subjective apprehensions,’” Henderson wrote.
Henderson went on to cite a case involving a preliminary injunction granted in an Arizona US district court in which the Ninth Circuit, in affirming the injunction, “did not endorse the idea that 'exposure to a policy' is 'itself an ongoing harm'.”
The plaintiffs, in Henderson's view, also did not show a likelihood of future injury.
Case filings showed the plaintiffs had relied on the case NORML v. Mullen, in which a preliminary injunction was granted against the unconstitutional use of helicopters and warrantless searches as part of the Campaign Against Marijuana Planting. CAMP subjected growers to returned searches each season.
“The case before the Court is highly distinguishable. Unlike in NORML, Plaintiffs have provided no evidence that Lake County intends to conduct additional searches or seizures against the named or Doe Plaintiffs,” Henderson wrote. “Mere speculation about the intentions of the County is not enough. Importantly, the Ordinance in this case, unlike the CAMP policy in NORML, does not explicitly rely upon 'returning to the same areas' with the objective of tiring out targeted growers. Further, Plaintiffs have neither alleged nor demonstrated that they have been subjected to the unconstitutional activities repeatedly.”
Henderson continued, “Assuming Plaintiffs’ allegations are true, the identified Plaintiffs have already lost their marijuana plants and had their privacy invaded. Absent additional evidence, Plaintiffs’ fear of prospective police intrusion appears to be little more than 'subjective apprehensions,' rather than 'the reality of the threat of repeated injury.' Ultimately, the 'emotional consequences of a prior act simply are not a sufficient basis for an injunction absent a real and immediate threat of future injury by the defendant.' Without some evidence that Defendants’ might violate the Constitutional rights of Plaintiffs in the next fourteen days, a TRO is unjustified.”
The cases and declarations the plaintiffs used in their filings also were insufficient, in Henderson's view, to show that the county of Lake has an official policy authorizing the behavior the plaintiffs are complaining about or that the plaintiffs are likely to be harmed again anytime soon.
During oral arguments, the plaintiffs were unable to clearly answer if Ordinance No. 2997 authorized the alleged conduct or if the defendant officers were acting beyond their legal authority, Henderson wrote.
“Without Plaintiffs more fully articulating this aspect of their claim, the Court cannot find that the problematic behavior was officially authorized, and therefore that Plaintiffs face a 'real possibility' that they will be raided again,” he said.
In his conclusion, Judge Henderson ordered the parties to meet and confer on a briefing schedule on the plaintiffs' motion for a preliminary injunction, with a joint statement setting forth their areas of agreement and disagreement due on or before Sept. 12.
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NORTH COAST, Calif. – A Lucerne man has been arrested after law enforcement officials said he shot two Eureka residents to death on Wednesday.
Jason Michael Arreaga, 29, was arrested early Thursday morning on two counts of homicide, according to a report from the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office.
Just after 5 p.m. Wednesday the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call regarding shots fired and a deceased female at a residence in the 4400 block of Fieldbrook Road in Fieldbrook, the report said.
Deputies and medical personnel were dispatched to the scene. While deputies were en route the sheriff’s office received additional calls with the callers saying the female was deceased near a trailer on the property and there was a male yelling for help in the driveway, officials said.
The sheriff's report said the first deputy, who arrived on scene at 5:17 p.m., immediately learned there were two victims – Harley Wayne Hammers Jr., 37, and an adult female, later identified as Angel Robin Tully, also 37 – both of whom had been shot.
Hammers was located by the deputy across the street from where the shooting had occurred. Medical personnel treated Hammers for gunshot wound injuries and transported him to Mad River Community Hospital where he was pronounced deceased, the report said.
Tully was declared deceased at the scene, according to the report.
The sheriff’s office said its detectives responded to the scene, and the California Highway Patrol and Humboldt County Public Works assisted with closing Fieldbrook Road, from Anker Lane to Wagle Lane, which had become part of the crime scene.
Sheriff’s deputies and detectives searched the area for a shooting suspect and spoke with witnesses, the report said. Detectives learned during their investigation that Arreaga had been in an argument with the victims.
Officials said witnesses also reported that Arreaga was driving a Gold 2001 Buick four door sedan.
A be-on-the-lookout subsequently was broadcast for the vehicle to law enforcement agencies.
At approximately 12:30 a.m. Thursday, a Eureka Police Officer spotted the Buick driving southbound on US 101 as it was passing through south Eureka, the report explained.
The Eureka Police Officer followed the vehicle until sheriff’s deputies arrived and assisted in the traffic stop. The vehicle was stopped on US 101 at Singly Hill off ramp, Loleta, according to the report.
Arreaga, who was driving the vehicle, was arrested and transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility where he was booked into jail, officials said.
The Humboldt County Sheriff's Office said Arreaga is being held on $1 million bail.
Arreaga was the suspect in an October 2013 assault with a deadly weapon case in Lake County.
In that case, he was charged with stabbing another man during a fight at the Driftwood Lounge in Lucerne, as Lake County News has reported: http://bit.ly/GSbdgF .
In Lake County he also was the suspect in an August 2012 willful cruelty to a child case and an April 2013 resisting arrest case, according to law enforcement records.
Detectives are still on scene in Fieldbrook and still actively working on the case. Sheriff's officials said the detectives have requested that Arreaga’s photograph be withheld at this time while they continue interviewing eye witnesses.
The Humboldt County Coroner’s Office has scheduled the autopsies to be conducted for Saturday.
Officials said additional information may be released at a later time as it becomes available, this is still an active investigation.
Anyone with information for the Sheriff’s Office regarding this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Sheriff’s Office at 707-445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at 707-268-2539.