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LAKEPORT, Calif. – A Lakeport man was arrested Wednesday evening after he allegedly shot at two utility workers who were installing equipment at his home.
Dennis Leroy Cato, 64, was taken into custody for attempted murder, assault with a firearm, criminal threats and negligent discharge of a firearm following the incident, according to Lake County Sheriff’s Sgt. Steve Brooks.
Just after 5 p.m. Wednesday sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of two utility employees being shot at while working at a residence in north Lakeport, Brooks said.
Deputies went to an address on Oak Park Way in Lakeport where Brooks said two male subjects had taken refuge. The deputies contacted both subjects who explained that they work for North Coast Energy Services, which subcontracts with Pacific Gas & Electric Co. installing energy efficient utilities.
Both men said they received a work order to install several utilities at Cato’s home, which is located in the 3000 block of Hill Road East in Lakeport, Brooks said.
The men had contacted Cato the day before and scheduled an appointment to install the equipment at 10 a.m. Wednesday, according to Brooks.
Both subjects said they arrived at Cato’s residence at the agreed upon time and started installing the equipment. At approximately 5 p.m. they were just completing the installation of a water heater when Cato stepped out onto the front porch and appeared to be somewhat intoxicated, Brooks said.
Cato looked at them and said he was going to shoot them both and went back inside the residence, Brooks reported.
Afraid for their safety, both subjects started to load tools and equipment back into their work van so they could leave. Brooks said Cato came back outside moments later with a handgun and started shooting at them.
As they were running away, one of them fell down and injured his back. Brooks said both men told deputies that they did not know why Cato had shot at them.
Deputies responded to Cato’s home, where he was detained without incident. Brooks said a protective sweep was conducted inside the residence, and a rifle and two handguns were located within close proximity to the front door.
Both of the North Coast Energy Services employees positively identified Cato as the person who had shot at them. Brooks said they also identified one of the handguns – a revolver – as the one used by Cato during the shooting.
When deputies inspected the revolver they noticed spent casings inside the cylinder, Brooks said. Deputies also noticed two bullet holes in one of the van tires, which matched the direction Cato was reported to have pointed and fired the handgun.
Brooks said Cato was arrested and transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility, where he was booked.
Cato, whose booking sheet listed his profession as casino dealer, remained in custody on Thursday with bail set at $200,000.
Jail records indicated he is to appear in Lake County Superior Court for arraignment on Friday.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The last-minute touches are nearing completion for the Lake County Fair, which opens Thursday evening.
On Wednesday work was under way at the fairgrounds, located at 401 Martin St. in Lakeport, with workers assembling rides and concession booths.
The fair will run from Thursday, Aug. 30, through Sunday, Sept. 2. This year’s theme is “Summer's Biggest Blast!”
Fair Chief Executive Officer Richard Persons said preparations are on track, with a lot to look forward to at this year’s event.
There are a number of new food vendors this year, the fair’s commercial exhibits are sold out – and are almost entirely local businesses – plus, “The weather is supposed to be fantastic,” he said, with daytime highs estimated to be in the 90s.
On Thursday evening, the fair parade – the kickoff event for the fair – will start at Natural High on Main Street in Lakeport at 5:30 p.m.
The parade will travel south on Main Street, ending at the main gate at the fairgrounds on Martin Street with the ribbon cutting. Everyone who enters the parade with a float will receive free entry to the fair.
This year’s parade grand marshals are members of the Lake County Military Funeral Honors Team.
The team, which has paid tribute at the final services for more than 800 Lake County veterans, will lead the parade, and at the main gate will cut the ribbon declaring the Lake County Fair open for another year.
Persons reported that the team will lead the parade with a color guard, a marching unit and the team's commanders.
On Friday, the fair is partnering with Lake County CAN for an inaugural canned food drive to help feed Lake County’s hungry.
Those who bring four cans of food to the fair between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. will gain free fair admission. Persons said the goal is to fill 10 pear bins – the equivalent of about two tons – with food for local food pantries.
One of the fair’s main events is the Junior Livestock Auction, which takes place beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 1, in the Baldwin Pavilion.
“Livestock is arriving and it appears the number of lots for the Junior Livestock Auction will be up, so we're hoping to set another record for the sale on Saturday,” Persons said.
This year there are more than 4,000 exhibits entered in the fair’s many competitions and a variety of musical acts – including several based in Lake County.
There also will be the Lake County Invitational Bomber Race on Thursday evening, a freestyle motorcycle high jump with mud drags on Friday evening, California State Finals of the WGAS Motorsports Tuff Truck and Buggy Races on Saturday evening and the demolition derby – with a bigger, enhanced purse for the winners – on Sunday evening, Persons reported.
Persons said that fair prices remain unchanged from last year.
Regular admission prices are $10 for a regular ticket, $6 for a senior over age 60, and $6 for children ages 6 through 11. Children under 6 years old are admitted free every day.
In addition, children through age 11 are admitted for $3 on Thursday, Aug. 30 only, for "Kid's Day."
For more information, visit www.lakecountyfair.com or check out the fair’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-Fair/138978582794813 .
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKEPORT, Calif. – A Lakeport man was sentenced on Wednesday to 32 years to life in prison for the November 2007 murder of his neighbor, who he incorrectly believed was a child molester.
Ivan Garcia Oliver, 34, received the sentence from retired Lake County Superior Court Judge Arthur Mann on Wednesday morning.
Oliver was convicted earlier this month of the Nov. 20, 2007, murder of Michael Dodele at the Western Hills Mobile Home Park in Lakeport.
“We filed an appeal today,” said defense attorney Stephen Carter.
Shortly before his murder Dodele had moved into the trailer park after being released from prison for the rape of an adult female in the late 1980s. He also had several other previous convictions for rape and attempted rape.
