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Local man arrested in Valley fire area for impersonating an officer, theft
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A Whispering Pines man was arrested Monday for impersonating a peace officer and theft after a deputy found him in the Cobb Mountain area, which is under evacuation due to the Valley fire.
Steven Fredrick Worley, 36, was arrested for petty theft during a state of emergency, wearing identification to impersonate a police officer and removing, injuring or destroying any object of archaeological or historical interest or value, according to Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
Brooks said that at 4:45 p.m. Monday a Lake County Sheriff’s deputy was patrolling the Cobb Mountain area, which remains under a mandatory evacuation order as result of the Valley Fire.
The roads have been closed to all traffic except for emergency vehicles. Brooks said the deputy noticed a vehicle in the area of Highway 175 and Maple Shadows Road, which had its hazard lights activated. He also noticed the vehicle was coated in pink flame retardant, due to ongoing firefighting efforts in the immediate area.
The deputy recognized the vehicle as being associated with Worley, who has prior contacts with law enforcement, Brooks said.
Brooks said the deputy followed the vehicle onto Maple Shadows Road when it drove away at a high rate of speed. The deputy caught up to the vehicle and conducted an enforcement stop near the intersection of Maple Shadows Road and Parnassus Drive.
Worley, who Brooks said was the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle, stepped out and approached the deputy. Worley was wearing a yellow rain jacket and a blue baseball style hat. The hat was marked with a seven point star that read “California Highway Patrol.”
The deputy asked what Worley was doing in the area and he said he was trying to find something at his mother’s house, according to Brooks.
Brooks said the deputy recognized Worley and asked why he was wearing a CHP hat. Worley began to stammer and said the hat was given to him by a friend. Worley also said he had numerous hats located in the trunk of his vehicle. The deputy asked if he could search the vehicle and Worley said that he could.
The deputy conducted a search of the vehicle and located six cellular telephones, a portable Wi-Fi hotspot device and an Apple iPod. Under the front passenger seat he located a wallet which contained identification belonging to someone other than Worley, Brooks said.
The deputy noticed that the documents inside the wallet appeared to have been scorched. Brooks said the deputy located a safe under items in the back seat. The safe had an electronic keypad and was still locked. Worley said the safe did not belong to him and that it was given to him by a friend.
Brooks said the deputy attempted to obtain additional information concerning the safe, but Worley was unable to provide any additional information.
During the search the deputy also located an envelope which contained 13 shaped obsidian points. Brooks said Worley claimed he found the obsidian points along a creek.
When asked again why he was driving around in an active fire zone that was under evacuation orders, Worley said he did not know it was active because nobody had told him, according to Brooks.
Brooks said Worley was arrested and transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility, where he was booked.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff said Wednesday that the District Attorney's Office charged Worley with petty theft of property in a county in a local emergency resulting from a fire, illegal possession of lost property and illegally entering an area closed to the public because of fire or other disaster.
He said Worley was arraigned on Wednesday while he was still in custody.
Lake County Superior Court Judge Andrew Blum gave Worley an enhanced bail amount of $100,000, Hinchcliff said.
Lake County Jail records showed that Worley remained in custody on Wednesday evening.
Worley's arrest is the second authorities have reported on this week relating to possible looting.
Another man, Royce Sterling Moore, 26, of Lakeport, Calif., was arrested on Tuesday after he was found with burglary tools attempting to get into the Cobb Mountain area, as Lake County News has reported.