KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Early Saturday morning authorities were searching in the Kelseyville area for a suspect who allegedly had shot at law enforcement officers and may have injured a person with a vehicle.

A male suspect was said to have been taken into custody about two hours after the search began.

Shortly after 2:30 a.m., a medical aid was dispatched in the area of Live Oak Drive in Kelseyville, where there was a report of shots fired and a person lying in the roadway, according to radio reports.

Witnesses reported seeing a full-sized white SUV with a loud exhaust system speed from the scene, heading southbound on Live Oak Drive. There was a white male suspect in the vehicle, wearing a black hat, who was possibly accompanied by a second person.

Radio reports indicated the person found lying in the roadway may have been shot, but other reports indicated the person had been hit by the fleeing vehicle.

A landing zone was set up at Kelseyville High School, where REACH 6 landed to pick up the patient, lifting off for Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital shortly after 3 a.m.

As the search continued, reports from the scene indicated that the suspect had taken four shots at the California Highway Patrol, which returned fire.

A large number of deputies were called to the scene, with other agencies also assisting, bringing K9s and, later in the morning, a CHP helicopter to help with the search.

The SUV later was found abandoned on a hillside in the area of Highway 29 and Sand Hill. Deputies were directed to shut down a portion of Highway 29 in the area of Cole Creek Road to Cruickshank Road, with Caltrans later reported to be setting up barricades on the highway.

Two K9 teams were searching around a nearby area of barns and dilapidated buildings, where the male suspect was taken into custody after 4 a.m.

A second suspect wasn't found, and just before 5:15 a.m. deputies were reported to be heading back to their patrol units, with some personnel remaining on scene for an evidence search, based on radio reports.

Scene reports indicated the highway was expected to reopen sometime later in the morning. It remained closed as of about 6:30 a.m.

Dispatch was advised to cancel a planned warning call to area residents. However, just after 5:30 a.m. there were reports of some residents receiving the calls, which warned of two armed and dangerous suspects and advised people to stay in their homes.

Additional details on the male suspect in custody were not immediately available.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – A Rodeo man died on Thursday when he was shot while hunting in the Mendocino National Forest.

Edgardo A. Godoy, 52, was hunting near Covelo when another hunter shot and mortally wounded him, according to a report from the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.

At around 3:30 p.m. Thursday the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office was dispatched to mile post marker 11.2 on Road M1, located in the Mendocino National Forest, near Covelo, regarding the hunting accident, officials said.

Upon arrival sheriff's personnel learned from a witness that a member of a hunting party saw a wild pig approximately 70 yards uphill and across a ravine from his location. Not seeing Godoy, the hunter shot at the pig.

When the hunter went to the area where he last saw the wild pig, he located Godoy, who had suffered a single gunshot wound, officials said.

The witness – whose name is being withheld as the investigation is continuing – immediately rendered aid to Godoy and called for help on his handheld radio. Other hunters quickly arrived at which time they assisted in rendering first aid as well, according to the report.

Godoy was moved to the M1 Road where first aid was continued until medical personnel from Cal Fire US Forest Service arrived. Sheriff's officials said medical personnel from Cal Fire and the US Forest Service rendered aid to Godoy for at least 10 minutes, at which time a medical team from CalStar landed to assist.

When the medical flight team arrived, Godoy was pronounced dead, the sheriff's office reported.

Upon further investigation it was determined that Godoy received a single gunshot wound to the lower abdomen, officials said.

The agency said the names of the witnesses and other involved parties to this incident are currently being withheld as the investigation into the shooting continues.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – The chief executive officer of Adventist Health’s St. Helena Hospital Region has stepped down.

On Friday morning, Bill Wing, chairman of the Board of St. Helena Hospital Region, announced the resignation of Terry Newmyer.

Hospital officials did not give a reason for Newmyer’s resignation.

Newmyer was appointed to the position in January 2009, succeeding JoAline Olson.

