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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The alleged shooter in a Sunday homicide in Clearlake and his three co-defendants made their first court appearances in the case on Tuesday afternoon.
Clearlake residents Joshua Robert Beavers, 24; Orlando Esquivel Sr., 48; Angel Aileen Esquivel, 50; and Brenden Alicea, 26, appeared in Judge Richard Martin's court on Tuesday afternoon.
The four are facing charges in connection to the Sunday afternoon triple shooting that left 29-year-old David Ferrell dead.
Beavers is alleged to have used a .22-caliber handgun to fatally shoot Ferrell and to wound Rachel Patterson, 25, and Paul Cressy, 52, during a confrontation at a residence at 19th and Gardner avenues, according to the prosecution.
Patterson, grazed on the side by a bullet, was taken to St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake on Sunday and released a short time later. An air ambulance took Cressy to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital for treatment of a wound to his elbow, police said.
Police said the shooting followed a fight that took place earlier on Sunday between one of the suspects and one of the shooting victims.
All four suspects were detained at a residence on 21st Avenue in Clearlake within hours of the shooting police said.
Late Sunday night police found the handgun they believe was used in the shooting, along with a .410 shotgun with a pistol grip that also was present at the incident but not used, in some bushes in the area of 16th and Boyles avenues.
The District Attorney's Office has filed 11 counts and numerous special allegations against Beavers, including murder, attempted murder, assault with a firearm, discharging a firearm in a grossly negligent manner, assault with a semiautomatic firearm and carrying a loaded handgun in a vehicle or public place.
Beavers, who has previous felony convictions in Sonoma County in 2008 – participation in a criminal street gang and vandalism – also is facing charges for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
At Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff's request, Judge Martin set Beavers' bail at $2.9 million, which adheres to the standard bail schedule.
“Any questions?” Judge Martin asked Beavers after going over all of his counts and bail.
“No sir,” said Beavers, sitting in the front row of the jury box, wearing a black and white jail jumpsuit, his head newly shaved.
Orlando Esquivel, Angel Esquivel and Alicea each are facing one count of conspiracy. They are alleged to have had knowledge of the murder and to have harbored, concealed or aided Beavers. Police said the three are believed to have helped hide evidence.
While standard bail for conspiracy is $15,000, due to the seriousness of being accessories to a first-degree murder and two attempted murders, Hinchcliff asked that bail for the Esquivels and Alicea be set at $250,000.
Martin approved the request and granted leave for further bail review at a future time.
“This is just not a mere aiding and abetting. It's aiding and abetting some very, very serious crimes,” Martin said.
Martin appointed attorneys for all four suspects: Doug Rhoades will represent Beavers and Barry Melton will be counsel for Orlando Esquivel, while Komnith Moth will take Alicea's case and Mitchell Hauptman will represent Angel Esquivel.
All four suspects are next to appear in court at 8:15 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17, in Judge Andrew Blum's Department 3 courtroom.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKEPORT, Calif. – On Monday a local man who had attempted to rob at gunpoint a Lakeport business earlier this year was sentenced to six years in prison.
Lonny Teter, 69, of Lakeport received the sentence from Judge Andrew Blum, according to Chief Deputy District Attorney Rich Hinchcliff, who prosecuted the case.
As part of an agreement reached with the District Attorney's Office, Teter pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and assault with a firearm, and admitted that he personally used a handgun in the commission of the attempted robbery, Hinchcliff said.
Hinchcliff said the six-year sentence Teter received was the middle term for the charges. He could have served as little as four years and four months, or as many as 13 years.
Teter's defense attorney, Tom Quinn, chose not to offer comment on the case when reached by Lake County News on Monday.
Hinchcliff originally had charged Teter with two counts of attempted robbery for incidents that happened in January and February.
It's alleged that on Jan. 31, Teter – wearing dark camouflage clothing and a nylon stocking over his face, and armed with a revolver – was seen behind the Lakeport Sears store, located at 2570 S. Main St.
He is alleged to have pointed the handgun at one of the store's employees then disappeared before sheriff's deputies arrived.
Less than a month later, on Feb. 21, Teter would be arrested after he attempted to rob Premier Flooring – located next door to Sears – at gunpoint, Hinchcliff said.
Sufi Ratcliffe, who owns the store along with husband Justin, was in the store when Teter, Hinchcliff said.
Justin Ratcliffe went into the store to find his wife being chased by Teter, who Hinchcliff said was pointing a gun at the woman.
Hinchcliff said Justin Ratcliffe hit Teter in the face with flooring boards and wrestled with him to get the gun away.
