Humboldt Sentinel

Multiple Felonies Claimed:  Kidnapping, Burglary, Assault with a Deadly Weapon

Ten Individuals Affected by Pepper Spray; Adults and Children Sent to Hospital

Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel

Today, Wednesday, September 19 at around 10:00 am, officers with the Fortuna Police Department responded to an apartment complex located in the 100 block of 12th Street for a report of a strong odor of pepper spray emanating about the complex, according to the Fortuna Police Department press announcement recently released.

Upon arrival, officers contacted several subjects who reported that they had just been assaulted by a group of male subjects who fled the complex in two vehicles.

Moments later, an officer located and stopped the involved vehicles and contacted the occupants, all of whom were later arrested.
The suspects then allegedly discharged a canister of bear pepper spray at numerous occupants within the residence including minor children.During the investigation, the victims reported that the subjects had forced entry into an apartment.  They forcibly held two subjects in a bedroom while demanding marijuana that they had allegedly stolen.

The suspects then attempted to forcibly remove one of the victims from the apartment.

City Ambulance responded and transported three adults and two minor children to the hospital where they were treated for moderate injuries.As a result of the incident, a total of ten victims experienced symptoms associated with the pepper spray.

The following subjects were arrested:

• Gregory Stephens, age 36, of Eureka;
• Wyatt Williamson, age 26, of Eureka;
•  Trevor Bohn, age 27, of Eureka;
• James Michael Oneil, age 58, of Loleta

Gregory Stephens

Wyatt Williamson

Trevor Bohn

James Michael Oneil

All four subjects were transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility and booked on the following charges:

• Penal Code Section 459 (Burglary)
• Penal Code Section 236 (False Imprisonment)
• Penal Code Section 273 (Felony Child Abuse)
• Penal Code Section 207 (Kidnapping)
• Penal Code Section 245 (Assault with a Deadly Weapon)

This investigation is ongoing and the department is asking anyone with information to contact the department, or to remain anonymous, contact the department WeTip Hotline at 1-800-78-CRIME.

Quick Deputies Catch Sorry-Looking Couple in the Act

Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel

A criminal act, that is. 

On Tuesday, September 18 at around 6:19 p.m., the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call from a citizen in the 2000 block of Terra Vista Place in McKinleyville.

The citizen told the dispatcher she thought someone had broken into her residence and was still inside the residence.  Deputies arrived on the scene four minutes later and met with the victim outside.

She told the deputies she had been away from her residence and when she arrived home and entered her house she heard what she thought was a noise upstairs.

As she walked into the kitchen, she saw a window and a door were opened. It appeared the suspects had entered through a window. 

She immediately called 911– and exited the home while waiting for the deputies to arrive. 

After speaking with the victim, deputies entered the residence after announcing their presence.

Deputies found a male suspect in the master bedroom wearing a backpack and exiting onto the back deck.  The deputies immediately took the suspect into custody.  The suspect was identified as Cole Christopher Foos, 27-years-old, from Eureka.  When the deputies took him into custody they located stolen property from the home in his possession, along with ammunition– but no gun.

Deputies also located a 1996 Red Toyota pickup truck with Oregon plates parked concealed near the residence.  An adult female, identified as Lindsey Karen Fisher, 27-years-old from McKinleyville, was in the pickup truck driver seat.  Deputies knew Fisher from previous contacts and that she was Foos’ roommate and friend.  Deputies spoke with Fisher who told them she was there with Foos.

A warrant check revealed that Ms. Fisher had two outstanding warrants for her arrest: one for vandalism, and another for possession of stolen property, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of an illicit drug.  Fisher was arrested on the warrants.  In addition to her warrants, she was also arrested for:

• burglary,
• conspiracy to commit a crime,
• possession of less than an ounce of marijuana,
• possession of prescription drugs without a prescription,
• and possession of drug paraphernalia.

She was transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility where she was booked and her bail was set at $135,000.

Cole Christopher Foos was arrested for:

• burglary,
• possession of stolen property,
• conspiracy,
• and being a convicted felon in possession of ammunition.

Mr. Foos was transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility where he was booked.  His bail was set at $75,000.

Mr. Foos was in similar trouble less than a month ago, the Sentinel reported– and wielding a sledgehammer, no less.

Anyone with information for the Sheriffs Office regarding this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Sheriffs Office at 707-445-7251 or the Sheriffs Office Crime Tip line at 707-268-2539.

(Posted by Skippy Massey)

One Person Can Lead to a Whole Lot of Crime in a Very Short Time

Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel

It’s amazing to read about the malicious and downright dirty mayhem a single individual can cause while running amok.  Eventually it catches up to them.  Sometimes quickly.

Yesterday, September 17 at 7 a.m., Mendocino County Sheriff’s
Deputies were dispatched to the 8000 Block of East Road in
Redwood Valley regarding an assault investigation.

On arrival, deputies learned the 32-year-old male adult victim of Ukiah had given a ride to a subject who wanted to be dropped off in the 8000 block of East road.  The victim said once at the location the suspect, for unknown reasons, assaulted him causing moderate injuries.  The suspect then fled on foot, the victim said.

While at the scene investigating the assault it was learned the suspect had also burglarized the residence of a relative at the location.  While investigating the burglary portion and based on a witness description, a possible suspect named Kevin Kuintzle was developed.

While Mendocino deputies were searching the area, a second victim, a 64-year-old Redwood Valley man living just north of the location, called to report his vehicle had just been stolen from his residence.  Witnesses said they saw the stolen vehicle traveling southbound on East Road in Redwood Valley.

A few minutes later, the elderly gentleman’s stolen vehicle was observed by deputies on U.S. 101 going south in the area of Lake Mendocino Drive.  Moments later, the vehicle was again located by deputies in the North Bush Street area of Ukiah.

The pursuit was on.  Sort of.

Deputies attempted to stop the vehicle but it fled at a high rate of speed through a school zone.  Because school was starting and children were about, the pursuit had to be terminated.

A short time later, however, the vehicle was again located on Highland Avenue
by the Ukiah Police Department.  This time, after a shorter pursuit, the vehicle
turned into a dead end driveway and had nowhere else to run.

The suspect, identified as Kevin Kuintzle, 21-years-old of Ukiah, was finally taken into custody without further incident.   Six incidences over the course of a couple hours seemed to be enough for Mr. Kuintzle’s taste.  With Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride coming to an end, Mr. Kuintzle was booked into the County Jail for the listed charges of:

• 245(a)(1) pc-assault with a deadly weapon,
• 459 pc-burglary,
• 10851 vc-vehicle theft,
• 2800.2 vc-flight, disregard for public safety,
• and 496 pc- possession of stolen property.

His bail set at $50,000.

Some criminals are like fine wine.  They just shouldn’t be released before their time.

(Posted by Skippy Massey)

What More Do You Need?

Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel

During June, 2012, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a travel trailer located on property in Petrolia that contained growing marijuana plants.  Deputies responding to the area where the trailer was located seized 229 growing marijuana plants from inside the trailer.

Yesterday, September 17 at around noon, HCSO deputies conducting a follow-up on the above case drove to a residence on Tompkins Hill Road in Eureka which was the address the trailer was registered to.  When deputies drove up to the residence they saw a  growing marijuana plant in the front yard– and smelled the strong odor of marijuana.

The deputies sought and obtained a search warrant for the residence.  The search warrant issued by the Humboldt County Superior Court was served on the residence around 3 p.m.

When deputies entered the residence they found and detained three teenagers: two males and one female.  There were no adults in the home at the time.  Two of the teenagers were the children of the homeowner.

When the residence was searched, deputies located dried marijuana throughout the home.  Six large garbage bags of dried marijuana were seized from the residence.

Deputies also located illegal weapons and stolen property in the female juvenile’s bedroom.

While deputies were searching the residence, the parents and owners of the home arrived.

Deputies arrested Juliet Lorist, 50-years-old for:

• cultivation and possession for sale of marijuana,
• contributing to a delinquency of a minor,
• and child endangerment.

Ms. Lorist was transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility where she was booked.  Her bail was set at $75,000.00.

Her husband, Mr. Jean-Paul Lorist, 49 years old, was issued a notice to appear in court on the same charges as Juliet.  Mr. Lorist was released at the scene to take care of the minors.

Deputies also discovered information indicating the Lorist’s owned property on Bear Creek Road in Dinsmore.

The deputies obtained a Humboldt County Superior Court Search Warrant for that property, which they served at approximately midnight.

At the property deputies located 256 growing marijuana plants; many in excess of eight feet tall.  They also located a marijuana drying shed and a large trimming room.  No persons were located at the site.

The usual claimer:  Anyone with information for the Sheriffs Office regarding this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Sheriffs Office at 707-445-7251 or the Sheriffs Office Crime Tip line at 707-268-2539.

They just keep on coming, don’t they?  We can barely keep up with it all.  We’re not sure how the Sheriff’s Office does.  Every day brings a new case or two– or three.

Our District Attorney, Paul Gallegos,  must be getting swamped as well– unless he plea-deals these matters out on a wholesale basis. 

(Posted by Skippy Massey)

Russ Ranch Property Raided in Rio Dell, HCSO Says

Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel

On a high-flying roll, the Sheriff’s Department took out two grows comprising 4,761 plants earlier this week.

The vast majority of those plants were found on ranch property high in the hills above Rio Dell, and despite the overwhelming number, Sheriff’s Officers were skunked locating the cannabis cultivating culprits responsible and making arrests.

On Monday, September 10, at approximately 11:00 a.m., the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Cannabis Eradication and Reclamation Team ( C.E.R.T.), formerly known as the Campaign Against Marijuana Planting, in locating and removing a marijuana garden off of US Forest Service Route 1.

The marijuana garden contained 229 growing marijuana plants that were being grown on US Forest Service Property.  The plants were approximately four-feet tall.  There were no arrests and the investigation into the case is continuing.

On Tuesday, September 11, at approximately 10:00 a.m., the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Deputies were again assisted by the C.E.R.T. team locating and removing 4,532 marijuana plants located on the Russ Ranch Property off of Monument Road in Rio Dell.

Those plants ranged from one to four-feet in height.  Again there were no arrests, but the investigation into the suspect(s) is also continuing, the HCSO reported.

As the usual small print states: the HCSO kindly asks that anyone with information for the Sheriffs Office regarding this case– or related criminal activity– to please call the Sheriffs Office at 707-445-7251 or the Sheriffs Office Crime Tip line at 707-268-2539.

(Posted by Skippy Massey)

Pursued by Deputy, Bicyclist Totally Biffs It

Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel

Early this morning, a Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputy was driving his marked patrol car on Harrison Avenue towards Harris Street in Eureka when he saw an adult male riding a bicycle.  The bicyclist exited the Walgreens parking lot onto Harrison Avenue and was carrying something
under his arm.

Because the male appeared ‘suspicious’ in his behavior, the deputy turned his patrol car around to check out what was going on and what he was carrying.

The chase was on.

Seeing the deputy turn his patrol car around, the male started riding away faster.  He furiously pedaled his two-wheeled velocipede; cutting across traffic, failing to signal, and, the HCSO reported, violating the vehicle code.  Now this was very suspicious.

The deputy attempted to stop the male by activating his emergency lights.  The now-fleeing male ignored the lights and deputy and rode his bike quicker, as fast as his two little feet would go, trying some fancy ’evasive’ maneuvers.   The deputy activated his siren but that didn’t work either.  Go figure.

He pursued the dodgy bicyclist in and out of different business parking lots, lights and siren blazing.   The deputy saw the bicyclist dump what he was carrying on the ground– and ride behind the Blood Bank on Harrison Avenue to avoid him.

