LAKEPORT— A suspected arsonist connected to the Lakeport Chamber of Commerce Visitor’s Center fire was in custody and present at the Lake County Superior Court in Lakeport.
During the appearance of counsel/plea entry hearing the defendant, Cameron Benjamin Bates, entered a not guilty plea to all counts and he denied the special allegations.
A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for next week.
The defendant faces chargers of arson: structure/forest land, possession of a controlled substance, possession of controlled substance paraphernalia and possession of nitrous oxide.
The charges stem from an incident last month when a fire broke out in Lakeport. People eating lunch in the picnic area of the Lake County Chamber of Commerce reported seeing smoke on the hill between the Chamber and the Lake County Agriculture Department.
Laura McAndrews Sammel, Chamber CEO, was at the Chamber building at the time and stated that a few of the visitors said they saw a man walking away from the fire.
Sammel quickly called 911 to report the fire and alleged arsonist.
There had been a quarter of an acre burned. Fire District units from Lakeport, North Shore and Kelseyville all responded to the scene. According to Sammel, the fire was extinguished within one half hour.
Both Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Lake County Police Departments arrived on scene to contend with the alleged arsonist. Law enforcement staff detained the person witnessed departing the scene of the fire.
An investigation immediately ensued and evidence revealed that Cameron Benjamin Bates of Clearlake was suspected of setting the fire.
The defendant is also being charged with a violation of probation, which relates to previous charges of grand theft (convicted on Oct. 18, 2023) and a probation violation. This case is trailing the arson case and is scheduled with the arson hearing next week.
The defendant remains in custody with bail set at $59,0000 bail.
