LAKEPORT — A fisherman”s report of “something in the water” lead authorities to find not one but two stolen cars in Clear Lake Friday afternoon.
No people were found inside or around the cars, authorities said.
A fisherman reported seeing something strange under the water”s surface near the Fifth Street boat launch to a uniformed Lake County Sheriff”s Office bailiff on a break from his courthouse duties, according to Lt. Brad Rasmussen of the LPD.
The bailiff called central dispatch, and Lakeport Police responded to the scene at approximately 12:45 p.m.
Divers from the Northshore Dive Team found the first car approximately six feet under the water”s surface, and a local tow company was brought in to pull it out. A license plate check revealed that the older model Honda CX was reported stolen from a Clearlake residence in April of 2006, according to Rasmussen.
The back window was almost completely gone, and officers on scene said the presence of a large rock inside the vehicle indicated it had been broken on purpose to ensure the car would sink.
Shortly thereafter the dive team found a second car, which had been bumped by the first, sitting approximately ten feet under the surface. The Toyota Corolla had been reported stolen to the LCSO in 2003, said Rasmussen.
Whether or not the two thefts are related is unknown, and the LPD investigation is ongoing.
California Department of Fish & Game Warden Loren Freeman was on scene, and said that because the cars appeared to have been there a while, no excessive oil or gasoline was found on the water”s surface.
Responders from the Lakeport Fire assisted in the recovery while the surrounding area was roped off to the public. Both cars were recovered from the water at shortly before 3 p.m. Friday afternoon.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com.
