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Christopher John Belknap, 36, a transient from Ukiah, died following the confrontation with a Mendocino County Sheriff's sergeant and a sergeant with the Ukiah Police Department, as Lake County News has reported.
Lt. Rusty Noe of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office reported that Belknap was released from San Quentin State Prison last Saturday.
Belknap attacked a Mendocino County Sheriff's Sergeant Monday at around 8 p.m. as he was parked using his cell phone in the 700 block of S. State Street, Noe said.
While defending himself the sergeant deployed his taser and Belknap was stunned twice before he was able to disengage the taser probes. Noe said Belknap resumed his attack and was punching the sergeant when a Ukiah Police Sergeant arrived to assist.
The Ukiah Police sergeant deployed his taser and Belknap was restrained. Noe said officers were still struggling with Belknap placing him in leg restraints. Belknap became unresponsive and paramedics were called.
Noe said Belknap was transported to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
Tests done at the hospital prior to Belknap's death showed positive for the use of methamphetamine, Noe said.
Belknap had a long history of drug abuse and assault including several incidents of resisting arrest, according to Noe.
In April of 2009 Belknap was contacted by sheriff's deputies and arrested for resisting arrest and breaking out a window in a patrol car, Noe said. Charges were referred to state parole and he was sent to state prison for six months on a violation.
Noe said the investigation is continuing with the Mendocino County District Attorney working with the sheriff's office and Ukiah Police.
The cause of death is still pending toxicology testing. Results of an autopsy conducted Tuesday are also pending, Noe said.
CLEARLAKE – As trustees of the Yuba Community College District Board prepared to begin their regular meeting Wednesday afternoon, they found waiting for them dozens of classified employees, sporting blue and white t-shirts and signs.
“What do we want? A fair share, not a full share!” the employees chanted repeatedly in the minutes before the meeting started at the college's Clear Lake Campus on Dam Road Extension.
Close to four hours later, as the board's meeting neared its end, there would be more chanting.
“Shame on you! Shame on you!” Classified employees shouted in unison outside the meeting room following unanimous votes to accept the 2010 budget and lay off 56 classified employees across the district, out of a total of 210 members of the local chapter of the California School Employees Association (CSEA).
Outraged CSEA members continued to chant while the meeting went on inside. Finally, a campus police officer closed the building's windows to shut out the sound. Talk then turned to the need to recall the board.
Officials said at Wednesday's meeting that they had little choice in making the decision for the district, which has three campuses serving eight counties.
With a 2009-10 budget that anticipates $45.5 million in revenue and $48.8 million in expenses, Vice Chancellor Albert Alt reported that 86 percent of the budget goes to personnel and there are few other places to make cuts.
But union members insisted that they had tried to offer alternatives to the district, to no avail. They also charged that during the recent financial crisis the district had continued to hire administrative positions while trying to balance the budget at the expense of lower-paid employees who offer the bulk of student support services.
Close to 80 people – classified employees, faculty, students and community members – were present for the lengthy meeting, which lasted from 4 p.m. until just before 8 p.m.
Many of the classified staff had carpooled from Woodland and Marysville to be at the meeting, which included not just a budget session and discussions of potential layoffs, but appeals from many groups to save programs said to be in danger.
Library services and the MESA program were two areas members of the public brought to the board, along with complaints from students that cuts to the college were impacting their ability to meet their course requirements.
Elena Heilman, a college librarian, said library services was looking at an 8-percent cut. She questioned how they could continue maintaining a functional library with such cuts, and pointed out that those reductions included laying off the entire staff of Woodland Community College's library.
The MESA program offers assistance and support and tutoring help to science and engineering students. Students who rely on the program said it's made their education possible.
During their reports, trustees told the staff and faculty that they were concerned about the budget cuts they were facing and the possible impacts on everyone. Several of them referenced postcards and letters they're received about the proposed cuts.
“My answers aren't going to please you in many cases,” said Trustee George Nicholau, who has been on the board for nearly 30 years. “I'm thinking in terms of he whole district, and it's very difficult.”
