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The CHP said that statewide vehicle thefts are down for the fourth consecutive year.
“Vehicle theft prevention efforts by law enforcement agencies and the public are paying off,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. “Since 2005, California has realized a 35-percent reduction in stolen vehicles.”
The agency attributes the decrease in thefts to enforcement, education and technology – all three of which have contributed to the largest decrease in decades of the number of vehicle thefts in California.
The CHP reported that 169,058 vehicles were stolen in 2009, which represents a 15.4-percent decrease from 2008, when 199,766 vehicles were stolen.
“Even with the decrease, on average, a vehicle is stolen every three minutes in California,” said Farrow.
In Lake County, the trend appears to be the reverse.
For 2009, 156 vehicles were stolen, up 16.4 percent from the 134 vehicles stolen the previous year, according to CHP statistics.
Lake County had approximately 84,941 registered vehicles in 2009, with the 156 stolen vehicles representing 0.27 percent of that number, and 0.09 percent of the statewide thefts, statistics showed.
In Lake's neighboring counties, thefts were mostly down last year. In Yolo, thefts dropped by 14.9 percent, 9.4 percent in Colusa, 9.1 percent in Glenn, 4.2 percent in Mendocino and 1.9 percent in Napa. In Sonoma, there was a 0.6 percent increase in thefts in 2009.
The CHP said that of the vehicles reported stolen in 2009, more than 88 percent were recovered. However, the economic loss to Californians exceeded $1 billion.
Statewide, the number of recoveries actually dropped by 13.5 percent from 2008, when 173,328 vehicles were recovered, to 149,884 vehicles recovered in 2009
Lake County showed an increase in stolen vehicle recoveries. In 2008, 125 stolen vehicles were recovered, a number which increased 5.6 percent to the next year, when 132 were found.
Lake's recovery statistics were far better than those of its neighbors, which registered the following numbers: Colusa, -8.6 percent; Glenn, -37 percent; Mendocino, -21 percent; Napa, -8.8 percent; Sonoma, 1 percent; Yolo, -12.8 percent.
In 2009, the top automobile for theft was the 1991 Honda Accord, followed by several other Honda Accord and Civic models from the 1990s. The CHP said the top personal trucks for theft included 1986, 1987 and 1988 model Toyota pickups, while 2007 Suzuki and Yamahas topped the motorcycle theft list, followed by 2006 through 2008 model year Hondas.
Southern California is a hot spot for vehicle theft, the CHP reported.
Approximately 53.4 percent of all thefts in 2009 occurred in the Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties, according to CHP numbers.
“In order to put thieves out of business and keep from becoming a victim, we must remain vigilant in our efforts,” Farrow said.
Law enforcement is aided by the strategic deployment of bait cars, license plate recognition systems, joint task force operations, vehicle theft training and district attorney cooperation to help drive the vehicle theft numbers down year after year, according to CHP officials.
“Vehicle theft is a crime of opportunity,” added Farrow. “Citizens are on the front lines when it comes to prevention.”
The CHP encourages the public to safeguard vehicles by parking in a secure or highly visible location, always locking the vehicle’s doors, using an alarm system and never leaving a vehicle running unattended.
The agency also urged citizens to report any suspicious activity to law enforcement.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
UPPER LAKE, Calif. – The identity of the victim of a hit-and-run vehicle collision last week has been released by local officials.
Merlin James Pruitt, 73, of Ukiah was identified as the crash victim, according to Capt. James Bauman of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
Pruitt left Robinson Rancheria Resort & Casino at about 2:30 a.m. Sept. 9 and was traveling northbound in his wheelchair on the westbound shoulder of Highway 20, as Lake County News has reported.
A half-hour after Pruitt left the casino, 30-year-old Manuel Herrera of Nice is alleged to have hit Pruitt with his vehicle while traveling at around 70 to 80 miles per hour, according to the California Highway Patrol report.
The CHP reported that a Caltrans crew found the debris from Pruitt's wheelchair along the roadside before discovering his body in an area off the roadway.
