LAKEPORT— A Clearlake woman has been convicted of a felony arson charge for an incident in Lower Lake in July of last year.
Kayla Renee Main was present and in custody for her sentencing hearing in Lakeport at the Lake County Superior Court.
During the hearing the Court read and considered the report and recommendation of the Lake County Probation Officer as the Court also made the finding that the defendant has an admitted and demonstrated history of substance abuse.
It is the judgement of the Court that the defendant is guilty of a felony violation of PC453(a) (possessing material/device for arson).
The defendant has been placed on formal probation for a period of two years, which is subject to several terms and conditions.
Some of those terms being periods of electronic monitoring, increased treatment/counseling programs, increased community service hours, the imposition of curfew hours and more.
The defendant will be under the supervision of a probation officer, abide to reasonable directives, conduct herself as a law abiding citizen and abide to all orders of the Court.
Restitution is reserved for the victim, the Lower Lake Cemetery. The defendant is not allowed to leave the State of California without written permission of the probation officer and she is ordered to register as an arsonist.
It was also addressed during the sentencing hearing that the defendant would serve 365 days in the Hill Road Correctional Facility with 183 days credit for time already served and 182 days of behavior credits, making a combined credit of 365 days.
The defendant was ordered released to a probation officer and transported to a Salvation Army residential program.
During an arraignment hearing last year, the defendant entered a not guilty plea to all counts of the complaint.
Main had been charged with arson of property, possessing material/device for arson and unlawful fire.
The charges stem from an incident in July of 2021 when deputies from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 9000 block of Lake Street in Lower Lake for a report of an unknown female setting fires in the area.
Upon arrival, deputies talked to witnesses in the area who directed them to the north of their location where they spotted three partially extinguished fires. Each of the fires was approximately 50 feet from each other and approximately 12 square feet in size with a large amount of embers. Personnel from Lake County Fire Protection District soon responded and assisted in extinguishing the fires. No structures or outbuildings were damaged by the fires.
Deputies remained in the area and spoke to a woman, later identified as Kayla Main. According to deputies, they noticed Main was holding a butane lighter in her hand. Suspecting Main may be responsible for setting the fires, deputies asked if she had any involvement with the fires being started. Main initially told deputies she did not, but later admitted to starting the fires by accident. Main said she was attempting to find her cellphone and while doing so, she dropped her cigarette which caused the fire. Main allegedly admitted knowing the grassy area was extremely dry and would potentially catch fire due her dropping a lit cigarette.
Main was taken into custody for 451(d) P.C. – Arson of Property. Deputies learned Main was on formal felony probation out of Lake County and added the charge of 1203.2 P.C. – Felony Probation Violation. Main was taken to the Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked on the aforementioned charges.
An investigator from the Lake County Fire Protection District assisted the Lake County Sheriff’s Office with the arson investigation.
During a hearing in July of last year the Court appointed Thomas G. Feimer as defense counsel for the defendant.
During a preliminary hearing last year Attorney Feimer declared a doubt as to the defendant’s ability to stand trial pursuant to PC1368. Penal Code 1368 is the California statute that sets forth the law on a defendant’s mental competency to stand trial.
The Court ordered the proceedings be suspended and ordered Dr. Taylor Fithian and Dr. J. Reid McKellar be appointed to evaluate the defendant and prepare a report regarding the defendant’s competency to stand trial.
During a placement hearing last November, the Court ordered the defendant be committed and transported to the California Department of State Hospitals (DSH) for inpatient treatment.
At that time the Court found that the defendant lacked the capacity to make decisions regarding psychotropic medications. According to the Court, if untreated with psychotropic medications, it is probable that the defendant may suffer serious harm to her physical or mental health. It is medically appropriate to treat the defendant’s psychiatric condition with psychotropic medication.
The Court authorized the treatment facility to involuntary administer anti-psychotic medications as prescribed by the defendant’s treating psychiatrist.
Without further order from the Court, upon filing a Certificate of Restoration, the Sheriff was directed to return the defendant to the Lake County jail and continue the involuntary administration of antipsychotic medication as prescribed by the defendant’s treating psychiatrist.
The DSH was ordered to transport the defendant within 30 days of that order (November of 2021).
In California, the granting of a Certificate of Rehabilitation or a Governor’s pardon restores to the applicant some rights of citizenship that were forfeited as a result of a conviction.
Criminal proceedings were restored last month for the defendant as the Court was in receipt of a doctor’s report stating the defendant was mentally competent.