The officer’s vehicle, however, was faster than the pedal-pushing evader.

The deputy met the bicyclist on the other side of the Blood Bank property.   The bicyclist tried to ride over a curb, but met with a total bike fail.  Squarely hitting the curb, he royally dumped it.  Rudely thrown over the top of his handle bars like an ejected pilot, he landed abruptly into the nearby bushes like a worn out shoe.  The wheels of his unsteady steed were ignobly left spinning.

The deputy took the bicyclist into custody.  The bicyclist was identified as Thomas Smith, 40-years-old, from Eureka, and on probation.  Curiously enough, he was only three blocks from the Probation
Department when he began his footloose and fancy-free bike spree.

Smith was uninjured as the cushy bushes broke his fall.  The deputy recovered the mysterious bag Smith had thrown during the pursuit.  What was in it?  Guess.

The bag was filled with marijuana bud, estimated to be one pound of the obnoxiously troublesome weed.

Mr. Smith was booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility for possession for sale and transportation of marijuana, and violation of probation.   Bail was set at $25,000.

It wasn’t reported whether he was wearing his bicycle helmet or not.

His bike had failed, his weed was seized, his unhappy mugshot was taken, and an otherwise pleasant day was ruined.

(Posted by Skippy Massey)

Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office Asking Your Assistance

Picture of Wanted Suspect

Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel

The Sentinel reported on the Manila machete stabbing and attempted murder that occurred last Thursday, September 13,
in the 1900 block of Peninsula Drive in Manila.

You can find our story here.

Pictured immediately to the right is suspect Travis Morgan, whose photo was released today.  Mr. Morgan is currently in custody.

Moments ago, the HCSO gave us an update and photo of the second suspect being sought, below.  They are asking for your help locating this individual.

 
From the Sheriff’s Office:

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office has identified the second suspect in this case as David Robert Bullwinkle, 31, of Manila.  Bullwinkle is wanted for attempted murder and mayhem.  Anyone with knowledge of his location is requested to contact the sheriff’s office.

The victim is still recovering from his injuries at a local hospital.

Anyone with information for the Sheriffs Office regarding this case is requested to contact Detective Rich Schlesiger at 707-268-3642 or the Sheriff’s office at 707-445-7251.

David Robert Bullwinkle

(Posted by Skippy Massey)

Arcata and McKinleyville Locations Operated by Same Individual

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

These guys are good.  Very good.

After coffee, the Humboldt County Drug Task Force was assisted by the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, the Arcata Police Department, and the United States Marshall’s Office in serving two search warrants associated with each other today, September 17, at 7:45 in the morning.

OK, we made the coffee bit up.  But it’s a pretty good bet.  They were up and at ‘em far later than, say, Kym Kemp.  Kym rolls out of bed by 5 a.m.  She hits the day running full throttle on whole grain donuts by 6.  After the family chores are done.  But we digress.

So they had it all planned and mapped out fairly well.   First, they served a search warrant at a residence located in the 1900 block of Upper Bay Road in Arcata.  That’s near the cow fields of the Arcata Bottoms, if you didn’t know.  But there was a whole lot more going on than cows, milk, and manure, if you get the drift and smell our dairy-aire.  Oh yeah.

Officers located a commercial indoor marijuana growing operation inside of the residence.  Officers seized 771 growing marijuana plants ranging in size from 4 inches to 4 feet.

Officers also seized 3 pounds of processed marijuana, along with $2,300 dollars in cash for possible asset forfeiture from inside of the residence.  Surprise, surprise.  Small potatoes, though, for the DTF.  And no suspect.  Yet.

It appeared no one lived at the residence and it was used only to commercially cultivate marijuana.

Outwitted?  Hardly.  They went to Plan B– and the second part of this story.

The second associated search warrant was served at the same time as the Upper Bay Road location.  It was served at a residence located in the 2500 block of Kelly Avenue in McKinleyville.

There, officers located a subject at that residence they identified as Hugh Alan Liles, age 57.

And another not-so-surprising surprise?  Officers located an indoor marijuana growing operation in the unattached garage next to the residence there, too, and seized another 145 growing marijuana plants that were all about 4 feet in height.  The trail thickened as the plants grew larger.

Officers then located a pint glass jar in the residence appearing to contain Psilocybin Mushrooms.  If you don’t know what those are, they’re psychedelic mushrooms, magic mushrooms, outta-your-Shaman-headed funny fungi.  And we claim not to know a thing about them.  Or why the HCSO capitalized the letter ‘P’ in the word  ’Psilocybin’ above.  And the M in mushrooms.  But they did.  And we digress.

But that wasn’t all they found.

Cash.  Yeah, baby.  Cold, cool, hard currency.  Lots of it.  When it comes to finding cash, these DTF guys are like bloodhounds.  Or hot blooded Guernseys.

How much?  They uncovered $57,000 of hidden loot in the attic of the residence– and seized the presumed drug dough for forfeiture.

Officers learned in their investigation that Mr. Liles was responsible for both the indoor marijuana cultivation at the residence located on Upper Bay Road along with his residence located on Kelly Avenue.  Well, that’s what they said, as much of a coincidence as it seems to be.  As much of a coincidence, as say, finding $57-thousand of Benjamins stashed in the attic?

What do you suppose the odds are of that?  Better than hitting triple Sevens on the bosomy I Dream of Jeannie slots at the Blue Lake Casino?  Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes’ deceased Ed McMahon knocking on your door?  An African swallow carrying a coconut?  Oops.  Sorry, dearest Reader.  We did it again.  We digress.  We bad.

Wrapping up this pulpy yet true narrative, Mr. Liles was arrested for cultivation and possession for sales of marijuana and for possession of Psilocybin Mushrooms.  (The HCSO capitalized it again; they must know something we don’t.)  Mr. Liles was transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility and his bail was set at $ 25,000.

Officers noticed a possible fire hazard with the electrical wiring from the indoor marijuana growing operation at both locations and contacted the Humboldt County Building and Planning Department– who responded to the two residences.

After inspecting the electrical wiring, Humboldt County Building and Planning Department determined that there was a fire hazard and contacted PG&E to have the electrical service turned off to the residences.

Apparently no innocent children were found warranting removal.

This case is still under investigation by the Humboldt County Drug Task Force, the HCSO said.

~So, let’s go through our textbook-bust checklist again:

• Do we have a Name, Address, and Search Warrant?   Check.
• Is it a dollar amount worthy of hauling in?  Double check.  Wait… Why, oh my, Yes!  Move it to the top of the list, please.
• Did we contact the County about ‘Fire Hazard’?   You betcha.
• Did the County contact PG&E to disconnect services?  Yup.
• Bail Set?  Sure as the sun rises tomorrow.
• ‘Still under Investigation’ and ‘Press Release’ Issued?  You’re catching on quick, aren’t you?

Kym Kemp has a mug pic of Mr. Liles here being the astute observer and early moo-ving riser that she is.

We’re in the Money

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

First we have the lead paragraph in the Times-Standard article by Luke Ramseth, “Private Security for Marijuana Issues?  Mendocino County Wants to Work in Humboldt“:

With the proliferation of illicit outdoor marijuana grows on private lands in Northern California showing no sign of slowing — stretching the limits of state and federal law enforcement agencies — a private security company in Mendocino County aims to fill a need for ranchers and timber companies.

For the rest of the story, you can read the full T-S article online here– or wait for delivery of tomorrow’s paper.

* * * * * *

Next up is Bruce Anderson’s brief piece in the Anderson Valley Advertiser about the sharp divide between one medical marijuana doctor and Mendocino County’s District Attorney David Eyster:

 
DA Mendocino County DA Issues Warning About Marijuana Advertising

Mendocino County District Attorney David Eyster is publicly challenging as misleading local newspaper and radio marijuana-related advertising by an Upper Lake doctor.

Milan L. Hopkins, 67, has been placing advertising in local newspapers and purchasing radio spots offering to clear up the “confusion and misinformation” being spread by “newspapers and law enforcement.”

Of particular concern to DA Eyster is Hopkins primary claim that his recommendations will protect people in any county from prosecution under state law for 99 plants and 19 pounds of processed cannabis, a claim that Eyster suggests is nothing more than bad legal advice.  DA Eyster states it is currently the informal policy of prosecutors in Mendocino County to give no weight to a Hopkins recommendation, a policy that has been shared with all law enforcement agencies in Mendocino County.

This informal policy is because DA Eyster has yet to have a Hopkins recommendation come across his desk that recommends an amount of marijuana less than 19 pounds and 99 marijuana plants to any single patient.

“What are the odds that every patient this man sees ends up with the same boilerplate diagnosis of needing what we normally would consider commercial quantities of marijuana,” asked Eyster rhetorically.

Eyster also noted that the California Medical Board publicly accused Hopkins in April of gross negligence in connection with dispensing medical marijuana recommendations.  It’s the third time since 1979 that the medical board has taken action against Hopkins, and the state board is yet again seeking revocation or suspension of Hopkins’ medical license.  Hopkins has denied the medical board charges.

DA Eyster says any boilerplate recommendation, including those issued by Hopkins at either of his Lake County offices, is a disservice to patients with legitimate medical needs.

“Let me be clear – Doc Hop’s claim that his recommendations will protect individuals from prosecution is a risky exaggeration,” said Eyster.

“What Hopkins’ advertising blitz overlooks are the critical issues of how to stay out of court, how to properly and legally document one’s medical needs, and how to go about doing this in such a way that when the police show up at the front door nobody goes to jail,” said Eyster.

Boilerplate recommendations are a “waste of time and money, and more likely than not will disappoint big time when push comes to shove,” concluded the DA.

* * * * * *

Lastly, we have the recent cash cache bust of a Fortuna man by the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office:

 
“On September 14 at approximately 2200 hrs., Mendocino County Sheriff’s Deputies conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Suspect Christopher Eichiner, 26, of Fortuna, for minor traffic violations on North State Street in Ukiah.

Deputies contacted Eichiner and discovered his driver’s license was suspended.  Deputies were also told there was marijuana in the vehicle. Deputies conducted a search of the vehicle.

They located marijuana and over $90,000 thousand dollars of U.S. currency secreted in snack boxes hidden in the trunk of the vehicle.

Eichiner was arrested and incarcerated at the Mendocino County jail on the listed charges of:

• 11370.9 H&S, (proceeds from drug trafficking),
• 14601 H&S,
• and 23222(b) CVC (possession of open container or marijuana while driving)

His bail was set at $20,000.”

Bruce Anderson adds:

When the DA gets the report of Eichiner’s arrest he will smile because Eichiner will undoubtedly forfeit the cash in return for, basically, a minor misdemeanor conviction under the DA’s lucrative policy that allows defendants in pot cases to give up the money if they agree to save the taxpayers a lot of money by not going to court.

The confiscated dough? It goes to support Mendo law enforcement.

The Fortuna man is being held on $20,000 bail at the County Jail where he must kick himself to sleep every night.

* * * * * *

And we thought Humboldt County was knee-deep in marijuana issues.  Go West, young man.  There’s money in them hills.  Send groceries, guns, and lawyers.

At-large parolee Donald Endicott arrested, held without bail

Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel

Fast action by the Eureka Police Department this afternoon caught the first known burglar to hit the new Bayshore Mall outlet of Walmart.

Law enforcement responded to the big box at 12:21 p.m. Sunday and were informed by Walmart security staff and witnesses that a man had entered the store and loaded into his cart two flat screen televisions and a surround sound system. The man allegedly exited the store with the items, without paying, and loaded them into a white pickup truck; as he was fleeing the scene, the burglar apparently backed the truck into a parked vehicle in his haste.

