And Then Promptly Released
Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel
Today at approximately 3:15 in the morning, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office received a call from a citizen who reported seeing flashlights at her neighbors home in the 3000 block of Cannibal Island Road in Loleta.
The citizen told the dispatcher someone had burglarized that same home the day before and they had now returned.
When a deputy arrived on scene, he saw two suspects inside the residence with flashlights.
When the suspects saw the deputy, one of them got into a Toyota Pickup Truck and attempted to flee. The other suspect ran off on foot.
The deputy pursued the pickup truck approximately one mile until the suspect stopped and then submitted to arrest.
The deputy arrested Jill Deanna Winnop, 35 years old, from Fortuna.
During the search of Winnop’s purse the deputy located heroin. Additional deputies, officers from the California Highway Patrol and Fortuna Police Department arrived on the scene and searched the area for the second suspect who fled but were unable to locate that suspect.
Winnop was transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility where she was booked on charges of:
- Evading a police officer,
- Possession of a narcotic, and
- Burglary
She was booked– and then released on her own recognizance. We don’t know the reasons why– nor do we understand the logic of releasing a heroin addict evading police after committing a burglary and likely to re-offend another day without help.
(Posted by Skippy Massey)
