Two arrested for murder after routine traffic stop leads CHP to discover bodies in Clearlake

Body found in car during routine traffic stop

Two people were arrested in Clearlake on Sunday after California Highway Patrol officers found a dead body in their car during a routine traffic stop.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. - Two people were arrested in Clearlake on Sunday after California Highway Patrol officers found a dead body in their car during a routine traffic stop.

Registraion violation

What we know:

CHP officers attempted to stop a 2000 Chevrolet Suburban just before 9 a.m. on Sunday for a registration violation on State Route 53 at Dam Road in Clearlake, but the driver refused to stop, according to a department statement.

The car led CHP officers to 18th Avenue near Oak Street, where it stopped and a passenger attempted to flee from police on foot.

Officers quickly detained the passenger – who was later identified as 37-year-old Alex Kenneth Schussolin of Clearlake. The driver, later identified as 32-year-old Jasslynn Pearl Critchett of Clearlake, stayed at the scene.

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Gruesome discovery

"While contacting the driver, an officer noticed blood inside the vehicle and traced it to the rear passenger area, where officers found an unresponsive adult male," the CHP said in a statement. "The person was later pronounced dead. Based on these circumstances, officers launched a homicide investigation."

Dig deeper:

The CHP added that, during the investigation, detectives "identified a possible additional victim" and searched the area surrounding State Route 175 about 1.5 miles north of the Lake-Mendocino County line.

There, they found a woman’s body down an embankment.

Neither of the victims were identified by police. Authorities also did not elaborate on their exact manner of death.

The CHP said officers found a gun "near where Schussolin had fled," but did not say if the weapon was connected to either death.

The department added that investigators believe "the incident" started in Sonoma County and moved into Lake County before CHP officers made the traffic stop.

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The aftermath

Suspects arrested:

Schussolin and Critchett were arrested and booked into Lake County Jail on charges of murder, carjacking, being a felon in possession of a firearm and being a felon in possession of ammunition, the CHP said.

"This case demonstrates how quickly our officers need to assess and respond to unexpected situations," said CHP Northern Division Chief John Pinoli. "What started as a routine traffic stop rapidly turned into a complex investigation. Our personnel, along with our allied partners, responded swiftly to secure multiple scenes and protect the public."