With security footage of the theft, the suspect and the vehicle with its visible license plate number in hand, the cops descended on the vehicle owner’s Eureka address, where they found the suspect vehicle parked outside. Upon contacting the registered owner, they were told that he had loaned his vehicle to another subject, who just so happened to be at the home.

Eureka Police Department personnel swiftly detained the suspect, 56-year-old Eureka resident Donald Thomas Endicott, as he matched the appearance of the burglar in the Walmart security footage. A further records check found that Endicott was at at-large parolee in violation of the conditions of his parole and subject to an immediate arrest warrant as an “armed and dangerous” suspect.

Booked into county jail on his parole warrant, Endicott will also be charged with burglary and hit and run. He is being held without bail as a parolee.

The EPD investigation is ongoing, according to sergeant Patrick O’Neill. Members of the public with information on this case are asked to contact EPD officer Ed Wilson at (707) 441-4060.

Probationer Freshly Released From Jail, Reoffends in Less than 48 Hours

Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel

This morning officers with the Eureka Police Department responded to a burglary alarm at Mr. Fish Seafood Market located at 2740 Broadway, according to the EPD release.

Upon arrival, officers found a door of Mr. Fish had been forced open and it appeared items had been taken.  The business owner was contacted and requested to respond.

While awaiting the owner’s arrival, officers deployed a K-9 to attempt to track the suspect.

The K-9 led officers to the greenbelt area just northwest of Mr. Fish.  There, they located Shannon Lyn Hodgden, 38-years-old, of Eureka. Mr. Hodgden was in possession of items believed to have been stolen from the business. The business owner, Mr. Fish, later identified the items.

Hodgden was taken into custody for possession of stolen property and probation violation.  Mr. Hodgden is on active probation for theft-related offenses.

Hodgden was transported to the Humboldt County jail and is being held on $25,000 bail.

This is an ongoing investigation.  Anyone with information regarding this matter is urged to contact Sgt. Patrick O’Neill at 441-4081 ext. 6.

The North Coast Journal has a picture of his mug here.

Mr. Hodgden was released from the Humboldt County Jail on September 13 having “time served” for Grand Theft, Possession of Stolen Property, and vandalism.  Obviously the two weeks he was there wasn’t enough time.  On supervised probation and cooling his jets in the jail before flying the coop, we wonder what sort of case planning and supervision he received from his probation officer prior to, and at the time of, his departure at 12:35 in the morning, if any.

Poor oversight and opportunity makes the thief.

(Posted by Skippy Massey)

Cultivation and Cash Cache Seized

Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel

Marijuana Raid in the Trinity National Forest

Officers with the Trinity County Narcotics Task Force, United States Forest Service, CERT Team 1, and the North State Marijuana Investigative Team (NSMIT) eradicated a
large clandestine marijuana grow on the National Forest
in Trinity County on September 7, according to the Trinity County Sheriff’s Office.

Approximately 7,300 growing marijuana pants were seized– along with approximately 500 pounds of processed marijuana.

Two subjects were located in the marijuana cultivation site and a foot chase ensued.  Two Hispanic male adults, Aristeo Ambriz Equihua, 61, of Livingston, Ca. (top photo), and Andres Valenzueua Reyes, 30 (bottom photo), of Mexico, were caught, arrested, and charged with the above listed charges.  Both are being held on $30,000.00 bail.

The cultivation site located was returned to its natural state.  All camps, garbage, water lines and any other items located were removed via helicopter, the TCSO said.

The Redding Record-Searchlight reported this was part of a larger operation in Trinity County beginning last month when authorities seized and destroyed pot operations spanning two local forests, seizing 21,000 plants, 200 pounds of processed marijuana,and two firearms.  The grows were in the Trinity and Six Rivers National Forests.

CHP Traffic Stop Results in Arrest and Large Cash Seizure

In other Trinity County news, officers with the California Highway Patrol conducted a traffic stop on two vehicles near the intersection of Union Hill Road and SR 299 near Douglas City yesterday, September 14.

A consent search was conducted on one of the vehicles and a large sum of money was located in the vehicle.

The Trinity County Narcotics Task Force along with a Trinity County K9 officer was requested to respond to the scene.

 
Upon their arrival a detailed search of both vehicles was conducted, which lead to the locating and seizure of over $50,000.  Packaging for the sales of marijuana was also located in one of the vehicles.

Both drivers, James Santalucia, 43, of Anderson, Ca., and Lee Berman, 40, (photo not available)  were arrested and transported to the Trinity County jail and booked.

3 Citations and 1 Arrest…but No DUIs

Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel

The Eureka Police Department set up a DUI checkpoint Friday night but failed to find any under-the-influence drivers to substantiate their grant funding targeting inebriated citizens behind the wheel.

But they did find other scofflaw violations at the ‘Papers, Please’ checkpoint.  And in a curious twist of events used a license plate reader effectively scooping up one criminal scofflaw as a side benefit.

EPD reported a total of 408 vehicles were screened between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m. Friday night to early Saturday morning, September 14-15.

An EPD patrol car equipped with a license plate reader was positioned at the DUI/Driver’s License checkpoint.  The license plate reader is capable of processing hundreds of plates per minute and quickly identifying them.

At about 10 p.m. the license plate reader alerted the officer that a stolen vehicle had entered the checkpoint.  The officer confirmed the license plate through the dispatch center, who advised that the vehicle was reported as stolen.  The vehicle, a four-door silver sedan, had apparently been reported embezzled from a local car rental company.

EPD dispatch contacted a responsible party from the car rental company who confirmed that the vehicle was outstanding and no additional payments were received extending the length of the rental.  The rental company requested that the vehicle be seized and towed from the scene.

Officers detained the driver and saw that she had a small child sleeping in a car seat in the back.  The EPD officers also smelled the strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle.

Officers searched the vehicle and located a small amount of marijuana bud.  But that wasn’t all they found.  They also discovered three large trays of marijuana “starter”– or “cloned”– plants, about 3” or 4” tall.   300 of them.

Since the driver had her three-year-old child with her, she was allowed to leave with a relative who responded to pick her up.

The 300 marijuana plants were seized as evidence.  The vehicle was towed from the scene.  The case will be forwarded to the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office for possible charges, the Eureka Police Department said.

The overall score?  Here was the tally of Friday’s DUI checkpoint:

• 1 person was arrested because she had 4 outstanding warrants
• 1 driver was cited for driving with an expired driver’s license
• 1 driver was cited for driving while unlicensed
• 1 driver was cited for driving on a suspended license, no proof of insurance and expired registration.  His vehicle was impounded.
• 1 driver was given sobriety tests– but released because she was not DUI

And we understand the usual adclaimer required to ne mentioned in the EPD release:  “Funding for this checkpoint is provided to the Eureka Police Department by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, targeting those who still don’t heed the message to designate a sober driver.”

OK, we got that.  But no Deucey-Deweys Friday night?  Looks like sober drivers are heeding the message quite well and staying off the sauce.

(Posted by Skippy Massey)

His Tragic Passing

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

Mendocino County K9 police dog “Morgan” died last month at a Northern California training facility during an exercise designed to train the dog to sniff out narcotics.  Morgan was the newest member of the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office canine corps.

The MCSO sent out the following announcement on Tuesday:

On August 20th, 2012, Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) K-9 “Morgan” died at a facility operated by the department’s contract K-9 trainer.  He was engaged in narcotics detection training with his handler at the time he began to shows signs of distress.  In the time it took for his handler to describe the animal’s symptoms to a veterinarian, Morgan had passed away.  It is suspected that he died from an accidental ingestion of methamphetamine.

Morgan, a 15-month-old German Shepherd that had been imported from the Czech Republic, went into service with the department on February 12, 2012 and was assigned to Deputy Sheriff Joey DeMarco.  He was being trained for patrol work and detection of methamphetamine, heroin, marijuana, cocaine and MDMA.

Deputy DeMarco is one of the most experienced K-9 handlers in the department and has been a leader in the MCSO K-9 Unit since its inception over 20 years ago.  Morgan was not only a part of the MCSO family, but a treasured member of the DeMarco family as well.  Deputy DeMarco is coping with the loss given how fast he bonded with his K-9 partner.

Morgan is the first MCSO K-9 Deputy to die in either a training accident or field deployment since the origination of the Mendocino MCSO K-9 Program in the 1980s.  The training methods used had been in place for over twenty-five years without incident.

Sheriff Allman has ordered a review of MCSO K-9 training protocols and is committed to ensuring the safety of our service dogs.

Morgan will be remembered as courageous, loving and loyal.

 So what happened?

Morgan bit into a container that held methamphetamine during his training.

“It was believed the dog died from accidentally eating methamphetamine after his teeth punctured a training tool containing the drug,” MCSO spokesman Capt. Kurt Smallcomb said.

“He had lots of promise.  The department is in negotiations with its K-9 program vendor in an effort to replace Morgan,” Smallcomb said.

Morgan died in the quick time it took his handler, Mendocino County deputy Joey DeMarco, to immediately call and describe the dog’s symptoms to a veterinarian.  Like humans, but having less body weight for ingestion, methamphetamine poisoning in dogs results in abnormal respiratory and heart rhythyms, muscle tremors, seizures, circulatory collapse, and death.

Morgan was in his first week of a three-week training course near the Oregon border when he showed signs of ‘distress’ during the training exercise, the Sheriff’s Office said.  They were in training with CJ’s Police K9s when Morgan died.  The company’s owner could not be reached for comment on Tuesday, the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat reported.

Morgan was purchased through a donation from Mendocino County resident Morgan Ruddick, seen here in the picture on the right.  He joined Joey DeMarco’s family after the December retirement of Barry, DeMarco’s previous canine partner for seven years.

DeMarco bought Barry from the Sheriff’s Office for $1 after retirement and will keep him at his home for as long as he lives.  Morgan would have done the same.  Canine partners live with their assigned deputy– even after their retirement.

A young K9 dog with the appropriate temperament and physical condition before training will cost at least $8,500. A fully trained dog can cost $25,000.  The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office currently has six dogs on the force, including one in the jail, and a bloodhound.

The MCSO program concentrates on starting out with young dogs under a year old.  Most K-9s are males, as they are typically more aggressive. DeMarco’s first K-9, however, a female named Wera, was an exception to that rule.   DeMarco and Wera both started at the Willits Police Department before moving together to the Sheriff’s Office.

Morgan is the first Mendocino County Sheriff’s dog to die on duty since the county initiated a canine program more than 20 years ago, officials said.  Others have died in retirement.

Morgan wasn’t the first police dog to die of a drug overdose.  A Belgian Malinois named Viper died last year when he ripped open a package of cocaine during a drug bust in North Carolina.  Statistics are not available, but news reports from across the country indicate that a majority of on-duty police dog deaths stem from being left in vehicles on hot days.

Losing Morgan was a heartbreaking tragedy for Officer DeMarco.  Both a working partner and a loved member of the family, Morgan, like any other canine, bonds with its owner/handler—and vice versa.

Cards and letters of support came into the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office following the news:

My heart goes out to Deputy Sheriff Joey DeMarco.  I’m so sorry for the loss of your partner.  Such a tragic accident.  Big guy didn’t know his own strength. RIP Morgan.

I heard about this at work and we’re very, very sorry for your loss. My friend, you know how I feel about you and Morgan. I know you will be teamed up real soon with another great canine partner and as usual with be a great asset to the team and the community.

Oh Joey, I am so sorry.  My heart goes out to you and family.  I know how much it hurts, trust me.  Good partners are so hard to find, even when they are man’s best friend too.  Prayers to you, Brother.

I feel like I have been socked in the stomach. How terrible for everyone. I am so sorry this happened. Rest in peace, Morgan, duty and honor until the very end.  Morgan was a GREAT asset to the County & his capabilities will be missed.

