- Lake County News reports
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Police seek additional leads in case involving vehicle pursuit, drunk driving arrest
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Police took a Lakeport man into custody early Sunday following a vehicle pursuit, and they’re asking community members for any information they may have about the driver in the lead up to the incident.
Travis Lorin Criss, 44, was arrested after the chase, the Lakeport Police Department reported.
At 2 a.m. Sunday two Lakeport Police officers encountered a silver Mitsubishi Lancer in the downtown area. At that point they hadn’t initiated a traffic stop, but the vehicle abruptly turned and rapidly accelerated causing the officers to lose sight of it, the agency said.
A short time later an officer again spotted the vehicle at which time it again accelerated rapidly to a high rate of speed into the residential neighborhoods west of downtown, according to the police department report.
The officer initiated a traffic stop and a vehicle pursuit began with the vehicle continuing to travel at a high rate of speed and making abrupt turns, police said.
Police said the officer lost sight of the vehicle at which time the pursuit was terminated for public safety.
Officers remained in the area looking for the vehicle and at approximately 2:20 a.m. they began receiving 911 calls reporting a subject we were looking for in residential backyards in the area of Second and Crawford streets. Police reported that the officers then located the suspect vehicle abandoned with the motor and tires still warm.
While continuing to check the area, officers located a male subject walking down the street. Police said the man had stickers from weeds attached to his pants that matched stickers one of them got on their pants from a field they checked near the suspect vehicle.
The man was detained and identified as Criss, who police said was found to be wanted on a warrant out of Ukiah. Criss was stumbling and emitting a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage.
Criss was arrested and during a search incident to arrest, the keys to the Mitsubishi Lancer were located on his person, police said.
Criss was arrested for the warrant, misdemeanor intoxicated driving and for the felony charge of fleeing from law enforcement with disregard for public safety. He was taken to a local hospital for blood testing and then booked into the Lake County Jail on bail of $40,000 but has since posted bail and been released. Police said his vehicle was towed and stored.
The Lakeport Police Department thanked the alert citizens who called 911 to help direct them to Criss’ location. Without their assistance he may have eluded capture.
Police said the incident remains under investigation and they are requesting that anyone with information contact us by sending us a private Facebook message @LakeportPolice, sending us an anonymous text message from your cell phone by texting the words TIP LAKEPORT followed by your message to the number 888777, by calling us at 707-263-5491 or by emailing investigating officers Casey Debolt at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Kaylene Strugnell at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
The agency said there has been a high number of intoxicated driving incidents in the city of Lakeport this year and it is taking an aggressive stance against it.
“We thank all those community members who assist us in trying to eliminate the dangerous act of intoxicated driving, on both alcohol and drugs, that continues to put peoples lives at risk. With your help we can save lives together. Call 911 to report intoxicated drivers,” the department said in its Sunday statement.