Lake County >> One man is in custody on a $1 million bail facing multiple felony charges including the murder of a Middletown man.
Javier Martinez, 20 of Clearlake, allegedly shot and killed Luis Pimentel-Arroyo, 25, Wednesday night, Lake County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) Lt. Steve Brooks verified Thursday morning.
As per scanner reports, Martinez was driving a silver Yukon on Butts Canyon Road near Middletown when he shot at Pimentel-Arroyo and an unidentified female witness who were in a separate vehicle. Martinez fled, reportedly heading to Konocti Harbor in Kelseyville to murder the fatal victim’s children.
Originally reported as a traffic collision at about 8:40 p.m., a California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer was the first to respond. Once at the scene, he found a man dead from an apparent gunshot wound and a woman with non-threatening injuries, at which point he notified the LCSO, Brooks said.
Deputies went on the search for Martinez; however, at about 10:17 p.m. he turned himself in at the Clearlake Police Department’s lobby, where he was taken into custody and later transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility, Brooks said.
Martinez faces charges of felony counts of murder, attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon.
Thursday afternoon the LCSO had every detective on the case, Brooks said. They’ve collected evidence and are looking into the circumstances surrounding the homicide.
More information will be released as it becomes available.
Brian Sumpter contributed to this article.