Joey I don’t know what happened but I can see you lost your best man.  Healing prayers to you my friend.  Just a month ago you were helping my daughter and her husband with their dog. You are a special guy.

I’m sure Kilo and other K9s were there to greet Morgan.  Forever memories.

Coming back from training must have been the longest drive for Joey DeMarco.

The hardest is knowing you lost your friend and partner and a member of the family.

* * * * * * *

A Dog’s Prayer:

Treat me kindly, my beloved master, for no heart in all the world is more grateful for kindness than the loving heart of me.

Do not break my spirit with a stick, for though I should lick your hand between the blows, your patience and understanding will more quickly teach me the things you would have me do.

Speak to me often, for your voice is the world’s sweetest music, as you must know by the fierce wagging of my tail when your footsteps falls upon my waiting ear.

When it is cold and wet, please take me inside, for I am now a domesticated animal, no longer used to bitter elements. And I ask no greater glory than the privilege of sitting at your feet beside the hearth. Though had you no home, I would rather follow you through ice and snow than rest upon the softest pillow in the warmest home in all the land, for you are my god and I am your devoted worshiper.

Keep my pan filled with fresh water, for although I should not reproach you were it dry, I cannot tell you when I suffer thirst. Feed me clean food, that I may stay well, to romp and play and do your bidding, to walk by your side, and stand ready, willing and able to protect you with my life should your life be in danger.

And, beloved master, should the great Master see fit to deprive me of my health, do not turn me away from you.

Rather hold me gently in your arms as skilled hands grant me the merciful boon of eternal rest–and I will leave you knowing with the last breath I drew, my fate was ever safest in your hands.

~Beth Norman Harris

Mayhem and Machete Madness

Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel

On Thursday, September 13, at approximately 10:45 p.m., the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a stabbing which just occurred in the 1900 block of Peninsula Drive in Manila.  The victim was reported to be at a neighbor’s home, bleeding profusely on the doorstep.  It wasn’t a pretty sight.

Deputies responded to the Thrilla in Manila scene– along with medical personnel– and met with the 38-year-old male victim from McKinleyville.  The victim had cuts, bruises, and ghastly gashes on various parts of his body, including a deep abdominal wound.

Observing his stomach-spilling condition, the victim was rushed immediately to a local hospital by ambulance.  

The deputies followed.  They interviewed the victim at the hospital while being treated for critical injuries.

The victim told deputies he was visiting his girlfriend  in Manila.  Suspect Travis Morgan, 27-years-old from Manila, entered the residence with another male suspect.  To note, Mr. Morgan is the brother of the victim’s girlfriend– and also lives in the same residence.

According to the victim’s account, Mr. Morgan and the other male assaulted him.  They began punching, stabbing, and striking him with a machete multiple times.

Later that evening around 11:30 p.m., Mr. Morgan also showed up at a local hospital.  Apparently Morgan was being treated for minor injuries sustained during the feisty altercation with the victim.

Eureka Police officers stood by with Morgan at the hospital until HCSO deputies arrived, taking custody over the attempted murder and mayhem investigation.

Mr. Morgan spoke with the Sheriff’s deputies and explained his version of the deadly altercation, claiming it all happened in self defense.  Dueling in the dunes, that’s all.  Machete madness?  Murderous mayhem?  No, not really.  Just a simple misunderstanding.

After Mr. Morgan was treated for his wounds, however, he was promptly arrested and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility by the HCSO deputies on charges of:

•  Attempted Murder,
• Mayhem,
• and Violation of Probation.

His bail is set at $500,000.00.

Humboldt County Sheriff’s detectives are actively working on this machete mischief case.  It’s an ongoing investigation, they said. 

Photographs of Morgan, and the name and photograph of the second suspect are not being released at this time for investigative reasons, they added.

As of this morning, the unfortunate victim remained in the hospital, being treated for injuries and still in surgery.  

Additional information will be released in the future as available, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office said.

The usual adclaimer: Anyone with information regarding
this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to call
the Sheriffs Office at 707-445-7251 or the Sheriffs Office
Crime Tip line at 707-268-2539.

UPDATE September 18, 2012:  The HCSO has released photos of Travis Morgan, left (in custody), and David Bullwinkle, right, who they are actively seeking.

Please see the Sentinel update article here for more information.

(Posted by Skippy Massey)

Robber-Victim Shoots His Fellow Crook

Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel

In a robbery gone astray, the Trinity County Sheriff reported a group of suspects turned on one of their own– and kidnapped him.  Escaping, the fellow robber-turned-victim shot his pursuer.

From the Trinity County Sheriff’s Department release:

 
Three Men Arrested in Hayfork on Multiple Charges

On September 12, 2012 at approximately 11:08 the Trinity County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call that 4 men were at a property on Carr Creek in Hayfork with guns attempting to rob the residence.

The 4 men at the residence have been identified as Josh Stanley of Hayfork; Dannoll Geer of Redding; James Cremeans of Redding; and Kasey Rogers.

Shortly after the initial call of the 4 men attempting to rob the residence, it was reported that Dannoll Geer, James Cremeans, and Kasey Rogers had taken Josh Stanley and put him in the back of a rental truck and were driving the truck to Stanley’s residence in Hayfork.

Why the robbers turned on Stanley is unknown at this point.  Stanley, however, escaped from the truck and ran to his residence on Nelson Road in Hayfork.  Stanley then armed himself and ran behind his house on Nelson Road to hide.

He was located by Kasey Rogers.  At this time Josh Stanley reportedly shot Kasey Rogers.

Kasey Rogers was transported to a hospital in Redding and is in critical condition as of this morning.

Arrested were:

Josh Stanley (top photo) of Hayfork, 32:  Charges are pending further investigation.

Dannoll Geer (middle photo) of Redding, 36, for:

• 664/211 PC – Attempt to Commit Robbery,
• 422 PC – Threats to Commit Crime,
• 246.3 PC – Discharge Firearm in Grossly Negligent Manner,
• 182 PC – Conspiracy to Commit Crime,
• 245(a)(2) PC – Assault with Deadly Weapon (Firearm)

James Cremeans (bottom photo) of Redding, 52, for:

• 664/211 PC – Attempt to Commit Robbery
• 182 PC –Conspiracy to Commit Crime.

* * * * * * *
Another Trinity County shooting?  We reported one yesterday, too.  Good Grief.

Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity.  We’re not sure about the former.

(Posted by Skippy Massey)

Spitting, Thrashing, Thrusting, and Evaluated

Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel

This morning shortly before 11 a.m., an officer with the Eureka Police Department was traveling eastbound on 5th Street in the 1100 block when he observed a naked female subject standing on the north curb acting irrationally.

The officer attempted to contact the female to evaluate her medical and mental condition.  Exhibiting objective signs consistent of being under some type of drug influence, other officers responded to assist.

During this contact with the female, she became combative.  She attempted to assault EPD officers with items covered in bodily fluids. 

The officers were able to restrain the female on the ground.  City Ambulance was requested to come to the scene to assist in evaluating the female’s condition.

While awaiting for City Ambulance crew to arrive, the female attempted to thrust her head into the pavement.  Further restraint became required.

Upon the ambulance personnel’s arrival, the female began spitting at the officers and ambulance staff.  One officer and one ambulance staff member were hit by the spit that was spat.

Once the female was restrained on a gurney, she was transported to St. Joseph Emergency Room for evaluation– and also for treatment of minor abrasions from thrashing about on the pavement.

This is an open case.  Charges of assault on emergency personnel and resisting arrest will be sought, the Eureka Police Department said.

(Sigh.  Posted by Skippy Massey)

Two Crackhead Drug Busts in a Single Day

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

The Eureka Police were busy Wednesday judging from their recent releases:

Cocaine and Counterfeit Cash

On September 12, at approximately 1:15 p.m., investigators with EPD’s Problem Oriented Policing Unit served a search warrant at a residence on the 1200 Block of A Street in Eureka.  The warrant was prepared in response to information POP had received that a male going by the moniker “Youngster” was selling crack cocaine from an upstairs apartment there.

Upon announcing themselves and entering the apartment, officers encountered and detained a male who attempted to flee toward a back bedroom.  The male was subsequently identified as William Jaide Hall, 31, originally of Oakland, CA, whose AKA  moniker is “Youngster.”

During a search of Mr. Hall’s person, investigators located approximately 6 grams of powdered heroin and over 2 grams of cocaine.  Several pieces of crack cocaine were packaged for sale in multiple baggies.  Additionally, investigators located three counterfeit $100 bills in the apartment and written records indicative of drug sales activity.

Mr. Hall was arrested and transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility where he was booked for possession of heroin for sale, possession of cocaine base for sale, and possession of fictitious bills.

EPD Probation Search Discovers Stolen Property and Drugs

On the same day at about 10:30 a.m., investigators with the Eureka Police Department’s Problem Oriented Policing Unit conducted a probation compliance check at a residence on the 100 Block of West Henderson Street in Eureka.  This was in response to complaints from neighbors and beat officers concerning stolen property and vehicles associated with the residence.

During a search of the residence, investigators found a purse belonging to Sara Jean Gibson, 25 of Eureka, who was visiting the home.  Inside Ms. Gibson’s purse, investigators located drug-use paraphernalia and a small quantity of heroin and methamphetamine.  They also recovered a stolen U.S. passport and checkbook belonging to the recent victim of a vehicle burglary in Arcata.

Inside another room in the residence, investigators found more stolen property taken during a recent theft from a vehicle in Eureka.

Ms. Gibson was arrested and transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility where she was booked for possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of stolen property, and probation violation. 

An arrest warrant alleging possession of stolen property is also pending for a resident who was not home at the time the probation search was conducted.

Additionally, an official with the City of Eureka’s Building Department responded to the scene to address unsanitary conditions of the premise, a large amount of rubbish and debris.  Due to the presence of two small children living there, Child Welfare Services was also called to the scene to assess the safety and living conditions in the home.

Lost Coast Outpost’s Kym Kemp has the booking photos until ours post.

Eureka Police reminds us that anyone with information concerning suspected drug activity occurring in the City of Eureka is encouraged to call the Problem Oriented Policing Unit at (707) 441-4373 or the Humboldt County Drug Task Force at (707) 444-8095.

County criminal and drug activity should be directed to the Sheriff’s Office at 445-7251 or the HCSO tip line at 268-2539.

Victim Shot in Head; Trinity County Sheriff Gets His Man

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

The Trinity County Sheriff’s Department responded to reports that a man had been shot in the head on Friday, September 7, near Hawkins Bar.

The initial report received by the Trinity County Sheriff’s Department came from a frantic 911 caller from Simon Legree’s Roadhouse Saloon in Hawkins Bar at 9:49 p.m., saying that an individual at the bar had been shot in the head.

Another report was shortly received that victim Timothy Thompson was shot in the head by a man standing near Highway 299 in front of a residence located along Highway 299 in Hawkins Bar.

Sheriff’s Office deputies and detectives responded to Simon Legree’s and contacted several witnesses.

Timothy Thompson was taken to the hospital via ambulance.  He was later interviewed by detectives.

Witnesses said that Timothy Thompson, along with some friends, were standing along Highway 299 across from a residence in Hawkins Bar.

A dog from the residence wandered across the road and was barking at Thompson and his friends.  The group yelled at the dog and told it to leave.

They then heard a voice from the residence across the highway telling Mr. Thompson and his group to leave.

The dog ran back across the highway.  As the dog was crossing the road to return back home, he was struck by a passing car.

After the dog was hit by the vehicle, the group heard several shots coming from the residence across Highway 299.  Reports indicated the suspect stepped outside of his home and started firing several gun shots across the highway.

