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Kimberlee Annette Westbay, 52, died in the crash, according to Capt. James Bauman of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
The collision occurred just after 10:30 a.m. Friday on Highway 20 at Scotts Valley Road near Blue Lakes, officials reported.
Anton Timothy Kloiber, 34, of Piercy was driving a black 2008 Chevy Tahoe westbound on Highway 20 when he is alleged to have allowed his vehicle to travel into the oncoming lane in front of Westbay's black 1990 Nissan pickup, according to the CHP report.
The two vehicles collided, with Westbay's Nissan spinning off the roadway, the CHP said.
The CHP said Kloiber's Tahoe continued westbound, hitting the left rear of a red Ford F-150 pickup driven by 48-year-old Dale Box of Upper Lake.
Westbay was pronounced dead at the scene, the CHP said, with Kloiber complaining of minor pain and Box sustaining no injuries, the CHP said.
The CHP arrested Kloiber shortly after 11:30 a.m. on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, according to the report.
He was booked into the Lake County Jail just after 7:30 p.m. Friday on felony charges of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs causing bodily injury. Bail was set at $150,000.
Kloiber later posted bail and was released. He had been scheduled to be in court on Monday.
Bauman said an autopsy was performed Monday morning on Westbay, with the cause of the crash pending further investigation by the CHP. Officer Greg Buchholz is the case's investigative officer.
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Moses Reeves, 24, of Nice was arrested for resisting arrest, assault on a peace officer, obstructing a peace officer and public intoxication, according to Capt. Kurt Smallcomb.
At 11 p.m. Saturday Mendocino County Sheriff's deputies were working the Round Valley area, Smallcomb said. Indian Days was being held over the weekend, with a large group of visitors in the valley for the festivities.
Smallcomb said deputies were dispatched to the area of the Buckhorn Bar where several physical fights had been taking place. These fights included Lake County patrons fighting local Round Valley residents.
When the deputies arrived at the Buckhorn Bar, they observed a physical fight taking place involving Reeves, Smallcomb said.
The deputies observed Reeves was bleeding from the mouth and approached him due to his injuries, Smallcomb said.
Reeves refocused his attention on the deputies and allegedly began assaulting them. Smallcomb said Reeves and the two deputies went onto the ground, at which time numerous other patrons started surrounding all three subjects.
The deputies were able to restrain Reeves and with the assistance of the bar owner and some other patrons were able to remove Reeves from the angry crowd. During this incident Smallcomb said Reeves, who sustained a bloody lip earlier at the bar, spit into the eyes of one of the deputies.
A request for further law enforcement was summoned and several officers including the California Highway Patrol, Willits Police Department,Cal Fire, Round Valley and Cahto tribal officers responded to downtown Covelo, he said.
When the additional officers arrived, they arrested 45-year-old Covelo resident Laurence Britton for resisting arrest, along with approximately six other individuals for miscellaneous charges including public intoxication and outstanding warrants, Smallcomb said.
Other subjects arrested William Short, 37, of Willits, and Wesley Card, 30, of Covelo, both for public intoxication, he said.
Smallcomb said all of the suspects were transported and booked into the Mendocino County Jail.
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Capt. Kurt Smallcomb of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office said deputies were assisting the California Highway Patrol in a foot pursuit involving a stolen vehicle which had contained three subjects and a large quantity of marijuana.
Deputies, CHP and Ukiah Police officers ended up at a large industrial building located at 3771 Christy Lane, Paco's Painting in pursuit of the suspects, Smallcomb said.
On arrival law enforcement officers discovered a large industrial marijuana processing operation inside the location. Smallcomb said the building was approximately 30 feet by 60 feet and full of hanging and processed marijuana.
Approximately 700 pounds of processed marijuana was seized inside the location, Smallcomb said.
Arrested at the location for processing marijuana were Jacob James Francisco Corona, 20, of Ukiah; Austreberto Fuentes Cruz, 27, of Ukiah; Roberto Flores, 20, of Santa Rosa; Pablo Hernandez Fuentes, 42, Redwood Valley; Carmen Gonzalez, 39, of Hopland; Jose Busio Martine, 39, of Healdsburg; Arselea Corona, 65, of Ukiah; Francisco Diaz Corona, 50, of Ukiah; Luis Alonso Corona, 35, of Ukiah; Roberto Buenrostro, 34, of Ukiah; transient Juan Becerra Vazquez, 37; Heriberto Martinez, 30, of Ukiah; Castro Cruz, 29, of Healdsburg; Ismael Diaz Corona, 57, of Mesa, Ariz.; Gerado Moreno, 27, of Hopland; Alfaro Manuel Mendoza, 19, of Ukiah; Antonio Paniagua Lemus, 67, of Santa Rosa; transient Ivan Pandagua, 27; and Raul Valle, 27, of Ukiah.
