CLEARLAKE — An investigation into a home burglary early Monday morning led officers to arrest several people in connection to several other burglaries around town which include the theft of batteries from Napa Auto Parts and tools from Lakeside Appliance, according to a press release.
At about 2 a.m., Clearlake Police Department (CPD) officers responded to a residential alarm call in the 14400 block of Ridge Road, CPD Sgt. Rodd Joseph stated.
Officers arrived at the home, which belongs to a person who lives out of the area, and reportedly found an opened door but did not find any suspects, Joseph stated. The officers were able to partially re-secure the home before clearing the call.
Two hours later, officers responded to the same address for another alarm call. When they arrived, the officers reportedly found the door they previously found open was once again ajar.
Officers re-entered the home and again found no one inside, Joseph stated. This time, however, officers noticed two off-road motorcycles were missing from the garage where they had been earlier during the first alarm call.
CPD Officer Trevor Franklin and Officer Michael Ray reportedly found apparent tire tracks and drag marks leading from the victim home to a nearby home on Jago Avenue, Joseph stated.
Franklin looked over a tall wooden fence at the Jago Avenue home and allegedly saw two off-road motorcycles in the backyard, which he believed were the two motorcycles he saw in the garage at the time of the earlier alarm call. ?
Additionally, the officers found shoe print impressions leading from the victim home to the house on Jago Avenue where the two allegedly stolen motorcycles were.
The officers contacted the three people at the home, identified as Shelly Brown, 30; Robert Bradley, 32, and Charles Young, 46, all of Clearlake, Joseph stated. All three suspects reportedly denied knowing anything about the residential burglary or how the motorcycles ended up in the backyard.
Officers matched shoe prints from Bradley and Brown”s shoes to shoe print impressions left by the suspects during the burglary and vehicle theft, Joseph stated. Both were arrested and taken to the CPD station.
A family member of the homeowner was contacted by the CPD officers and took possession of the two stolen motorcycles.
However, it was learned that additional items had also been stolen from the home, which were not found at the house on Jago Avenue.
During the course of the investigation, officers gathered evidence linking Young to the crime, Joseph stated. At about?8:30 a.m., officers returned to the Jago Avenue home and took Young into custody for possession of stolen property.
Officer also developed additional information identifying Ronald Whitmire, 44, of Clearlake as possibly being involved in the burglary, Joseph stated. Whitmire is a convicted felon on Post Release Community Supervision probation with the Lake County Probation Department
About?30 minutes later, officers went to Whitmire”s home on the 14700 block of Palmer Avenue to conduct a probation search and found Whitmire and reportedly found about two grams of suspected methamphetamine in his pants pocket.
Whitmire”s girlfriend, Crystal Cruise, 28, was also at the house. During an extensive search of the home and surrounding property, several additional stolen items were reportedly found in and around Whitmire”s home from the earlier residential burglary on Ridge Road, Joseph stated.
Officers allegedly found five stolen automotive batteries, which were eported stolen from a rear locked fenced storage yard at Napa Auto Parts on Lakeshore Drive on Oct. 9, as well as a large tool box, which was reported stolen from a locked vehicle at Lakeside Appliance on Lakeshore Drive on Saturday.
Officers also allegedly found evidence of methamphetamine sales in Whitmire”s home, an illegally possessed rifle with the serial numbers removed, an illegally possessed set of brass knuckles, an illegally possessed can of pepper spray, approximately six pounds of processed marijuana and several pounds of unprocessed marijuana combined with evidence of marijuana sales and drug paraphernalia, Joseph stated.
As a result of the investigation, which continued into the late afternoon hours, three open burglary and theft cases were closed with arrests made and several thousand dollars worth of stolen property recovered.
Whitmire was ultimately charged with multiple felony counts including, burglary, two counts of vehicle theft, three counts of possession of stolen property, possession of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance for sale, conspiracy, felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a brass knuckles, felon in possession of tear gas, possession of a firearm with the serial numbers removed and possession of marijuana for sale. Additional charges on Whitmire for one count of burglary and two misdemeanor counts of theft and vandalism have been referred to the Lake County District Attorney”s Office.
Cruise was charged with a misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.
Brown and Bradley were each charged with felony violations of burglary, two counts of vehicle theft and conspiracy.
Young was charged with a felony count of possession of stolen property.
All suspects were booked into the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility.
Anyone with information on any of the crimes is asked to contact Franklin at 994-8251. Callers should press 1 when prompted then ext. 514 to reach him. ?
Providing a name is not required.
