CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Police arrested a Clearlake man last week after finding him in possession of weapons that he is prohibited to have because of being on parole for sex-related offenses.

Clifford Merle Cutrell, 47, was taken into custody on the night of Tuesday, March 6, according to Sgt. Tim Hobbs.

Hobbs said that just before 11 p.m. March 6 Clearlake Police Sgt. Rodd Joseph observed a male subject acting suspicious in the Mormon Church parking lot located at 14972 Lakeview Way.

Sgt. Joseph contacted the subject and found he was armed with an illegal police style expandable baton. Hobbs said the subject was identified as Cutrell.

Cutrell is on state parole for sex-related offenses and is a convicted sex offender, Hobbs said.

Hobbs said Cutrell was acting extremely nervous and making claims that he was being chased by subjects with a gun. Joseph then placed Cutrell into handcuffs.

Once Cutrell was secured in Sgt. Joseph’s patrol car, Joseph went to the area where Cutrell had just been standing. There, Hobbs said Joseph located a loaded handgun on the ground where Cutrell had just been.

There was no evidence to support Cutrell’s claim of being chased by someone with a firearm, Hobbs said.

Cutrell was charged with the felony violations of possession of a police baton, felon in possession of a firearm, felon in possession of ammunition, carrying a loaded firearm in public, possession of a firearm with a prior violent offense conviction, armed while committing a felony and parole violation, and booked into the Lake County Jail, according to Hobbs.

Lake County Jail booking records showed that Cutrell remained in custody on Wednesday, with a no-bail hold in place due to the parole violation.

His booking sheet shows he is tentatively scheduled to appear in court on March 26.