LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A Lakeport man was arrested on Tuesday after he was found attempting to go into the Cobb Mountain area – which remains evacuated due to the Valley fire – with burglary tools.
Royce Sterling Moore, 26, was taken into custody early Tuesday for possession of burglary tools and controlled substance paraphernalia, and two warrants, according to Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
At 5 a.m. Tuesday Lake County Sheriff’s deputies noticed a vehicle approach them as they were parked at a closed intersection at Bottle Rock Road and Highway 29 in Kelseyville, Brooks said.
Brooks said both Bottle Rock Road and the section of Highway 29 from Live Oak Drive were closed to traffic, due to the Valley Fire.
Deputies illuminated the vehicle as it came to a stop in front of the road barricade. Brooks said the deputies approached the vehicle where they noticed a female driver and a male sitting in the back seat, who was not wearing a seatbelt.
They observed the male passenger make some suspicious movements, as if he was hiding something from the deputies. Brooks said they also noticed that he appeared to be extremely nervous and was wearing all black clothing.
They identified the male as Moore, and Brooks said Central Dispatch advised that Moore had two warrants for his arrest and he was immediately detained.
Deputies looked into the backseat area and noticed gloves, a black bandanna and a backpack in the area where Moore was sitting. Brooks said Moore admitted that the backpack was his.
Brooks said the deputy picked up the backpack and immediately located what appeared to be a semiautomatic handgun, which was lying underneath the backpack.
On closer inspection they noticed that it was actually a BB gun, which Moore admitted was his. The deputy noticed the BB gun was broken and not functional, according to Brooks.
As the deputy pulled the backpack out of the car, Moore appeared to be extremely nervous and complained about it being searched.
A search of the backpack produced pliers, channel locks and a cordless drill with a grinder wheel attachment, which the deputy recognized as being very common burglary tools used in the commission of numerous types of theft. Brooks said the deputy also located a methamphetamine smoking pipe.
Due to the tools being organized in a backpack along with the gloves, bandanna and imitation firearm indicates they were possessed as burglary tools, Brooks said.
Based on the area where Moore was contacted and his possession of the items, Brooks said the deputies believed he was planning and attempting to burglarize evacuated residents in the Cobb Mountain area.
When asked why Moore was being driven up to the Cobb area, he said they were going to check on a friend’s parrot, Brooks said.
Moore was arrested and transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked.
Bail was set at $5,000, and he remained in custody early Wednesday.