In a memo to employees, physicians and volunteers, Wing wrote, “I want to acknowledge Terry’s service to the St. Helena Region, the Northern California Network and to our healthcare system.”

Wing has appointed Steve Herber, MD, EVP/CMO, as interim CEO of the St. Helena Hospital Region.

In addition to his role as CEO, Newmyer served as the president of the Northern California Network of Adventist Health including the three hospitals of the St. Helena Hospital Region as well as Ukiah Valley Medical Center and Frank R. Howard Memorial Hospital in Mendocino County.

As chairman of the board, Wing will assume leadership over the Northern California Network.

Adventist Health has initiated an executive search for a permanent replacement.

In closing remarks to staff, Herber reminded them that “As caregivers of Adventist Health, our first and primary focus remains on our patients and on delivering superior care. Our mission and vision remain fully intact and as vibrant as ever. We are here, and we will live up to the promise and commitment we’ve made to our communities.”

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The man accused of randomly shooting to death a father of four in Clearlake last month and three others charged with being his accomplices are set to go to preliminary hearing later this month.

The preliminary hearing for Joshua Robert Beavers, 24, of Clearlake is set for Oct. 30, according to Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff.

Beavers is accused of shooting to death 29-year-old Clearlake resident David Ferrell on Sept. 8.

Beavers is charged with murder, attempted murder, assault with a firearm, discharging a firearm in a grossly negligent manner, assault with a semiautomatic firearm and carrying a loaded handgun in a vehicle or public place, and a host of special allegations for the shooting.

He pleaded not guilty to all of the counts last month.

Three other individuals who were allegedly with him at the time of the shooting or who helped harbor him also were arrested, including Orlando Esquivel Sr., 48, and his wife, 50-year-old Angel Aileen Esquivel, and Brenden Alicea, 26.

The Esquivels and Alicea are each charged with a count of conspiracy. They also have pleaded not guilty in the case.

While Hinchcliff has charged all four separately in the case, he said he plans to try to have their preliminary hearing conducted together on Oct. 30.

Ferrell was at his home in the area of 19th and Gardner avenues with friends and family on Sept. 8, celebrating his eldest daughter's birthday, when Beavers drove to the neighborhood to look for a man with whom he had fought earlier in the day, according to police.

Ferrell had nothing to do with Beavers or the earlier fight, police said. Yet Beavers is alleged to have begun randomly shooting with a .22-caliber semiautomatic handgun, striking Ferrell in the head and killing him instantly.

Felicia Vance, Ferrell's wife, told Lake County News that she was in the house when she heard the gunfire.

When she went outside, she found her husband lying on the ground, and said she saw Beavers, Alicea and Orlando Esquivel Sr. giving each other high fives and “laughing like what they did didn't matter.”

She said she yelled that she was calling 911, and that more shots subsequently were fired, striking Rachel Patterson and Paul Cressy, who were standing near her. Patterson and Cressy did not suffer life-threatening injuries, according to police.

Beavers remains in custody, with bail set at $2.9 million. Alicea and the Esquivels also remain in jail, with bail for each now $250,000, according to jail records.

A raffle and bake sale fundraiser to benefit Ferrell's widow and children is being held from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday at Ray's Food Place, 15930 Dam Road in Clearlake.

For those who can't make the event but would like to donate, an online fundraiser is available at http://www.gofundme.com/4phkao , and donations also can be made at Mendo Lake Credit Union, Account No. 70002726.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Due to an overwhelming response from concerned citizens regarding invasive mussel infestations in California’s bodies of water, boat owners will now see an additional fee on their California Department of Motor Vehicles vessel registration.

This fee is a result of AB 2443 that was signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown in 2012.

“The money collected by the DMV will go to the State of California Department of Boating and Waterways to make grants available to local agencies to fund Quagga and Zebra mussel prevention plans,” said Lake County Public Works Director Scott De Leon.

