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Third update: The coroner's office says the 14-year-old victim was Jesus Joani Garcia-Romero, of Arcata.

Second Update:
Humboldt County Deputy Coroner Trevor Enright said the victim in the case is a 14-year-old from Arcata.

Enright said the boy's family has been notified, but officials are holding off on releasing his identity "because he's a minor and of some of the circumstances involved." The apparent homicide remains under investigation.


UPDATE: An EPD press release, which states the victim was a juvenile, has been added to the end of this post.

Eureka police are investigating what they believe is the county’s 15th homicide this year after finding a man lying in a yard on the 2300 block of 15th Street this morning.

EPD Capt. Steve Watson said the man was alive but unresponsive when officers arrived on scene at about 8:30 a.m., but that he later died at a local hospital. PIO Brittany Powell said the man had wounds that were “of a suspicious nature,” and that the death is being treated as a homicide. Powell said EPD is not releasing any details about the type of wounds found on the man at this point.

Powell said EPD investigators, detectives, officers and evidence technicians are investigating but have yet to identify any suspects in the case. Powell asked that anyone with information about the case call EPD at 441-4060.

If the death is confirmed as a homicide, it would be the sixth in Eureka this year, a number that includes the September officer-involved shooting death of Thomas “Tommy” McClain. It would be the 15th homicide countywide, according to the Humboldt County Coroner’s Office.

From EPD:

On December 17, 2014, at about 8:22 a.m., Eureka Police officers were dispatched to a report of an unresponsive male lying in the 2300 block of 15th Street. Upon officers arrival they located the subject and determined he was in need of immediate medical aid. Humboldt Bay Fire and City Ambulance responded to the scene and transported the male subject to St. Joseph Hospital. Lifesaving efforts were performed but the male ultimately succumbed to his injuries.

This incident is being actively investigated as a Homicide. Homicide detectives responded to the scene along with an evidence technician and took over the investigation.

It has been determined that the victim is a juvenile who is known to Law Enforcement. The victim’s age and city of residence will be released through the Coroner’s Office once proper next of kin notifications are complete.  

Editor's Note: This post was updated from a previous version to accurately reflect Eureka's year-to-date homicide total.