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MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – A vehicle stop conducted Friday afternoon resulted in three arrests and the seizure of 7 pounds of methamphetamine, reported to be the largest seizure of the drug by the sheriff's office with an estimated value of more than $320,000.
Arrested following the stop were Santa Rosans Rosa Elvia Carrillo-Salas, 24; 24-year-old Artemio Rivera Sandoval; and 22-year-old Pedro Infante-Camarena, according to Lt. Steve Brooks.
At approximately 4:40 p.m. Friday, April 18, a deputy was traveling northbound on Highway 29 near Butts Canyon Road in Middletown behind a silver-colored Toyota sedan, which varied its speed between 38 and 50 miles per hour in a 55 mile per hour zone, Brooks said.
The deputy also noticed that the driver was continually tapping the brakes, causing the brake lights to illuminate for no apparent reason. Brooks said the deputy followed the vehicle for approximately three miles and noticed the driving pattern continued.
Brooks said the deputy also noticed by the time they reached Grange Road there were nine vehicles behind him due to the Toyota impeding the flow of traffic. The deputy conducted an enforcement stop of the vehicle which pulled into the Hidden Valley Food Mart.
The deputy contacted the driver, who was identified as Carrillo-Salas, and explained the reason for the stop and advised she needed to pull over to allow cars to get around her. Brooks said the deputy asked for Carrillo’s driver’s license. As she handed the deputy her California Identification Card, the deputy noticed her hand was trembling and she appeared nervous.
During the stop, the deputy also contacted the front seat passenger, who was identified as Sandoval and the rear seat passenger, identified as Infante-Camarena, Brooks said. Carrillo said she did not possess a driver’s license and advised the deputy that neither Sandoval nor Infante had a driver’s license or spoke English.
A K-9 unit responded to the scene and assisted the deputy with the enforcement stop. The deputy had Carrillo exit the vehicle and advised she was detained for driving while unlicensed. Brooks said she denied having anyone local she could call to drive her car home.
Because neither Carrillo nor her passengers had a driver’s license and there was no one readily available to drive the vehicle, the deputy requested a tow truck respond to the location, Brooks said.
Prior to conducting an inventory search of the vehicle, the deputy requested the K-9 officer use his partner to conduct a search of the vehicles exterior. The K-9 officer deployed his canine which provided a positive alert to the odor of a controlled substance, according to Brooks.
During a search of the vehicle, deputies located what appeared to be approximately four pounds of methamphetamine. Brooks said the methamphetamine was packaged into 1 pound bags and was located in the backseat area of the vehicle.
The Sheriff’s Narcotics Task force was notified of the enforcement stop and the large quantity of methamphetamine seized. Brooks said narcotics detectives responded to the scene and took possession of the methamphetamine.
Carrillo-Salas, Sandoval and Infante-Camarena were arrested for possession of a controlled substance for sale and transportation of a controlled substance. Brooks said they were transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked.
Due to the large amount of methamphetamine located, narcotics detectives felt the vehicle needed a more thorough search. They secured a search warrant for the vehicle and served it at approximately 9:45 p.m. April 18, Brooks said.
As detectives began a more detailed search of the vehicle they requested a second K-9 unit respond to assist. Brooks said the deputy deployed his canine to conduct a sniff and she provided several positive alerts to the exterior of the vehicle. He then deployed the canine to conduct a search of the interior of the vehicle, where she gave multiple positive alerts on the center console of the vehicle.
Detectives located a hidden compartment in the vehicle which was under the center console. The compartment door was electronically controlled and used a spring loaded trunk latch to keep it secured, Brooks said.
When detectives opened the compartment they located an additional 3 pounds of methamphetamine which was packaged similarly to the methamphetamine located in vehicle. Brooks said the detectives searched the underside of the vehicle and noticed the exhaust system had been re-routed to make room for the hidden compartment.
After locating the hidden compartment containing methamphetamine, detectives added the charges of conspiracy to commit a crime and using a false compartment to conceal narcotics to all three suspects, Brooks said.
Brooks said the total amount of methamphetamine seized had a gross weight of 3,219 grams or 7.09 pounds, which is the largest amount seized in Lake County. When sold in personal use quantities the street value of the methamphetamine seized would be approximately $321,900.
Detectives seized $2,494 from Sandoval, which is pending asset forfeiture proceedings, Brooks said.
Bail for Carrillo-Salas was set at $35,000, and jail records indicated she later posted the required percentage of bail and was released. Both Sandoval and Infante-Camarena were booked on no-bail immigration holds, and remained in custody on Tuesday.
The Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force can be reached through its anonymous tip line at 707-263-3663.
Assembly Bill 1434, authored by Assemblymember Mariko Yamada (D-Davis), establishing a ratepayer assistance program to help low-income Californians with their water bills passed the Assembly Committee on Utilities and Commerce in Sacramento on Monday.
In 2012, AB 685 (Eng) established that access to safe, clean, and affordable water is every human being’s right.
While the measure required the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to consider low-income rate relief, there was no requirement to implement such programs.
Moreover, they do not have authority over utilities that qualify as public agencies which are the vast majority of water service providers in the state.
“I am pleased to have the support of my colleagues as we work to help rural Californians that are significantly underserved when it comes to these Low-Income Rate programs,” Yamada stated. “The majority of smaller utility companies cannot or otherwise choose not to provide their low-income consumers with assistance. AB 1434 is intended to ensure water affordability.”
AB 1434 would direct the California Department of Community Services and Development (CSD) in conjunction with the Board of Equalization (BOE) to develop and implement a statewide Low-Income Water Rate Assistance Program for low-income ratepayers.
Low-income Californians need a statewide program to receive assistance in order to overcome the problems individual water service providers have in operating a low-income assistance program.
AB 1434 creates a functional collaboration for CSD and the BOE to create these programs and manage the fund that will help millions of Californians with their water bills.
This bill will be heard next in Assembly Committee on Appropriations.
Yamada represents the Fourth Assembly District which includes all or parts of Colusa, Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties.
LUCERNE, Calif. – The Committee to Save the Lake 2014 invites the community to attend an informative town hall meeting on Wednesday, April 23.
The town hall will be held beginning at 6 p.m. at the Lucerne Alpine Senior Center on 3985 Country Club Drive.
Measure L is the countywide half-cent sales tax to protect and restore Clear Lake. The measure will be on the June 3 ballot.
Scott De Leon, head of Lake County Department of Water Resources, will talk about Measure L's objectives, the programs it will fund and the guarantees to ensure the money is spent as intended.
An open forum for questions will follow.
There is no charge to attend the town hall meeting. Light refreshments will be served.
For more information call the Lake County Chamber of Commerce at 707-263-5092 or visit www.savethelake.info .
LAKEPORT, Calif. – How long does it take a few hundred energetic children to gather up 2,880 Easter eggs?
Not as long as you might think.
The 89th annual Lakeport Rotary Easter Egg Hunt was over in the blink of an eye – or, more appropriately for the season, two shakes of a lamb's tail – early Sunday afternoon.
Hundreds of parents and children converged at the Lake County Fairgrounds for the festivities, with children joining the hunt in three age groups, from babies up to 12 year olds.
The children made quick work of the lengthy preparations that Easter Egg Hunt Chair Greg Scott and fellow Rotarians had made for the event.
Eggs were piled high in all kinds of Easter baskets, featuring everything from Batman to fluffy pink decorations.
Rotarian Kenny Parlet, who was the event's announcer, estimated those thousands of Easter eggs were gathered up in roughly four minutes.
Mark Buehnerkemper, another Rotarian, said that four minutes wasn't even the fastest in the hunt's history.
In the midst of all of those Easter eggs, there was reported to be at least one gold one that earned its finder a small cash prize.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control is offering free spay/neuter services for Kelseyville's community cats.
In the video above, Animal Care and Control Bill Davidson provides an update on the Kelseyville cats program, and asks the community to bring in community cats that need to be altered and vaccinated.
He also gives a tour of changes Medical Director Dr. Jennifer Barnett has made to the kennel to improve health.
For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Friday Night Live Lake County is inviting the community to a town hall meeting on Wednesday, April 23, to discuss issues facing Lake County.
The event will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Soper Reese Theatre, 275 S. Main St. in Lakeport.
Learn about the problems facing the community and hear from local organizations committed to creating change, including the youth-led Friday Night Live and Team DUI.
The meeting agenda will include a welcome and refreshments, presentations from Friday Night Live and Team DUI, a question-and-answer session and information from participating agencies.
Friday Night Live restarted recently at Upper Lake and Lower Lake high schools under the leadership of AmeriCorps Specialist and FNL Coordinator Victoria Garrison and AmeriCorps Team Leader and FNL Facilitator Kaila Budwell.
Lower Lake High’s Friday Night Live took third place in Northern California region for their “Directing Change” student PSA video contest on suicide prevention, chosen from among 400 submissions.
For more information contact Victoria Garrison at 707-263-8796, Extension 241, or