UPPER LAKE, Calif. – While sheriff's investigators continue to try to determine what led to a fatal Christmas morning shooting at an Upper Lake home, the homeowners in the case have been placed under arrest for drugs and weapons charges.
James Michael Jean, 50, and his wife, Nora Katherine Jean, 49, were booked on Thursday night for several charges related to marijuana sales and weapons possession, according to Lt. Steve Brooks.
The man identified as the shooting victim in the case is Maurice Oliver Watts III, 30, Brooks said.
The investigation into the events surrounding Watts' shooting is ongoing, with Brooks reporting that no arrests or charges have been made related to his death.
Brooks said that at 9:50 a.m. Wednesday the Lake County Sheriff’s Dispatch Center received a 911 call from a male subject reporting an intruder attempted to break in at his residence located at 1475 Hunter Point Road in Upper Lake.
The caller further reported the intruder had some type of firearm. The intruder had been shot and was lying outside, Brooks said.
When deputies arrived, they were directed to a male subject lying outside on the ground on the property in what appeared to have been a previous marijuana grow site, according to Brooks.
Deputies found the male to be deceased from an apparent gunshot wound. Brooks said deputies also found a replica handgun near the deceased male.
The Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit responded and took over the investigation and a search warrant was secured and served at the Hunter Point Road property, Brooks said.
During the service of that search warrant, hundreds of pounds of semiprocessed marijuana were located in a hidden room in a garage on the property. Brooks said the Sheriff’s Narcotics Unit responded to conduct a marijuana sales investigation.
The Sheriff’s Narcotics Unit secured and served two additional search warrants related to their investigation on Thursday. Brooks said those warrants were served at the Jeans' business, Lake County Car Audio and Security at 325 W. Highway 20 in Upper Lake, and at a residence in the 6800 block of Broadway Avenue in Nice.
During the service of those warrants, the Sheriff's Narcotics Unit seized 433.6 pounds of marijuana from the 1475 Hunter Point Road residence, 173.3 pounds of marijuana from Lake County Car Audio and 374 pounds of marijuana from the Broadway Avenue residence, Brooks said.
A total of 980.9 pounds of marijuana, three handguns, 13 rifles – including several high-powered, assault-style weapons – and restricted armor piercing and tracer ammunition were seized, according to Brooks.
He said the marijuana located at the Broadway Avenue address was located in a hidden room similar to the one found at the Hunter Point Road address.
The Sheriff's Narcotics Unit arrested the property owners for marijuana- and firearm-related charges, Brooks said.
James Jean was booked into custody at the Hill Road Correctional Facility Thursday evening for possession of marijuana for sale, convicted felon in possession of a firearm, convicted felon in possession of ammunition and possession of bullets with explosive agent, Brooks said.
Nora Jean was booked several hours after her husband Thursday night, with charges including possession of marijuana for sale, committing a felony while armed and possession of bullets with explosive agent, according to Brooks.
Both remained in custody on Friday, Brooks said, with bail for each is set at $500,000
Brooks said their first court appearance is currently scheduled for Monday, Dec. 30.
An autopsy of Watts currently also is scheduled for Monday, Brooks said.