Tuesday, May 23, 2006 • Sheriff’s department solves burglaries, makes undercover arrest

Publisher’s note: This story originally appeared in the Tuesday, May 23, 2006 edition of the Lassen County Times.

The Lassen County Sheriff’s Department recently solved burglaries in Janesville and at Shaffer School and arrested a Reno man accused of leaving sexually explicit drawings and writings in a public restroom near Devil’s Corral.

During April, the LCSO investigated three separate burglaries and vandalism at the Shaffer School in Litchfield, with an estimated $4,000 in total damage.

Deputies arrested two subjects on April 23, both 14-year-old girls, and an additional arrest of an adult is expected.

“I could tell it was mostly kids and females because they had done some vandalism on the walls and it was obviously a girl’s writing,” said Investigations Sgt. Ron Zielen.

The crimes all occurred within a two-week period.

“They opened up the walk-in cooler and threw food all over the place,” Zielen said. “They packed out some chocolate milk and jello in big cases; but they didn’t get too far.”

The girls allegedly vandalized the inside of the cafeteria during non-school hours.

Zielen said one deputy did a great job investigating the case.

“Deputy Curtis Hubanks did a great job,” Zielen said. “Because of his tenacity and the experience he brings to Lassen County, he was able to solve the crimes.”

The department also solved a burglary that occurred in Janesville at 2:16 p.m. on Thursday, May 11. Deputies responded to Hyatt Lane, where firearms and some collectibles were taken, along with knives and miscellaneous property with an estimated value of $3,300. The case is still under investigation; arrests are anticipated.

Devil’s Corral
The department began receiving information about sexually explicit drawings and writings in a public restroom near Devil’s Corral almost a year ago.

As a result of a lengthy, ongoing investigation and an undercover operation, sheriff’s investigators arrested Gregory M. Klinedinst, 51, of Reno for lewd and lascivious behavior.

The investigation stemmed from information from the Bureau of Land Management regarding graphic graffiti and sexual solicitation near the Devil’s Corral rest area.

Investigators, along with BLM law enforcement, identified a suspect in the case. A meeting was arranged between the suspect and an undercover sheriff’s investigator. The contact resulted in arrest for solicitation and attempted lewd conduct and loitering in or about a public restroom.

“The Sheriff’s office wants Lassen County citizens to feel safe in the county and in our parks and at the same time to send a message to those considering illegal behavior that it’s not going to be tolerated. And we will continue to aggressively enforce laws against criminal activity,” Zielen said.