CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff’s Office invites the community to come and visit with members of law enforcement during its “Coffee with a Cop” event on Friday, Dec. 16.

“Coffee with a Cop” will take place from 7 to 9 a.m. at Main Street Bar & Grill, 14084 Lakeshore Drive in Clearlake.

Members from every rank of the sheriff’s office and officers from the California Highway Patrol's Clear Lake Area office will be on hand to meet with the public for real conversation.

There is no agenda or speeches, just a chance to ask questions, and get to know the men and women who protect and serve Lake County every day.

Coffee with a Cop is an event where police and community members come together in an informal, neutral space to discuss community issues, build relationships and drink coffee.

It is a national initiative supported by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, and has been implemented by many cities and towns across the country.

The goal of the program is to increase community trust, police legitimacy and partnership building.

Coffee with a Cop removes the physical barriers and crisis situations that routinely define interactions between law enforcement officials and community members. Instead it allows for relaxed, informal one-on-one interactions in a friendly atmosphere.

This informal contact increases trust in police officers as individuals which is foundation to building partnerships and engaging in community problem solving.

The program aims to advance the practice of community policing through improving relationships between police officers and the community, one cup at a time.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A Clearlake woman who police said was responsible for stealing a computer from a children's clothing store has been taken into custody on several warrants.

Nicole Aylene White, 32, was arrested late Sunday night, according to Clearlake Police Sgt. Rodd Joseph.

Joseph said that on Dec. 7 Clearlake Police officers responded to a report of a theft of a laptop computer from Kingdom Kids, located at 14455 Lakeshore Drive. 

During the investigation officers discovered, after reviewing surveillance video, that the theft had actually occurred the previous day and had been committed by a customer of the business, Joseph said.

Joseph said the surveillance video showed a white female adult stealing the store’s computer from the counter and concealing it under her jacket as she left the store. She even took the time to unplug the computer from the charging cord before concealing it and exiting the store. 

Several Clearlake Police officers reviewed the video and were able to positively identify the suspect as White, Joseph said.

Clearlake Police officers had been actively searching for White since they identified her as the suspect. Joseph said she also had five misdemeanor warrants for her arrest for various charges including theft, forgery, driving on a suspended license and possession of stolen property. Two of the warrants of arrest were no bail. The remaining three other warrants had a bail total of $25,000.00.

On Sunday, Officer Travis Parson obtained information that White was hiding out in a residence located in the 15800 block of 32nd Avenue, where she was reported to be trying to avoid police contact, Joseph said.

Just before 11 p.m. Sunday, several Clearlake Police officers went to the residence where White was found hiding inside. Joseph said she was taken into custody on the five warrants.

During questioning about the Dec. 7 computer theft, White claimed she had taken it on “accident” and provided Officer Parson the location where she had hidden the stolen computer, Joseph said.

Joseph said White had stashed the stolen computer inside a boat parked in a driveway of a residence in the Avenues area of town. Parson located the boat and recovered the stolen computer, and also found an additional computer in this boat which also may be stolen. He seized both computers as evidence.

Because the original theft is considered a “stale misdemeanor,” officers were not able to arrest and charge White with the computer theft at this time,

The case will be referred to the Lake County District Attorney’s Office for charges on White relating to the theft and possession of the stolen computer.  White was later booked into the Lake County Jail on the five existing warrants.

The recovered computer will be returned to the business, Joseph said.

White was booked into the Lake County Jail on the warrants, and remained in custody on Tuesday with bail set at $10,000. She's tentatively set for a Wednesday court date.

Loren and Lynn Freeman, the owners of Kingdom Kids, told Lake County News that while the computer was valued at $863, the information on it is priceless.

“All of our business documents, forms, photos, and sales records were on the computer,” they said in an email message. “Having to recreate that information was going to be such a burden that we had thoughts of closing our store. It is extremely difficult to start a business in Clearlake and setbacks like this can be overwhelming.”

The Freemans said they are grateful to the Clearlake Police Department for its hard work and dedication to this case, as well as to the community for the support and information that led to White's arrest.

“We thank the Clearlake Police Department, our community, and our Lord for the blessings we have experienced this week,” they said.

Anyone with information on this incident may contact Officer Travis Parson at 707-994-8251, Extension 507.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Police arrested a Willits man early Sunday morning following a chase that involved a stolen vehicle that the suspect rammed into a patrol car.

Diego Alexander Spaggiari, 23, was arrested after the chase, which lasted more than two and a half miles, according to Clearlake Police Sgt. Rodd Joseph.

On Sunday just before 2 a.m. Sgt. Travis Lenz was on uniformed patrol and traveling east on Lakeshore Drive when he observed a suspicious vehicle driving fast in the parking lot of the Lamplighter Motel, located at 14165 Lakeshore Drive, Joseph said.

Joseph said that as the suspicious vehicle attempted to exit the parking lot onto Lakeshore Drive, the vehicle abruptly stopped.

When the vehicle, a 2006 white Honda Ridgeline, pulled out onto Lakeshore Drive, Lenz noticed it had a brake light out and decided to stop the vehicle for the equipment violation, Joseph said.

