Local News

Fire and police investigators looking into the cause of a fire in Clearklake Oaks at a Medical Marijuana garden.  Fire officials say they were called out Monday to a fire on Wolf Creek Rd. where they found the garden so they called the Sheriff's dept.  Arson investigators were also reportedly called to the scene.  The garden was about 100 yards from the house and there were about 70 plants growing there.  More marijuana was found inside the house.  The people living there returned home to find police and fire officials on the scene and say it is a legal medical marijuana garden which has been confirmed by investigators.  Investigators say the fire probably started on a deck outside the house, but they're still investigating.  Apparently a car was seen with two people inside.  Investigators say it may have been an SUV similar to a Jeep Cherokee and may have been white.

A trial date's been set for a man from North Hollywood accused of attempted murder in Lakeport.  Raymundo Catalan is due back in court October 4th for a ruling to dismiss, arguing the prosecution provided insufficient evidence at the preliminary hearing for a judge to conclude probable cause.   Catalan is accused of getting into an argument with Marshall Wisterman in January and shooting him at close range while Wisterman's wife and children were inside his house.  The man's been charged with several crimes including attempted murder, torture and assault with a firearm. A sixth charge was dropped at the preliminary hearing.  Catalan is due for a jury trial in December. 

An investigator is going to be hired in Mendocino County to look into cases of elder abuse.  The District Attorney's Office says the position was approved by the County Board of Supervisors earlier this year and it will use money already set aside.  The investigator will reportedly help with the prosecution of anyone they say has physically and financially abused elders.  The DA sent out a press release which says as the population ages, assisting elders by recognizing, reporting and investigating crimes against them is increasingly important.  The DA says the recruitment to find the investigator could take months.  They've already apparently been going around to several senior centers in the county to show them how to spot warning signs of abuse, how to prevent becoming a victim, and examples of financial scams.

A fire's been caused by a bird that hit a power line which reportedly ended in a sewage spill in Clearlake.   Fire officials say the bird hit the high power line lead Friday night which ignited the fire, causing a power outage which resulted in about 70 gallons of sewage spilling out of  two manholes on Lakeshore Drive.   Fire officials say less than a half acre of land was charred.  They say the power outage affected a large portion of the sewer system in the northwest area of Clearlake which caused problems with several pump stations.   They say the spill was cleared out by 3 am Saturday morning.  The Lake County Environmental Health dept's sanitation district disinfection operations posted notifications in the area where the two manholes are, but the signs came down yesterday. 

A man from Hopland who had been on the run two days after allegedly attempting to kill himself and set his home ablaze has been arrested.  The Mendocino County Sheriff's office reports their counterparts in Sonoma County arrested Steven Chiriboga yesterday in Sea Ranch.  Chiriboga was booked into county jail Saturday, got out, then reportedly went home.  He then reportedly told his wife they would be dying together and allegedly set their house on fire.  Three neighbors reportedly rushed over after seeing flames and rescued the two, but Chiriboga took off.