Humboldt Sentinel

Gorden Graham of Gridley attacked wife on SoHum honeymoon

Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel

Another wife-batterer will be doing years in state prison after verdicts were delivered in the court of Humboldt County Judge Bruce Watson yesterday.

The jury found 47-year old Gridley resident Gorden Curtis Graham guilty of felony corporal injury to a spouse and misdemeanor interfering with a cell phone call.

On Graham’s honeymoon with his wife in Southern Humboldt on June 2 of last year, he was determined to have kicked his spouse in the chest and grabbed her by her hair, pulling her off her feet and by doing so injuring her hip and back. He also stole her cellular phone as she tried to call for help.

“This case is a bit unusual in that this was a first-time victim and she took action right away,” Deputy District Attorney Jackie Pizzo, who prosecuted the case, stated in a release. “She called for help and decided immediately that she was not going to tolerate this kind of behavior.”

Graham is to be sentenced on June 8 by Watson and faces a maximum penalty of four-and-a-half years in custody.

“The victim also played an active and very important role in the prosecution of this case,” Pizzo stated. “Our office hopes more victims of domestic violence are inspired to do the same.”

Robert Cree allegedly proceeds to piss in public and get arrested

Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel

A man trying to give away Vicodin in downtown Garberville landed himself in jail yesterday afternoon after annoying several local residents.

At about 1:30 p.m. Monday, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office heard from a Garberville woman that a man had just approached her, opened a pill bottle and tried to give her Vicodin. After she declined, he then allegedly walked away, urinated in the public hallway in front of several business entrances and made verbal threats towards her.

Responding to the scene near the 700 block of Redwood Drive, deputies found the man pounding on the door of a nearby residence. As the cops approached, the door opened and the suspect entered the residence, closing the door behind him. When the deputy knocked on the door, a teenage male opened it and said he had no idea who the suspect was, as the man had simply walked inside the residence when the door was opened.

According to lieutenant Steve Knight in a release, the deputy entered the home to find the suspect yelling and shouting in the living room of the residence. After taking him into custody, an adult female told the cops that she also didn’t know the man and did not understand why he would enter her home other than to escape the deputy.

Identified as 56-year-old Robert Scott Cree of Garberville, the suspect was arrested for sales or offering of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of a prescribed drug and public intoxication — upon their search, deputies found Vicodin and another prescription drug in his possession. Cree was transported to county jail and held on $50,000 bail.

James Rowe allegedly inflicted deep wounds to face, chest, neck and hands

Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel

UPDATE: At about midnight last night, the suspect was arrested without incident near Evergreen Road in Garberville. He was booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on assault with a deadly weapon and murder charges, and is being held without bail.

A be-on-the-lookout notice has been issued for a Garberville area transient accused of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon.

At about 6:30 p.m. yesterday, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a stabbing victim at Jerold Phelps Hospital in Garberville. The 50-year-old male victim had deep stab wounds to his face, chest, neck and hands, and when deputies arrived, he told them he didn’t know what happened.

Several witnesses say they did, however — the cops eventually determined that a fight had ensued between the unnamed victim and the suspect, 42-year old James Albert Rowe, a parolee who was considered to be homeless. He is described as a white male, 5 foot 11 inches in height, with brown hair and hazel eyes.

James Albert Rowe after his arrest last night.

According to HCSO lieutenant Steve Knight in a release, witness accounts describe a fight taking place at 5:30 p.m. near Calico Cafe and Rays Food Place on Redwood Drive in downtown Garberville. Evidence on the scene, police say, is consistent with the witness statements.

The victim is still under treatment in the hospital for the injuries he sustained.

If Rowe is sighted, the HCSO urges members of the public not to approach him — they are asked to call them at (707) 445-7251, the Garberville Station at (707) 923-2762 or their Crime Tip line at (707) 268-2539.

Cessna reportedly stalled, then took a dive at Dinsmore Airport

Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel

The pilot of a light aircraft was airlifted to the Central Valley for medical treatment after his plane crashed at Dinsmore Airport midday today.

