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John Michael Wayne, 35, of Sonoma, was sentenced on Tuesday to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus 25 years to life, plus eight years, for the 2006 slaying of April Denton, a disabled Santa Rosa woman, according to Sonoma County District Attorney Stephan Passalacqua.
On March 8 a jury found Wayne guilty of first-degree murder and also found true two special circumstances of murder during the commission of robbery and murder during the commission of burglary and that Wayne used a firearm during the crime which caused death, Passalacqua reported.
“This killing exemplifies the tragic consequences of drug use and greed,” Passalacqua said. “I am very pleased that this man will never be free to prey on our community again.”
Denton, 52, lived at a semi-rural property located off of Santa Rosa Avenue, just outside the limits of the City of Santa Rosa, with her two dogs Athena and Britney.
According to the district attorney's report, she sustained a serious and debilitating back injury in an ice-skating accident a number of years before her death.
As a result of the injury she suffered chronic back pain, was unable to work and was prescribed large quantities of pain medications. Denton supplemented her limited disability income by selling, illegally, a small percentage of her pain medications.
On Jan. 22, 2006, firefighters responded to her home which was engulfed in flames. Denton was reportedly found in her bedroom, deceased, and badly burned over most of her body. Her two dogs were found dead inside the enclosed porch area of the residence having died as a result of heat and fire related injuries.
Denton's death originally was thought to be from smoke inhalation caused as a result of an accidental fire, according to the report.
It wasn’t until the autopsy on Jan. 23, 2006, when the cause of death was determined to be the result of a single gunshot wound to the right side of her neck, that law enforcement suspected this was a homicide.
Arson investigators examined the scene and concluded that the fire was arson and was set with the use of gasoline being deposited in several locations within the residence. A quantity of pain pills and cash were also found to be missing from her home, officials reported.
Wayne, who reportedly had a serious and longstanding addiction to pain medications, was a friend of Denton’s son, Benjamin. Wayne had purchased pain killers from April Denton on several occasions and on the evening of Jan. 21, 2006, he is alleged to have desperately wanted more pain medications.
The prosecution alleged that Wayne called a friend, Steven King, to go with him to Denton’s rural Santa Rosa home. At the time, Wayne lived at his parents’ home in the city of Sonoma; and Steven King was living with friends on a property located near Tolay Creek, next to San Pablo Bay.
Wayne drove King and another friend, Johanna Persi, to Santa Rosa, stopping near April Denton’s house. Neither Steven King nor Johanna Persi knew April Denton nor had they ever met her and neither had ever been to her house before.
According to the report, Wayne stopped his Suburban and walked away from the vehicle toward April Denton’s house which was down a dark driveway. King, who got into the driver’s seat and drove away from the area, had arranged with Wayne to return to the area in a few minutes and believed Wayne was going to a residence in the area to obtain drugs.
However, King drove back to his residence near Tolay Creek and shortly after arriving home, King received a phone call from Wayne asking King to come pick him up.
King and Persi drove back to Santa Rosa and picked up Wayne who admitted to killing April Denton. Wayne also was seen in possession of a quantity of prescription pills. Wayne said that they needed to burn down the residence in order to conceal his crime. They allegedly drove to a nearby rural location and Wayne and King syphoned gas into bottles.
It's alleged that Wayne drove back to the area and stopped near April Denton’s house, where he got out and took the gasoline bottles with him. King drove off with an understanding that he was to return in a few minutes to a predesignated spot to pick Wayne up. Wayne then disappeared from view. Wayne made his way to April Denton’s house, entered and set the house on fire for the purpose of concealing his crime.
Wayne, King and Persi then returned to Kings Tolay Creek residence. King allegedly took the gun and a knife from Wayne and threw the items into the San Pablo Bay which was just behind King’s house. Wayne burned his clothes in a burn barrel, before getting into his Suburban and driving away by himself. Both King and Persi testified at Wayne’s trial.
Steven King previously pleaded guilty to felony charges of arson and being an accessory after the fact and was sentenced to eight years in state prison.
