LAKE COUNTY >> Authorities arrested an armed, suspected looter in the Pawnee fire zone on Monday afternoon.
Christian Hiran Campos Esquivel, 31, of Ukiah, was found driving a black Toyota 4-Runner with expired license plate tabs on Spring Valley Road, one of the affected areas by fire.
According to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Lakeport Police Officer Andrew Welter was assisting Sheriff’s deputies to patrol the Spring Valley area when he observed the vehicle at around 1:40 p.m.
After the police officer conducted a traffic stop, Campos Esquivel said he was working in the Spring Valley community, but did not identify who he was working for or what he was doing.
After a consensual search, Walter learned that the 31-year-old man did not have a license and carried about two pounds of marijuana, a loaded handgun, a small weighing scale, and binoculars.
Campos Esquivel was then taken to the Lake County Jail on multiple charges, including entering a disaster zone as an unauthorized person.
Patrolling is ongoing in evacuated areas of Spring Valley. Agencies assisting the LCSO are the Lakeport Police Department, Clearlake Police Department, California State Parks, California Fish and Wildlife, and the California Highway Patrol. They are patrolling for unauthorized people in the area and contacting them to determine their reason for being in the area.