Trustee Brent Hastey said the district is proposing a 3-percent, across-the-board cut to save all jobs, but he's hearing that employees are unwilling to consider it. “Unlike the federal government, we don't get to print money,” he said.
But classified staff representatives, during their address to the board, said they had not heard about the 3-percent cut proposal, which was mentioned later in the meeting by Yuba College Chancellor Nicki Harrington, and which they said Board Chair Alan Flory was quoted as mentioning in a newspaper article in Marysville.
Minerva Lemus, vice president of the CSEA chapter, said she and others were laid off illegally according to the terms of their contract.
She said they received verbal notices on Sept. 22 and 23; the contract requires they receive something in writing 35 work days prior to such verbal notification. Some senior employees also were laid off, when those with the least seniority must be laid off first.
The demand she laid before the board was reinstatement of all employees and, if necessary, the beginning of a process which follows the contract.
Harrington said there have been no layoff notices issued, and no one has been laid off.
Clear Lake Campus Dean Bryon Bell tried to emphasize good news items to the group during his board report, noting they have an amazing group of new and returning students.
He said said the campus was poised to take the next steps in expanding student services and programs, but that's where the bad news came in.
“There's no money for growth, there's no money even to maintain the status quo,” he said.
As he ended his report, Bell noted, “The better days ahead cannot get here quickly enough.”
Harrington told the board that the administrative budgets had been cut in half, noting they were looking at “every nook and cranny.”
However, the board didn't agree to cut its $17,000 travel budget, voting down for the second meeting in a row a motion to do just that.
Associated Students of Yuba College President Juan Cervantes had challenged the board at its Sept. 9 meeting and again on Wednesday to cut the travel budget.
Budget challenges ahead
Alt went over the district's budget challenges. He said the community college system was looking at $649 million in cuts, which translated into 10 percent for Yuba College.
Yuba took a $2.3 million hit at the end of last year after cutting $500,000 in expenses out of its $48 million 2008-09 budget. The district also has been promised $570,000 from the system office that it's not likely to see, said Alt.
He recommended a 7-percent reserve, which is less than the 10-percent level the firm handling the Measure J facilities bond sales wants to reach a better credit rating.
Alt said if the board approved the budget and layoff recommendations – which he said during the meeting were among the worst he'd ever had to offer – that he would begin meeting with CSEA and the campus police associations to make reductions as part of bargaining.
During public comment, Douglas Harris, who teaches human services classes in Clearlake, spoke to the board on behalf of district's adjunct – or part-time – faculty.
Harris said they've lost 69 positions since the spring, with more to come. He estimated that adjunct faculty, many of them retirees who use the income to supplement their retirement, teach about half of the district's course offerings.
“That makes us very important. Without us what to do you have? So adjuncts matter,” Harris said.
Harris also brought the focus back around to students, without whom “none of us has any purpose here.”
He pointed out that classified employees are essential in providing support and services to students.
In order to protect their classified colleagues from cuts, Harris said the adjunct faculty were willing to consider sharing some kinds of concessions – in a proportional manner – to reduce the need for layoffs, an offer which drew enthusiastic response from the dozens of people who had sat for hours in the audience.
Mary Benson, another adjunct faculty member who teaches business classes at the Clear Lake campus, said next semester she'll be the 70th adjunct faculty member to be laid off.
Benson pointed out that as the district has neared the time for cuts it also has added six new administrative positions.
“It's hard for me to wrap my mind around why, when we're cutting so many services, administration can be growing,” she said.
The board, she added, should have considered cutting its travel budget because, despite it being only $17,000, it would have been a symbolic gesture that meant a lot to everybody.
The board voted unanimously to accept the budget before moving to accept the classified layoffs, presented in two separate resolutions based on how the positions were funded in the budget.
Teresa Paras, an instructional assistant at the Marysville campus, was one of the people whose jobs were on the chopping block. As she spoke, more than 40 fellow classified employees stood up in the audience.
