Full Notification

On January 15, 2020, at approximately 1053 a.m., Lake County Sheriff’s Office Central Dispatch received information that a man was seen pointing a firearm at children on the Eastlake Elementary School grounds in Clearlake Oaks.  This information was initially received from students attending Eastlake Elementary.  The students notified school staff and those staff members immediately called Konocti Unified School Resource Deputy Antonio Castellanos.  Eastlake Elementary initiated their lock down procedures, immediately accounted for all students and notified parents with the school’s mass notification system.

Several deputies responded to the scene as well as members from the California Highway patrol, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Cal Fire, Lake County Probation Department, Lake County District Attorney’s Office and Clearlake Police Department.  Deputies set up a perimeter surrounding the school and began searching the immediate area.  Several deputies remained with school staff members to provide security for the students.  Deputies remained on scene to assist school staff members in conducting a thorough search of the school grounds and accounted for all students.

When deputies made contact with school officials, they learned that a Caucasian male adult was seen in a field behind the school’s baseball fields.  The male subject was described as wearing all black clothing and possibly armed with an axe.  Although initial reports were received of a man with a gun, this information could then no longer be corroborated by witnesses on scene.

Given the uncertainty of the initial reports of a man with a gun, deputies expanded the search perimeter and began searching the field behind Eastlake Elementary School’s baseball fields.  Deputies soon located a female subject identified as, Netomie Denice Cardoza of Manteca (53 YOA).  Deputies learned Cardoza had a misdemeanor warrant for her arrest for 647(f) P.C. – Public Intoxication.  Deputies continued their search and located a male subject identified as, Gary Alan Trueba of Clearlake Oaks (64 YOA).  Trueba was located approximately 100 yards to the north of the school baseball fields.  He was lying in thick brush, wearing all black clothing and appeared to be attempting to conceal himself from deputies.  Deputies detained Trueba and located an axe and small sunglasses case lying within his immediate reach.  A cursory search of the sunglasses container yielded a small amount of suspected methamphetamine.  Trueba was taken into custody for misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance.  No firearms were located during the search.

Cardoza and Trueba were transported to the Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked on misdemeanor charges.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank all school staff members and allied agencies that assisted with this investigation.