LAKE COUNTY — A Clearlake man was sentenced Thursday for the 2006 home invasion robbery of a Lower Lake couple. Craig Alvin Lemke, 45, received the upper term of 68 years to life in prison for two counts of first-degree robbery, a third strike against him.
According to a press release from the District Attorney”s Office, Lemke and his accomplice Joe Moncivaiz, Jr., knocked on the front door of a couple”s home. Lemke knew the residents. At approximately 8 p.m. on Feb. 12, 2006, Lemke and Moncivaiz wearing Halloween masks and stating they were out of gas.
When the male victim opened the door, Lemke pushed him to the floor and bound his hands and feet with electrical tape. The men used the tape and zip ties to tie the man”s wife when she came out of the bedroom to investigate the noise.
Moncivaiz received four years in prison. “We took into account that he was cooperative and provided truthful testimony,” prosecutor Richard Hinchcliff said. “Lemke was the heavy weight in this case,” Hinchcliff said Friday. “He had the significant criminal history, he planned this, and got assistance from Moncivaiz. Lemke knew the victims and knew they lived alone.” The male victim was 89 years old; the woman was 70.
The men left 15 minutes later with several hunting rifles and shotguns, a large amount of ammunition, $2,100 in cash and miscellaneous coins and jewelry.
They stashed the items in some bushes about 50 feet away, fearing they would be spotted by passing cars on Highway 29.
The men had parked their car three-tenths of a mile away from the couple”s home along the highway.
The male victim freed himself and called 9-1-1 before the men reached the car.
“Before they could return to retrieve the stolen property they had stashed, they realized their car would not start and heard approaching sirens of Lake County Sheriff”s deputies,” according to the press release. The men reportedly hid in surrounding hills until deputies left two hours later, then called a friend for a ride home.
“He (Lemke) had been there four years before this happened looking for work and the victim allowed him to cut some firewood on his property to sell. About two or three weeks before the crime occurred, he had gone back to the victim”s residence looking for work,” Hinchcliff said.
A jury convicted Lemke of two counts of first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary, theft from a person more than 65 years old, two counts of false imprisonment of a person more than 65 and grand theft of firearms.
The sentencing included 25 years to life for each robbery charge. The other charges were stayed. Enhancements including five prior felony convictions, prior prison terms and the fact that Lemke”s victims were more than 65 added 18 years. Hinchcliff said Lemke must serve 85 percent of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com