Paras said her seniority might allow her to “bump” another less-senior employee, but that didn't make her happy. She said many of her colleagues are suffering from stress because of the situation.
She said the classified employees had offered the board suggestions they didn't take. Now, the board was considering laying off 56 employees. “How do you call that fair? It's devastating.”
Loretta Richard, another CSEA member targeted for layoff who works at Woodland Community College, emphasized that classified cuts hurt students.
“Balancing the budget on the backs of classified staff is a travesty,” she said.
The proposed cuts included laying off half of the Woodland campus' support staff, and the elimination of the tutoring center, which helps 500 students annually, Richard said.
Despite the outcry, the layoff resolutions both passed unanimously.
A woman from the back of the audience yelled “Shame!” after the votes.
Outside, as angry classified workers chanted “Shame on you!” to the board, Donna Veal-Spenser, a CSEA representative, wept, as other union members discussed what actions to take next.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY – Tuesday's heavy rains were welcomed by many around the county, but the big fall storm also brought with it car crashes, landslides and downed trees.
The National Weather Service predicted between 3 and 7 inches of rain would fall through Wednesday morning. A flash flood watch also was in effect through Wednesday morning for northern Lake County.
Concerns about the storm and its impacts around the state led Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's office to direct state departments and agencies to prepare to respond to emergencies.
Caltrans crews were clearing drains and debris and posting warning signs where possible, and officials urged motorists to delay trips when possible and drive very carefully if they are on the road as crews may not have reached a particular area yet.
Cal Fire officials also reported that crews were on standby for emergency response, and had been busy responding to numerous vehicle crashes and downed power lines around the region on Tuesday.
The slippery road conditions led to numerous crashes around the Lake County, according to the California Highway Patrol. Late in the day, one woman's pickup was reported to be partially in the lake at a location along the Northshore.
“The roads are pretty slick out there,” said Northshore Fire Chief Jim Robbins, whose department had responded to some of the accidents reported on Tuesday.
In areas along Highways 20 and 29 loose boulders were reported to be blocking lanes, the CHP reported.
Lake County's Department of Public Works reported that Elk Mountain Road at Soda Creek was closed during the day to all traffic due to a landslide. The road was expected to be reopened by midnight Wednesday morning.
The wet weather also led to some downed trees.
One, in particular, fell on Cobb resident Roger's Kinney's home on Tuesday. Kinney said he wasn't sure of the exact damage caused by the falling tree.
One of the storm's important benefits is replenishing Clear Lake and the county's creeks.
US Geological Survey stream gauges showed dramatic increases in stream volume in many of the areas around Lake County. Clear Lake's level also showed a marked improvement over the course of Tuesday.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
Lt. Rusty Noe of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office said the fight involving the male subject – who was not identified – occurred on Monday at 8:30 a.m.
The enraged male subject walked up to a Mendocino County Sheriff's sergeant, who was parked in the 700 block of S. State Street in Ukiah, and attacked the sergeant with his hands, Noe said.
Noe said the man struck the sergeant in the face and head numerous times, but the sergeant was, at some point, able to deploy his Taser, causing the suspect to fall to the ground.
The suspect continued to fight and was able to resume his attack on the sergeant when a sergeant from the Ukiah Police Department arrived to assist, Noe said.
The fight between the suspect and the two sergeants continued and then the Ukiah officer used his Taser to subdue the suspect, according to Noe.
Noe said both officers were able to handcuff the suspect and were waiting for additional assistance when the suspect quit breathing.
Fire department personnel responded and the suspect was transported to the Ukiah Valley Medical Center where life saving efforts were continued. The efforts were not successful and the suspect was pronounced dead, said Noe.
Detectives from the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office, the Ukiah Police and the Mendocino County District Attorney's Office responded and conducted a combined investigation into the death. Noe said the District Attorney's Office is the primary agency in the investigation.
