CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said its deputies and officers from allied agencies responded to a report of a man with a gun near East Lake Elementary School in Clearlake Oaks on Wednesday morning, and while no firearm was found two people in the area were arrested on unrelated misdemeanor charges.
Just before 11 a.m. Wednesday, Lake County Sheriff’s Office Central Dispatch received information that a man was seen pointing a firearm at children on the East Lake Elementary School grounds in Clearlake Oaks, according to a report from Lt. Rich Ward.
Ward said the information initially was received from students attending East Lake Elementary.
The students notified school staff and those staff members immediately called Konocti Unified School Resource Deputy Antonio Castellanos., Ward said.
East Lake Elementary initiated its lockdown procedures, immediately accounted for all students and notified parents with the school’s mass notification system, according to Ward’s report.
Ward said several deputies responded to the scene as well as members from the California Highway Patrol, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Cal Fire, Lake County Probation Department, Lake County District Attorney’s Office and Clearlake Police Department.
Deputies set up a perimeter surrounding the school and began searching the immediate area. Ward said several deputies remained with school staff members to provide security for the students.
Deputies remained on scene to assist school staff members in conducting a thorough search of the school grounds and accounted for all students, Ward said.
When deputies made contact with school officials, they learned that a Caucasian male adult was seen in a field behind the school’s baseball fields. Ward said the male subject was described as wearing all black clothing and possibly armed with an ax.
Although initial reports were received of a man with a gun, this information could then no longer be corroborated by witnesses on the scene, Ward said.
Given the uncertainty of the initial reports of a man with a gun, Ward said deputies expanded the search perimeter and began searching the field behind East Lake Elementary School’s baseball fields.
Deputies soon located a female subject identified as Netomie Denice Cardoza, 53, of Manteca. Ward said deputies learned Cardoza had a misdemeanor warrant for her arrest for public intoxication.
The deputies continued their search and located a male subject identified as Gary Alan Trueba, 64, of Clearlake Oaks, Ward said.
Ward said Trueba was located approximately 100 yards to the north of the school baseball fields. Trueba was lying in thick brush, wearing all black clothing and appeared to be attempting to conceal himself from deputies.
Deputies detained Trueba and located an ax and small sunglasses case lying within his immediate reach, Ward said.
A cursory search of the sunglasses container yielded a small amount of suspected methamphetamine and Ward said Trueba was taken into custody for misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance.
No firearms were located during the search, Ward said.
Ward said Cardoza and Trueba were transported to the Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked on misdemeanor charges.
“The Lake County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank all school staff members and allied agencies that assisted with this investigation,” Ward said.
Deputies investigate report of man with a gun near East Lake Elementary School; no firearm located
- Lake County News reports
- Posted On