The District Attorney’s Office and the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office worked closely during this investigation and in presenting this case to the jury. Deputy District Attorney Robert Waner was the assigned prosecutor and Dave Pederson the lead sheriff’s investigator.
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At a recent meeting, the Lake County Board of Education voted unanimously to establish a temporary “bridge” fund which would offer county school districts special loans.
County Superintendent of Schools Dave Geck said the loan fund will make available up to $1 million for school districts that temporarily need funds during times when the state has decided to postpone school funding.
“Districts can be assured that when the state creates cash flow emergencies the county office will be there to support them,” said LCOE Board President Patricia Hicks.
Geck said LCOE created the fund by using the reserve in its deferred maintenance fund account. He credited LCOE Business Services Director Michelle Buell with coming up with the idea.
Before approving the bridge fund, the LCOE board received a positive audit report from independent auditors, Robertson and Associates for the 2008-09 school year, Geck said. The audit showed that LCOE complied with the requirements of the state and federal programs it operates.
“There were no findings or questioned costs relative to the financial statement,” the audit stated. “There were no findings or questioned costs relative to federal awards or programs. There were no findings or questioned costs relative to state awards or programs.”
The auditor also commended LCOE and the Lake County Board of Education for its leadership in maintaining a strong budget position in these challenging budget times.
“Once we received the positive audit report it made sense that we could move forward with the loan fund proposal,” Geck said. “Districts are struggling with cash flow and this is a way to temporarily deal with a shortfall.”
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's “May Revise” to his budget is expected within the next week or so, and Geck said, at that point, districts will be making plans for next year, with cash flow likely to be a big issue.
“So we expect if a need surfaces we will be contacted,” he said.
Lakeport Unified School District Superintendent Erin Hagberg said Monday that, at this point in time, her district's business manager doesn't anticipate that they will need to borrow from LCOE's bridge fund.
“However, should cash flow become a problem for our district next year, we do appreciate having that option available for us,” Hagberg said.
Geck said LCOE works with the school districts to identify areas where it can support student learning.
“We operate many exemplary programs that are recognized regionally and statewide for their service to our schools and districts,” he said.
He pointed to programs like Healthy Start and the College Going Initiative, preschool and after school programs, certified nursing program graduation, summer school academies focused on algebra and science, AmeriCorps community service and reading tutorial programs, Community School community service activities, Safe Schools Counseling programs and teacher training programs in algebra and English language arts.
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Both Lakeport Police and the Lake County Chamber of Commerce issued warnings about counterfeit $100 bills being circulated in Lakeport.
Lt. Brad Rasmussen of the Lakeport Police Department said a counterfeit $100 bill was passed at a local grocery store on May 6.
“They determined that the watermark showed that it was a $5 bill made to look like a $100,” Rasmussen said.
The investigation determined that the person who passed the bill had gotten it when they cashed a check at a local bank, where the bill may have been deposited in a night drop, he explained.
No one was taken into custody and so far it appears to have been an isolated event, Rasmussen said.
“Occasionally we get these kinds of bills circulating around town,” Rasmussen said, adding that he's not seen a rash of them in light of the economy.
If someone is going to pass counterfeit bills, they'll do it no matter what, he said.
Anyone who is presented with one such a counterfeit bill is urged to call the Lakeport Police Department at 707-263-5491.
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MIDDLETOWN – The 49th annual Middletown Days celebration is set for Father’s Day weekend, June 19 and 20, with the usual parade, ranch rodeo, dance, and gymkhana, plus some possible new attractions still in the planning stages.
This year’s theme is “Spirit of the Old West.”
The parade starts at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 19, with lineup beginning at 7 a.m. at Perry’s Deli on the south end of Middletown.
Entry forms are available by email from
Pick up forms at Lower Lake Feed and in Middletown at Hardester’s Market, CJS Ranch Supply, and Studio 175.
Get your entry in by June 13 to ensure a good spot in the parade lineup.
Parade entry cost is $5 for kids under 12, for $7 for adults, and $10 for organizations and groups.
