Stabbing victim Ruth Wortman no stranger to Law Enforcement

From Times-Standard -2012

Fortuna police arrested a Fortuna man and woman after a parole search on Friday.

Officers found John Hanley, 33, in a residence on the 4000 block of South Loop Road standing next to a loaded sawed-off 12-gauge shotgun during the parole search, according to a press release. Officers also located Ruth Wortman, 26, who officials said had a warrant out for her arrest.

Hanley was arrested on suspicion of being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a sawed-off shotgun, according to the release. Hanley and Wortman were booked in the Humboldt County jail.

From Napa Valley Crime Stoppers

Ruth Evelyn Wortman, DOB: 2-26-1986, is wanted for Felony failure to appear on a charge of possession of a controlled substance.

From Napa Valley Register:
February 14, 2014 1:33 pm  •  Register staff

A Humboldt County resident was arrested Friday morning in Calistoga on suspicion of drug possession, according to the Calistoga Police Department.

An officer checking a vehicle at 4 a.m. in the 900 block of Petrified Forest Road saw a bag of suspected marijuana and drug paraphernalia in plain view, police said. During a search of the vehicle, an officer found an unspecified amount of suspected methamphetamine, police said.

Ruth Wortman, 27, of Fortuna, an occupant in the vehicle, was arrested and booked into the Napa County jail on suspicion of drug possession and drug paraphernalia possession, according to the jail logs.

Original EPD News Release dated 6-20-14
On 06/20/14 at approximately 5:03 a.m., officers responded to a possible stabbing at an apartment building on the 2900 block of California Street.  Upon arrival, officers found a male and a female with stab wounds outside the apartment building. Both victims were transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital and are in stable condition. The male victim is Thomas Frank, 36 of Eureka and the female victim is Ruth Wortman, 28 of Fortuna.  Investigators are looking into whether this was gang motivated.

Update
Upon investigation, the Eureka Police Department has learned that Thomas Frank and Ruth Wortman were trespassing in the California apartments.  The abandoned apartment they were squatting in was in the process of being renovated and had been secured with plywood and screws. The screws had been removed or pulled from the wall and access was made. The two slept on a mattress in the closet.

At about 0500 hours, a small statured man entered the apartment. The male leaned into the closet over Wortman and ambushed Frank, stabbing him repeatedly. There was no warning or provocation. Wortman kicked at the suspect and was stabbed above the knee. She crawled out of the closet to escape the fracas between Frank and his attacker. Frank fought back, and the battle moved into the main room. The two continued fighting. Frank did not have a weapon and the suspect had a small knife. Wortman grabbed a 6’ long piece of 1” X 4” lumber and hit the suspect in the head. This ended the close quarter battle. The suspect fled. The suspect is described as a white male, small in stature, 26 years old, with close cut blond hair and the letters “CWB” in large letters tattooed on his neck.

Frank suffered 15 knife wounds that required surgical procedures and several other superficial knife wounds. The wounds were to the head, back chest and shoulders.  Frank, who knows his assailant, has declined to prosecute or otherwise assist with the investigation. Likewise Wortman.

Frank and his attacker are known local gang members from different gangs. Despite this fact, it is not believed this attack was related to any frictions between the two gangs. EPD investigators believe this was a crime of passion based on a personal issue. EPD investigators are classifying this crime as an attempted murder but are suspending their investigation because of lack of cooperation from the victims.