SISKIYOU COUNTY, Calif. – Siskiyou County authorities are investigating the suspicious death of a woman after a man claims she shot herself with a handgun.
It happened on Sequoia Way in the Pleasant Valley highlands, near Dorris, California on Monday of last week.
Authorities said a man there reported it as a suicide. He’s identified as
Vang Pao Lee. He was arrested for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Deputies also said Lee had a large number of marijuana plants on an illegal cultivation site. They said he’s expected to be charged with that too.
As for the woman, she’s been identified as 18-year-old Elizabeth Novak of Minnesota. Her death is still under investigation.
Sheriff Jon Lopey said, “This is a tragic case that resulted in the senseless death of a young adult. We cannot determine the manner of death until the investigation is completed, which could take several weeks. On behalf of the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office, I would like to offer our thoughts and prayers to the decedent, her family, friends, and associates. We still have work to do on this case and anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact the SCSO’s 24 hour Dispatch Center at (530) 841-2900.”
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