When Lenz activated his overhead emergency lights, the Honda failed to yield and instead accelerated. Joseph said the vehicle's driver began running stop signs and driving into opposing lanes of traffic in an attempt to get away from the pursuing officer. Due to the hour of night, the roads were mostly void of pedestrian and vehicular traffic.

During the vehicle pursuit, the Honda reached speeds of excess of 55 miles per hour on Lakeshore Drive, which has a posted speed limit of 30 miles per hour, Joseph said.

He said the Honda also drove through numerous stop signs and two red traffic lights, finally making it up into the Avenues area of town.

On 40th Avenue, the Honda attempted to pass a slower vehicle which it clipped. Joseph said the single occupant of the clipped vehicle was not injured however their vehicle did suffer some damage.

After that collision, the Honda continued fleeing from police, crashing into an embankment while trying to make a turn on 40th Avenue at Boyles Avenue, Joseph said.

Joseph said Lenz positioned his patrol car adjacent to the driver’s door to try and keep the driver contained within the car.

However, the driver was able to free the Honda from the embankment and then intentionally rammed into the front of Lenz’s patrol car several times, causing damage, before getting away and heading back on 40th Avenue, Joseph said.

A second patrol car responding to assist Lenz was almost struck head-on as the Honda drove straight at the other patrol car. Joseph said the officer had to take defensive maneuvers to avoid being struck himself.

The Honda then crashed into a parked vehicle on 40th Avenue near Irving Avenue. A third Clearlake Police Officer arrived in the area and the Honda again began moving but in the direction of the third officer, Joseph said.

Lenz, fearing the Honda was going to ram into the third officer, and believing he had no other option, intentionally rammed the driver’s side of the Honda to disable it, at which time the driver – identified as Spaggiari – was taken into custody, according to Joseph.

Joseph said it later was discovered that the Honda was a reported stolen car out of Willits and had been stolen only about four hours earlier.

He said the total length of the vehicle pursuit was 2.6 miles and the entire incident lasted just under four minutes.

During questioning, Spaggiari stated he ran as he is “out on bail for two cases.” He believed he had a warrant for his arrest for “GTA” – or grand theft auto. He also believed the car was stolen but denied that he was the one who had stolen it, Joseph said.

Joseph said Spaggiari also told police that he could have killed the officer who he almost struck with the stolen car.

Spaggiari ultimately was charged with two felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon upon a peace officer, a felony count of evading, a felony count of evading by driving the wrong way against traffic, a felony count of vehicle theft and a felony count of resisting an officer with violence, Joseph said.

He was booked into the Lake County Jail, with bail set at $50,000. He remained in custody on Monday night, with arraignment tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, according to jail records.

Joseph said Spaggiari was arrested by the Ukiah Police Department on Nov. 21 for driving or theft of a vehicle, booked into the Mendocino County Jail, then released later that same evening after posting bail of $15,000. He did not have any active warrants for his arrest during this incident.

Vehicle pursuits are inherently dangerous for the motoring public as well as for the officers involved in the pursuit and the person being pursued, Joseph said.

However, he said vehicle pursuits are sometimes a necessary tool that's needed to apprehend dangerous criminals.

“The Clearlake Police Department, in conjunction with state laws and department policies and procedures as it pertains specifically to vehicle pursuits, constantly evaluates and weighs the need for suspect apprehension with the safety of the public during all vehicle pursuits,” he said in his report.

He said that, if during any vehicle pursuit, any officer feels that the risk to the public outweighs the need for the apprehension of the suspect, they are required to terminate the pursuit. “This is a requirement of state law and the policies and procedures of the Clearlake Police Department. Though this does not take out all the dangers associated with vehicle pursuits, it does help to minimize the risk to the public, officers and pursued person.”

Anyone with information on this incident may contact Sgt. Travis Lenz at 707-994-8251, Extension 311.

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LAKEPORT, Calif. – After more than a year and a half of preparation, the Lakeport Police Department will hold a dedication of its new headquarters building on Wednesday, Dec. 14.

The ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. at the building, located at 2025 S. Main St.

Police Chief Brad Rasmussen and his staff invite the community to come and participate in the event and see the new building.

The Lakeport Police Department will be joined by members of the Lakeport City Council and city administration for the new building's official opening to the public.

The ceremony will include the installation of a plaque with the department title, dedication date, the police badge, the city seal, and names the council members, city manager and police chief, Rasmussen said.

In addition, Rasmussen said that acting Sgt. Joe Eastham, who is the department's sketch artist, has carved a 3-foot-tall wood Lakeport Police badge, with the year the police department started, 1888, as the badge number.

Rasmussen said a representative from Congressman Mike Thompson's office will be on hand to present to the department a United States flag that previously flew over the United States Capitol Building, which will be flown at the new headquarters building.

The city of Lakeport completed its purchase of the building in March 2015 for $875,000, as Lake County News has reported.

The building, located next to Kmart, formerly housed the Social Security Administration.

Built in 2002 it is about 4,400 square feet, which is about 1,400 square feet larger than the police department's current location at 916 N. Forbes St., where the department has been based since 1999.

The department has outgrown the N. Forbes Street location, which is older, smaller and has security issues, officials said.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.