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The task force reported that the first warrant was served at 10 a.m. in the 21000 block of Highway 29 in Middletown.
Detectives found an indoor marijuana cultivation in the residence. The plants had been harvested and the marijuana was in the process of drying.
The task force found 48 pounds of processed marijuana and 80 pounds of unprocessed marijuana in the residence, which was prepared to grow more than 500 marijuana plants.
Detectives arrested Moeun Dam, 40, of Middletown for marijuana cultivation. Dam was booked into the Lake County Jail, where he later posted $10,000 bail.
The task force found evidence at the Middletown residence that led them to the Alternative Solutions Collective in the 12000 block of E. Highway 20 in Clearlake Oaks.
Task force detectives obtained another search warrant for the marijuana collective, and with the assistance of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, the task force served that search warrant at approximately 4 p.m. Wednesday.
Inside the Alternative Solutions Collective, detectives found a honey oil/hash laboratory and evidence that the collective was operating outside of state of California guidelines.
Detectives arrested Daniel Lee Clark, 22, a construction worker from Clearlake Oaks, and Caleb Stuart Hazard, 26, an unemployed Santa Rosa resident, for distribution of marijuana, conspiracy and possession of a clandestine honey oil laboratory.
Bail for Clark and Hazard was set at $40,000 each. Both have since posted bail and been released, according to jail records.
The task force seized 15 pounds of processed marijuana, $2,129 in cash, two pounds of hashish and dozens of food items containing marijuana.
The Lake County Narcotic Task Force is comprised of detectives from the Lakeport Police Department, Clearlake Police Department, the California Highway Patrol, the Lake County Probation Department, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the State of California Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement.
If a citizen in Lake County has any information on illegal marijuana grows, or any other narcotic violations, please call the task force at 263-9055.
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David Garlow Deason, 69, was found guilty of shooting 48-year-old Marie Claire Parlet to death at their Lower Lake home on Dec. 6, 2004. He also was found guilty of a special allegation of using a firearm in committing the murder.
Marie Parlet's daughter, Charline, and son, Donald, were in the courtroom Tuesday for closing arguments and the jury's verdict.
“It was intense,” said Charline Parlet on Wednesday, adding that she was shocked that he received the first-degree murder verdict again.
She said she called her younger brother, James Clarkson, in Texas to give him the news. “He was very excited.”
Defense attorney Doug Rhoades said Deason didn't take the stand in the trial. “He did not want to confront the charges.”
Rhoades said that Deason felt he could defend himself against the charges based on his level of intoxication at the time of the shootings.
“Mr. Deason had no history of violence prior to this act,” said Rhoades, adding that Deason's only previous criminal record involved some driving under the influence convictions many years earlier.
Rhoades said he had been seeking a voluntary manslaughter charge, and noted that Deason would have pleaded guilty to that if it had been offered.
“How is justice served when a life sentence would be the result regardless of a plea or a conviction?” Rhoades asked.
He added, “I thought it was a waste of resources to put him through this, to put the family through this, when the net result would have been the same.”
Alexandria Firth, 26, sat on Deason's second jury, which began Jan. 6.
She characterized the jury's deliberations as “pretty quick,” estimating that they only took about an hour and a half on Tuesday.
“The only real sticking point was deciding whether or not he premeditated,” Firth said.
She said the jurors went point by point through the jury instructions to look more closely at what constituted first-degree murder, which was their ultimate conclusion.
Jury discounts alcohol as a factor
Deason had been convicted by a jury in February 2006 of first degree murder and personal use of a firearm in an earlier trial for Marie Parlet's killing. Judge Richard Martin subsequently sentenced Deason to a mandatory 50-years-to-life sentence in prison.
However, in December 2007 the First Appellate Court threw out the conviction, saying that the court should have allowed information about Deason's level of intoxication to be admitted.
The District Attorney's Office stated that, in the first trial, the prosecution successfully argued in a pre-trial motion that, since no evidence of the defendant's drinking pattern prior to the shooting was going to be presented by the defense, the defendant's blood alcohol level should be excluded from evidence.
During that hearing, the prosecution contended that since Deason had access to “10 to 15 large 1.75 liter bottles of hard liquor” alcohol for at least 20 minutes, and possibly as long as one hour, after the shots were fired, any drinking Deason did after he fired the shots was irrelevant to his mental state at the time the shots were fired, and the blood alcohol level was misleading.