At about 12:30 p.m., the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a nose-first crash of a plane with two people aboard. Deputies and medical personnel were immediately dispatched to the remote rural airport, along with a Trinity County Sheriff’s deputy due to the proximity of the airport to the neighboring county.

Upon their arrival, HCSO personnel learned that the plane, a 1963-vintage Cessna Model 172 E, crashed as it was landing, possibly due to an in-flight stall. Two Caltrans workers on Highway 36 witnessed the crash, rushing to aid the injured pilot and passenger, pulling them both from the plane before it caught fire and burned.

The pilot, a 65-year-old flight instructor from Garberville, was airlifted to Redding Mercy Hospital for treatment of his broken bones; the 30-year-old passenger was a student pilot from Redway, and according to HCSO lieutenant Steve Knight, he received only minor injuries.

“No Pass Rock” was passed, with discomfiting consequences

Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel

Three Southern Humboldt residents were lifted to safety in a 22-hour rescue over the weekend after becoming stranded in a ravine south of Shelter Cove beach.

At about 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office received a cell phone call from stranded hikers who had gone for a walk along the beach south of the town of Shelter Cove, where they went past “No Pass Rock” and the tide came in to block their return. Upon their attempt to hike up and over the rock when it became dark, the three hikers slipped down a hillside into a ravine, which they were unable to climb up or down to escape.

The HCSO immediately initiated a Search and Rescue call out, as well as requesting assistance from the Shelter cove Volunteer Fire Department, which activated the Southern Humboldt Technical Rescue Team, who responded to the area with volunteers from Shelter Cove.

Upon their arrival, rescue personnel evaluated the situation and spoke with the rescued hikers, who were uninjured and determined to be in a safe place. They decided to wait until daybreak to attempt a rescue due to safety concerns; a helicopter could not be used in the rescue due to weather conditions and the terrain. Instead, a high-angle rope rescue was initiated at dawn on Sunday by the rescue team and fire department; 27-year-old Timothy Philips of Redway, 25-year-old Whitney Hacket of Briceland and 24-year-old Pierce Shippan of Sutter Creek were all safely pulled out of the ravine by 3:00 p.m.

A total of twenty rescuers were involved in the effort and none were injured, according to a release from HCSO lieutenant Steve Knight.

Sheriffs net 33 pounds of hash, 124 pounds of pot and seven suspects

Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel

On their way to serve a warrant on one set of suspects in a remote Southern Humboldt County ranch, local, state and federal law enforcement personnel stumbled their way into a major bust on a completely different property.

In the Tooby Ranch area outside of Garberville at 2:30 p.m. yesterday, deputies with the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office had been looking to scope out landowner Joshua Sweet when they found a well-developed hash-making factory on a nearby property.

In cooperation with federal agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration and personnel from the California Department of Fish and Game, the Humboldt County Drug Task Force bagged 33 pounds of hash, 124 pounds of drying marijuana bud, trim and shake and 38 growing marijuana plants. The cops also found three rifles and one handgun on scene.

Colin Schilling

Justin Henseth

In the course of their investigation, seven suspects were found at the has factory and arrested for cultivation and possession of marijuana for sales, and for being armed in the commission of a felony. In addition to 29-year-old Justin W. Henseth of Washington State and 22-year-old Colin M. Schilling of Salem, Oregon, five others have had immigration holds placed on them, preventing them from skipping out on bail. These five suspected illegal immigrants include 34-year-old Melicio Gaona-Bran, 23-year-old Alfonso Ozozco-Zepeda, 19-year-old Oscar Vargas-Riveria, 24-year-old Jesus Gaona-Bran and 29-year-old Alejandro Gaona-Bran.

Investigation into this case continues by the HSCO, who can be reached at (707) 445-7251.

Alejandro Gaonabran

Oscar Vargasrivera

Alfonso Orozoco-Zepeda

Melecio Gaonabran

Jesus Gaonabran