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KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – A quick and thorough investigation by a sheriff's deputy and sergeant has led to the arrests and charging of three local men for a late August home burglary.
Thomas Joseph Peterson, 32, of Cobb and Kelseyville resident Keith Henry Lemler, 53, were arrested by Deputy Joe Dutra on Sunday, Aug. 21, with Dutra taking 20-year-old Alex Paul Martinez of Kelseyville into custody shortly after midnight on Monday, Aug. 22, according to arrest records and court documents.
On Aug. 23, the District Attorney's Office filed charges against the men that included first degree burglary, possession of stolen property and vandalism, with Peterson charged with a special allegation of a prior prison term, according to Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff.
Court records showed that Peterson served state prison time for a 2003 conviction for possession of a controlled substance as well as a 2004 jail escape.
All three of the suspects appeared in Lake County Superior Court on Friday morning, where they pleaded not guilty to the charges, Hinchcliff said.
If convicted each could face up to six years in state prison, with Peterson facing an extra year if convicted of the special allegation, according to Hinchcliff.
They all remain in the Lake County Jail, with bail for Peterson set at $40,000, and Lemler and Martinez each being held on $30,000 bail.
The Lake County Sheriff's Office would not provide additional information on the case despite repeated requests from Lake County News.
A Public Records Act request to inspect the case documents submitted in person by this reporter on Friday was denied by sheriff's Lt. Chris Macedo, who cited “pending adjudication” of the case as a reason for withholding the information.
However, investigative reports obtained as part of the court record showed that Dutra and Sgt. Corey Paulich conducted an investigation into the burglary of a Kelseyville home that led them to the three suspects.
The residents had reportedly been on vacation and returned to find the home burglarized, reporting it on Aug. 21, the documents showed.
Dutra and Paulich arrived and began the investigation, taking a report on the stolen property. A vehicle parked at the home also had been vandalized, with its driver's side window broken out, based on the investigation.
The case came together quickly, with documents showing that Dutra and Paulich connected the dots, identifying and speaking with the suspects, and recovering the property they allegedly stole, which the burglary victims identified.
Hinchcliff said Dutra and Paulich did good investigative work on the case.
The result was that all three of the suspects had been taken into custody by the morning following the report of the burglary, according to the case chronology.
Hinchcliff said Peterson, Lemler and Martinez are set to appear for a preliminary hearing on Monday, Sept. 19.
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