It was at that time that Timothy Thompson was struck in the head by one of the bullets.  His friends then took Thompson to Simon Legree’s bar and called for help.

Information was provided to the Trinity County Sheriff’s Department on Sunday, September 9, regarding who was responsible for the shooting.

That same day detectives along with Trinity County Sheriff Bruce Haney located and arrested Kenneth Earl Hodges, 50, in connection with the shooting.

Mr. Hodges was arrested on attempt to commit murder and for possessing, manufacturing, and selling dangerous weapons.

He was lodged into the Trinity County Jail in Weaverville, according to the Trinity County Sheriff’s Department press announcement.

Loud people, angry people, people with firearms, and people with too much alcohol and time on their hands are bound to have something exciting happen.  In Trinity County everyone owns guns and
they use ‘em – sometimes just for the hell of it.

Ex-Couple Jointly Busted by Drug Task Force and Sheriff’s Office

Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel

 Today, September 12, at about 9:30 in the morning, a search warrant was served by the Humboldt County Drug Task Force and the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office for a residence located in the 1100 block of Boss Road in McKinleyville.

According to the HCSO report, officers detained two subjects at the residence, identified as Chelsha S. Kirby, 38-years-old, and her ex-husband, Justin E. Kirby, 37-years-old.  Chelsha Kirby’s 10-year-old daughter was at school during the serving of the search warrant.

HCSO and HCDTF officers located an indoor marijuana growing operation in the garage that was attached to the house.  Agents discovered and seized 108 growing marijuana plants about 12 inches– or a foot– tall.  They also found a pound of dried processed marijuana in the home.

Agents noticed a possible fire hazard with the electrical wiring from the indoor marijuana growing operation, so they contacted the Humboldt County Building and Planning Department who responded to the residence.  They determined that, indeed, there was a fire hazard after they inspected the electrical wiring.   The Humboldt County Building and Planning Department then contacted PG&E to have the electrical service of the home turned off.

Agents arrested both Chelsha and Justin Kirby for cultivation of marijuana,  possession for sale of marijuana, and child endangerment.  Both Kirbys were transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility with bail set at $50,000 each.

Humboldt County Child Welfare Services (CWS) was contacted concerning Chelsha’s 10-year old-daughter.  CWS was able to place the young girl at a relative’s house.

This case is still under investigation by the Humboldt County Drug Task Force, the HCSO said.

* * * * * * * * *

There are some unanswered questions asked by readers of the HCSO’s release.  We’d like to bring them up.

• It’s unknown whether the Kirbys had a medical 215 recommendation or not– and were within, or outside, the permitted guidelines.
• No explanation was given for the charge of possession for sale.
• No reason was offered about the nature of child endangerment.

These are fair points for consideration.  If the HCSO knows the answers, we– and our readers– would like to hear them.

(Posted by Skippy Massey)

Victim Threatened Days Earlier in Fortuna

Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel

On Tuesday, September 11, at around 2:00 p.m., the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office was notified of an assault with a firearm that had just occurred.  The officers were also informed that, remarkably enough, the victim had disarmed the suspect, who then fled with another individual.

While responding to the residence in the 5200 block of Meyers Avenue in Eureka, HCSO deputies were advised the two male suspects had fled on foot towards US 101 on Herrick Avenue.   A responding deputy saw the two and detained them at the corner of Herrick and Vance Avenue.

Another deputy went to the Meyers Avenue residence and spoke with the victim and witness.  They told the deputies they saw the two suspects outside their residence as they drove up and recognized one of them as Casey Campbell, 20-years-old, from Eureka.  Mr. Campbell was recognized because he had a dating relationship with their daughter.

The 46-year-old male victim saw that Campbell was holding a revolver in his hand.  Campbell reportedly demanded property from the victim and his wife.  The victim also told deputies that Campbell threatened to kill him a few days earlier in Fortuna.

The victim, believing Mr. Campbell was going to  shoot him with the handgun, tackled Campbell, knocking him hard to the ground. When he did so, the handgun was knocked out of Campbell’s hand.

The victim quickly recovered the errant handgun, pointed it at Mr. Campbell, and directed him to leave.  Mr. Campbell and the other subject did leave.  The victim then unloaded the handgun, waited for deputies, and turned the pistol and ammo over to them once they arrived.

Deputies arrested Mr. Campbell, one of the individuals found and detained at the corner of Herrick and Vance Avenue, for brandishing a firearm and possessing a loaded firearm in a public place.

He was transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility where he was booked on the above charges. His bail was set at $25,000, the HCSO said.

Way to go, Dad.  Nice followup, HCSO.
(Posted by Skippy Massey)

Chalk Up Another One for the DTF Scoreboard

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

The Humboldt County Drug Task Force has a pretty good system in place for finding the scofflaws and criminals running amok– and efficiently busting them.  Big or small, everyone is within the sights of the DTF.

This time it all started when $5,000 of cash was intercepted in the mail.  Don’t ask how or why.  The DTF didn’t say exactly how the cold hard cash just happened to fall upon their radar.  They never do and they likely never will.  But it led to the arrest of a young Fieldbrook man growing pot– and consequently discovering even more cash as the wobbly trail of the unfortunate gentleman methodically unraveled in typical textbook fashion.

On Monday, September 9, at 10 in the morning,  the Humboldt County Drug Task Force visited a bucolic Fieldbrook residence located in the 2400 block of Elizabeth Road.  Drug Task Force agents, after discovering the $5,000 package was being sent there, went to merely ask a few questions.  Or, as the HCSO release said, to simply “inquire” about all the dough.

After all, a suspiciously large package of Almighty dollars sent in the mail isn’t necessarily an illegal act by itself.  Complicit, maybe; illicit, no.

So, the DTF Agents knocked on the front door of the residence and met Mr. Matthew R. Bengtson, age 32.   Unfortunately, during their professional and courteous interchange Mr. Bengston’s residence didn’t pass the smell test very well, according to officers.  While speaking to him, agents sniffed a pungent odor of marijuana emanating from inside his house and, finding probable cause, set the long arm and wheels of the law in motion.

Understand, the DTF has a fairly foolproof system going on– and this isn’t exactly their first rodeo.  They’ve been around this block before, a hundred times and more.

Based on the failed smell test, they detained Mr. Bengtson.  Then, the DTF secured his residence for a search warrant.

At 12:30 in the afternoon, the search warrant finally came through; signed, sealed, and delivered, giving Mr. Bengtson’s residence a closer look by agents.

Searching the residence, DTF  officers located:

• 4 pounds of processed marijuana in one pound individual bags in the residence,
• Evidence of manicuring of marijuana in the residence,
• 5 handguns,
• And over $ 22,000 dollars in cash.

Agents seized the $22,000– and the previous $5,000 dollar package– for possible asset forfeiture.

Mr. Bengtson was arrested for:

• Cultivation of marijuana,
• Possession of marijuana for sales,
• and being armed in the commission of a felony.

Mr. Bengtson was transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility in Eureka.  His bail was set at $ 50,000.

Ho-Hum.  Another day and another $27,000 for the Humboldt County Drug Task Force.  There’ll be another search, seizure, and scofflaw arrest tomorrow.

They’ve got this system and money thing down pat.  You can take that to the bank.

EPD Requests Public’s Assistance for Information of Suspect and Robbery

Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel

Eureka Police is seeking the public’s assistance for information regarding the robbery of a coffee business this morning.

On Tuesday, September 11, at approximately 9:50 a.m., a male subject entered Dutch Bros. Coffee on the 1200 block of 5th Street in Eureka.  He reportedly pushed an employee aside and stole an undisclosed amount of money from the cash register.

Walking out of the business, the suspect fled Southwest on 5^th Street, witnesses said.  No one was injured in the incident, according to the Eureka Police Department and KIEM-TV.

The subject is described as a white male in his 20s or 30s, about 6 feet tall, slender, unshaven, and last seen wearing tan pants, white shoes, and a dark green zipped hoodie (or hooded sweatshirt) with ‘Humboldt’ written on the lower waistband.

A picture of the suspect from surveillance video is shown here.

Anyone recognizing the subject or with information about the robbery is asked to call Eureka Police Detective Todd Wilcox at (707) 441-4315.

Don’t mess with our coffee, dude.
(Posted by Skippy Massey)

Fortuna police arrest three paperwork violators, one of whom had felony warrants

Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel

Yet again, a federally funded ‘papers please’ checkpoint — supposedly to catch those driving under the influence — has come and gone, with zero drunk driving arrests to show for it.

To meet the requirements of their National Highway Traffic Safety Administration grant, the Fortuna Police Department was still required to send out a press release to trumpet the results of their DUI-free DUI checkpoint on Sept. 8. After 479 drivers were interrogated, the FPD managed to make three non-DUI related arrests:

• 27-year-old Mary Schaefer of Fortuna was popped for driving on a suspended license;
• 36-year-old Pedro Matiaz of Fortuna was popped for driving on a suspended license;
• 35-year-old Tyrel Little of Bridgeville was popped for driving on a suspended license, and for outstanding warrants previously issued on charges of drug possession and child endangerment.

The checkpoint took place on Saturday on the 1500 block of Main Street, with all of three field sobriety tests administered between 8:30 p.m. and 2:30 a.m.

The FPD press statement regurgitated the propaganda from the NHTSA, which claims that “checkpoints have provided the most effective documented results of any of the DUI enforcement strategies, while also yielding considerable cost savings of $6 for every $1 spent.”

When a Eureka-area checkpoint was rained out in 2010, the subsequent Eureka Police Department “saturation patrols” netted four DUI arrests. Several subsequent DUI checkpoints found no drunk drivers at all.

The NHTSA grant is administered by the California Office of Traffic Safety.

Steven Alvarado allegedly parked boosted car at county library

Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel

A local victim of grand theft auto has been reunited with their vehicle after swift action by the Eureka Police Department this morning.

At about 9:41 a.m. this morning, the unnamed man contacted EPD to report a phone call they had received from a relative regarding the possible location of his stolen vehicle; apparently it was parked in the lot of the Humboldt County Library.

Following up on the report, the EPD patrol found a vehicle matching this description traveling westbound on Third Street near the intersection of I Street. Making an enforcement stop on the 400 block of H Street, the driver, 36-year-old Arcata resident Steven Alvarado Jr., was taken into custody without incident.

Immediately booked into county jail, Alvarado is being held on $30,000 bail due to an already active arrest warrant, in addition to being charged with possession of stolen property.

Unidentified man sought by Sheriff’s Office

Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel

A man was sent to the hospital early this morning after a pint glass made violent contact with his face.

At about 1 a.m. Tuesday, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office was notified of an assault at Redway’s Brass Rail Inn. A 22-year-old Washington D.C. resident was contacted; the man had several lacerations on the right side of his face. Medical first responders were summoned and the victim was transported to a local hospital and later released after treatment.

The victim was drinking at the bar with his 23-year-old brother when an unidentified male they had just met suddenly struck the victim in the face with a pint glass, which shattered on impact. According to the report disseminated by HCSO lieutenant Steve Knight, the suspect then fled the bar on foot.

The suspect is described as a white male in his early 20s with skinny build, wearing a grey and black sweatshirt. Law enforcement is not releasing the possible suspect name at this time until the investigating deputy is able to confirm the suspect’s identity.

Members of the public with information regarding this case or related criminal activity are encouraged to call the HCSO at (707) 445-7251 or their Crime Tip line at (707) 268-2539.

On the Lam for Two Decades; Caught, Deported, and Sentenced

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

SAN FRANCISCO – Lionel Scott Harris — who until 2011 had been a fugitive since he fled during his federal criminal trial in June 1990 — was sentenced today to ten-and-a-half years in prison for maritime drug smuggling and bail jumping, US Northern District Attorney Melinda
Haag announced Friday.

