- Lake County News reports
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Two men arrested for early January assault of business owner
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Two local men have been arrested in connection with an assault reported earlier this month.
Leonard Lee Warford, 45, of Lakeport and Raymond Dewey Larson, 44, of Kelseyville were taken into custody separately on charges including robbery and assault, according to Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
Brooks said that at 6 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 3, sheriff’s deputies responded to the 3500 block of Big Valley Road in Kelseyville for a report of an assault.
The victim reported being assaulted at his place of business by two males who Brooks said were later identified as Larson and Warford.
When deputies arrived they located the victim who had obvious injuries from the assault, Brooks said.
Brooks said the victim told deputies that the suspects entered his business and began beating him, which continued for approximately 10 minutes.
Both suspects were reported to have kicked and struck the victim with their fists as well as striking him with weapons before taking property from the victim’s business, according to Brooks. The men allegedly told the victim that if he reported the incident, he would be dead.
On Monday, Jan. 7, the investigating deputy arrested Warford for robbery and assault with a deadly weapon. Brooks said Warford was transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked. His bail was set at $15,000, and jail records indicated that as of Thursday he was no longer in custody.
Brooks said deputies had not been able to locate Larson, who was believed to have fled the area after the incident.
An arrest warrant was issued for Larson for the amount of $100,000, charging him with robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, false imprisonment, theft from a person, burglary and criminal threats, Brooks said.
On Wednesday, a detective with the Lake County Sheriff’s Major Crimes Unit developed information that Larson was in Sonoma County hiding from authorities, Brooks said. The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office was contacted and provided with the information.
At 5 p.m. Wednesday the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office was able to locate and arrest Larson on the warrant. He was transported to the Sonoma County Jail and booked.
Lake County Jail records indicated that Larson was booked into that facility Thursday afternoon, with bail set at $100,000.
Jail records show that his court date is set for Jan. 21, with Warford’s set for March 19.