Later that day, the CHP arrested Herrera on charges of felony hit and run resulting in death and misdemeanor driving on a suspended license, officials reported. He later was released after posting $10,000 bail.
Bauman said an autopsy on Pruitt is scheduled for Tuesday morning at the Napa County Coroner’s Office.
The CHP is continuing the investigation on the hit-and-run case.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
LAKEPORT – National POW/MIA Recognition Day is observed annually across the nation on the third Friday in September.
This year the commemoration takes place on Sept. 17.
To mark the date and remember those who were or are prisoners of war or missing in action and their families, a gathering will be held at the gazebo in Library Park in Lakeport at 8 p.m.
The program will include a candlelight vigil, speakers Woody Hughes and Dan Christensen, and music by Robert Deppe.
The Military Funeral Honors Team of Lake County will also fire the traditional rifle volleys and play “Taps.” It is a rare opportunity to view a nighttime rifle firing.
More than 1,700 American personnel are still listed as missing and unaccounted for from the Vietnam conflict. There also are personnel not accounted for from the current conflicts.
Though National POW/MIA Recognition day is not a public holiday it is a national observance.
You are encouraged to take time to remember and honor our American POW/MIA service members.
Everyone is welcome. Please bring a candle to light.
For more information, please call 707-349-2838.
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MENDOCINO COUNTY, Calif. – The Mendocino County Sheriff's Office is attempting to locate a wanted parolee who has been on the run for three months.
Shane Hutchins, a 32-year-old transient from the area, is being sought on a variety of charges, including evading and resisting arrest and being a wanted parolee, according to Capt. Kurt Smallcomb.
Smallcomb said Hutchins has been evading law enforcement for the past three months in incidents that took place in Potter Valley, Redwood Valley and Ukiah.
During that time, Hutchins has allegedly been involved in three vehicle pursuits, where at least one deputy injured himself in an accident involving the pursuit, said Smallcomb.
Hutchins also has allegedly been involved in two foot pursuits with law enforcement officers who were attempting to apprehend him for the listed charges, Smallcomb said.
In addition, Smallcomb said Hutchins is wanted for a California State Parole violation.
According to witness statements, Hutchins has been known to be in possession of either handguns or knives during these incidents. Smallcomb said Hutchins has further stated he was “not going back to prison.”
Anyone with information on Hutchins' possible whereabouts is asked to contact the Mendocino County Sheriffs Office at 707-463-4086. Callers can remain anonymous.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A lucky handful of Lake County elementary students ended summer with a blast this year at Camp Walla Walla Hoo Ha, a hands-on science exploration camp where science and art collide.
Fifteen young campers were greeted with puzzling questions: If the sun were the size of a front door, how big would earth be? If the sun were the size of a grapefruit, how far away would Pluto be?
Campers explored these questions and dozens more of their own in a fast-paced, action-packed week of science, crafts, physical fitness and performing arts.
On day one, campers built a model of the solar system. It was massive, the huge globular sun dangling from a sturdy tree limb, and it stayed on display at camp all week to serve as a fun artistic centerpiece and an excellent point of reference for space related questions.
An 8-foot sphere, the sun glowed red, yellow and orange with flickers of purples and blues. Planets were built to scale, with Jupiter being about the size of a basketball and Saturn stealing all the glory with its magnificent rings.
Building this giant system helped put the incomprehensible nature of space into a more down to earth realm, and it made the campers hungry.
After a fortifying snack and a spirited round of rocket relay races, campers created individual 3-D solar system models of their own to take home.
“I want to live at space camp,” said 6-year-old Aiden Hall, a particularly ardent fan of science.
Camp Walla Walla Hoo Ha, whose mission is to bring science to life and inspire school age children to improve skills in science, technology, engineering, and math, debuted this summer in Lake County. Plans to expand the program are under way.
“Six months ago, I heard a Silicon Valley executive literally pleading for more science education in California,” said camp founder Nancy Brier, a Lake County entrepreneur with a strong interest in education.
