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- Written by: DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
The Board of Parole Hearings denied parole for convicted murderer Richard Lugo Guerrero, age 51, of Clearlake during the hearing on Thursday, June 9.
Deputy District Attorney Art Grothe attended the lifer hearing to argue against Guerrero’s release.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff said Guerrero was found guilty by a jury on April 13, 2000, of the second-degree murder of Mark Anthony Boyer, 29. The jury also found the special allegation that Guerrero used a gun and caused great bodily injury or death to be true.
Guerrero was originally prosecuted by District Attorney Stephen O. Hedstrom.
On May 19, 2000, Guerrero was sentenced to 44 years to life by Judge David W. Herrick.
At the sentencing hearing, Judge David Herrick said he had not seen or noticed any remorse by Guerrero, and noted that Guerrero continued to deny committing the offense. The judge also indicated that he could not understand why Guerrero killed the victim.
Before the murder, Guerrero had been convicted of a felony robbery in Texas, several drunken driving cases in California, and resisting arrest and marijuana possession.
According to investigation reports, on Nov. 15, 1998, the Clearlake Police Department received a report of four to five gunshots being heard in the vicinity of All American Video on Lakeshore Drive. When officers arrived they found Boyer deceased.
Approximately 30 minutes before the shooting, there was a disturbance involving 25 people at the Chart House Bar. During that disturbance, a police officer observed Mark Boyer walking with another male seated in a wheelchair.
After the shooting, investigators determined the person seated in the wheelchair was Esa Jacobo, an individual known to officers. Investigators also identified the person pushing the wheelchair as Richard Guerrero.
Further investigation turned up witnesses who indicated Guerrero was the individual who shot the victim. Jacobo eventually informed officers the weapon used to shoot the victim belonged to Jacobo’s stepfather, and was hidden behind a refrigerator in Jacobo’s residence.
During the investigation Guerrero denied shooting the victim, but eventually told officers, “I did it.”
A forensic pathology examination determined Boyer was shot six times.
At the parole hearing, Hinchcliff said the parole commissioners discussed Guerrero’s conduct and history while being incarcerated in the state prison system.
His history of rules violations while in prison indicated Guerrero had been in possession of drug paraphernalia and weapons, and promoted gang activity.
At the conclusion of the hearing, after arguments from Guerrero’s attorney as to why he should be paroled and from Deputy District Attorney Art Grothe as to why he should not be paroled, the parole commissioners issued a five-year denial of parole, Hinchcliff said.
Hinchcliff said Guerrero will receive another parole hearing some time in 2027.
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The Butte fire was dispatched shortly after 1 p.m. in the area of Butte Rock Ranch Road at Morgan Valley Road, near the McLaughlin Natural Reserve.
Just before 2 p.m., radio traffic stated that the fire’s forward progress had been stopped.
Later in the afternoon, it was reported that the fire was around 30 acres in size, with units being released.
Information on a cause was not immediately available.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
“I thank Gov. Newsom for signing this today,” Sen. Dodd, D-Napa, said. “This extension allows tribes to continue along the path toward self-sufficiency and economic development. Also, it gives the state more time to negotiate long-term agreements that will benefit the state, employees and patrons.”
Many California tribes entered 20-year gaming compacts with the state that were briefly extended and set to expire on June 30.
However, Sen. Dodd’s legislation, Senate Bill 898, grants an additional 18-month extension to 26 tribes and a one-year extension to three tribes.
The extension, which had overwhelming Senate and Assembly support, applies to the tribes listed below.
Alturas Indian Rancheria
Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians
Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria
Berry Creek Rancheria of Maidu Indians of California
Big Sandy Rancheria of Western Mono Indians of California
Bishop Paiute Tribe
Blue Lake Rancheria
Cachil Dehe Band of Wintun Indians of the Colusa Indian Community of the Colusa Rancheria
Cahto Tribe of the Laytonville Rancheria
Cahuilla Band of Indians
Campo Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the Campo Indian Reservation
Chemehuevi Indian Tribe of the Chemehuevi Reservation
Cher-ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria
Chicken Ranch Rancheria of Me-Wuk
Elem Indian Colony of Pomo Indians of the Sulphur Bank Rancheria
Ewiiaapaayp Band of Kumeyaay Indians
Hopland Band of Pomo Indians
Manchester Band of Pomo Indians of the Manchester Rancheria
Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California
Pauma Band of Luiseno Mission Indians of the Pauma & Yuima Reservation
Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians of California
Pit River Tribe
Redding Rancheria
Resighini Rancheria
Robinson Rancheria
Santa Rosa Indian Community of the Santa Rosa Rancheria
Sherwood Valley Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California
Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians
Table Mountain Rancheria
- Details
- Written by: KELSEYVILLE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. — Kelseyville High School student Logan Jirout was just named the ninth-grade winner of the 2022 Every Student Succeeding Award for Region 4, sponsored by the Association of California School Administrators, or ACSA.
