KELSEYVILLE — California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers netted a second suspect in the July 4 gang-related attack on a 14-year-old male in Lakeport when officers conducted a DUI stop in Kelseyville early Friday morning.
CHP officers took Octavio Juan Sanchez, 20, of Ukiah, and three other passengers into custody for public intoxication shortly after midnight Friday morning.
Lt. Brad Rasmussen of the Lakeport Police Department (LPD) had been looking at Sanchez since the night of the attack on the 14-year-old, when five or six males reportedly beat him over the head with a large rock. Sanchez is a documented Norteno gang member, and was identified at that time as a suspect in the attack, said Rasmussen.
The young man was one of four in a Buick LeSabre that collided with a walnut tree two days later.
An autopsy July 11 was conducted to determine if the boy”s head injuries or the injuries he sustained in the car accident caused his death.
Although a full coroner”s report could take from two weeks to a month to give conclusive answers, CHP officer Adam Garcia said it appears that the 14-year-old”s death was related to the crash. Garcia cited “internal injuries” that appeared to have happened the Friday of the traffic accident rather than on the previous Wednesday, when he was attacked.
“His internal injuries are consistent with having occurred Friday, not Wednesday,” said Garcia.
The LPD is still investigating the July 4 assault on the teen, and Rasmussen said detectives will review the final coroner”s report when it becomes available.
Rasmussen said the LPD requested that Sanchez be held on a parole violation once they learned he was in custody at the Lake County Jail.
Sanchez was on parole with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for possession of drugs in a jail or prison, said Rasmussen, who also described “an extensive criminal history record with prior arrests for assault with a deadly weapon, making threats, possession of a dangerous weapon and participating in a criminal street gang” in a Friday press release.
The Lake County District Attorney filed a felony complaint against Sanchez for assault with a deadly weapon, battery with serious bodily injury, child abuse and criminal street gang enhancements, states the LPD release.
The LPD is investigating two other suspected Norteno gang members as suspects in the attack, and “additional arrests are expected,” writes Rasmussen.
Anyone with information about the attack is asked to call the LPD at 263-5491 and speak with Detective Norm Taylor, Officer Jarvis Leishman or Officer Destry Henderson.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com.
