A water scooter, an AR-15 rifle and a bag of heroin: Two arrested at Napa County lake

A routine police call at Napa County’s Lake Berryessa on Wednesday turned up an incongruous haul for a recreational area: a bag of heroin, $8,500 cash and a water scooter with an AR-15 rifle tucked in its storage compartment, the Napa County Sheriff’s Office said.

Deputies initially responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle at the lake, located in the northeastern part of the county, about 7:50 a.m., sheriff’s spokesman Henry Wofford said. The car was blocking the Putah Creek launch ramp.

When they arrived at the scene, they found Nathan Norfolk, 37, of Winters standing next to the car. Officials said Norfolk had warrants out for his arrest. They found about 3 ounces of heroin and more than $8,500 in cash inside the vehicle.

The car’s owner, 69-year-old John Duran of Fairfield, was floating on a water scooter about 50 yards from the launch ramp, officials said in a post on Facebook on Thursday. Wofford confirmed that a scope appears to have been added to the rifle hidden in the watercraft, but could not say whether any additional modifications had been made. The rifle was loaded, he said.

Duran told officials the water scooter had stalled, so he paddled into shore, said Wofford, noting that he had few other options given multiple patrol boats on the lake. Wofford said Duran is a felon.

Both men were arrested and booked into the Napa County Department of Corrections, officials said.

Wofford could not immediately confirm their relationship. He was not sure what their plans may have been for the unusual cache of supplies.

“We just know there’s a lot of money, there’s drugs involved, and there was a gun involved,” he said, “so we allow people to come to their own conclusion on that.”