Since 2008, the county of Lake has taken what officials termed “a positive, proactive and aggressive approach” to the threat of an invasive mussel infestation because of the huge impact it could have on the ecosystem of Clear Lake and the local economy. This approach has been funded largely by the fees received from the County’s sticker program.

In order to keep Clear Lake free of invasive mussels and keep its ecosystem intact, boat owners are still required to participate in Lake County’s mussel prevention plan.

This will include the annual requirement of purchasing a Lake County Quagga Mussel Sticker, as there is no guarantee that monies collected through the DMV will be awarded for use in Lake County.

Community members are asked to continue to support the Lake County program by showing their current mussel sticker and remembering to check in with a participating screener when you return from an out-of-county trip with your boat. Rescreening and any necessary decontamination are free.

County officials credit the local prevention program with being the reason Clear Lake is still free of quagga and zebra mussels. They ask for the community's assistance in keeping it that way.

Officials thanked all of the screeners for the success they have achieved. For the latest list of screeners see www.nomussels.com or call 707-263-2344.

The 2014 mussel stickers will be available in late December of this year.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – A Thursday afternoon two-vehicle crash near Kelseyville injured a child and two adults.

The crash occurred on Highway 29 at Cole Creek Road at approximately 1:11 p.m., according to a report from the California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office.

Terry Lee Williams, 31, of Kelseyville was driving a 1988 Toyota 4Runner eastbound on Cole Creek Road with his 4-year-old daughter – whose name was not released – riding in a child safety seat in the vehicle’s rear seat, according to the report.

The CHP said witnesses had called 911 prior to the collision to report seeing Williams driving the 4Runner erratically in the area.

Frankie Julia Blavet, 25, of Kelseyville was driving southbound on Highway 29. Williams failed to stop at a stop sign prior to pulling onto Highway 29 in front of Blavet and the two vehicles collided, the CHP said.

Both vehicles had major damage; the CHP said Blavet’s Scion came to rest off the west side of the road, while Williams’ 4Runner came to rest up against a tree on the road’s east side.

Williams suffered moderate injuries; the CHP said he was transported via air ambulance to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital.

The 4-year-old girl suffered minor injuries and was released to her parent/guardian, the CHP said.

Blavet had minor injuries and was transported by ambulance to Sutter Lakeside Hospital for treatment, the report said.

The CHP placed Williams under arrest for driving under the influence, with the report noting that DUI is believed to be a contributing factor in the collision.

Blavet, Williams and the child were all wearing their safety equipment, according to the CHP.

Highway 29 was closed intermittently for 15 minutes while the damaged vehicles were cleared from the roadside, the CHP said.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – Authorities are investigating the deaths of a man and woman whose bodies were found in a van in Fort Bragg this week.

Lt. Greg Stefani of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office said that just after 2:30 p.m. Thursday deputies were dispatched to the 31000 block of Highway 20, Fort Bragg, for a report of a suspicious vehicle parked in the area.

Upon their arrival, sheriff's deputies located a mini van parked near the area of the “bark dump.” Stefani said the van was parked in a manner which prevented it from being seen from Highway 20.

Deputies checked the interior of the van and discovered a deceased female in the front driver seat and a deceased male in the front passenger seat, Stefani said.

He said both victims appeared to have suffered wounds to the head. The exact cause of death is pending the results of an autopsy.

Preliminary investigation indicates that the victims may not be Mendocino County residents, according to Stefani.

The female victim has been identified, but sheriff's detectives are still attempting to locate her next of kin, said Stefani.

He said the male victim has yet to be positively identified.

Anyone with information pertaining to this investigation is asked to contact the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office “tip line” at 707-234-2100.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A former sheriff’s deputy has reached a plea agreement with the District Attorney’s Office in the case alleging he was trafficking in prescription pills.