According to court records and proceedings, Harris and others were first indicted in January 1989 on federal charges for the December 1988 importation of more than 11,000 pounds of marijuana into Shelter Cove and Humboldt County on the sailboat Japy Hermes.

Harris was arrested shortly thereafter, but was released on a $300,000 bond pending trial.  Harris fled in the middle of his trial in June of 1990.  While convicted of all counts in absentia, he wasn’t sentenced.  Harris was then indicted for the federal crime of bail jumping in January of 1991.

As part of “Operation Death Match,” an initiative cross-matching passport and government death records, the Diplomatic Security Service of the U.S. Department of State determined that Harris was living on Margarita Island in Venezuela using the identity of his deceased brother.

After remaining a federal fugitive for over 20 years, Harris was deported to the United States by Venezuelan authorities in September of 2011.  On May 25, 2012, Harris pleaded guilty to the bail jumping charge.

The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Susan Illston for importation of marijuana, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, conspiracy to import marijuana, conspiracy to distribute marijuana, and a separate guilty plea to one count of bail jumping.

Judge Illston also sentenced Harris to three years of supervised release and a special assessment of $300.

U.S. Attorneys prosecuted Harris’ case after the international fugitive investigation was conducted by the Diplomatic Security Service and the United States Marshals Service.  The drug smuggling investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Customs Service (now part of the Department of Homeland Security).

Suspected of trafficking marijuana and drugs from Asia to the US and Europe– and once thought to be in hiding in either Mexico, Thailand, or Singapore before being found in Santa
Margarita– the 68-year-old fugitive’s days of basking in the sun are over.

Three Mildly Greedy Ganga Grows Busted

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

Three HCSO marijuana search warrants in as many September days:  Sheriff Downey and his officers have been busy.  In between the larger marijuana grow-ops the agency has been cracking down on lately, there’s also  the smaller ones to contend with as the ubiquitous green thumbs of the Emerald Triangle are plucked and culled like
the low-hanging fruit of Humboldt’s late-season harvest.

SHIVELY– Normally known for its delicious corn, tomatoes, melons, and squash growing in the fertile soil and sunshine belt alongside the Eel river, a father and son farming team allegedly decided to move on to an easier and more lucrative cash crop other than the regular fruit and vegetable regimen of the region.

On Wednesday, September 5, at approximately 11:30 am, the Humboldt County Sheriffs Office Community Response Unit (C.R.U), assisted by the Humboldt County Drug Task Force served a Humboldt County Superior Court search warrant in the 1000 Block of Shively Flat Road in Shively.  The warrant authorized deputies and agents to search 34 parcels of property for marijuana cultivation.

Deputies located four adults on the properties: three males and one female.  When deputies searched the parcels and associated residence they located two rifles, a scale, and packing material consistent with sales of marijuana.

They then located over 600 very large growing marijuana plants, estimated at 8-10 feet in height and approximately 5-6 feet in diameter.

Due to logistical and medical reasons, the three adult males on the properties, Jack A. Jones, 65, and Jack E. Jones, 45, both of Shively, were cited for cultivation of marijuana, possession of marijuana for sale, and being armed in the commission of a felony.

Malcom Dollarhide, 51-years-old from Rio Dell, was also cited for cultivation of marijuana and possession of marijuana for sale and released at the scene.

FORTUNA– You can run but you can’t hide when neighbors complain, even if your cannabis grow doesn’t really rate the amount of agency resources used.

Bright and early as a waking bird on Thursday, September 6– at 7 am in the morning– the Humboldt County Sheriffs Office Deputies, presumably after enjoying hot coffee and donuts, were assisted by the:

•  Humboldt County Drug Task Force,
• Fortuna Police Department,
• United States Drug Enforcement Administration,
• United States Forest Service ,
• and the United States Marshall’s Office,

in serving a Humboldt County Superior Court Search Warrant in the 400 block of Francesco Place in Fortuna after receiving community complaints about marijuana cultivation at the residence.

When the warrant was served deputies located an indoor marijuana grow in the residence.  The deputies located and seized 52 marijuana plants ranging in size from 2-3 feet.  Deputies contacted the:

• Fortuna Fire Department
• Fortuna Planning Department
• and Pacific Gas and Electric

after it appeared the wiring for the marijuana grow was creating an electrical hazard.

Two adult females and three juveniles were located in the residence.  No arrests were made, no names have been released, and the case is being referred to the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.  Yawn.

HOOPA-PECWAN– Even the more far flung rural areas of the County aren’t immune from the long arm of the law.

On Wednesday, September 5, at 11:00 am, the Humboldt County Sheriffs Office Community Response Unit (C.R.U.) served a Humboldt County Superior Court search warrant on a residence in the Blue Slide creek area of Pecwan.

When deputies arrived on scene they searched the residence.  Deputies located and seized:

•  587 growing marijuana plants ranging from 1’ to 4’ in height,
• two rifles,
• approximately 39 lbs of processed marijuana,
• and over three pounds of hashish.

Based on evidence deputies located at the scene, three ghostly unnamed adults are identified as being responsible.  Arrest warrants are sought through the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office for their arrest, according to the HCSO release.

KNEELAND:  OK, let’s throw in one more, one last really big one, and let’s toss everything into the mix:  guns, cash, and a whole lotta weed.  You know how it goes.  It’s been hard keeping up with the HCSO, friends.  They’ve been on a rapaciously raucous roll.

On Thursday, September 6, at about 10 in the morning, the Humboldt County Drug Task Force was assisted by the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office serving a search warrant on a parcel of property located in the 5600 block of Kneeland Road in Kneeland.  Guess what they found there?  A commercial marijuana growing operation on the property.   The weed was being grown in two greenhouse type structures on the property and an indoor marijuana growing structure.

Officers discovered and seized 2,788 growing marijuana plants ranging in size from 6 inches to 5 feet in height.

Officers also seized:

• 117 pounds of drying marijuana,
• 2 rifles and 5 handguns,
• and approximately $ 11,000 dollars in cash for possible asset forfeiture from the residence.

You can probably guess what happened next.  Officers noticed a possible electrical fire hazard with the indoor marijuana growing operation so they contacted the Humboldt County Building and Planning Department who responded to the scene.  Of course they inspected the electrical wiring and determined it to be an electrical fire hazard, so PG&E was then contacted to disconnect the electrical service to the property.

No one was at home when the search warrant was served.  One suspect has been identified in this case and an arrest warrant will be sought through the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office for cultivation and possession for sales of marijuana, the HCSO reported.

This case is still under investigation by the Humboldt County Drug Task Force.  More paperwork and warrants and lawyer’s fees and courtroom drama likely to follow.

* * * * * * * * * *

As always, the HCSO requests that anyone with information for the Sheriffs Office regarding these cases– or related criminal activity– is encouraged to call the Sheriffs Office at 707-445-7251 or the Sheriffs Office Crime Tip line at 707-268-2539.

Suspect Fleeing to Mexico with 1-year-old Child

Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel

The actions of a quick thinking and observant CHP Officer has led to the arrest of an Oregon kidnapper– and the safe recovery of a small child.

On Saturday, September 1 at approximately 11:19 am, Eugene Police Department broadcast information of an Amber Alert issued in Oregon.

The Amber Alert information detailed a parental kidnapping that had taken place from the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) facility in Eugene, Oregon.

The subject, Angelo Luis Muniz, 47, of Lebanon, Ore., was suspected of abducting his 1-year-old daughter, Perfection Angelas, while on a supervised visit.  The information specified that Mr. Muniz suffered from mental disorders and substance abuse.

Oregon authorities suspected Mr. Muniz was enroute to Mexico and traveling down the redwood coast on Highway 101 in a 1991 Mazda pickup.

Humboldt Area California Highway Patrol Officer J. Bowen monitored these broadcasts and set up observation on southbound US-101 at Bracut, midway between Arcata and Eureka.

At 1:35 pm, Officer Bowen observed the suspect vehicle pass his location and he began to follow it.  CHP Officer P. Craft also responded nearby to assist.  They followed the suspect vehicle into Eureka on Highway 101.

Officer Bowen conducted an enforcement stop at the Target store parking lot in Eureka; however, the suspect and victim were not in the vehicle. The vehicle was occupied by two adult females: Lorie Garza Ramirez and Julie Christina Raas.

After obtaining information from the two females in the vehicle, Officer Bowen responded to Arcata.  After an investigation and search, Officer Bowen located Mr. Muniz and the abducted 1-year-old child, Perfection Angelas, at Redwood Park in Arcata.

Mr. Muniz was arrested on a warrant issued for the kidnapping.  Police also recovered the pickup Muniz was driving.

Julie Raas, one of the original suspected vehicle occupants, was also taken into custody on charges of delaying and obstructing officers during the investigation.

Perfection Angelas was taken into protective custody.  She appeared to be unharmed and in good health upon Officer Bowen locating her and is again in the protective custody of the Oregon Department of Human Services, the CHP release noted.

* * * * * * * *

(Posted by Skippy Massey)

Total loss to PG&E subcontractor estimated at nearly $300k

Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel

Pawn shops and resellers have been advised to look out for any tools with the logo “I.T.R.” stamp, as they may have been stolen from a break-in at a power substation reported after the Labor Day weekend.

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office received word at 9 a.m. this morning of a burglary at the Pacific Gas and Electric substation in Big Lagoon, where an unknown party apparently cut a Green Diamond timber company gate to enter GD property and subsequently access the PG&E substation.

Busting through another locked gate at the substation and several more doors, the unknown assailant or group stole tools in and around the buildings which belonged to a PG&E subcontractor, ITR. Their representative told HCSO lieutenant Steve Knight, according to Knight’s press statement, that the preliminary inventory of lost items runs close to $300,000 in value.

The deputy on scene determined that the looting must have occurred between 4 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 31 and 11:30 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 3, although ITR staff didn’t learn of the theft until today.

Law enforcement is asking all recycling facilities and pawn shops to watch out for the stolen property, which bears the subcontractor logo. The HCSO investigation continues and members of the public with information regarding this case are asked to call them at (707) 445-7251 or their Crime Tip line at (707) 268-2539.

Thieves Break into BLM Secured Yard on Heindon Road in Arcata

UPDATED BELOW: Two Arrested; Two Others Sought

Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel

This weekend saw the brazen theft of several vehicles taken from behind a locked gate in Arcata by some determined scoundrels.

On Sunday, August 26, The Arcata Police Department was summoned to investigate a theft that occurred at the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) office on Heindon Road in Arcata near the Highway 101 and 299 interchange, according to the APD release today.

•  A black 1999 Toyota Tacoma (CA license number  6JYK204)
• A red 1989 Toyota pickup (CA license number 5V83905)
• And a green 2006 Yamaha Rhino ATV.
• The stolen trailer has a US Department of the Interior license plate (number L1423348).

In addition, several power tools were also stolen from BLM vehicles that were parked in the lot.

• 1203.2(a) PC, Violation of Probation
• 496(a) PC, Possession of Stolen Property
• 12021(a) PC, Felon in Possession of a Firearm

Lee Kelly Hawkins, 27 of Arcata, was also taken into custody at the residence for a violation of 496(a) PC, Possession of Stolen Property.

During the course of the investigation additional information was discovered that one of the vehicles stolen during the burglary may have been in the Blue Lake area.  Arcata Police Department officers utilized an automated license plate reader recently purchased with the assistance of a grant from Coast Central Credit Union to locate the red 1989 Toyota truck, abandoned in the 1400 block of Glendale Drive in Blue Lake. 

