Lakeport >> What appeared to be a gas theft led officers to a stolen vehicle this weekend.
Police arrested 31-year-old Timothy Allen Lee Mitcham of Clearlake Oaks after surveillance and a brief pursuit in the early morning hours on Saturday. A passenger in the vehicle, found to be on Post Release Community Supervision (PRCS) out of another county, was identified and later released at the scene without charges.
At about 4:43 a.m., Clearlake police officers responded to Brookdale Assisted Living located at 14789 Burns Valley Road on a report of a person attempting to steal gasoline from the business’ transport van. An employee called police when they reportedly spotted a person underneath the vehicle with a gas can.
There had been several recent thefts from vehicles in and around this area over the last several nights, Sgt. Rodd Joseph reported. No arrests had been made in any of these previous cases.
Officers arrived and began checking the area. Though the suspect was not immediately found, a suspicious vehicle, a white 1998 GMC SUV, was seen parked in the library parking lot adjacent to Brookdale Assisted Living. This vehicle had several similar gas cans in the rear cargo area, Joseph said.
Officers conducted visual surveillance on the suspicious vehicle from a distance. A short while later the suspicious vehicle was seen driving away from the library parking lot. As officers tried to move in behind the vehicle to conduct a traffic stop, the vehicle allegedly made several maneuvers as if it was going to flee. The vehicle pulled into the parking lot of RadioShack on Olympic Drive. The driver quickly exited the vehicle as the officers approached.
The driver was identified as Mitcham.
Mitcham denied any involvement in the gas siphoning incident, Joseph said. Mitcham was found to have a suspended driver’s license. A subsequent search of the vehicle led to the discovery of stolen paperwork and documents which had been reported stolen to the Clearlake Police Department on Thursday from a locked vehicle in the 3800 block of Huntington Avenue.
Upon the conclusion of the investigation, Mitcham was arrested. He faces three misdemeanor charges, including possession of stolen property, driving on a suspended license and prowling. He was later booked into the Lake County jail. His vehicle was impounded at the scene.
Mitcham has not been connected to the other reports thefts in the area.
“The Clearlake Police Department would like to remind residents to keep their vehicles locked and any valuable property hidden from view. We also encourage our residents to report suspicious activity,” Joseph said.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact officer Michael Ray. He can be reached at (707) 994-8251 ext. 504.