Eric Van Mendonca, 43, is expected to do a maximum of 180 days in jail as well as probation after agreeing to plead no contest to two counts of possession of hydrocodone for purpose of sale on Friday, according to Senior Deputy District Attorney Art Grothe.

Mendonca is set to return to Lake County Superior Court’s Department 3 for sentencing at 1:30 p.m. Dec. 2 by Judge Andrew Blum, Grothe said.

Until that time, Grothe said Mendonca has been released on his own recognizance with a search clause.

Mendonca was arrested at his Middletown home in June as the result of an FBI Safe Streets Task Force investigation, as Lake County News has reported.

It’s alleged that he had accumulated approximately 17,540 prescription pills between March 2009 and this past February, using multiple prescriptions and “doc shopping” to get them.

When Mendonca originally was charged in June, he was looking at a total of 16 felony counts for possession for sale, sale and offering to sell hydrocodone. Those charges were boiled down to two through negotiations between the District Attorney’s Office and Mendonca’s defense attorney, Roy Miller.

Mendonca formerly worked in law enforcement, serving as a Petaluma Police officer and later a Lake County Sheriff’s deputy, reportedly retiring from the sheriff’s office about a decade ago and since working as a butcher.

He was arrested last December and charged in federal court with conspiring with three other men to commit a home invasion robbery in Hidden Valley Lake for the purposes of stealing marijuana while dressed as law enforcement officers.

This past April, that federal case against him was dropped, with a federal judge noting the concern that the case against Mendonca was “built on innuendo and surmise rather than admissible evidence and that possibly he is an innocent man.”

One of his codefendants in that case, Jack Pollack, was sentenced to six years in the federal case and is facing a 24-year sentence in a separate local drug case, according to Grothe.

Pollack will return to court for sentencing Dec. 3, the day after Mendonca, Grothe said.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Do you remember the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake?

Lake County News asked community members on Facebook to share their memories of the big quake, which took place on Oct. 17, 1989.

The responses poured in, with readers sharing a number of interesting anecdotes about the earthquake.

Using Storify, Lake County News collected the responses, which are shown below.

Readers are welcome to add their own memories in the comments section at the bottom of the page.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – School bus safety is a two-way street, a responsibility shared by professional school bus drivers and the rest of the motoring public.

To help bring awareness to the safe transportation of students throughout the state, the California Highway Patrol is proud to observe National School Bus Safety Week, Oct. 21-25.

Nearly one million California students ride on school buses every day and more than 25,000 certified drivers are dedicated to providing safe transportation for children in the state.

These drivers go through 40 hours of intense training by the Department of Education, in addition to a rigorous certification process by the CHP, physical examinations, and drug tests.

Drivers must also possess a valid first aid and medical card and obtain a background clearance from the California Department of Justice. Additionally, the CHP inspects and certifies every bus annually.

“School buses provide safe transportation for getting children to and from school,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. “Not only are the buses designed for safety, the drivers operating them are well-trained drivers and certified by the state.”

Although there were more than 1,700 collisions involving school buses in 2011, preliminary data from the CHP’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System indicates no school bus passengers were killed in those crashes.

According to the California School Employees Association, studies have shown that the most dangerous part of a school bus ride is when the students are getting on and off of the bus. Motorists are encouraged to pay attention to school buses when bus warning lights are flashing.

In California, flashing yellow lights on a school bus are a warning to slow down and prepare to stop. Flashing red lights and the extended stop arm require all motorists to stop for children entering and exiting the bus and crossing the street.

“Motorists are reminded to pay close attention and exercise caution when they see a school bus stopped to load or unload students,” added Commissioner Farrow. “Never let a distraction compromise a child’s safety.”

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A Hidden Valley Lake man sentenced last month in federal court to prison for drug charges is facing sentencing on a separate drug case in Lake County.

Jack David Pollack, 55, was found guilty by a jury of methamphetamine possession and being a felon in possession of a weapon, and is facing more than 24 years in prison due to a number of prior felony convictions, according to Senior Deputy District Attorney Art Grothe.