Because of his rape conviction, Dodele was required to register as a sex offender, and his name appeared on the Megan’s Law sex offender registration Web site.
Oliver testified during the trial to being concerned for his young son after seeing a strange car pull up to the park, with a subject inside beckoning to the boy.
When Oliver went to speak to the park’s manager about his concerns, she pulled up the Megan’s Law Web site, saw Dodele’s listing and told Oliver he was a child molester.
Several days later, Oliver confronted Dodele in his home. Oliver testified that Dodele attacked him, a claim Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff argued in court was a fabrication.
The autopsy report showed that Dodele had been stabbed about 65 times, suffering a broken vertebra, a broken shoulder and several wounds that pierced his lungs and spleen.
Dodele’s sister and daughter both gave victim impact statements at the Wednesday morning hearing, Hinchcliff said.
Hinchcliff said there wasn’t much argument to be made at the hearing regarding sentencing length. “The court didn’t have any discretion.”
Hinchcliff credited the work of the case’s two key investigators – Corey Paulich and Brian Martin – for the successful prosecution.
Paulich, the primary investigator and a sheriff’s detective, was in court every day and took the stand. Martin, who also worked at the sheriff’s office at that time, assisted Paulich, Hinchcliff said. Martin also testified in the case.
“They both did a lot of work putting this case together,” said Hinchcliff, adding that a lot of people are involved with investigating cases before they are submitted to the prosecutor.
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NORTH COAST, Calif. – Containment was rolled back slightly on Wednesday on a two-fire complex burning in northern Mendocino County.
The North Pass Fires – burning 10 miles northeast of Covelo since Saturday, Aug. 18 – have so far burned 34,119 acres, officials reported.
Containment was at 28 percent Wednesday night, down from the 35 percent estimate given by fire officials earlier in the day.
The fires have burned four residences and seven outbuildings, and evacuations remain in place for dozens of homes and structures in the fires’ path, according to Cal Fire and the US Forest Service, which have unified command of the incident.
There were 1,908 fire personnel on scene Wednesday, according to Cal Fire and forest officials. Assigned resources included 156 engines, 28 fire crews, two airtankers, 13 helicopters, 26 bulldozers and 29 water tenders.
The fire is burning in the Mendocino National Forest, and a closure order remains in effect for two-thirds of the Covelo Ranger District, the US Forest Service reported.
Lake County residents saw an increase in smoke from the fires on Wednesday evening, with satellite imagery also showing smoke near the coast.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKEPORT, Calif. – They go about their work quietly, efficiently, with the utmost respect.
The Lake County Military Funeral Honors Team has paid tribute at the final services for more than 800 Lake County veterans, and they do so with no outside funding source, providing a vital service for the families of veterans entirely upon donations.
But on Thursday evening, the Lake County Military Funeral Honors Team will provide another vital service to the community when its members serve as grand marshals for the Lake County Fair opening parade.
In 2003, Craven began sending care packages to a couple of her law enforcement colleagues who were deployed to Afghanistan as part of the California Army National Guard.
It was the start of Operation Tango Mike, which translates to “Operation Thanks Much” in military jargon.
Each year the fair’s board of directors selects an individual or organization that has had a large and significant impact on Lake County.
The grand marshals lead the parade up Main Street in Lakeport on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. Arriving at the main gate on Martin Street, they will cut the ribbon and declare the Lake County Fair open for another year.
The Lake County Military Honors Team will lead the parade with a color guard, a marching unit, and the team’s commanders honoring both America’s veteran’s and the way of life those veteran’s have fought and died for, as exemplified by a small town country fair.
Each year, the fair parade is the kickoff event for the annual Lake County Fair.
The parade starts at Natural High in Lakeport, travels south on Main Street, and ends at the main gate to the fairgrounds with the ribbon cutting ceremony.
Upon arrival at the main gate, everyone who enters the parade with a float will receive free entry to the fair.
SANTA ROSA, Calif. – American Red Cross volunteers from throughout the California Northwest region are helping people of the Gulf Coast face Hurricane Isaac.
They come from Arcata, Crescent City, Eureka, Kelseyville, Petaluma, Santa Rosa and Ukiah, and they all are on their way, or are already on the ground, in areas that are preparing for the hurricane’s worst impact.
The trained volunteers have been deployed to Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida, the Red Cross reported.
Just as with Hurricane Katrina, seven years ago, the American Red Cross is helping people in their time of need. Shelters are open for voluntary evacuations, prior to landfall, and anticipated rains may soon force more people from their homes.
Volunteers already are serving hundreds of meals a day, as well as providing safe places to stay, health services and emotional support to those riding out the storm.
On Monday evening, nearly 800 people found a safe haven in 52 shelters open in five states. In addition, the Red Cross has mobilized 2,400 disaster workers, prepositioned 290,000 ready-to-eat meals and activated 187 emergency response vehicles from across the country to help.
The Red Cross also is coordinating with multiple partners including a variety of civic groups, advocacy organizations, professional organizations and houses of worship to share their expertise and volunteers.
To find an open Red Cross shelter, people can visit www.redcross.org or call 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767). iPhone and Android users can download a free Red Cross shelter app from the app store.
People can help those affected by disasters like Hurricane Isaac, as well as countless crises at home and around the world, by making a donation to support American Red Cross Disaster Relief:
- at www.redcross.org (national Red Cross web site) or www.arcsm.org (Red Cross web site for Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake Counties);
- by calling 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767);
- texting the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation;
- U.S. mail: American Red Cross, PO Box 4002018, Des Moines, IA 50340-2018;
- American Red Cross, 5297 Aero Drive, Santa Rosa, CA 95403;
- At local Red Cross chapters.