CLEARLAKE, Calif. – An Oakland man is being held on $300,000 bail for kidnapping, sexual assault and numerous other charges after he was taken into custody by Clearlake Police officers on Sunday.
Ricky Roberts, 51, was arrested Sunday afternoon, according to a report from Sgt. Martin Snyder.
On Sunday Clearlake Police officers responded to the 15100 block of Lakeview Avenue for a report of a battery, Snyder said.
On the officers' arrival they contacted a victim, who stated that she was kidnapped at gunpoint from another county and forced to come to the city of Clearlake by a male, later identified as Roberts, Snyder said.
Snyder said the woman told officers that, once at a residence in Clearlake, Roberts attempted to sexually assault her. The victim began to physically resist Roberts, who discharged pepper spray or a mace-type agent onto the victim's face.
The victim was able to escape from Roberts and the residence, ran to a neighboring home and requested law enforcement be notified, Snyder said.
Snyder said the victim told officers that Roberts was at the neighboring residence with a firearm and that another individual may be being held against their will inside of the residence. The woman also said that Roberts was in possession of a large quantity of suspected narcotics.
The officers went to the residence and contacted Roberts as he was attempting to escape over the rear fence. Roberts was taken into custody without further incident, according to Snyder.
While the officers were in the rear yard of the residence, Snyder said they observed numerous growing marijuana plants and a large caliber firearm Roberts had attempted to hide. The officers conducted a protective sweep of the interior of the residence in an attempt to locate any further victims or suspects, but found no one else to be at the residence.
While conducting the sweep of the residence the officers discovered that portions of the interior of the residence had been converted to an indoor marijuana growing operation. Snyder said that, based on their observations, the officers believed the residence was a commercial marijuana growing operation.
Detectives from the Clearlake Police Department were notified and took over the investigation. A search warrant was approved and executed on the residence. During the execution of the search warrant evidence in regard to the sexual assault was located, Snyder said.
Additionally, Snyder said 72 growing marijuana plants and a large amount of dried and processed marijuana were located along with approximately 110 grams of cocaine, approximately 20 grams of heroin and other evidence indicative of the sales of narcotics were located.
A review of Robert’s criminal history showed him to be a convicted felon with a prison term served for the sale of narcotics; as a result, Snyder said Roberts is not allowed to own or possess firearms or ammunition.
Roberts also was found to be in possession of approximately $5,800 in U.S. currency of numerous denominations, Snyder said.
Based on the investigation, Snyder said Roberts was arrested for the violations of kidnapping, false imprisonment, oral copulation, sodomy with force, use of a tear gas weapon, armed in the commission of a felony, felon in possession of a firearm, felon in possession of ammunition, cultivation of marijuana, possession of marijuana for sale and possession of narcotics for sale, according to Snyder.
Additionally, Snyder said the U.S. currency Roberts was found to be in possession of is believed to be from the sale of narcotics and was seized pursuant to asset forfeiture proceedings authorized by the Lake County District Attorney’s Office.
Roberts was booked into the Lake County Jail with a bail of $300,000. He was scheduled to be in court on Tuesday, according to jail records.