Surveillance was obtained from a nearby business of a white female and a white male adult parking the stolen Toyota truck on Saturday, August 25^th at around 4:30 pm.  The two subjects drove away in a black, late model Ford F-150 crew cab truck.

The Arcata Police Department is seeking assistance in identifying the two subjects.  If you have any information regarding the identity of the two subjects or the whereabouts of the black Ford truck, please contact the Arcata Police Department at 822-2424 or leave an anonymous tip at the Arcata Police Department’s Crime Tip Line at 825-2588. 

(Pictures are approximate representations only.  Posted by Skippy Massey)

Fifth Eureka Fatality in Eight Months

Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel

On Thursday, August 23 at around 5:51 in the evening, the Eureka Police Department (EPD) responded to an automobile and pedestrian traffic collision in the 1000 block of 4th Street in Eureka, according to an EPD release today.

Officers arriving at the scene found the male pedestrian victim lying in the #1 lane of 4th Street with what appeared to be minor to moderate injuries.  The pedestrian victim was subsequently transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital for treatment.

The vehicle and driver had left the scene prior to EPD arrival.  The driver of the vehicle returned to the scene shortly afterwards and identified herself as the driver of the vehicle to EPD officers.

The driver was identified as Judi Lynn Hawks of Eureka.  She was subsequently arrested by EPD officers for DUI with Injury, and Hit and Run Causing Injury.

The pedestrian victim later died of his injuries.  The pedestrian victim’s name is being withheld at this time pending notification of family by the Humboldt County Coroner.

This case is under investigation by the Eureka Police Traffic and Detective sections.  EPD is requesting that anyone who may have witnessed this collision to contact the investigators at 441-4060 or 441-4178.

Additional information will be released as it becomes available, EPD said.

The Eureka Police Department reported this is the fifth fatal traffic accident within the city limits  in the past eight months.  It is the second fatal accident within the Hwy 101 thoroughfare, and the third fatal traffic accident where the driver was suspected of being under the influence of alcohol.

Drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians are requested to drive with due regard for traffic conditions at all times.  This is especially important approaching the opening of the new school year, EPD noted.

(Posted by Skippy Massey)

Timothy Pratts popped at Lord Ellis Summit home

Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel

An argument between a man and his wife landed him in Humboldt County jail after her cries for help led to the discovery of two large marijuana cultivation sites.

At about 9 a.m. yesterday, logging company employees working on Lord Ellis Summit apparently heard a woman calling out and crying; when they came upon her, they contacted a man who admitted to be in an argument with her, according to a report from Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office lieutenant Steve Knight. Due to their concern for her well-being, the timber workers called the HCSO, which deployed two deputies to the scene. The cops immediately noticed signs of a commercial pot grow and after making contact with the husband and wife at their residence, they secured the home and requested a search warrant after reporting the sights and smells of greenhouses filled with growing cannabis.

More deputies and agents from the Humboldt County Drug Task Force descended on the property, located on the 4900 block of Wiregrass Road, as the day went on; during this time, the woman was transported to a local hospital as she was reporting medical issues. Having obtained the search warrant at about 3 p.m., law enforcement began their search of the home and greenhouses; the first greenhouse gave up 763 growing marijuana plants from five to six feet tall, along with four large garbage bags full of dried pot. The cops uncovered over $100,000 in cash stashed in various spots around the house, along with packaging material and other items which they claim were indications that pot was being grown for sale.

Following trails away from the residence, task force agents found a second greenhouse about a quarter-mile away from the house in a nearby drainage. Another 529 pot plants averaging three feet tall were seized; the cops were unclear whether this set-up was on the same parcel or an adjacent one. Knight’s press statement claims that this greenhouse caused environmental damage by cutting trees and digging into the hillside; California Department of Fish and Game personnel were also called in to investigate.

Arrested at the scene was 39-year-old Timothy Matthew Pratts, who was transported without incident to county jail and charged with cultivation and possession of pot for sale. He’s being held on $75,000 bail, while a separate arrest warrant is also being sought for his wife through the District Attorney’s Office.

Robert Wildman eventually arrested; guns, cash, heroin recovered

Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel

Winco’s parking lot is apparently not the place to be for a well-armed parolee after midnight.

The tattoo-festooned suspect, 31-year-old Robert Ray Wildman, was at the Eureka Mall at about 12:25 a.m. when a Eureka Police Department foot patrol attempted to contact him. Naturally, Wildman didn’t want to be contacted; he fled at high speed in a gray 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee instead.

After a chase lasting 41 minutes and stretching 36 miles north up Highway 101 to the Trinidad area with speeds exceeding 70 miles per hour, EPD caught up with their suspect. The chase was aided by a spike strip deployed on northbound Highway 101 at Murray Road, which eventually disabled Wildman’s Jeep by popping the front right tire. Eventually the suspect was riding on his rim and was no longer able to drive right about the 99.43 mile marker of Highway 101.

According to a press statement by EPD sergeant Steve Watson, the suspect was then taken into custody at gunpoint. A search of the Jeep uncovered a Norinco SKS assault rifle, 20 grams of tar heroin and nearly $8,700 in cash.

Also recovered was a gun thrown from the Jeep during the chase on the easternmost span of the Samoa Bridge — a M-11 Nine or 9 millimeter SWD Industries automatic pistol. Apparently the weapon bounced off the railing and back onto the road, although the magazine fell into the bay. A single bullet was recovered, suggesting it was loaded when tossed from the Jeep.

Wildman, an active parolee due to a prior burglary conviction, is described by EPD as a “heavily tattooed, documented member of a local criminal street gang.” He was booked into county jail, without bail, on the following charges:

• Unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
• Possession of an assault weapon
• Possession of ammunition by a prohibited person
• Reckless evading of a peace officer
• Possession of a controlled substance
• Parole violation

Anthony Maillelle eventually taken into custody at gunpoint

Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel

Another at-large parolee was removed from public circulation early this morning after a dangerous chase through the streets of Eureka.

At about 2:27 a.m. today, a patrolman with the Eureka Police Department attempted to pull over a 2004 Honda Odyssey near the intersection of Washington and B Streets. The 23-year-old Eureka resident, Anthony David Maillelle, instead decided to speed off at high speed, according to a press statement by EPD sergeant Steve Watson.

Failing to yield to mere red lights and sirens, the suspect exceeded 90 miles per hour, blasting through multiple stop signs and careening southbound on Broadway. Eventually, Watson stated, Maillelle abandoned his ride at Highland Park at about 2:30 a.m. and fled on foot; he was eventually arrested “at gunpoint” outside a home on the 3400 block of Cottage Street.

Checking the records on the Honda van, law enforcement determined that it was actually stolen yesterday from a residence on the 2200 block of Parkwood Boulevard in unincorporated Eureka.

Maillelle, an active parolee with the California Department of Corrections due to illegal possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, was taken to Humboldt County jail and booked on felony reckless evading, resisting arrest, driving under the influence, vehicle theft and parole violation charges.

Cole Foos allegedly accosts woman over lack of free water

Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel

Eureka is short another drug-addled sledgehammer-wielding menace to society, according to local law enforcement.

At about 1 p.m. yesterday, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office as notified of a man smashing car windows along the 2000 block of Fern Street in unincorporated Eureka — and indeed, the responding deputies saw a man carrying a large sledgehammer being chased by several local residents. The cops joined in the foot chase, but merely telling such a suspect to stop was apparently unsuccessful.

The suspect, wearing a black and grey motorcycle helmet to conceal his identity, led his crowd of pursuers through a car port on the 3700 block of T Street and into the woods behind a residence, dropping the sledgehammer during the chase. Law enforcement finally caught up with the man, 27-year-old Cole Christopher Foos, deep in the wooded area and arrested him.

After nabbing their wanted man, deputies caught up with the 22-year-old female victim who was visiting a home on the 2000 block of Redwood Street. According to her account, she saw Foos drive up in a beat-up car which was spray-painted blue. Foos blocked the driveway with his car, walked up to the door and rang the bell. She answered and was asked for water, to which she provided him a bucket to obtain water from a hose. She told the cops that Foos got angry that there was no water already in the bucket and began yelling at her. She closed and locked the door and Foos began ringing the bell again, demanding water, and angrily cursing at her.

What followed was Foos’ alleged use of the sledgehammer, used to break the windows to her vehicle parked in the driveway. After breaking several windows, he entered her car and ransacked it of items, several of which he threw on the ground. She told him to stop and then screamed for help from an open window. Foos then got into his car and drove off.

A nearby witness, described by HCSO lieutenant Steve Knight simply as a 40-year-old male, was visiting his parents a block away on McKeown Street when he saw Foos, wearing the helmet, enter his parent’s backyard and jump the fence into a neighbor’s yard. It was he and several other neighbors who took up the chase until the cops showed up.

According to Knight’s release, Foos told deputies he was upset with the female victims’ attitude after he asked her for water. Deputies found in Foos’ possession the stolen property from the woman’s vehicle, as well as a small amount of tar heroin and several tablets containing an unspecified controlled substance which was not prescribed to the suspect.

Foos was taken to county jail and booked on burglary, vandalism, resisting arrest and controlled substance possession charges, with bail set at $50,000.

Investigation uncovers threats to lives of students, campus leaders say

By Charles Douglas
Humboldt Sentinel

An alleged hazing incident earlier this month has led to the complete suspension of the Humboldt State University men’s soccer team — and the women’s team may be next on the chopping block.

The epicenter of the investigation centers around a party on Aug. 4 at an undisclosed location in the area, where the lives of two student athletes were placed in serious jeopardy, according to a report issued by HSU President Rollin Richmond.

“Given my understanding of what occurred with the men’s team, I am immensely relieved that all of the students involved are safe,” Richmond stated. “I hope that the team discipline, along with individual disciplinary actions, send a clear message that this was unacceptable. Hazing is not tolerated at Humboldt State, not in Athletics and not in any other area.”

In addition to the men’s soccer team being banned from any California Collegiate Athletic Association games or any University-sanctioned games for the entire academic year, disciplinary proceedings under the HSU Code of Student Conduct have been initiated against the individual students involved, with their names as yet unreleased. They could be thrown out of the entire California State University system as a result of the decision by HSUs Office of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs.

“It is vital that our student-athletes, and our entire campus community, understand the seriousness of the situation,” Richmond continued. “Hazing is illegal, and it is prohibited by the student and student-athlete codes of conduct. It has no place at our University.”

An investigation has also begun into alleged hazing by members of HSU’s women’s soccer team, with the same penalties hanging over their heads as well — campus police and the Arcata Police Department are involved in both inquiries. Athletics Director Dan Collen will also have to prepare annual anti-hazing reports and implement curriculum changes to the Life Skills course taught by the Department of Kinesiology

“I was truly taken aback by this incident and the number of students involved,” HSU Student Affairs Vice President Peg Blake stated. “It’s just so
counter to the culture of caring and social responsibility at HSU. We need to be clear that hazing needs to be reported by those who know about it, who see it happening or who are targets. We all have a role to play. For the students involved in this, our goal is to make sure they stay on track academically. That’s the most important thing, that they do well in their classes and make progress toward earning their degrees.”

Lastly, a policy of random alcohol and drug testing will now be imposed on student athletes, with students required to sign an anti-hazing agreement.

“We just cannot have this sort of thing happening. It’s dangerous and it’s unacceptable,” Collen stated. “I’ve made that clear to the coaches and players I’ve talked to, and I’ll continue to make that point throughout the year. Our student-athletes have been tremendous representatives of Humboldt State over the years, and this incident tarnishes that record. I expect better, the whole Humboldt State community expects better, and we won’t accept excuses.”

Incredibly, the men’s soccer team players will still receive their athletic scholarships — even though they won’t be taking the field to play a single game.

