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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A vehicle stop conducted Tuesday morning led to the arrest of a Kelseyville man and the seizure of 150 pounds of processed marijuana.
Marc William Taggart, 45, was arrested following the stop, according to Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
At 7:40 a.m. Tuesday a patrol deputy working the Clearlake Oaks area was traveling westbound on Highway 20 when he noticed a vehicle traveling in front of him that had defective lighting equipment. Brooks said the deputy conducted an enforcement stop in the area of Highway 20 and Walker Ridge Road.
Brooks said the deputy contacted Taggert, the vehicle's driver, and immediately smelled the strong odor of marijuana emitting from inside the vehicle and noticed multiple black garbage bags in the rear cargo area, concealed underneath a blanket.
The deputy asked Taggart what was inside the bags and Taggart admitted they contained marijuana, according to Brooks. Central Dispatch ran a records check of Taggart and advised his driving privilege had been suspended.
Taggart told the deputy he was traveling from Redding to deliver the marijuana to a friend in Cloverdale. He said he owed the friend a favor. Taggart did not have a medical recommendation for the marijuana and said he did not know what the marijuana was going to be used for, Brooks said.
The deputy conducted a search of the vehicle and located six filled garbage bags containing processed marijuana. Brooks said the processed marijuana seized from the vehicle was weighed and had an approximate gross weight of 150 pounds.
Taggart was arrested possession of marijuana for sale, the transportation of marijuana and for driving on a suspended license. He was transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked, Brooks said.
Jail records indicate Taggart's bail was set at $20,000. He posted the required portion of bail and was released.
The Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force can be reached through its anonymous tip line at 707-263-3663.
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Kelseyville High School officials are asking the community for information about a male subject who approached a student waiting for the school bus on Wednesday morning.
The school put out an automated call to parents on Wednesday afternoon regarding the incident.
Principal Matt Cockerton told Lake County News that a female student waiting for the bus in the Finley area was approached by the unknown male, who was driving a white Chrysler PT Cruiser.
The man was described as having a dark complexion, with a beard and moustache, Cockerton said.
“He drove by twice, tried to talk to her both instances,” Cockerton said.
Cockerton said the girl called her father, who came down and waited with her for the bus.
The man didn't threaten the girl, said Cockerton, however, “It frightened her enough that she told us and she also told her parents.”
The teen had never seen the man or the car before, Cockerton said.
Cockerton said they are actively trying to locate the white PT Cruiser and make contact with the driver. “That's why we put the message out to the community.”
The school hasn't had any similar incidents happen, Cockerton said. “We're just being cautious with this situation.”
Cockerton asked that anyone with information call Deputy Cynthia Radoumis, the school resource officer, at 707-279-4923, extension 1209, or the Lake County Sheriff's nonemergency number, 707-263-2690.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LOWER LAKE, Calif. – A Brentwood man was taken into custody on Tuesday afternoon after he allegedly attempted to carjack a local woman and her son.
Daniel Samuel Delacruz, 48, was arrested on felony charges of carjacking and being a felon in possession of a weapon, and misdemeanor brandishing and public intoxication, according to California Highway Patrol Officer Matt Norton.
The weapon Delacruz had in his possession, said Norton, actually was a realistic-looking BB gun, a fact discovered after his arrest.
Norton said he was dispatched to a call about a Hispanic male in downtown Lower Lake who had a handgun tucked into his waistband – which he had reportedly shown to people in the area – and said he was going to rob the La Monarca market on Main Street.
While Norton was en route, Delacruz approached a Jeep Cherokee driven by Sherry Ramirez, who said she had arrived shortly after noon with her 14-year-old son Jay to deliver lunch to her daughter, who attends Zamora Christian Academy.
Ramirez said she first saw Delacruz on the corner by the La Monarca market, walking away from it. She was sitting in her vehicle on Lake Street while her son took her daughter's lunch in to the school, and Delacruz attempted to speak to the boy.
Delacruz then came back and started speaking to Ramirez through the passenger side window, asking for a ride, telling her he had just gotten out of the hospital and wanted to get to Walmart, where he planned to catch a bus to Ukiah.
She said no, and told her son to get back in the car. Delacruz then got into the vehicle's backseat.