Judge Martin denied the request of then-defense attorney J. David Markham to present the blood alcohol level evidence. Court records said Markham also had asked to have a toxicologist give testimony on the subject.
“We decided the alcohol wasn't really a factor,” said Firth. “It was clear that he intended to kill her.”
During the trial, Deputy District Attorney John Langan presented evidence by forensic pathologist Dr. Kelly Arthur that Parlet had been shot twice with a .38-caliber pistol.
The first shot struck Parlet in the back and severed her aorta, according to Langan's case. After that first shot, Langan alleged that Parlet raised her arm up in a defensive posture, and then the second shot struck, piercing her left breast and perforating her spleen, with the bullet grazing the underside of her left forearm.
The precise times of the two gunshots was unable to be determined, according to the District Attorney's Office. Deason was taken into custody at 8:01 p.m. the night of the shooting.
The District Attorney's Office alleged that, upon being arrested, Deason stated, “It took you long enough to get here, deputy,” and added, “Yes, I'm the one that did it.”
Deason also told deputies that Parlet had been down for 45 minutes to an hour.
At 9:36 p.m. – two hours after the 911 call was made by a next-door neighbor – a sample of Deason's blood was taken, with his blood alcohol content found to be 0.27. After the blood sample was taken, Deason stated, “I know what I did. I had a reason.”
Firth said the focus for the jury was Deason's actions. “He had to pull the hammer back and pull the trigger, and he had time to think about.”
Seeking closure again
Charline Parlet said she had just started to get closure over her mother's death when Deason's conviction was overturned late in 2007.
“My mom was killed twice to me,” she said, describing her mother as her best friend.
On Jan. 14, while giving testimony in Deason's trial, Charline Parlet had broken down on the stand as she recounted her mother coming to pick her up from a Santa Rosa treatment center on Dec. 6, 2004, the day she died.
Charline Parlet said Deason and her mother had been together for a few years, but she only saw him at their home a few times. The rest of the time she said she saw him at the bar where her mother worked, saying he usually was drunk.
“I do feel for the man,” she said.
Parlet described her mother as a hardworking person who was a member of the PTA and coached baseball. “She was an ultimate person.”
She said her mother always told her to never depend on another person, and “never let a man bring you down, never let a man hurt you.”
That made it all the more shocking that Marie Parlet should die the way she did, her daughter said. “She was just starting to live her life, too.”
Now, with Deason's second conviction, Charline Parlet said she's got to try to get closure all over again, which is a challenge for her and her 10-year-old daughter, who misses her grandma.
Judge Arthur Mann will sentence Deason on Feb. 27.
The District Attorney's Office said Deason faces mandatory sentences of 25 years to life for the first degree murder conviction, plus an additional and consecutive sentence of 25 years to life for the special allegation of personal discharge of the firearm, for a total aggregate sentence of 50 years to life.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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The California Highway Patrol arrested 28-year-old Kevin Paul Fleenor shortly before 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, said CHP Officer Adam Garcia.
Katherine Gibbel, 42, of Middletown was driving her Ford Excursion northbound on Highway 29 with Fleenor, in a white Mitsubishi Lancer, driving behind her, said Garcia.
Fleenor allegedly was driving erratically and making hand gestures, said Garcia. Gibbel felt threatened and called 911 to report a road rage incident.
“Our officers responded along with the sheriff's department,” said Garcia.
Gibbel and Fleenor stopped at the construction spot by the Bar X Ranch, Garcia. There, Fleenor got out of his vehicle and allegedly attempted to confront Gibbel.
The construction workers on site – including Caltrans staff – prevented the confrontation from escalating, said Garcia.
Garcia said Fleenor then turned around and headed back toward Middletown, where he was stopped near Wardlaw by CHP Officer Carl Thompson.
Thompson concluded that Fleenor allegedly was under the influence of drugs, the effect of which was making him delusional, said Garcia.
Fleenor, Garcia said, made statements about being followed and being the victim of a conspiracy, of which he thought the construction workers who stopped his near confrontation with Gibbel were a part.
Thompson consequently arrested Fleenor for DUI and being under the influence of controlled substances, said Garcia.