Repeated Searches Make for a Clean Sweep

Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel

On Thursday, August 16 at about 10:39 am, detectives with the Eureka Police Department’s Problem Oriented Policing Unit (POP) served a search warrant at a small cottage on the 2900 block of California Street in Eureka.  The warrant was obtained after the POP Unit received information the residents, Sarah Elizabeth Vickland (age 32) and Zackery Jacob Chapman (age 35), were selling heroin.

Sarah Vickland

Vickland and Chapman were detained inside the cottage.  During a subsequent search of the residence, investigators located and seized several grams of tar heroin, a small quantity of cocaine, around ¼ ounce of hash, a hidden stash container, and $8,794.00 cash (suspected illicit drug sales proceeds).

Investigators also found further evidence indicative of heroin trafficking including numerous small baggies used for packaging controlled substances and records indicating drug sales activity.  Additionally, investigators discovered an active video surveillance system with multiple cameras surrounding the exterior of the cottage.

Zachery Chapman

Vickland and Chapman were arrested and transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility where they were booked for possession of heroin for sale, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of concentrated cannabis/hash.  Chapman was also booked and held for violation of his parole. 

At approximately 12:55 PM, POP investigators, assisted by officers and deputies from the Humboldt County Drug Task Force, California Highway Patrol, and Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, served the search warrant at a second related residence located on the 1100 block of Winchester Avenue in McKinleyville.  During the investigation leading up to the issuance of the search warrant, investigators had learned Vickland also maintained a

Tyler Goodwin

residence at this other location.  Officers detained 3 adults in the home including Tyler Shane Goodwin (age 21) and Nathan Lee Mays (age 21). 

During a search of the residence, investigators located further evidence of narcotics trafficking including numerous drug packaging materials, a digital gram scale, a small quantity of suspected methamphetamine and cutting agents (used to increase quantity/profits), several hidden stash containers (for concealing drugs and/or valuables), and records indicating drug sales activity.  Investigators also seized an unloaded .22 caliber pistol which Goodwin claimed to have been carrying on his person when he first saw officers arrive (he said he hid it in a box when he saw officers approaching). 

Nathan Mays

Two children, 4 and 13 years old, were also present in the home at the time the warrant was served (Vickland’s children).  The children were released into the care of a grandparent pending a referral to Child Welfare Services. 

Goodwin was arrested and transported to the county jail where he was booked for possession of a controlled substance for sale and on an outstanding misdemeanor bench warrant (alleging DUI). 

Mays was arrested and transported to the county jail where he was booked on a felony arrest warrant alleging cultivation and sales of marijuana. 

On the same day, August 16, about 11:00 pm, POP investigators returned to the cottage on the 2900 block of California Street to follow-up on a hunch based on evidence found at the Winchester Avenue search.  Vickland had been released from jail within hours of her arrest and was home.  Vickland was just leaving the cottage when investigators arrived at her door.

During a parole search of the cottage, investigators located another hidden container in which they found nearly one ounce of crystal methamphetamine, a couple more grams of tar heroin, and a digital gram scale.  These items were seized as evidence and an additional charge against Vickland of possession of methamphetamine for sale will be requested.

Anyone with information concerning suspected drug activity occurring in the City of Eureka is encouraged to call the Problem Oriented Policing Unit at (707) 441-4373 or the Humboldt County Drug Task Force at (707) 444-8095.

Anyone with information for the Sheriff’s Office regarding criminal activity, including drug activity, is encouraged to call the Sheriffs Office at 707-445-7251 or the Sheriffs Office Crime Tip line 707-268-2539.

Photos, except bottom image, courtesy of Eureka Police Department
(Posted by Skippy Massey)

Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel

On Wednesday, August 15 at about 7:30 pm, Eureka Police Department patrol officers conducted a probation search at a residence on the 2600 block of G Street in Eureka.  The search had been planned in response to a series of burglaries and thefts which had recently occurred in the surrounding neighborhood. 

While searching the house for stolen property/contraband pursuant to one of the resident’s probation conditions, officers located several suspicious items they suspected may be used during the manufacturing process of methamphetamine.  Investigators with the Problem Oriented Policing Unit (POP) were requested to respond to the scene to help identify the suspected meth lab materials and assist with the investigation, according to the EPD release. 

Inside a cupboard off the kitchen, officers located a 2-liter plastic bottle with a hose attached to the top.  The bottle contained a multicolored liquid/solid mix.  Investigators identified this item as likely being a hydrogen chloride  (HCI) gas generator (mix of salt and sulfuric acid) used during the “shake and bake” or “one pot” meth-making process.  A bottle of muriatic acid (also known as hydrochloric acid) was also found in the cupboard along with a container of denatured alcohol (a common solvent).  Though both of these items also have legitimate commercial and home uses, they are also key ingredients for manufacturing methamphetamine.

When questioned about the items, the probationer, Glenn Ray Farmer (age 35), initially denied he had manufactured any methamphetamine.  He claimed the bottle found in the kitchen cupboard was only a “science experiment.” 

Inside the home’s basement, officers observed additional items and discarded trash indicative of recent methamphetamine manufacturing: coffee filters, empty cold medicine blister packs (pseudoephedrine), cut-open lithium batteries strips and cold packs, empty bottles of drain cleaner (lye), a funnel, and measuring cups with white crystalline residue. 

When Farmer heard officers discussing this– and the need to evacuate the residence immediately– he changed his story.  Farmer admitted he had unsuccessfully attempted to make methamphetamine in the residence recently. 

Officers vacated the G Street residence with the suspect due to the immediate and long-term contamination hazards associated with methamphetamine manufacturing.  Caution tape was erected to isolate the scene and the immediate neighbors were advised of the situation. 

Humboldt Bay Fire was requested and responded to the scene to help assess the hazmat situation and assist with a possible natural gas leak in the residence. 

Farmer was subsequently arrested and transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility where he was booked for possession of precursor chemicals with intent to manufacture, manufacturing a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and probation violation.

The Eureka Police Department also added:

The relatively new “shake and bake” method involves combining raw, volatile ingredients in a container such as a 2-liter soda bottle.  This is an extremely dangerous method, however.  If the bottle is punctured or the cap is removed too quickly it can cause an explosion, severely injuring/burning the “cook” or anyone who happens to be nearby. 

Due to budget cuts, the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement (BNE) was essentially eliminated this past December.  As a result, DOJ currently no longer has the personnel and resources (Clandestine Drug Laboratory Teams) in this region of the state to deal with the evidence processing and hazmat clean up associated with such methamphetamine labs.  Consequently, officers at the scene began the process of trying to locate a company or government agency that could handle the clean-up and waste disposal.

An official with the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) was reached.  DTSC arranged to send a privately contracted environmental services company from Chico for clean up and disposal of the hazardous waste the next morning.  The scene was then guarded by an officer for the rest of the night. 

The following morning, officials with the City of Eureka Building Department and County of Humboldt Environmental Health Division responded to the residence.  Both departments “red-tagged” the structure and posted signs on the doorways declaring it unsafe to occupy until further notice.

At about 1:00 pm, the environmental services company arrived at the residence and commenced the hazardous waste clean-up and disposal operation. 

Anyone who suspects they may have discovered a methamphetamine manufacturing lab such as this is strongly encouraged to not touch anything, immediately vacate the premises, and contact their local public safety agency. 

* * * * * * * *

Photos courtesy of the Eureka Police Department
(Posted by Skippy Massey)

Island Mountain Man Loses Everything Between Utah and Humboldt County

Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel

On Wednesday, August 15, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) received a call from the Utah Highway Patrol (UHP) around noon.  The UHP told the Sheriff’s Office they had stopped a pickup truck on Westbound US Interstate-80
outside of Salt Lake City for a traffic violation.

After stopping the truck, the officers deployed a K-9 trained to detect narcotics.  The K-9 indicated there were narcotics possibly in an after-market fuel tank that was located in the bed of the pickup truck, according to today’s HCSO release.

The officers looked in the fuel tank and located a hidden compartment containing $500,000 in US Currency.  The UHP arrested the driver of the vehicle identified as Larry Edward Treadaway, 61-years-old.  Mr. Treadaway was arrested for money laundering, transportation of contraband in a hidden compartment, and conspiracy to distribute contraband, all of which are felonies in Utah.

The UHP learned Treadaway was from Humboldt County.  After speaking with the Highway Patrol Officers, Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies learned Treadaway lived at a residence in the Island Mountain area of Southeastern Humboldt County.

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office obtained a Humboldt County Superior Court search warrant based upon the information provided by the UHP deputies.  Deputies responded to the 600 block of South Face Road, Island Mountain, and served the search warrant.  The deputies were assisted by the Humboldt County Drug Task Force (HCDTF).

Upon arriving at the 37-acre parcel which included a residence, deputies located five large green houses containing growing marijuana and outdoor growing marijuana plants.  Deputies seized 1,242 growing marijuana plants that were approximately five feet in height.

They also found 65 pounds of processed marijuana, 232 pounds of drying marijuana bud, 46 pounds of marijuana bud packaged for sale in one pound bags, and $10,000.00 in US currency. 

The Sheriffs Office will be seeking an arrest warrant through the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office for Treadaway.  The charges requested will be
for cultivation and possession for sale of marijuana.

The United States Drug Enforcement Agency ( DEA) has also been contacted and is assisting with the investigation and evaluating for possible federal charges, HCSO’s Sheriff Downey said.

Photo Credit:  Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office and Utah Highway Patrol

(Posted by Skippy Massey)

All three popped for pot sales; mom and dad also face child endangerment charges

Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel

It was a day of threes for the Humboldt County Drug Task force — three properties searched with three warrants stemming from a three month investigation, resulting in three arrests.

The common thread of the “same criminal organization,” according to Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office sergeant Wayne Hanson, tied together the three properties in Northern Humboldt.

The first raid occurred at 8:30 a.m. yesterday at a home on the 1300 block of Bel Nor Road in McKinleyville, where cops seized 80 pot plants growing indoors, along with a handgun. Two unnamed subjects were contacted there, and according to the HCSO, arrest warrants on marijuana sales charges will be sought for them through the District Attorney’s Office.

The follow-up warrant led law enforcement to a barn on the 1800 block of Henry Lane in McKinleyville, where a larger, more sophisticated indoor scene was discovered and 559 growing cannabis plants from six inches to four feet in height were scooped up. Another handgun was seized, along with a rifle.

The third warrant was served on a parcel in the Boulder Creek area off Highway 299, where several greenhouses were found to contain growing cannabis. DTF agents took 598 plants in all, ranging in size from three to five feet high. A shotgun in a cabin on the property was also taken.

Arrested at the Henry Lane scene were three local residents, namely 27-year-old Katie Ann Simas, 29-year-old Kyle Lloyd Black and 33-year-old Nathaniel Liam Vincent. Simas was charged with possession of pot for sales, being armed in commission of a felony and child endangerment; her 2-year-old and 4-year-old daughters were living with her in a makeshift apartment constructed inside the barn. Child Welfare Services responded to the scene and placed the girls with a relative. The cops also seized $5,000 in cash from the apartment for possible asset forfeiture.

Black, the father of the two minors, was also arrested on child endangerment, pot sales and felony armament charges. Vincent was likewise arrested on pot sales charges; the $4,600 in cash on his person was also seized under asset forfeiture. These two, plus Simas, were transported to county jail with bail set at $25,000 each.

As usual, the cops suspected a possible electrical fire hazard was present with the indoor operation, and subsequently contacted the Humboldt County Building and Planning Department, who then inspected the wiring and contacted Pacific Gas and Electric to have power disconnected from the residence.

The case is still under investigation and further arrests are possible, according to Hanson.