LAKEPORT — William Kenneth Pimentel, 27, of Lucerne was in custody and appeared at the Lake County Superior Court for further proceedings regarding felony burglary charges along with other charges.
Defense Attorney Thomas Quinn recently requested the court re-refer the defendant to both Dr. Kelly and Dr. Fithian for a re-evaluation of Pimentel’s mental competency. There was no opposition to Quinn’s request.
During a competency hearing in March of this year both Dr. Kelly and Dr. Fithian agreed on the same recommendation. Their mental competency reports of Pimentel (dated February 15) stated that the defendant is incompetent to stand trial at this time.
The defendant has now been re-referred to Dr. Kelly and Dr. Fithian for a re-evaluation.
The matter has been continued this week for further proceedings for the receipt of doctors’ reports. The defendant is ordered to appear.
The charges stem from an incident earlier this year when Lake County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the 2900 block of West Highway 20 in Upper Lake. According to Lake County Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant Corey Paulich, “Residents at that location were reporting the keys to their ATVs were missing. They also reported that one of their ATVs was filled with art work and tools that did not belong to them. The residents also reported to the deputies that it appeared someone may be in a vacant house nearby.”
The deputies checked the vacant house and located Pimentel sleeping inside, alone. Deputies also located the missing ATV keys near where Pimentel was sleeping. Pimentel told the deputies he was on probation, but denied stealing anything.
While examining the property that was in the ATV, deputies developed information linking it to an address in the 4100 block of West Highway 20. The deputies were able to make contact with residents at this address and determined there had been an unreported burglary to a barn on the property that occurred during the night.
“The victim of the burglary was able to identify the property found on the ATV as his and estimated the property was worth over $3,000,” according to Paulich.
The stolen property was returned to the owner, and Pimentel was arrested and taken to the Lake County Jail where he was booked on charges of burglary and possession of stolen property.
Pimentel had previously been booked at the Lake County Jail in November related to the theft of a County vehicle and had been released pending sentencing on that case.
Pimentel had also been arrested in an evacuated zone during the Mendocino Complex Fire last summer. At that time, Paulich reported that “on July 31 (2018), at approximately 7:10 a.m., William Kenneth Pimentel, 26, of Lucerne was contacted on Hammond Avenue in Nice. He was dressed in dark clothing and wearing a backpack. His backpack contained bolt cutters, flashlight and rope. Pimentel was arrested and booked into custody for being an unauthorized person in an evacuation area, possession of burglary tools, and a violation of probation.”
