Lucerne man arrested for noninjury drive-by shooting
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff’s Office this week took a Lucerne man into custody on multiple felony charges after a witness identified him as the gunman in a noninjury drive-by shooting on Saturday at Highland Springs Reservoir.
Michael Anthony Dore, 18, was arrested on Monday following a traffic stop, according to Lt. Corey Paulich.
The investigation that led to Dore’s arrest began on Sunday. At 5 p.m. that day, Paulich said the sheriff’s office was contacted by a male subject who reported that his residence in Lakeport had been burglarized sometime between Sept. 18 and 20, and several firearms were taken.
Paulich said the burglary victim believed Dore was responsible for the theft as he had recently been at the residence.
Deputies contacted Dore at his residence in Lucerne and questioned him about the burglary. Paulich said Dore denied any involvement with the theft of the firearms and consented to a search of his residence. Deputies located several types of ammunition but did not locate any firearms.
Then, at approximately 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, the burglary victim contacted deputies telling them Dore had recently shot at a male subject at Highland Springs Reservoir. The burglary victim was able to provide information related to the identity of the person Dore shot at, Paulich said.
Paulich said deputies were able to contact the shooting victim, who told them that at 11 p.m. Saturday he was attending a party at Highland Springs Reservoir. A vehicle drove towards him and he saw Dore was a passenger. Dore pointed a handgun at him, fired three shots at his feet and then left the area.
At 1:10 a.m. Monday, a sheriff’s deputy conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle for traffic violations on Highway 20 near 16th Avenue in Lucerne. Paulich said the driver of the vehicle was Dore. Paulich said the deputy questioned Dore regarding the shooting at Highland Springs Reservoir. Dore admitted to being at the reservoir but denied shooting at anyone.
Dore was arrested and booked at the Lake County Jail on charges related to the shooting, Paulich said.
At 7:30 a.m. Monday, employees from the Lake County Public Services Department reported finding a loaded firearm near the Lucerne Community Garden, which was near the location where Dore had been stopped in his vehicle, Paulich said.
Paulich said a sheriff’s deputy recovered the Glock handgun and discovered it had been reported stolen almost a year ago from a residence in Lucerne.
The deputy contacted Dore at the jail and questioned him about the gun. Paulich said Dore admitted throwing the gun out of his vehicle just prior to being stopped by the deputy.
Dore told the deputy he had found the gun in an old marijuana grow in Upper Lake approximately a year ago, Paulich said.
Dore remains in custody at the Lake County Jail on charges of carrying a loaded firearm in public, possession of a stolen firearm, shooting from a vehicle, assault with a deadly weapon, carrying a concealed firearm, and removing serial numbers from a firearm. His bail is currently set at $250,000.
Anyone who has information about the shooting at Highland Springs Reservoir is asked to contact Det. Richard Kreutzer at 707-262-4233.