Fleenor was booked into the Lake County Jail, with bail set at $5,000. He was released on bail later in the day, according to jail records.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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The prescribed control burn will be conducted between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., and will incorporate sections along John Kincaid Road in northern Sonoma County.
The return of cooler temperatures will enable Cal Fire to implement the wildland vegetation management tool of prescribed burning to bring the benefits of low intensity fire to specific wildland areas, Cal Fire reported.
Prescribed vegetation management burns are carefully planned and controlled burns that must meet strict criteria of ecological benefit, weather parameters, smoke management and fire safety guidelines.
When all conditions (prescriptions) are met, trained wildland firefighters burn while monitoring the set criteria, fire behavior and designated fire control lines.
The benefits of low intensity fire in the natural environment include:
Cleansing of the wild land debris. Excessive dead and down branches, brush and small trees are burned converting fuels that are hazards in the summer into rich soil nutrients for larger species of vegetation.
Providing habitat. Removal of decadent fuel encourages the growth of seasonal grasses and leafier plants which affords highly nutritional food and habitat to a wider range of animals.
Killing disease. Low intensity fire helps eliminate and control diseased plants and trees.
New growth. Controlled burning encourages the healthy growth of new plants, especially those fire dependent for renewal or seed dispersion.
Reduces opportunity for destructive fires. Prescribed controlled burns decrease the size and frequency of large uncontrolled destructive wildfires. Prescribed burns are safer for firefighters and area residents.
For more information about fire safety or prescribed fire and its benefits, visit the Cal Fire Web site at www.fire.ca.gov.
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Developed with the Obama administration, this job creating package is meant to rebuild America, give 95 percent of working families an immediate tax cut and invest quickly in the economy.
Congressman Mike Thompson's (D-CA) office reported that he helped draft key provisions of the bill and voted in favor of the legislation, which passed the House by a vote of 244 to 188.
“There isn’t a day that goes by without new signs that our economy is grinding to a halt,” said Congressman Thompson. “This bill provides desperately needed funding and tax relief to help working families cope with these challenging times. By making these critical investments, particularly in rural communities like those in our district, we are not only putting people to work in the short run, but also strengthening our economy for the long haul.”
H.R. 1 includes $275 billion in tax cuts for individuals and businesses, and $550 billion in carefully targeted investments in infrastructure, education, clean energy and health care.
California alone will receive a minimum of $32 billion in recovery funds in addition to the billions of dollars in tax cuts that will flow to citizens of the state.
Independent economist Mark Zandi estimates that this will save or create over 800,000 jobs in California.
The legislation also includes key provisions to ensure that rural communities are not left behind and receive their fair share of assistance.
Locally, the possible benefits aren't yet known, according to county officials.
Some of the key job creating provisions of H.R. 1 include:
$90 billion to repair and modernize roads, bridges, transit and waterways, including $4.5 billion requested by Congressman Thompson for the Army Corps of Engineers;
$145 billion for a Making Work Pay tax credit which will cut taxes for more than 95 percent of working families;
$20 billion in targeted tax cuts for American businesses, large and small, to spur job creation;
$41 billion for local school districts to repair and upgrade their facilities;
$63 billion for increased food stamps, unemployment benefits, and job training to assist those who have lost their jobs;
$73 billion in new funding and tax incentives to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and gas, including several alternative energy tax provisions authored by Congressman Thompson that will provide billions of dollars in tax incentives to expand the use of renewable energy;
$6 billion to expand broadband Internet access in rural and underserved areas;
An unprecedented level of transparency, oversight and accountability will ensure our tax dollars are spent wisely.
During drafting of H.R. 1 in the Ways & Means Committee, Thompson was able to include key provisions of legislation he authored (HR 546) that will allow state and local governments to help homeowners and businesses more easily finance the purchase of solar systems and provide $2.4 billion in new qualified energy conservation bonds to finance state and local government programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Additionally, the Thompson provisions will provide grants to incentivize businesses to invest in renewable technology today, rather than waiting until the economy improves.
“The solar energy tax provisions I authored will make it easier for businesses and homeowners to have solar panels installed,” said Congressman Thompson. “This has the twin benefits of creating green jobs while at the same time reducing our dependence on foreign oil.”