The suspects were transported to the Mendocino County Jail, Smallcomb said.
He said special agents from the Major Crimes Task Force assisted at the location and are continuing to follow up on leads into the complete ownership of the operation.
Homeland Security was contacted and has placed immigration holds on several of the listed suspects, according to Smallcomb.
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KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – A local restaurateur is being remembered by friends for his warmth, generosity and good food after his death from a motorcycle crash on Friday.
Zino Mezoui, 57, owner of Zino's Ristorante and Inn in Kelseyville, died from injuries sustained in a Friday morning collision with a vehicle at Highway 29 and Siegler Canyon Road.
Friends shared the news which they confirmed with family. Postings were being made on Facebook in memory of Mezoui throughout the weekend.
The California Highway Patrol and the District Attorney's Office were investigating the crash on Friday, with the driver of the vehicle fleeing the scene afterward, as Lake County News has reported. As of Sunday, no arrests in the case had been reported.
CHP Officer Dallas Richey said Friday that the motorcyclist – in this case Mezoui, who Richey didn't identify by name at that time – had been flown to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
“He was such a charming beautiful person who really contributed to what Lake County is,” said friend Maile Field.
Mezoui's death marks the second loss of a well-known and respected businessman this month. On Sept. 4, local Realtor Byron Whipple was killed in a boating crash on Clear Lake.
Tony Barthel, owner of Featherbed Railroad Bed & Breakfast Resort in Nice, found out early Saturday morning about Mezoui's death after seeing it posted on Facebook.
“He was someone you always looked forward to spending any amount of time with,” Barthel said.
“Plus, he was one hell of a cook,” Barthel added.
Mezoui had a passion for cooking, Barthel said.
That passion was in his blood – Mezoui's Web site noted that he came from three generations of French and Italian chefs and restaurateurs.
Mezoui was born in France and moved to the United States in the 1980s, according to an August 2009 profile written by JoAnn Saccato of the Lake County Community Co-op.
He and wife, Jan, arrived in Lake County in 2006 from Sonoma, where he had operated Zino on the Plaza for 25 years, according to his Web site.
While they had planned to retire, those plans didn't last for long, and they opened up their new restaurant at 6330 Soda Bay Road, overlooking Clear Lake.
In addition to working to create a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere, Mezoui crafted food using fresh produce purchased from local farmers, according to Saccato's profile.
Mezoui was a very warm and personable man, said Barthel, “a kind soul in the community” who was always there for people.
As innkeepers, Barthel said he and his wife, Peggy, were always happy to send visitors to Mezoui's restaurant.
The Barthels managed to get away from their own business for an anniversary dinner on Thursday night, with the restaurant being one of their favorite special occasion places.
“You always knew you were getting a hug going in,” Tony Barthel said.
After their dinner Thursday, the Barthels hung out and chatted with Mezoui, who shared with them his excitement about his motorcycle, which he said was finally ready to ride after being in the shop.
The ride on Friday that ended in Mezoui's death apparently was the ride he'd been looking forward to for so long. Barthel said that, having been there to hear Mezoui talk about the motorcycle made the news of his death from the crash all the more difficult.
“That was the end of the night for us” when they got the news at about 4 a.m. Saturday, he said.
Joey Luiz, another friend of Mezoui's, posted the news on Facebook.
Luiz said his roommate had come upon the crash before first responders arrived at the scene, and told Luiz that people were there trying to render first aid.
It was later when Luiz heard from another friend who had gone to the restaurant – which was open for business as scheduled – that Mezoui had died. That's when Luiz said he put it all together.
“I'm still numb about the whole thing,” said Luiz.
He had fond memories of dinners there and visits with Mezoui, who he remembered as generous and full of fun.
They knew each other personally and professionally, with Mezoui calling Luiz in 2007 about purchasing local wines for his restaurant.
Luiz said Mezoui was “probably one of the warmest, kindest people I've ever known.”
At a Clear Lake Chamber dinner last year, which coincided with the end of Luiz' tenure as president, he said Mezoui helped put on a fun event, providing for Luiz a throne, toy crown and robe.
Field, another of Mezoui's many friends, said she'd been e-mailing friends from New York to Hawaii over the weekend, and they all immediately expressed regret and remembrance.
“Zino had a magical ability to make his guests feel at home whether we were celebrating an afternoon on the lake and had come in dripping wet and windblown or if we were wearing our pearls and schmoozing out of town business people,” Field said.
“He somehow remembered that I had minored in French in college and always therefore greeted me in French. He was also fluent in Italian,” she said.