The identity of the suspect is pending the notification of the next of kin, Noe said. Both officers have been placed on administrative leave and are not identified at this time pending the investigation.
Visitors with a valid California Campfire Permit will once again be able to have fires outside of designated campgrounds, including wilderness areas, officials reported.
The fire restrictions were put in place July 31 due to increased fire danger and hot, dry weather.
Despite the change in weather, fire season is not officially over. Visitors are asked to be careful when using campfires, charcoal fires and gas stoves in the National Forest.
When you have a campfire, please do the following:
Clear all flammable material away from the fire for a minimum of 5 feet in all directions to prevent escape of the fire.
Have a shovel available at the campfire site for preparing and extinguishing campfires.
Have a responsible person in attendance at all times.
Extinguish campfire with water, drowning the fire, stirring the coals and ash, and feeling for heat or warm spots; continue the process until the coals and ash are cold.
Campfire permits are available free of charge from any Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management or Cal Fire offices, including the Mendocino National Forest.
For more information, please contact the Mendocino National Forest at 530-934-3316.
Alberto Alejandro Montes, 24, is alleged to have shot to death his brother Rafael Montes, 26, during an argument last Saturday night at Alberto Montes' Pomo Drive home at the Elem Indian Colony, according to Capt. James Bauman of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
Alberto Montes was arrested Saturday night, as Lake County News has reported. He is being held in the Lake County Jail on a murder charge with bail set at $500,000.
According to Bauman's report, the Northshore Fire Protection District and Cal Fire responded to the area of Sulphur Bank Drive and Pomo Drive on a report of a vegetation fire.
About 30 minutes after fire personnel arrived at the scene of the approximately half-acre grass fire located off of Pomo Drive, the sheriff's dispatch began receiving calls reporting a man had been shot by his brother during a fight about the fire at a home on Pomo Drive, Bauman said.
When sheriff's deputies arrived at the Pomo Drive home where the shooting was reported, Alberto Montes immediately came out of the home with his hands in the air and was detained without incident, Bauman said.
Inside the home, Bauman said deputies found the mens' sisters, Rebecca and Nora Montes, and their mother, Brenda Geary. Two of the women were tending to Rafael Montes, who was on the kitchen floor with a gunshot wound to the chest.
Northshore Fire Battalion Chief Pat Brown said that a Northshore Fire advanced life support engine was pulled from the fire and responded to the shooting on a medical call.
Firefighters and deputies attempted to treat Rafael Montes, but he was pronounced dead at the scene, Bauman said.
Deputies recovered the weapon they believe Alberto Montes used – a .22-caliber rifle – Bauman said.
Bauman said that, according to witness statements given to investigators, Rafael Montes, his two sisters and mother had arrived at Alberto Montes' home, at which time a trash fire outside was burning. About 20 minutes later, it had gotten out of control.
Alberto Montes, his sisters and mother attempted to put the fire out, and at one point he allegedly went into the house and began arguing with Rafael Montes because he reportedly didn't believe his brother was offering any help in the situation, according to Bauman.
The argument escalated to the point where Alberto Montes allegedly went to his room, got the .22 rifle and returned to confront his brother, Bauman said.
Rafael Montes, who reportedly had been drinking, taunted his brother to use the weapon and Alberto Montes is alleged to have fired one shot, striking him in the chest, Bauman said.
Bauman said an autopsy on Rafael Montes is scheduled to be performed on Wednesday morning at the Napa County Coroner’s Office.
The grass fire believed to be the source of the argument was contained after after about an hour, with fire units clearing the scene shortly before 10 p.m. Saturday, Bauman said.
Northshore Fire Chief Jim Robbins said Tuesday that the Lake County Arson Task Force was investigating the fire.
Arson investigators had turned over to the sheriff's office the information they had. Robbins said they didn't know who lit the fire in a small pile of trash next to the house.
“Our investigation will continue a little bit on it,” he said.
Alberto Montes is tentatively scheduled to be in court for arraignment on Wednesday, according to District Attorney Jon Hopkins.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at