Three men face felony charges for a Dec. 4 kidnapping and robbery in Clearlake. James Paul Miller, 20, of Redwood Valley, turned himself in to Clearlake police Wednesday night, Dec. 12, on a warrant for his arrest. Warrants were issued for a second suspect who was arrested initially for probation violations in Mendocino County, and for a third man who is still at large.
Mendocino County resident Anthony Cape, 41, is wanted in connection with the case. Cape is described as a white male adult approximately 6 feet tall, weighing 230 pounds with blond hair and green eyes.
Deputies from the Mendocino County Sheriff”s Department arrested Priest Rogelio Martinez, 34, of Mendocino County for probation violations on Dec. 6. While in custody, Martinez was served with a warrant for the six felony charges.
All three suspects face six felony charges related to the alleged kidnapping and robbery. Miller”s bail was set at $750,000 in a Wednesday arraignment. Lake County deputy district attorney John Langan said that count one, robbery in the course of a kidnapping as it applies in this case, carries a life sentence with the possibility of parole.
The victim, a Clearlake man, used a cell phone to call 9-1-1 from the trunk of the suspects” car as he was being taken to an unknown location, according to a Thursday, Dec. 13, press release from the Clearlake Police Department. The victim told dispatchers that he was beaten, tied with plastic zip ties and kidnapped from a residence in the 3100 block of Fourth Street in Clearlake.
The three male suspects reportedly broke the victim”s cell phone, put him in the trunk of a car and drove away. The victim was able to use a second cell phone he had on his person to call police, according to the CPD release.
“At one point during the incident, dispatchers heard the victim being assaulted by the unknown suspects who had apparently stopped and took his phone,” the release states. The victim freed himself and made his way to a nearby business after the three suspects abandoned the vehicle with him in the trunk on a dirt road near the north end of the city. The victim told police he believed the suspects would have eventually killed him.
The Clearlake man was taken to Redbud Hospital for treatment of a head injury. Langan said an update on his condition will be available during Miller”s preliminary hearing, not yet scheduled. Langan said the DA”s office also alleges that the victim was robbed of cash and personal items.
Langan said special allegations of causing great bodily injury were attached to the charges for all three suspects, and that special allegations of serving prior prison terms were attached for Cape and Martinez.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com.