“It all happened so fast,” Ramirez said.
Ramirez said Delacruz didn't brandish the BB gun at her, and she didn't know he had it until she heard bystander Dave Scott – who had seen Delacruz with the gun, which he believed to be real – yell, “He's got a gun.”
“At that point I was in complete shock,” she said.
While she doesn't remember telling Delacruz to get out of the car, Ramirez said her son told her afterward that she did just that.
Although it seemed much longer, Ramirez said her son estimated the whole incident lasted about 30 seconds by the time Norton got on scene.
When Norton arrived in town, he said he headed down Main Street and saw two people – one of them being Scott – pointing down Lake Street.
He turned the corner and came upon the Jeep Cherokee as it was about to pull out.
Norton said he got out of his patrol vehicle and began yelling commands. Ramirez said Norton pulled out his pistol and she and her son both jumped out of the vehicle and ran to safety.
When Norton arrived, he said Delacruz took the weapon out of his waistband and threw it into the backseat.
“It looks like a .45-caliber handgun,” said Norton. In fact, it was a black replica 1911 BB pistol.
During the stop and arrest, Delacruz “kind of resisted a little, but not too much,” said Norton.
Delacruz is a parolee with several convictions on his record, and told Norton he carries the BB gun around for protection.
While Delacruz didn't brandish the weapon at Ramirez or tell her he had it, he is alleged to have used fear and force to try to get Ramirez to drive him from the area. She told Norton she was afraid, and that use of fear, said Norton, constitutes carjacking.
Delacruz essentially jumped into the vehicle and told Ramirez to drive. “That's not cool,” said Norton.
Ramirez said she was shaken up by what she called a “surreal experience,” and grateful for Norton's arrival and quick actions.
On Tuesday evening she also found herself going through 100 different scenarios of how the incident could have played out.
Jail records posted late Tuesday showed that Delacruz also was being charged with a misdemeanor for openly displaying a replica weapon, and is being held without bail on a felony probation violation.
His booking sheet said he is due to appear in court on Thursday for arraignment.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
NORTH COAST, Calif. – The Bay Area Suicide and Crisis Intervention Alliance hosted a regional meeting of the State Suicide Prevention Network at the Ukiah Valley Conference Center on Nov. 6.
The event was a six-hour training and information sharing opportunity about the current best practices in suicide prevention, including discussion groups to ensure a better understanding of suicide prevention challenges.
More than 110 people from Mendocino and Lake counties attended this meeting along with Mendocino County Board of Supervisor Dan Hamburg.
The goal of the meeting was to provide training in best practices in suicide prevention to community gatekeepers – people in the community who provide assistance to those in need or who respond to trouble when called.
The target audience was staff and volunteers in schools; primary care settings; law enforcement; religious organizations; youth centers; ethnic and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer community groups; mental health and suicide prevention advocates; and other first responders.
Melissa Ladrech, licensed marriage and family therapist of the Family Services Agency of Marin, provided training in “Question, Persuade, Refer.”
QPR is an evidence based practice that gives the lay person the comfort and basic skills to question someone about their suicide thoughts and risks, persuade someone to get help by listening in an open and non judgmental way, and to refer the suicidal person to the appropriate resources for help.
Kristin Dempsey, marriage and family therapist of San Mateo County Behavioral Health Department, gave a presentation on motivational interviewing as it relates to addressing suicidality.
The focus is on listening to the change factors in the suicidal individual’s conversation that indicate their reasons to hope and to live. The approach also emphasizes the importance of listening to and reflecting back the strengths the individual has and their personal reasons to hope.
The co-sponsors of the event were the North Bay Suicide Prevention Project, Mendocino County Health & Human Services Agency, Behavioral Health & Recovery Services, Lake County Behavioral Health Department, city of Ukiah, Mendocino County Office of Education, Circle of Native Minds Wellness Center, Manzanita Services, Redwood Children’s Services, Mendocino College Foster and Kin Care Education Program, Mendocino County Youth Project and Bay Area Suicide and Crisis Intervention Alliance.
