CLEARLAKE >> Clearlake police serving a search warrant found a number of illegal weapons, ammunition and narcotics at the home of a man arrested a day earlier by officers in Fresno.
Robert David Cooper, 53 of Clearlake, was taken into custody on Monday by Fresno Police officers, suspicious that he had weapons. As a convicted felon and registered sex offender, Cooper is not allowed to posses firearms or ammunition.
On that same day, authorities in Fresno alerted Clearlake police that Cooper may have additional weapons concealed in his Clearlake home, located in the 16100 block of 36th Avenue.
Detectives were able to secure a warrant and arrived at Cooper’s home in the early morning hours on Tuesday. Some of the weapons they discovered and seized included three handguns, an automatic “Uzi styled” machine gun, two AR15 assault rifles, a large number of high capacity magazines for both the rifles and hand guns, a Taser and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.
They also reportedly found a small amount of methamphetamine.
“Most of the weapons and ammunition located were found in hidden compartments within the home, corroborating the information obtained from the Fresno Police Officers,” said CPD Sgt. Rodd Joseph in a prepared statement.
Since Cooper is in custody in Fresno County, numerous felony charges will be filed with the Lake County District Attorney’s Office.
Sex offender arrested
Clearlake police took a convicted sex offender into custody last week after linking him to a loaded handgun.
Just before 11 p.m. on March 6, Sgt. Joseph reportedly observed a male subject identified as 47-year-old Clearlake resident Clifford Cutrell acting suspicious in the Mormon Church parking lot located at 14972 Lakeview Way in Clearlake. Sgt. Joseph contacted the subject and found he was armed with an illegal police style expandable baton.
Cutrell is on State Parole for sex related offenses and is a convicted sex offender.
“Cutrell was acting extremely nervous and making claims that he was being chased by subjects with a gun,” reported CPD Sgt. Tim Hobbs in a prepared statement.
Once Cutrell was secured in a patrol car, Sgt. Joseph went to the area where Cutrell had just been standing. He located a loaded handgun on the ground .
“There was no evidence to support Cutrell’s claim of being chased by someone with a firearm,” Hobbs said.
Cutrell faces several felony charges related to the weapon. He was booked into the Lake County Jail.
