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Kelseyville man arrested for marijuana possession, leading deputies on high speed chase
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – A Kelseyville man who last Thursday allegedly led deputies on a high speed chase was arrested the following day and found to be in possession of 90 pounds of marijuana as well as ammunition.
Masud Michael Sekander, 29, was arrested for evading a peace officer, cultivation of marijuana, possession of marijuana for sale and a felon in possession of ammunition, according to Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
On the evening of Thursday, Oct. 3, a black Mercedes sedan traveling at speeds estimated to be more than 100 miles per hour passed two Lake County Sheriff’s detectives and a deputy sheriff and was pursued for approximately eight miles, Brooks said.
The pursuit started when the Mercedes sedan passed one of the detectives at Highway 53 and Dam Road in Clearlake. Brooks said the detective, who was driving an unmarked sheriff's detective vehicle, turned on his vehicle’s emergency lights and attempted to stop the speeding vehicle, but could not get it to stop and could not close the distance on it.
The speeding vehicle, at that point estimated to be driving more than 110 miles per hour, passed another detective in an unmarked sheriff's vehicle near Highway 29 and Highway 53 in Lower Lake, Brooks said.
Brooks said that detective turned on his vehicle’s emergency lights and attempted to stop the Mercedes sedan, but he was unable to close the distance.
The Mercedes passed a deputy sheriff driving a marked sheriff's patrol vehicle at more than 100 miles per hour. The deputy, with his emergency lights and siren activated, pursued the Mercedes sedan for approximately six miles, but lost sight of it on Point Lakeview Road and Konocti Vista Drive in Kelseyville, Brooks said.
A thorough search for the Mercedes was conducted, but the deputy and detectives were unable to locate it, according to Brooks.
On the afternoon of Friday, Oct. 4, a deputy received information that someone on Wheeler Drive in Kelseyville, had possibly been involved in a high speed pursuit with law enforcement the previous night, Brooks said.
He said the deputy made contact with Sekander at the residence. As the deputy spoke with Sekander, the deputy detected a very strong odor of marijuana emanating from within the residence.
Brooks said the deputy requested a sheriff's narcotic detectives respond to the scene. Narcotic detectives authored and served a search warrant at the residence and located approximately 86 pounds of unprocessed marijuana and three pounds of processed marijuana inside the house.
The black Mercedes sedan that was pursued the previous night was located in the garage. Handgun ammunition was found inside the Mercedes, Brooks said.
Sekander admitted to being the driver of the Mercedes during the pursuit. Brooks said Sekander was arrested and transported to the Hill Road Correctional Facility, where he was booked.