Clearlake >> Masked men claiming to be law enforcement officers allegedly shot a man and woman at a home that investigators say looks to be part of a large-scale marijuana growing operation.
Just after 5:30 a.m. on Monday, Clearlake police officers were dispatched to the 15900 block of 20th Avenue, Sgt. Martin Snyder said in a media release. The caller was a Spanish speaking woman and was unable to relay why a police presence was requested, but when officers arrived on scene they found out there were two apparent gunshot victims, who by then were at St. Helena Hospital, Clear Lake for treatment.
The female had a wound to the arm and was later released, and the man remains in stable conditions Wednesday afternoon at a trauma hospital in Sonoma County, where he was transported via air ambulance.
Officers contacted the man and woman, whose names are being withheld due the violent nature of the incident, at the Clearlake hospital. They said the suspects identified themselves as an out of county law enforcement agency and forcibly kicked open the front door of the residence.
The suspects allegedly tried to assault them while inside the home near the rear bedroom. During a struggle, one or two suspects shot both victims through the entry door to the bedroom, Snyder said.
The suspects then fled the scene of the incident. Witnesses believed they fled in a smaller vehicle, possibly a Honda Accord or Honda Civic with modified exhaust.
Victim described the suspects as two black men. The female victim reported that the suspects were both wearing ski masks and gloves to conceal their identity. Little else is known of the suspects as of Wednesday.
The residence and scene were secured and a search warrant was obtained for the property. Detectives with the Clearlake Police Department (CPD) were on scene for several hours processing the crime scene and turned it back over to family members later that evening. During the processing of the scene there were several indicators of large-scale marijuana production occurring on the property, Snyder said.
Victims were unable to identify a motive but investigators believed it was regarding marijuana cultivation or related activities which were occurring on the property.
Any person with information in relation to this case is encouraged to contact CPD detective
Ryan Peterson at (707) 9948251 ext. 320.
The CPD encourages residents to be vigilant to subjects impersonating police officers at their residences. Residents can ask the officers to produce identification as to their law enforcement credentials or call the local law enforcement agency to verify the contact.
