John Ware and the bulldozer

Wares in Court again over Ranch

Victorville - Five members of the John Alan Ware family appeared in Victorville Municipal Court Monday to plead not guilty to charges of having re-entered, in violation of a court order, property from which they had been evicted.

Mr. And Mrs. Ware and three of their eldest sons-Mike, 23, Bob, 19 and Ken, 18-were arrested June 21 by Victorville substation sheriff's officers when they attempted to take repossession of the Bowen Ranch and the toll gate to Deep Creek warm springs.

The family had been evicted June 16 from the ranch, where they had lived for three years, after losing a civil suit pressed by the New York owners of the old Bowen Ranch property. The owners sought their eviction for nonpayment of rent. Ware contends that the ranch house and toll gate are situated on property which actually belongs to the Moss ranch to which Ware has held a legal lease for several years.

A pretrial hearing on the trespass charge against the five was set for July 22 with a jury trial scheduled for Aug. 7.

Meanwhile, Ware was cited Saturday night by a Victorville sheriff's officer for blocking a county road and failure to have a vehicle properly licensed. The incident happened when a bulldozer driven by Ware stalled on the road at the end of the Moss Ranch property, partially blocking the county road leading to Bowen Ranch.

Officers and requirement were dispatched from the sheriff's office to remove the vehicle after Ware had failed to do so.

According to sheriff's Sgt. Charges Sodaro, a complaint is being sought charging Ware with giving false information to a police officer.

Sodaro said Ware told the officer on the scene Saturday night that he could not start the bulldozer and thus clear the road.

"He tied up two or three officers and equipment for about two hours." Sodaro said. "But when he saw the truck coming up the road to pick up and impound his vehicle, he got it started fast enough."

According to Ware, he ruined the clutch on a small truck he had to use to tow start the heavy road-grading machine.

Ware is to return to court today to seek a change of venue for the retrial of charges of interfering with the duties of a police officer. The original trial ended in a hung (no decision) jury.