The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office sent out a press release this week announcing it has revised its program assisting poor arrestees in getting home after they are released from custody to help them “have a better chance to create a healthy lifestyle upon release.” State law has long required that jails offer transportation assistance, upon […]
Crime
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Child Welfare Call Leads to Bayside Hash Lab
A call for a child welfare check led to the discovery of a butane hash lab operating in a Bayside home where 800 pounds of marijuana trim and bud were discovered along with 69 pounds of hash oil, according to the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office. After deputies arrived at the home on the 1400 block […]
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Trinidad Woman Jailed in Mendocino After Allegedly Causing 18-Month-Old Son’s Death
A 23-year-old Trinidad woman has been jailed in Mendocino County without bail on suspicion of willfully causing or permitting a child to suffer great bodily injury or death. According to a press release from the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office, Alexandrea Raven Scott was taken into custody after bringing her 18-month-old son, Chergery Teywoh Lew Mays, […]
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Former Harbor Commissioner Banned for Life From Recreational Hunting/Fishing in California
The California Fish and Game Commission voted unanimously in closed session this afternoon to permanently ban former Humboldt Bay Harbor, Conservation and Recreation District Commissioner Aaron Newman from obtaining a recreational hunting or fishing license. The ban stems from a 2014 criminal case in which Newman faced allegations that he’d habitually poached abalone and lied […]
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Arcata Rancher Charged on 35 Counts Related to Animal Cruelty Investigation
UPDATE: According to Humboldt County Deputy District Attorney Adrian Kamada, at this morning’s arraignment on animal cruelty charges Raymond Christie waived his right to have a preliminary hearing within 60 days. A court date has been set for Aug. 14 and Christie is not currently in custody. The district attorney is filing a motion to […]
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Lawsuit: Zoellner Alleges APD Falsified Reports in Lawson Investigation
Kyle Zoellner, the 24-year-old McKinleyville man accused last year of fatally stabbing a Humboldt State University student on April 15, 2017, has filed a lawsuit against the city of Arcata alleging police and city officials violated his civil rights. Zoellner — who was arrested at the scene of an off-campus party where David Josiah Lawson, […]
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Succulent Poaching Trio Pleads Guilty
Three poachers who operated an international smuggling ring that shipped succulents from Humboldt County to the Asian market have pleaded guilty to felony and misdemeanor charges, including conspiracy and stealing plants from public lands. According to a California Department of Fish and Wildlife press release, the trio — Liu Fengxia, 37, of China, and Tae-Hun […]
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‘Highway Robbery’: Drivers Allege Rohnert Park Police Illegally Seized Cannabis, Cash
This story was reported in collaboration with the North Coast Journal and independent reporter Kym Kemp. Huedell Freeman was heading south on Highway 101 through Cloverdale and was just over the Sonoma County line when he said a police squad car flipped a U-Turn across a 25-foot grass median and pulled up behind him with […]
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Arcata Appoints Law Enforcement Veteran Interim Chief
Arcata will have a new police chief in town, at least for a while. The Arcata City Council voted last night to appoint Richard “Rick” Ehle interim chief of the Arcata Police Department and he is slated to assume the role Monday. Ehle is a 47-year veteran in law enforcement who served the bulk of […]
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UPDATE: SoHum Murder Suspect Arrested in Eureka
UPDATE: The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office reports murder suspect Zach Harrison is being held on $1 million bail after being arrested by the Eureka Police Department this afternoon. The EPD received a tip on his whereabouts at 1:17 p.m. and took him into custody 11 minutes later while he was walking in the back parking […]
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County Building Inspector Suspected of Taking $100K in Bribes
A county planning and building inspector was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of taking upwards of $100,000 in bribes to expedite projects after a seven-month investigation, according to a news release. The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office reports Patrick William Mctigue, 47, was taken into custody in Old Town Eureka on a felony warrant after multiple victims […]
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CHP, State Parks Officer Rescue Kidnapped Woman
A Eureka man is in custody after allegedly kidnapping a woman and evading law enforcement officers. According to a press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, John Luther Leslie, 35, forced a woman he had been dating to leave her Eureka home early Wednesday evening and drove her north to Trinidad. The woman made an […]