Spectators should get to town by 9:30 a.m. to avoid getting caught in the detour traffic. Parking is available on all streets east of Highway 29, including a public parking lot at the corner of Washington and Douglas Streets. Parking will not be permitted on most streets west of the highway.
After the parade the fun moves to Middletown’s Central Park for a delicious country barbecue and the Ranch Rodeo. The rodeo starts at noon (signups at 11 a.m) and includes events such as mutton bustin’, junior hide ride, calf riding, a ribbon race, and a mystery event.
The traditional barbecue begins at noon and features tri-tip and chicken with all the trimmings, and the Cowboy Cafe will be open all day for hot dogs and hamburgers.
Parade awards and the karaoke contest start around 1 p.m. Vendors in the park include jumpy houses for the kids, lots of food, crafts and games.
As the sun goes down, it’s time to put on your dancing shoes for an evening under the stars with the Dave Russell Band. The dance starts at 8:30 p.m., and cost is $25 per couple, $15 for singles, and $10 for teens. Food, beer and other refreshments will be available in the park during the dance.
On Sunday morning, enjoy the annual Father’s Day Breakfast sponsored by the Middletown Lioness Club from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Cost is $7 for adults, $4 for kids 6 and under.
Then it’s on to some fun action in the arena with the gymkhana beginning at 11 a.m. (signups at 10 a.m.). Enter all five events in your age category for $30 for the day. There will be lots of great prizes.
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A Friday plane crash claimed the life of a California Highway Patrol officer.
The CHP reported that Officer Dan Benavides was killed May 7 when the Cessna 206 patrol aircraft
he was piloting crashed in a remote section of desert southwest of the Salton Sea in Imperial County.
The CHP’s Border Division-based air unit, designated as Air-63, was en route to work a speed-enforcement detail on Interstate 8, when the El Centro Communications Center lost radio contact with its pilot, Officer Benavides around 9:30 a.m.
A military and multi-agency search and rescue operation for the aircraft was immediately initiated. At approximately 4:03 p.m., debris from the aircraft was located in a rugged, mountainous, desert area near SR-78, west of Split Mountain Road by a California State Park Air Unit.
Benavides was pronounced dead at the scene. The cause of the collision is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
“No one can choose how they die. You can only decide how you live,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. “By choosing a life with the California Highway Patrol, Dan chose a life dedicated to the
service of the people of California. Each time he put on that uniform, he became a symbol of courage, honesty and integrity.”
A veteran pilot and 13-year member of the CHP, Benavides is survived by his wife and 9-year-old daughter.
He was assigned to the Border Division Thermal Air Operations Unit as a fixed wing aircraft pilot. He had been assigned to the Thermal Air Operations Unit since July of 2006. His previous assignments included working in the Monterey, San Jose, San Diego and Oceanside CHP Area offices.
Benavides joins 215 other fallen California Highway Patrol officers who, since 1929, have given their lives in the line of duty to protect the community in which they served.
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On Monday, Sonoma County Sheriff detectives positively identified the diver as 43-year-old Brett Shoji Uchiyama of Santa Cruz.
Uchiyama's body was found in the ocean by another abalone diver on Sunday at about 7 a.m. near Timber Cove Reef Campground, the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office reported.
Officials reported that Uchiyama disappeared while abalone diving near the Reef Terrace portion of Fort Ross State Park on April 29.
He was diving with a friend who heard Uchiyama yell for help. The friend began diving in the area where he last saw Uchiyama, but he was unable to find Uchiyama in the rough water that had poor visibility, according to the report.
California State Parks officers, Sonoma County Sheriff's deputies and the sheriff's helicopter began an extensive search for Uchiyama to no avail. The search continued for Uchiyama for the next several days, officials said.
Preliminary results from an autopsy conducted Monday at the Sonoma County Coroner's Office indicated that Uchiyama's cause of death was probable drowning. He had blunt force head injuries consistent with hitting rocks in the rough waters of the ocean.
The final cause and manner of death will be determined once all toxicology and laboratory reports are completed, which could take several weeks, officials said.
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