The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office is in the midst of a death investigation after deputies responded to a report of a foul smell in Scotia to find the decomposing remains of Justin Joseph Nevis, 32, of Sacramento. An autopsy is currently pending to determine a cause of death, but the the case is possibly linked […]
Crime
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Hero Dog Given (Imitation) Purple Heart
The Eureka Police Department reports that plucky pooch K-9 Vex was presented with a chew toy and a dog-sized purple-heart medal today for his bravery on July 31, when he helped clear a local residence after a burglary. Vex cut his paw on broken glass in the course of duty and left several bloody paw […]
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Fortuna High Grad Reportedly Among Oregon Shooting Victims
One of the victims in Thursday’s mass shooting at Umpqua Community College in Oregon was Jason Johnson, a 33-year-old graduate of Fortuna High School, NBC News is reporting. Officials have yet to publicly identify any of the nine people killed in the shooting spree, which began at about 10:30 a.m. Thursday, but Johnson’s mother, Tonja […]
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DA: No Charges in CHP Shooting of Hoopa Boy Last Year
District Attorney Maggie Fleming has decided that the California Highway Patrol officer who shot 17-year-old Richard Frederick Tis’Mil Estrada in December acted in self defense and announced today that she will not file charges against him. CHP officer Timothy Gray responded to 911 calls reporting an accident on State Route 299 near Willow Creek early […]
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Two Double-Murder Trials Begin
For the first time in recent memory, the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office is in the process of simultaneously trying separate double-murder cases. Prosecutors gave opening arguments Sept. 24 in the case against Jason Michael Arreaga, the 30-year-old Lucerne man with a violent past who stands accused of gunning down Harley Hammers and Angel Tully […]
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Hoopa PD No More
The days of Hoopa having its own police department may be over. Humboldt County Sheriff Mike Downey announced Thursday that he was revoking the power of tribal police officers to enforce state law and suspending a memorandum of understanding that had been in place between the tribe and the county for almost two decades. The […]
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Homeless in Humboldt Update: Death, Drones and Rallies
A drone video of the PalCo Marsh, known to some as “The Devil’s Playground,” shows camps still firmly entrenched in the wooded area just behind the mall, an area where the Eureka Police Department is preparing to cite and arrest campers. EPD is encouraging people to move north, to the flat area adjacent to the […]
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Thomas’ Death Ruled a Homicide
The Humboldt County Coroner’s Office has officially determined Terry Lee Thomas’s death to be a homicide. The 63-year-old homeless Eureka man was found bloodied and unresponsive shortly after 8 p.m. on Sept. 8 in the parking lot of the Courthouse Market in the 900 block of Fourth Street. He later died at a local hospital. […]
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Multiple Agencies Push Homeless Campers to a “Safer” Place
Kathleen Hytholt doesn’t know where she’s going to go. Hytholt has been living in a makeshift shelter in the greenbelt at the corner of Sixth and T streets in Eureka for two months. She has been homeless for three years. The young people in the camp call her “Mama Kat.” Their kids call her “Grandma […]
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Homicide in Eureka UPDATED With Memorial Information
A memorial for Terry Lee Thomas will be held tonight at the Holiday Inn Express at 6 p.m. Thomas’ sister, Phyllis Thomas, says in the announcement: “We’ve heard that Terry was well liked by all who knew him despite his circumstances. We invite you to come join us to share the experiences and memories you […]
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UPDATED: Hoopa Officer-Involved Shooting; Eureka Homicide
2nd UPDATE: The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office has identified the officer who fatally shot a 47-year-old suspect near Weitchpec on Sept. 4 as Sgt. Seth Ruiz. Ruiz remains on paid administrative leave from the Hoopa tribal police department, pending the outcome of a multi-agency investigation. See the full press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s […]
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Ex-Rio Dell Cop Pleads Guilty in Domestic Violence Case
Former Rio Dell Police officer Kevin Harralson entered into a plea deal with prosecutors today that will see him placed on three year’s probation and mandated to a 52-week domestic violence counseling program after pleading guilty to a single count of false imprisonment. The deal also stipulates that Harralson will not appeal his termination from […]