On Monday, Justin Ratcliffe gave a victim impact statement to the court. “He said Teter was trying to get the gun pointed at him,” with Teter's finger on the trigger, Hinchcliff said.
Hinchcliff said an employee from UCC Rentals, which is next door to Premier Flooring, came to Ratcliffe's aid and helped subdue Teter.
While Teter admitted to police that he showed up to rob the store, Hinchcliff said Teter later claimed that he was very depressed – due in part to an impending divorce – and that he was hoping for “suicide by cop,” or to be shot at the scene.
But Hinchcliff said that claim didn't add up when considering Teter's actions – including wearing dark clothing, the nylon over his face to disguise his features and latex gloves, and his actions in chasing Sufi Ratcliffe and then struggling with her husband.
“The evidence we have does not indicate he just showed up to try to get cops to kill him,” Hinchcliff said.
Residents of Sterling Shores mobile home park in north Lakeport, where Teter had lived, sent in letters on his behalf, as did members of his Elks Lodge, said Hinchcliff.
Maria Teter, who is divorcing Lonny Teter, gave a statement on his behalf in court, explaining that he was a nice man who had struggled with depression, anxiety and anger issues for many years, and wasn't getting the proper medications from doctors, according to Hinchcliff.
Lonny Teter, who has remained in custody since his arrest in February, will serve his time in the California prison system, not in the Lake County Jail, Hinchcliff said.
Because the robberies are violent felonies, Hinchcliff said Teter must serve 85 percent of his sentence before being eligible for release.
Hinchcliff said Teter had no criminal history prior to the incidents earlier this year.
“Even the judge said this is just a really unusual case,” Hinchcliff said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – An event benefiting the Highlands Senior Center's Meals on Wheels program will take place later this month.
“Rockin' to the '50s” dinner and dance happens Saturday, Sept. 21, at the center, 3245 Bowers Road in Clearlake.
Proceeds benefit the “Meals On Wheels,” program, which currently serves more than 100 homebound seniors daily.
The band “Southern Comfort” will rock the night away “and we'll dance until we drop,” said center Executive Director Linda Burton.
Fifties dress is optional but there will be a contest for best costume, best hair and best socks.
There also will be a silent auction, 50/50 raffle and the Lakeshore Lions will host a cocktail bar.
Burton said the program relies heavily on the community's support in light of federal funding cuts.
“We need community support now more than ever since sequester dropped our funding by 20 percent,” she said. “We are trying to deliver the meals and services that people need, in spite of the cut in funding.”
Burton said the program promotes better health through improved nutrition and reduced isolation.
Meals are delivered to eligible seniors Monday through Friday with frozen meals for the weekend and holidays available. She said more than 40,000 meals are delivered annually.
“Rockin' to the '50s” dinner and dance tickets are available at Bob's Vacuum, 4165 Mullen Ave. in Clearlake and at the Highlands Senior Center.
Dinner choices include roast beef or chicken, with all the trimmings for a donation of $30 per meal.
For more information call the Highlands Senior Center at 707-994-3051.
Email Denise Rockenstein at
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – After getting a handle on several large fires around the state last week, firefighters across California faced new firefighting challenges as the new week began.
Nearly 200 fires burned an estimated 2,000 acres last week, and several new incidents began Sunday and Monday, according to Cal Fire's latest Fire Situation Report, which can be seen below.
Cal Fire said the Clover Fire in Shasta County, which began early Monday afternoon, burned 6,740 acres in its first day and was only 5 percent contained.
Also sparking on Monday was the Lyons Fire in San Diego County, which has burned 250 acres and is 10 percent contained, the agency said.
The Morgan Fire in Contra Costa County, which began Sunday afternoon, had burned 3,718 acres by Monday evening and was 20 percent contained, Cal Fire said.
The Angora Fire in Tulare County, which is in the Sequoia National Forest, also began Sunday. Forest officials said the fire has burned 109 acres and is 20 percent contained.
The Rim Fire – the state's largest fire this year – has burned 253,332 acres in and around Yosemite National Park in Tuolumne County since it began Aug. 17, according to the Stanislaus National Forest. That fire is now 80 percent contained.
Cal Fire said the Rim Fire is now the third-largest wildland fire in California's history.
The largest, the Cedar Fire in San Diego County in October 2003, burned 273,246 acres, followed by the August 2012 Rush Fire in Lassen County, which burned 271,911 acres in California and 43,666 acres in Nevada, according to Cal Fire records.
