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KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – A pickup rollover on Merritt Road late Thursday night killed two people, injured four others and led to an arrest for felony driving under the influence and manslaughter.
The crash, first reported at about 11 p.m., occurred in the 2000 block of Merritt Road, between Renfro Road and Smith Lane, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Radio and CHP reports indicated that a red 1999 Ford F-150 pickup had overturned, ejecting three people who were reported to be unresponsive when paramedics arrived at the scene.
In all, six subjects were reported to have been in the vehicle.
While the CHP and radio reports indicated three of the seven died at the scene, the CHP said on Friday morning that in fact two people had died.
The CHP identified the pickup's driver as 23-year-old Jacobo Lopez Mejia, who was transported by air ambulance out-of-county with major injuries. A blood draw on him was requested.
CHP reported he later was placed under arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs causing injury and manslaughter with gross negligence.
The names of the others in the pickup were not available from officials on Thursday night.
Kelseyville Fire led incident command, with the Lakeport Fire sending mutual aid and several CHP officers on scene, according to radio reports.
Three air ambulances – two from REACH, one from CalStar – were called to the area.
They landed at nearby Lampson Field, where they picked up the patients from waiting ambulances and transported them to regional trauma centers, including UC Davis and Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital.
A fourth patient was transported by Kelseyville Fire ambulance to Sutter Lakeside Hospital, officials reported.
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NICE, Calif. – A local man was arrested earlier this week after he allegedly stabbed his brother and threatened to shoot him when his brother stopped him from committing suicide.
Brandon L. Gentry, 25, of Nice, was arrested on Sunday, Aug. 14, for attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon, according to Sgt. John Gregore of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
Early on the morning of Aug. 14 sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of an assault victim at the Marina Market in Nice, Gregore said.
Deputies contacted 27-year-old old Ryan Gentry, who Gregore said was bleeding from knife wounds.
Ryan Gentry told deputies that he saw his brother, Brandon Gentry, attempting to cut his own throat with a knife, Gregore said.
When Ryan Gentry intervened, Brandon Gentry allegedly stabbed him numerous times with the knife. Gregore said Brandon Gentry then allegedly picked up a handgun and threatened to kill his brother before he struck him with the gun.
As Ryan Gentry fled from the residence, he heard several gunshots, but he was not struck by any bullets, Gregore said.
Later that morning Brandon Gentry was later located and arrested and booked into the Lake County Jail, according to jail records.
His booking sheet indicated he was charged with felony counts of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, willful discharge of a firearm in a negligent manner and making threats with the intent to terrorize, and misdemeanor exhibiting a firearm, with bail set at $85,000.
Jail records indicated he later posted bail and was released.
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Aguirre Fabian, 31, suffered injuries in the crash, which occurred at 9 a.m. on Perini Road, according to California Highway Patrol Officer Kory Reynolds.
Reynolds said Fabian was driving a 1994 Ford Mustang northbound on Perini Road east of Siegler Canyon at an unknown but unsafe speed when he attempted to negotiate a right curve.
Fabian drifted into the southbound lane and hit head-on a 1989 big rig, driven by James Harbaugh, 67, of Piercy, Reynolds said.
Fabian was transported to St Helena Hospital Clearlake with abrasions and complaints of pain, according to Reynolds.
The collision is still under investigation by Officer C. Tuggle, Reynolds said.
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Harris sued Philip Kramer, the Law Offices of Kramer & Kaslow, two other law firms, three other lawyers and 14 other defendants who are accused of working together to defraud homeowners across the country through the deceptive marketing of “mass joinder” lawsuits.
“Mass joinder” lawsuits are lawsuits with hundreds, or more, individually named plaintiffs. This is the first consumer action by the Attorney General's Mortgage Fraud Strike Force.
Kramer's firm and other defendants were placed into receivership on Monday, Aug. 15.
The legal actions were designed to shut down a scheme operated by attorneys and their marketing partners, in which defendants used false and misleading representations to induce thousands of homeowners into joining the mass joinder lawsuits against their mortgage lenders.
Defendants also had their assets seized and were enjoined from continuing their operations.