Field, who recently moved from Kelseyville to Washington, DC, said no one on the East Coast will ever achieve that balance of friendly and professional that Mezoui did.
“And did I mention the food? No words describe it,” she said.
Field, who plans to come to Lake County this week for harvest, said the suspect in the hit-and-run had better turn themselves in, because with her coming to town, “jail is the safest place to be” for them.
The loss is a deep one, said Barthel.
“I think that this community is really going to miss Zino,” he said.
According to Barthel, Mezoui's family is planning to continue with his work and keep Zino's open.
Mezoui's life, his friends agreed, was far too short, but one filled with passion.
“What a great life, to do what you love,” Barthel said.
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The blaze, which began just after 12:30 p.m. Saturday, was located in the 18000 block of Highway 1, according to the Sunday report.
The fire burned 98 acres, and destroyed two parked vehicles and one outbuilding. It was fully contained by 8 a.m. Sunday, Cal Fire said.
Officials said the cause is under investigation.
Approximately 200 firefighters were assigned to the incident and were continuing with mop up, which was expected to continue late Sunday and possibly into Monday morning due to the heavy fuels involved, state fire officials reported.
One firefighter injury was reported. Cal Fire said the firefighter in question, from Sonoma County Fire and Emergency Services-Bodega Volunteer Fire Co., sustained significant injuries while working on the Bodega Fire Saturday afternoon.
The volunteer firefighter – also a seasonal firefighter with Cal Fire – was actively working on the fire when he came into contact with an energized downed power line. Officials said he sustained an electrical shock and subsequent burns.
He was transported by helicopter to a burn center for treatment. Cal Fire said that as of Sunday morning the firefighter was reported in stable condition and medical staff is continuing with treatment and evaluation.
The accident is being investigated by a Cal Fire Serious Accident Review Team, which is a standard practice when injuries of this type occur.
Officials said the 911 emergency call system which was out of service in some areas servicing the community of Bodega Bay was expected to be fully restored by telecommunication crews by late Sunday.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – Mythical, majestic and “just plain wrong!” were some of the exclamations overheard on Saturday in Lakeport as the seemingly-impossible happened time and again: airplanes landing – and taking off – from the surface of the waters of Clear Lake.
It was all part of the action at the 31st annual Clear Lake Splash-In, which continues Sunday.
Seaplane pilots from around the United States made their way to Lakeport for the annual Splash-In, the largest gathering of seaplanes west of the Mississippi.
The annual celebration of seaplanes featured handmade, ultra-light and antique craft.
“Once again, the community support for this event has been great,” said Chuck Kimes, organizer of the event.
Kimes credited Melissa Fulton, chief executive officer of the Lake County Chamber of Commerce, Doug Grider, Lakeport's Public Works superintendent, the Upper Lake Future Farmers' of America and the Sea Scouts for helping make this years' event another success.
Although primarily a seaplane pilots' event, the Clear Lake Splash-In attracts the young and the young-at-heart alike who want to get a closeup look at these magnificent flying machines.
“I'm amazed at the variety of airplanes here,” said Walter Windus, chair of the Splash-In Board of Directors.
Windus explained that the variety of planes participating in the event is unique – and even unusual for seaplane pilots to experience.
“There are all makes and models here, from planes made in somebody's garage by hand, to planes over 50 years old, restored and worth over $1 million,” he said.
Lake County resident and seaplane pilot Mike Dunlap, who was on ramp patrol duty with his trusty golden retriever to keep the crowds safe, also noted the cooperation and assistance the city of Lakeport gives to this event.
The two-day event, which has taken place in Lakeport for 28 out of the 31 years the event has been held, is a great benefit to the local economy, Dunlap explained.
“Between motel rooms, dining out, buying fuel and more, we've estimated that participants add more than $80,000 to the local economy during the Splash-In,” Dunlap said.
The call came over the radio before 1 p.m. that so many planes had flown in for the event that Lampson Airport was full – there was no more room for “regular” planes to land, park and take a shuttle over to the site of the Splash-In.
“But they'll make room,” Dunlap said, as he was expecting another pilot from Nevada who had already registered.
Because of the more stringent guidelines this year to prevent the introduction of quagga and zebra mussels, coupled with the inspection program, organizers were concerned that it might keep pilots from coming – but that was not the case.
“We worked with the county and we worked with our pilots, and everything worked out fine,” Kimes said.
As spectators admired the seaplanes on the grounds of Natural High and the docks at Skylark Shores, wondering how the planes made the leap from water to sky, Dunlap joked, “What keeps planes in the air? Money. And Seaplanes? More money.”
But for the aficionados of aviation, as well as seaplane pilots and dreamers, seeing the intersection between sky and water was priceless.
E-mail Terre Logsdon at