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CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – An ongoing marijuana investigation by the Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force has resulted in the arrest of a Clearlake Oaks man and the seizure of 98 marijuana plants, 10 firearms and 54 ounces of processed marijuana.
Thomas Scott Gray, 61, was arrested at his home on Tuesday, Aug. 27, according to sheriff's Lt. Steve Brooks.
On that day at approximately 3:49 p.m., narcotics detectives responded to a residence located in the 700 block of Sulphur Bank Road in Clearlake Oaks, regarding an ongoing marijuana investigation, Brooks said.
Detectives could see approximately 40 marijuana plants as they approached the residence. Brooks said detectives contacted Gray, who lives at the residence, and he admitted to having approximately 46 marijuana plants in the back yard.
Gray denied having any marijuana growing inside the residence and told detectives the house was completely empty and he was living in a trailer on the property, Brooks said.
When detectives asked about the window-mounted air conditioner that was attached to the house and running, Gray also admitted he had an indoor grow, according to Brooks.
Detectives detained Gray and secured a search warrant for the property, which they served, Brooks said. During the search, detectives located and seized 50 marijuana plants which were growing outside and 48 marijuana plants from the indoor grow.
Brooks said they also seized 53.9 ounces of processed marijuana and 10 firearms.
Gray told detectives that he did not have a valid medical marijuana recommendation. Brooks said Gray also told detectives that he only needed three pounds of processed marijuana to meet his medical needs and intended on selling the rest for profit.
Gray was arrested for the possession of marijuana for sales, cultivating marijuana and for being armed while in the commission of a felony, Brooks said.
He was transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked.
The Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force can be contacted through its anonymous tip line at 707-263-3663.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Attorney General Kamala D. Harris on Monday joined San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee and San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr to launch the California Department of Justice’s JusticeMobile app.
JusticeMobile is a mobile app that gives law enforcement agents, for the first time, secure and immediate access to state and federal criminal justice information. Until now, officers have had to use a phone or radio to contact personnel to obtain this information.
JusticeMobile was tested over the past five months by more than 600 San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) officers.
Now, JusticeMobile is being rolled out to all SFPD officers, giving them access to internal SFPD, California DOJ and federal law enforcement databases.
Justice Mobile will soon be available to law enforcement agencies across the state. The Los Angeles Police Department plans to equip 3,600 officers with the technology.
“We have mobile apps for everything from banking to board games on our phones. But, incredibly, law enforcement hasn’t had the tools to access important criminal justice information on handhelds and tablets until now,” said Attorney General Harris. “JusticeMobile is a quantum leap forward for public and peace officer safety, and it demonstrates our commitment to facilitating the adoption of new technology by law enforcement. I thank Mayor Lee and Chief Suhr for their partnership on this important project.”
In San Francisco, the Attorney General’s office partnered with SFPD’s Technology Division, the Mayor’s Office and technology companies through the San Francisco Citizens Initiative for Technology and Innovation (sf.citi).
“San Francisco’s men and women in uniform need 21st Century tools to keep our city safe,” said Mayor Lee. “This is a game changer. Under the leadership of Attorney General Harris, SFPD and sf.citi, the JusticeMobile smartphones give officers on the streets instant access to law enforcement data where information in real time counts. The City’s violent crime rates are now at historic lows and implementing innovative crime prevention strategies like this will help keep San Francisco as one of the safest big cities in America.”
“Talk about loving when a plan comes together, and I want to acknowledge the vision of Mayor Lee, Attorney General Kamala D. Harris, the Police Commission, and sf.citi in moving this initiative forward,” said SFPD Chief Greg Suhr.
“That vision, coupled with the tenacity of SFPD CIO Susan Giffin and her award winning team, San Francisco will be a safer place because it’s a smarter place,” Suhr said. “This is the force multiplier SFPD has been working toward. In this case, some of San Francisco’s finest citizens came together to give ‘San Francisco’s Finest’ a 21st century tool that will go a long way towards making the City the safest big city in the country.”
JusticeMobile employs many rigorous security standards, including: strong password requirements, a Virtual Private Network requiring two-factor authorization, encryption, limits on downloads and backup/syncing, and prohibiting copying or screen captures.
JusticeMobile is also being used on a pilot basis to keep illegal firearms out of the hands of dangerous criminals.
DOJ agents are using JusticeMobile on their iPads to check potential gun buyers at weekend firearms shows in California, by checking names against the Bureau of Firearms Armed Prohibited Persons (APPS) database.
Previously, agents were able to run only 20 individuals against the APPS list at a weekend gun show. Now, using JusticeMobile on iPads, agents are running 80 individuals, an increase of 300 percent.