The award recognizes students who have made special efforts to overcome obstacles to succeed.
His former teacher, Kerry Smith, and his former principal, Kelseyville Unified School District Assistant Superintendent Dr. Nicki Thomas, nominated Jirout for the award, which pulled nominees from Lake, Mendocino, Marin, Sonoma, Napa and Solano counties.
Jirout’s challenges began last spring, when Jirout was “messing around and felt something pop in his back.” Upon examination, his mother found a concerning bump and immediately scheduled a doctor’s appointment.
This was the beginning of a harrowing medical experience — one that involved four surgeries, a month in the hospital, physical therapy, and counseling, but ultimately, one that resulted in the triumph of a relentless work ethic bolstered by a can-do spirit.
Jirout’s visit with the doctor revealed severe scoliosis that was progressing quickly. Scoliosis is a medical condition characterized by a prominent curvature of the spine. Normal curvature is about 10 degrees. When measuring scoliosis, the curve is considered significant if it is greater than 25 to 30 degrees and severe if it exceeds 45 to 50 degrees.
Jirout’s first measurement showed a 62 degree curvature. Just weeks later, it showed 75 degrees. Left untreated, severe scoliosis can threaten vital organs.
Initially, Jirout believed he would have one surgery and return home in a few days to recover, but a series of unfortunate circumstances ensued, from broken screws to infections.
Not only did Jirout have to endure a painful physical recovery, but he also had to continually adjust to disappointing news that caused major disruptions in his life as he finished middle school and started high school.
Rather than fall prey to the negativity that could have made his situation worse, he took each setback as something he simply had to overcome. Today, he does not minimize the challenges he faced, but impressively, he does not cast blame or paint himself as a victim, according to Smith, his teacher at the time.
Smith said, “Logan is such a well-rounded young man. He cares about learning, and he cares about other people. He’s one of those special students who does the right thing even when no one is looking, who stands up for other kids when they need help.”
Smith said she was inspired by Jirout’s perseverance as he worked to overcome his situation. “I know he faced times when it was really rough–he was in pain; he couldn’t move himself in bed. But he kept doing PT [physical therapy], and he had the mental determination to keep going,” she said.
Smith believes Jirout mirrors many of his parents’ character traits, saying they “are some of the most humble, down to earth, hard working people I know.” She explained that during Jirout’s treatment, his mother put everything aside to care for Jirout full-time, while his father modified his work schedule to support the family. They supported Jirout every step of the way.
Jirout says he is grateful for his family’s love and support, and for Smith who came to his house to help him with his school work so he could make up assignments and finish eighth grade. He also appreciated the cards (and candy) from friends. When Jirout attended his eighth grade promotion, he was in a wheelchair, but when his name was called to cross the stage, his father helped him stand tall (about four inches taller than before his surgery) and walk to receive his certificate.
Jirout is open about the difficulty of his experience and the steps he continues to take to heal.
“My mental state was horrible in the hospital. I couldn’t come home. I couldn’t do anything. I watched the same movies over and over. The food was good, though. Then I came home, and I thought, ‘I hate life right now.’ So, we got in touch with a therapist through Gaggle. I’ve been doing that for about a month. Being able to talk to someone helps a lot. And I’m still doing physical therapy and working on my weight. I’m way better now than I was,” he said.
Gaggle Therapy is a service funded by Kelseyville Unified that allows students to receive social-emotional counseling online with trained counselors at no cost to the student’s family.
Jirout got out of his wheelchair in August. Initially, he was terrified of falling. He said he felt paranoid, worried his back would snap and he would be forced back to the operating room. But once he fell and survived, he felt a lot better. “Now, I’m fine. It’s been months. I’m fine.”
In October, he was cleared to return to in-person instruction on campus. It was difficult to start high school a month late, but given all he had been through, he was happy to be returning to a more normal version of life.
At this point, Jirout has returned to many of his favorite activities, including playing Fallout (his favorite video game), making things out of metal with his welding kit, and participating in Boy Scouts, where his dad is a troupe leader.
He said that by sharing his experience, he hopes to help other children learn that sometimes you cannot help what happens to you, and you just have to do the best you can.