According to STEM, a Silicon Valley foundation that encourages education in science and technology, California ranks second to the bottom nationally in science education among eighth graders, but Brier said she believes that small steps can turn these numbers around.
“I’d like to see Lake County take a leadership role in the shift,” she said.
By day two, campers were ready to explore in depth the inner planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars and the asteroid belt.
They learned that the inner planets are mostly made up of rock, that they are relatively close to the sun and that they orbit faster than the outer planets.
Each camper made his own replica of the inner planets, and their replicas actually revolve on their own orbital paths, an artistic keepsake and a scientifically accurate representative of the day’s theme at camp.
“It was so much fun,” said an exuberant Michael Wiser of Kelseyville, just as day two ended.
His mother, Meredith Wiser, said she couldn’t believe how much Michael was learning. “It's all he talks about, and the knowledge he’s acquiring is amazing,” she said.
On day two, each camper also selected a role to play in a performance called “The Living Solar System,” presented by the Milky Way Players at week’s end. Campers made their own costumes and rehearsed all week to portray their best interpretation of the planets, the asteroid belt, space explorers and other roles which reinforced the core learning of the week.
The third day of camp offered a closeup look at the sun, the moon and the earth. Campers split up and visited stations all over the campground to discuss specifics and conduct experiments.
At the moon station, campers studied NASA photos of craters on the surface of the moon. Campers then recreated the moon surface, and using various sized “asteroids” projected at differing angles and speeds, made their own craters and discussed them.
They also looked at photos showing shadows cast on the earth by the moon and learned about the how our view of the moon changes during its various phases. Many campers were shocked to learn that the earth is actually larger than the moon.
At the earth station, campers learned about polar ice caps, the earth’s axis and equator, and how the earth moves relative to the sun.
At the last station, campers visited the sun itself, where a 3-D poster showed in amazing detail what the surface of the sun actually looks like.
They compared that poster to the flame of a candle and discussed the impact of heat on earth and other planets.
Campers tossed pebbles into a plastic container decorated with the sun’s image. If those pebbles represent earth, it would take a million to fill the sun.
That afternoon, campers recreated the view of earth from space with a 3-D craft that included topographical land masses, the equator and the earth’s axis.
For 5-year-old Audrey Dierssen of Kelseyville, the earth project was a favorite. “I liked making the land and mixing them with paint, and I loved getting the earth tattoo from NASA.”
Contributions and consultations from professionals at Jet Propulsion Labs in Los Angeles helped furnish the camp with educational materials, cool tattoos and stickers.
Day four shifted the focus to the outer planets, which are mostly gas.
“Making our own gas planet was cool,” reported Miles Mattina of Lakeport.
Campers discussed how the outer planets, other than Pluto, are generally large, made of gas and orbit slowly. At craft time, they replicated Saturn in a craft that mimics Saturn’s glamorous rings of ice and dust.
Lots of physical activity punctuated the science activities at camp. Six-year-old Lauren Trippeer especially liked the Solar System Slalom, an obstacle course in which campers made timed runs around the planets in order.
Starting at the sun, each camper had to make a complete orbit around each planet and race back to the finish line while another camper documented the score. “It was awesome,” Lauren exclaimed, panting and red faced.
By Friday, campers were eager to show off their knowledge, and parents and family members were invited to join the fun.
As a warmup to the performance, campers challenged parents to a game of space trivia, a match that put the parents to shame. Campers eagerly raised their hands to each and every space related question, while parents, mostly mystified, could only guess at the answers they may have known long ago.
To answer the opening questions: if the sun were the size of your front door, Earth would be about the size of a nickel. And if the sun were the size of a grapefruit, Pluto would be about a half a mile away.
Camp Walla Walla Hoo Ha culminated just as the school year gets under way.
Perhaps the most promising moment of the action-packed week came at the very end when 6-year-old camper Clara Andre was overheard to say, “This year, I’m going to ask my teacher for more science.”
For more information about the camp, contact Nancy Brier at
Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf .
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