$200,000 bail for man who demanded money from woman but left

On 05-25-16, at about 9:00 AM, Kay Graves was in her kitchen when she was confronted by a strange man standing near her in her house. The man was wearing fabric tied around the lower portion of his face to conceal his identity and demanded that Graves give him money. Graves told the suspect that she does not have any money and he replied that he needs money and demanded that she give it to him. Graves maintained that she did not have money to give him and he turned to leave. When the suspect turned Graves saw that he was holding a large black handgun at his side.

The suspect walked out of Grave's house and ran toward the east into the woods. Graves called 911 and Mendocino County Sheriff's Deputies arrived and began searching the area. A Sheriff's Office canine was used to assist in the search. The investigation eventually identified nearby resident Matthew Rantala as the suspect.

Rantala was arrested and the disguise that he wore during the crime was recovered, as was the handgun. The handgun was found to be a replica firearm. Rantala was subsequently lodged in the Mendocino County Jail with bail set at $200,000.00