The case arose from an arrest on Nov. 9, 2012, Grothe said.

Pollack was found parked on the side of the road. Deputies searched his truck and found methamphetamine, and then searched his house and found drug scales and scanners, plus a rifle, according to Grothe.

The following month, Pollack would be arrested along with three other men by federal law enforcement officials for allegedly taking part in a home invasion robbery in Hidden Valley Lake dressed as law enforcement officers, with Pollack allegedly helping case the home.

In September, he was sentenced to six years in federal prison on two counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance in connection with that case, according to federal court records.

Grothe said Pollack has six prior convictions, dating back to 1984, for commercial drug cases involving transportation, possession for sale or manufacture of controlled substances.

It’s those prior convictions that are increasing the prison time Pollack is facing in the most recent local case, according to Grothe.

Pollack was remanded into custody on Oct. 11 when the jury returned with a verdict, Grothe said. He was back in court on Friday.

Grothe said Judge Stephen Hedstrom is scheduled to sentence Pollack on Dec. 3, the day after one of his former codefendants in the federal case – Eric Van Mendonca, 43 – is to be sentenced on a prescription drug trafficking case.

It’s not clear where Pollack will serve time first on the federal and local cases. Grothe said Pollack must turn himself over to federal authorities in January.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A man who was pulled from a burning pickup by a California Highway Patrol officer earlier this year is facing prosecution for the crash as well as a robbery in which he was alleged to have participated last week.

Dow Edwin Walton, 54, is set for a preliminary hearing on Dec. 3 on the crash case and currently remains in jail for the robbery case, according to Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff.

On Jan. 27 Walton is alleged to have been driving under the influence when his pickup when off Highway 29 and into a creekbed north of Hofacker Lane, as Lake County News has reported.

Two other people were with him in the pickup – Andy Hopper and Regina Walton – with Hopper getting out on his own, according to the original report.

CHP Officer Adam Garcia arrived as the pickup's engine compartment ignited, and managed to pull both Dow Walton and Regina Walton to safety.

For his actions, Garcia has since received several awards and commendations, most recently the California State Firefighters’ Association Award of Valor on Oct. 5, as Lake County News has reported.

All three of the pickup's occupants were injured, with Dow Walton arrested after the crash on suspicion of driving under the influence, according to the original CHP report.

Hinchcliff said Walton is charged with driving under the influence causing bodily injury.

Walton also is facing prosecution for his alleged participation in a robbery in Lower Lake last week, Hinchcliff said.

On the morning of Thursday, Oct. 10, Walton and his codefendant, 37-year-old Lance Leland Scarborough, are alleged to have gone to a Lower Lake home where they attempted to steal marijuana from the backyard, according to Hinchcliff.

Walton and Scarborough allegedly were in the backyard cutting the plants to take them when the owner of the plants confronted them, Hinchcliff said.

Scarborough allegedly pulled out a revolver and pointed it at the victim before he and Walton ran from the scene, said Hinchcliff.

Walton was arrested a short time later, according to his booking records. His bail is set at $100,000.

His booking sheet lists him as an employee at the Lake County Mental Health Department, which recently changed its name to Behavioral Health.

However, officials said Walton’s employment with the county ended in April 2012.

Hinchcliff said Walton is charged with robbery and grand theft in the case.

Scarborough was arrested last Saturday night after an alert Clearlake Police officer recognized him despite the fact that Scarborough was wearing a wig to conceal his identity, according to Clearlake Police.

Scarborough, who is on formal probation, also was found to be in possession of ammunition and a ballistic vest similar to ones worn by law enforcement officers, which he's prohibited from possessing due to a previous felony conviction, police said.

Scarborough was arraigned on Wednesday afternoon, Hinchcliff said.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated and corrected to reflect that Walton is a former employee of the county of Lake.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.