Nineteen Department of Justice special agents participated as the firms were taken over Wednesday, Aug. 17, along with 42 agents and other personnel from Housing and Urban Development's Office of Inspector General, the California State Bar and the Office of Receiver Thomas McNamara at 14 locations in Los Angeles and Orange counties.
Sixteen bank accounts were seized, the Attorney General's Office said.
“The defendants in this case fraudulently promised to win prompt mortgage relief for millions of vulnerable homeowners across the country,” said Harris. “Innocent people, already battered by the housing crisis, were targeted for fraud in their moment of distress.”
"The number of lawyers who have tried to take advantage of distressed homeowners in these tough economic times is nothing short of shocking," said State Bar President William Hebert. “By taking over the practices of four attorneys accused of fraudulent marketing practices, the State Bar can put a stop to their deplorable conduct as part of our ongoing effort to protect the public.”
It is believed that at least two million pieces of mail were sent out by defendants to victims in at least 17 states. Defendants' revenue from this scam is estimated to be in the millions of dollars.
As alleged in the lawsuit, defendants preyed on desperate homeowners facing foreclosure by selling them participation as plaintiffs in mass joinder lawsuits against mortgage lenders.
Defendants are alleged to have deceptively led homeowners to believe that by joining these lawsuits, they would stop pending foreclosures, reduce their loan balances or interest rates, obtain money damages, and even receive title to their homes free and clear of their existing mortgage.
The defendants also allegedly charged homeowners retainer fees of up to $10,000 to join as plaintiffs to a mass joinder lawsuit against their lender or loan servicer.
Consumers who paid to join the mass joinder lawsuits were frequently unable to receive answers to simple questions, such as whether they had been added to the lawsuit, or even to establish contact with defendants. Some consumers lost their homes shortly after paying the retainer fees demanded by defendants.
This mass joinder scam began with deceptive mass mailers, the lawsuit alleges. Some mailers, designed to appear as official settlement notices or government documents, informed homeowners that they were potential plaintiffs in a “national litigation settlement” against their lender. No settlements existed and in many cases no lawsuit had even been filed. Defendants also advertised through their Web sites.
When consumers contacted the defendants, they were given legal advice by sales agents, not attorneys, who made additional deceptive statements and provided (often inaccurate) legal advice about the supposedly "likely" results of joining the lawsuits. Defendants unlawfully paid commissions to their sales representatives on a per client sign-up basis, a practice known as "running and capping."
Defendants' alleged misconduct violates the following laws:
False advertising, in violation of section 17500 of the Business and Professions Code;
Unfair, fraudulent and unlawful business practices, in violation of section 17200 of the Business and Professions Code;
Unlawful running and capping, in violation of section 6152, subdivision (a) of the Business and Professions Code (i.e., a lawyer unlawfully paying a non-lawyer to solicit or procure business);
Improper fee splitting (defendants unlawfully splitting legal fees with non-attorneys);
Failing to register with the Department of Justice as a telephonic seller.
Homeowners who have paid to be added to one of the lawsuits should contact the State Bar if they feel they may be victims of this scam. They can also contact a HUD-certified housing counselor for general mortgage related assistance.
The Department of Justice has seized the practices of the following non-attorney defendants:
Attorneys Processing Center LLC; Data Management LLC; Gary DiGirolamo; Bill Stephenson; Mitigation Professionals LLC; Glen Reneau; Pate Marier & Associates Inc.; James Pate; Ryan Marier; Home Retention Division; Michael Tapia; Lewis Marketing Corp.; Clarence Butt; and Thomas Phanco.
The State Bar has seized the practices and attorney accounts of the attorney defendants: The Law Offices of Kramer & Kaslow; Philip Kramer, Esq; Mitchell J. Stein & Associates; Mitchell Stein, Esq.; Christopher Van Son, Esq.; Mesa Law Group Corp.; and Paul Petersen, Esq.
Attorney General Harris is challenging the defendants' alleged misconduct in marketing their mass joinder lawsuits; her office takes no position as to the legal merits of any claims asserted in the mass joinder lawsuits filed by defendants.
