CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Police have arrested one woman and continue to search for another in connection to a Friday robbery at the Clearlake Rite Aid.
Clearlake resident Samantha Elizabeth Sandhoff, 36, was arrested on Friday while police are attempting to locate a second suspect, 51-year-old Clearlake resident Sheri Lynn Ellars, according to Det. Ryan Peterson of the Clearlake Police Department.
Just before 1:30 p.m. Friday Clearlake Police officers responded to Rite Aid at 15025 Olympic Drive for a report of a robbery, Peterson said.
On their arrival, officers contacted store employees who told them that a female, identified as Ellars, had just stolen items from the store, according to Peterson.
Peterson said Ellars exited the store with the store employees following her and telling her to return the merchandise to the store. Ellars did not comply and got into a van that was being driven by another female, who was later identified as Sandhoff.
The store employees reported that the rear window to the van was missing and they could clearly see Sandhoff and Ellars. Peterson said the employees continued to yell at Ellars while Sandhoff looked back at the employees and began backing the van.
Peterson said Sandhoff continued backing the van while looking at the store employees, striking one of the employees who had to jump away from the van to prevent being completely run over. Sandhoff then drove the van at a high rate of speed out of the Rite Aid parking lot with Ellars inside.
Evidence collected at the scene clearly showed Sandhoff looking at the employee who was struck by the van as she was backing the van, Peterson said.
Sandhoff later contacted the Clearlake Police Department to report she was at her residence which is located in the 13700 block of Arrowhead Road, Peterson said.
Officer Jared Nixon contacted and interviewed Sandhoff, who Peterson said admitted to being the driver of the van during the incident.
Peterson said Sandhoff denied any involvement in the theft or the fact that she had struck the employee with the van. She said she did not know about the theft until after she had left Rite Aid with Ellars.
Based on the investigation, Peterson said Nixon placed Sandhoff under arrest for robbery, assault with a deadly weapon and conspiracy.
She asked officers to collect her purse to go with her. Peterson said Nixon searched Sandhoff’s purse, locating numerous controlled substance paraphernalia and numerous prescription dosage units of Trazadone.
Peterson said Sandhoff told Nixon she did not have a prescription for the dosage units, and Nixon additionally charged Sandhoff for the violations of possession of controlled substance paraphernalia and the illegal possession of prescription medication.
Sandhoff was booked into the Lake County Jail, with bail set at $150,000. She is tentatively scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday and remained in custody early Tuesday morning, according to jail records.
Peterson said Ellars is being sought by the Clearlake Police Department in connection to this investigation.
Ellars is described as a white female with blonde hair and blue eyes, standing 5 feet tall and weighing 120 pounds.
Anyone with information in regard to the whereabouts of Sheri Ellars or information in regard to this investigation is asked to contact Officer Nixon at 707-994-8251.
Police arrest one woman, seek a second in Rite Aid robbery case
- Lake County News reports
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