LAKEPORT— Francisco Morales-Gomez was in custody, appearing at the Lake County Superior Court for a settlement conference.
During the recent hearing, Defense Attorney Dana Liberatore declared a doubt as to the mental competency of the defendant.
The Court ordered Dr. Taylor Fithian and Dr. Kevin Kelly are appointed to examine the defendant regarding his mental competency.
The Court also ordered the criminal proceedings be suspended, pending the two doctors’ reports regarding the defendant’s competency.
Morales-Gomez has been charged with two counts of false imprisonment, three counts of resisting an executive officer, endangering a child with possible great bodily injury (abuse), exhibiting an imitation firearm, vandalism and resisting a public officer.
The charges stem from an incident last November when Clearlake police were dispatched to a residence at 29th and Boyles Avenue in the Clearlake neighborhood known to locals as the Avenues.
Clearlake Police Chief Andrew White confirmed the situation was a family matter, involving an adult male suspect who is a resident of the house in which the incident took place. Over twenty-four hours later department officials confirmed the arrest of Francisco Morales-Gomez, 31, from Clearlake.
According to White, no injuries had been reported related to the incident, adding that a child who had been taken hostage had been surrendered by Moralez-Gomez.
White added, when CPD first arrived, a male adult was able to be extracted from the residence by officers and contrary to some reports, no children had been escorted from the house.
Law enforcement personnel were in “continuing” communication with the suspect, White said, but “no set timeline” was known for when the situation might end.
At one point, as many as 40 law enforcement personnel were at the scene. Keeping numerous and varied resources on hand gives law enforcement “multiple options” to deal with potential outcomes of the situation, White added.
Personnel and resources were sent by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the California Highway Patrol, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office and Lake County Behavioral Health.
According to Lake County Sheriff Brian Martin, The Sonoma County Sheriff sent teams to relieve Lake County Sheriff’s Office personnel for the night. LCSO personnel put back on shift the following morning included SWAT and hostage negotiations teams.
No emergency Nixle alerts were sent out to Lake County residents regarding the situation, prompting questions from locals. CPD Chief White said his department had gone “door to door” notifying nearby residents of the situation, and that no Nixle was needed.
Some residents of houses located very near the hostage situation had not been able to return to their homes, and were “staying at other places,” White said.
Some Konocti Unified School District bus routes were changed due to road closures in the area, a representative from the district said Friday morning.
The matter is continued to Feb. 11, 2020 at 8:15 a.m. for Further Proceedings and the receipt of doctors’ reports in Department 3.
The defendant is ordered to be present.
