LAKEPORT ? The Lakeport man who lay shot, beaten and hogtied Tuesday morning outside his home was in critical but stable condition as of Wednesday, the Lake County Sheriff”s Office (LCSO) reported.
Ronald Greiner, 49, told law enforcement he didn”t know how long he lay bleeding outside his home behind the Record-Bee on South Main Street, just that it was dark, Capt. Jim Bauman of the Lake County Sheriff”s Office said. Before being transported from the scene, he told officers at least two people busted through the door to steal his marijuana.
Bauman doesn”t know whether suspects stole marijuana, how much or if Greiner possessed the drug legally, he said. However, officers found remnants of marijuana at Greiner”s home.
Officers arrested Thomas Dudney, 59, of Santa Rosa on suspicion of attempted murder in the case, Bauman said. Dudney was booked into the Lake County Jail Wednesday morning with a $100,000 bail.
A Record-Bee employee heard yells for help and called 9-1-1 Tuesday morning. About 9 a.m. Sheriff”s officers and Lakeport police responded to the house where they found Greiner with multiple gunshot wounds, beaten and hogtied with rope and baling wire, Bauman said.
Lakeport Fire District staff took Greiner by ambulance to Sutter Lakeside Hospital where a REACH air ambulance flew him out of county, Bauman said. Law enforcement would not release his location.
Greiner gave law enforcement a possible suspect identity before an ambulance took him away, although he could barely talk because of his condition, Bauman said.
The Sheriff”s Major Crime Unit coordinated a multi-agency effort to identify and locate suspects, Bauman said. The Lake County District Attorney”s investigators assisted with search warrants at the scene. Sheriff”s detectives worked with Santa Rosa Police and the Sonoma County Sheriff”s Department to confirm Dudney was the suspect Greiner described.
The agencies conducted surveillance on Dudney”s home in Fulton and the home of Deborah James, 46, of Windsor, Bauman said. When Dudney left his home Tuesday afternoon, officers made a high-risk traffic stop and took him into custody without incident.
Officers are investigating whether James was involved and have not arrested her, Bauman said.
Officers are still investigating the motive and possible suspects for the apparent home invasion and attempted murder, Bauman said.
Dudney remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in court Friday.
Contact Katy Sweeny at ksweeny@record-bee.com or call her directly at 263-5636, ext. 37.
