Police arrest Clearlake man in case involving threatening text messages
- Lake County News reports
- Posted On
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Clearlake Police officers on Tuesday arrested a man they say was sending threatening text messages and who resisted arrest while wielding a billy club.
Donald Michael Steele, 44, was taken into custody on Tuesday afternoon, according to the Clearlake Police Department.
On Tuesday, Sgt. Elvis Cook said he was investigating criminal threats from a unknown source.
He said an unknown subject was sending out random text messages to several citizens. The messages were violent in nature and caused several people concern for their safety.
Cook obtained information that the person responsible was "Don," with a possible address on Vista Street in Clearlake. That led to Cook locating Steele, who lived on Vista Street.
Sgt. Cook and Det. Leonardo Flores responded to Steele's address to contact him regarding the messages.
Initially Steele would not come to the door and officers started to leave. Cook said Steele exited his house holding a brown wooden billy club, which was strapped to his right wrist. Also next to Steele was a homemade weapon, which consisted of two saw blades attached to a long wooden handle.
Steele was advised to drop the weapon, which he refused to do. Cook said Steele was told several more times to drop the weapon and he was advised that it was illegal for him to possess. Steele still refused to follow orders.
Cook said that, after a lengthy period of time, Steele placed the billy club down by his feet. However, as Cook and Flores started to approach Steele, he grabbed the weapon.
The officers quickly reacted and tackled Steele, knocking the weapon away from him, Cook said. Steele continued to resist officers until they were able to place him into handcuffs.
During contact with the officers, Steele said he was not aware of whose phone numbers he was texting as they were numbers he had prior or had located somehow, Cook said.
Cook said Steele’s threats were not directed toward a single person, and it appeared he would send out the same random messages to several phone numbers for some type of personal motive.
Cook said Steele was transported to the Lake County Jail where he was charged for being in possession of an illegal weapon, resisting arrest, and annoying phone calls/text messages.
His bail was set at $15,000 and he remained in custody early Wednesday.
Steele is tentatively scheduled for arraignment on July 12.