Victims in the following states are known to have received these mailers, or signed on to join the case. This is a preliminary list that may be updated: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Texas and Washington.
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THE NAME OF A MAN WHO ASSISTED FIRE OFFICIALS, BUZZ MEWBORN, HAS BEEN CORRECTED.
UPPER LAKE, Calif. – A Thursday afternoon fire near Upper Lake that destroyed two homes – along with outbuildings and vehicles – is being attributed to a lamp in one of the residences.
The fire burned homes at 9160 and 9180 Bridge Arbor North off of Highway 20, according to Northshore Fire Battalion Chief Steve Hart, who was the incident commander.
“We've got approximately eight people displaced,” he said Thursday afternoon after the fire was contained and fire crews were mopping up the scene.
Also destroyed were two outbuildings and two vehicles, Hart said, estimating total damages at about $300,000.
Hart said investigators have traced the cause of the fire to a lamp in the family room at 9160 Bridge Arbor North, which – like the other home destroyed – was a singlewide mobile home with added on living and family rooms.
There were no injuries, with the residents of both homes successfully evacuated, Hart said.
He said California Highway Patrol Officer Greg Buchholz and a group of people on scene rescued a 42-year-old woman who is bedridden from the home at 9180 Bridge Arbor North.
Albertine Vandine, 92, who lived at 9160 Bridge Arbor North, first reported the fire, with the call coming in shortly before 2 p.m. Hart said Vandine was evacuated from her home by her 70-year-old son.
Radio traffic indicated that the home at 9180 Bridge Arbor North was fully engulfed in flame when firefighters arrived on scene minutes later.
The fire went into nearby vegetation, endangering several nearby structures, according to reports from the scene.
Hart said the fire ended up jumping Middle Creek and burning about a half-acre there. Altogether he estimated the fire on both sides of the creek burned as much as an acre and a half of vegetation.
Firefighters had several challenges, including numerous downed power lines, exploding oxygen tanks, several propane tanks around the homes, and ammunition and gunpowder in one of the residences, Hart said.
“With the power lines down and the explosions, it was hard getting into it,” Hart said.
The Lake County Public Works Roads Division reported that it closed Bridge Arbor North for several hours to allow firefighters to work the scene. Hart said the division also sent a backhoe to assist firefighters.
He said it took firefighters about an hour to contain the fire, but extensive mop up was expected to continue until about 6 p.m.
Mop up included the use of between 25,000 and 30,000 gallons of water from the Upper Lake County Water District, according to radio traffic.
Hart gave special recognition to two local men – John Noble and Buzz Mewborn – who volunteered their own water tenders to assist in fighting the fire.
Their assistance on the blaze helped firefighters a great deal, Hart said.
Multiple resources from several agencies responded to the Bridge Arbor North incident, Hart said.
Northshore Fire sent a total of six engines, a water tender and three chief officers; Cal Fire sent two engines and Battalion Chief Linda Green; Lakeport Fire sent a water tender; US Forest Service sent an engine; Lake County Public Works Roads Division sent a backhoe; CHP was on scene to assist with traffic control; and Pacific Gas & Electric responded to deal with the downed power lines, Hart reported.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The 32nd-annual Clear Lake Splash-In, the largest gathering of seaplanes west of the Mississippi, will be held in Lakeport Friday, Sept. 23, through Sunday, Sept. 25.
The public can get a closeup look at float planes on Saturday, talk with pilots, and witness a spectacle of aerial events including water-bombing contests, a parade of seaplanes, fly-bys and more.
Seaplanes and amphibians at the Splash-In will include Grummans, Republics, Lakes, Cessnas, Pipers, deHavillands and a variety of experimental aircraft modified with floats.
For pilots, registration is from noon to 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 23, at the Skylark Shores Resort, 1120 N. Main St.
The Skylark Shores Resort docks will serve fixed-float planes and the ramp at the Natural High School field is available for amphibious seaplanes.
Land planes or aircraft unable to land on water more than once will be welcomed at Lampson Field, a few miles away.
Shuttle service will be available Saturday and Sunday from Lampson Field to the seaplane venues.
For more information, call 702-580-0193 or visit www.clearlakesplashin.com.
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