Landlords and Angry Tenants Don’t Mix
Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel
From the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office on Saturday:
On Saturday, February 23 at approximately 1:30 p.m., the
Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office responded to the area of
Mattole Road and North Fork Road in Petrolia for the report
of a gunshot victim.
Deputies arrived in the area in less than 5 minutes and located a male victim with a gunshot wound. The victim was air-lifted to an out-of-the-area hospital for treatment.
A short time later, HCSO deputies located a male suspect, who was detained. Additionally the suspected firearm was located and recovered.
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office is working with the Humboldt County District Attorney Investigators at this time and this case is on-going.
The Sheriff’s Office reported today:
On 02-23-2013, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call from a citizen regarding a 57-year-old male gunshot victim located in the 1500 block of North Fork Road in Petrolia.
Deputies were already enroute to the Petrolia area regarding an unrelated call and arrived at the victim’s residence with medical personnel. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) had a Ranger who was also in the area and responded to the scene to assist. When deputies arrived on scene, they were told the suspect was armed and still in the area.
The victim and the victim’s girlfriend told the deputies the suspect was Evans “Chompers” Rupert Cook, 53-years-old, of Petrolia.
Cook is the brother of the victim’s girlfriend and rents a house from the victim which is on the same parcel as the victim’s home. Cook had been having an ongoing dispute with the victim.
On 02-23-2013, approximately 1:00 p.m., the victim drove on his property to feed his livestock. While doing so he drove by the home that Cook rents from him. When driving by the home, Cook suddenly started to shoot at the victim with a rifle while the victim was driving by.
The victim and his vehicle were struck by the rounds.
The victim immediately abandoned his vehicle and fled on foot. He ran to his residence which is nearby for help. When the victim got home, his girlfriend called for help.
Deputies searched the area for Cook and located him leaving the area in a White Chevy Suburban.
Deputies and a California Highway Patrol Officer (CHP) initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle and arrested Cook.
Cook was booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility for attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon, with bail set at $500,000.00.
Deputies recovered a rifle that was believed to be used in the assault. The Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office assisted Sheriff’s Detectives in this investigation.
The victim was transported to an out of area hospital for treatment and is expected to recover from his injuries.
Anyone with information for the Sheriffs Office regarding this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Sheriff’s Office at 707-445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at 707-268-2539, the HCSO said.
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(Posted by Skippy Massey)
I’m sure the victim was just innocently driving by. This story kind of smells, especialy since the victim is unnamed