For more information about resources and opportunities for suicide prevention training, contact one of the co-sponsoring agencies. To participate in North Bay Suicide Prevention Committee meetings, contact Mendocino County’s Health & Human Services Agency Mental Health Services Act Coordinator Robin Meloche at 707-472-2332.
For more information about suicide prevention, visit www.suicideispreventable.org and www.suicidepreventionmendocino.org .
Help for those in need can be found by calling the North Bay Suicide Prevention Hotline, 855-587-6373; or Mendocino County’s 24-7 toll free Crisis and Mental Health Services Access Line, 800-555-5906.
UPPER LAKE, Calif. – The service of a search warrant by the Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force Sunday morning resulted in seven arrests, the seizure of 253 pounds of processed marijuana and $10,000 in cash.
Arrested were 51-year-old Wayne Edward Driskell of Upper Lake, 35-year-old Joseph Edward Menan of Lakeport, 35-year-old Phillip Adam Petty of Kelseyville, 38-year-old Jeremy Michael Dowdy of Lakeport, 24-year-old Katherine Ava Morrow of Philadelphia, 32-year-old Thaddaeus James Gunther of Upper Lake and 32-year-old Brian Edward Hall of Madison, Va.
Last Saturday, narcotics detectives secured a search warrant for the residence and property located in the 10000 block of Witter Springs Road in Witter Springs, which they served at 7:15 a.m. the following morning, according to Lt. Steve Brooks.
When narcotics detectives entered the residence, they located and detained Driskell, along with 42-year-old Joan Marie Villines of Witter Springs, Brooks said.
During a search of the property, detectives located and detained six subjects who were inside a barn. Also inside the barn was a large marijuana processing station. Brooks said detectives located 27 growing marijuana plants on the property and evidence that much more had already been processed.
Driskell told detectives that he had leased the marijuana grow site and the barn to an unknown male subject for $10,000 at the beginning of the grow season. Brooks reported that Driskell said none of the marijuana in the orchard or the barn belonged to him, nor did he know any of the subjects inside the barn.
Villines denied knowing any of the subjects who were growing marijuana on the property. Brooks said she also denied having any information about Driskell leasing the property to someone else so they could grow marijuana.
Detectives said when they entered the barn they located a room on the second floor which had been completely transformed into a marijuana processing station. Brooks said the room included drying lines, circular multi-level drying trays and shelves which held numerous one pound bags of marijuana.
Brooks said detectives interviewed the six subjects who were located and detained from inside the barn – Menan, Petty, Dowdy, Morrow, Gunther and Hall.
All of the subject’s statements appeared to be similar, Brooks said. They were brought to the property or asked to assist with the processing of marijuana.
Driskell was arrested for the cultivation of marijuana, possession of marijuana for sale and conspiracy. Dowdy was arrested for the cultivation of marijuana and possession of marijuana for sale. Menan, Petty, Morrow, Gunther and Hall were arrested for the cultivation of marijuana, according to Brooks.
Brooks said all of the subjects were transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked. Due to several juvenile children being present at the residence, narcotics detectives elected not to arrest Villines at that time.
Detectives continued their search of Driskell and Villines’ residence. Brooks said they searched a bedroom which was identified as belonging to Driskell and located a hidden compartment in one of the walls.
Inside the compartment they located $10,000 in US currency, all in $50 denominations. Brooks said the currency was seized pending asset forfeiture proceedings.
The processed marijuana seized from the property had a gross weight of 253.5 pounds, Brooks said. Detectives also seized the 27 mature marijuana plants from the orchard grow site and an additional 13 mature marijuana plants from behind the Driskell residence.
The Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force can be reached through its anonymous tip line at 707-263-3663.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Hundreds of people attended the annual Lake County Veterans Day services in Lakeport on Monday.
More than 400 people were estimated to have attended the celebration, held at Konocti Vista Casino.
Assembly member Mariko Yamada spoke at the event, thanking veterans for their service to the country.
The annual “Friend of the Veteran Award” was presented by Supervisor Jim Comstock, a Vietnam veteran, to Konocti Vista Casino, which has hosted the celebration for the last several years.
Frank Parker of the United Veterans Council presented “Veteran of the Year” honors to Navy veteran Ron Quick of Kelseyville.
A video of the event can be seen below.