The Senate is expected to consider companion economic recovery legislation next week with the expectation that a House-Senate Conference will be convened the following week to negotiate a final bill. House and Senate leaders have said that they expect to send this legislation to the president by President’s Day, Feb. 16.
To learn more about H.R. 1, please visit the following web links:
www.speaker.gov/newsroom/legislation?id=0273
http://waysandmeans.house.gov/MoreInfo.asp?section=50
http://appropriations.house.gov/pdf/PressSummary01-21-09.pdf
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LAKEPORT – The Lake County Sheriff's Office is searching for the suspect in a violent assault that left a local man with serious head and facial injuries.
Sheriff's Capt. James Bauman said that 49-year-old Dale Andrew Pirlo of Cobb was assaulted in an incident that was reported shortly before 12:30 a.m. Jan. 23 outside of the Jack in the Box on Soda Bay Road.
"Our deputies got on scene and found him with multiple lacerations, contusions, about his face and head," said Bauman. "He was pretty delirious although he was conscious."
Pirlo, a part-time Jack in the Box employee, initially was unable to describe the attack, said Bauman. However, when Lakeport Fire Protection District staff put him in the ambulance to transport him to Sutter Lakeside Hospital, Pirlo began to recount what occurred.
Bauman said Pirlo stated that a white male adult with short black hair who was riding a bicycle approached him as he was leaving the fast food restaurant following his shift. The suspect reportedly asked Pirlo to hold open the locked door so he could go inside and use the restroom.
When Pirlo refused, the suspect attacked him, said Bauman.
At the hospital, Pirlo was determined to have not just contusions and lacerations to his head and face but also multiple facial fractures, said Bauman. Sutter Lakeside discharged Pirlo at about 4 a.m. that same morning.
Pirlo told Lake County News Tuesday night that doctors told him that his nose and sinuses are broken, his jaw is out of alignment and he has suffered a concussion.
While Pirlo was on his way to the hospital, a man believed to be the suspect in Pirlo's assault was spotted across town, said Bauman.
At about 1:10 a.m. a Lakeport Police officer called in a male subject who fled from him on foot behind Bruno's Shop Smart on Lakeport Boulevard, Bauman said.
Sheriff's deputies responded to the area, said Bauman, with the California Highway Patrol also later sending backup.
During the search for the suspect, sheriff's deputies located an overturned dumpster behind the UPS store in the Bruno's shopping center, Bauman said. The dumpster appeared to have been used to get over a nearby fence and into the Shoreline Self Storage on Kimberly Lane.
Police, deputies and CHP officers spent the next hour looking for the man, but were unable to locate him, said Bauman. The suspect was described as wearing gray sweats and a black hooded sweatshirt.
Bauman called the two incidents "more than likely connected."
He said that there are other good leads in the case helping to match the assault suspect with the man who fled police across town, but he did not want to offer details at this time, as the case is actively being investigated.
Frances Pirlo of Kelseyville, Dale Pirlo's mother, said he was "beaten to a pulp."
"I certainly hope they get him," she said of the suspect. "He's a very dangerous person."
Dale Pirlo said that investigators told him the incident may have been an attempted robbery.
"He thought he'd killed me and left me for dead," Pirlo suggested in discussing the suspect.
Pirlo, a single father of two who has been working three jobs, said he remembers only the initial confrontation with the suspect, who approached him as he was leaving work and called out to him to hold the door.
The restaurant was closed, said Pirlo, who works a swing shift at Jack in the Box four nights a week. Pirlo said he refused to hold open the door and continued walking, carrying a milkshake and egg rolls in his hands, as he ended his shift for the night.
The suspect, who Pirlo said he'd never seen before, began cursing him. The last thing Pirlo remembered was seeing a body in front of him.
He said he doesn't know how long he was lying on the pavement. "Eventually, something woke me up. I was in a pool of blood."
Pirlo got up and pounded on the doors of the restaurant, as some of his coworkers were still inside. They then called for help.
He's making a round of local doctors to have the damage to his face surveyed. A Wednesday trip to a local doctor will determine if surgery to reconstruct his sinuses is necessary.
"I have challenges to overcome," Pirlo said.
Anyone with information on the incident or the alleged suspect should call the Lake County Sheriff's Office at 262-4200.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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