Tenacious victim helps HCSO nab suspect

On Tuesday, May 10, 2016, at about 2:35 p.m. Humboldt County Deputy Sheriffs responded to a residence on the 2000 block of Peninsula Drive, Manila, CA. Deputies met with a 63 year old male. The victim stated his locked storage shed was broken into sometime between May 3rd and May 5th. The victim told deputies a set of 17” American Mag rims with Grand Prix tires with white lettering were stolen along with a trainer tire, 225X15, copper wire shaped like a barbell, and miscellaneous items. The victim stated he located the copper wire at Arcata Salvage.

Deputies went to Arcata Salvage to investigate. Deputies received a sale slip and video surveillance of the person who sold the copper wire to Arcata Salvage. The wire was sold by 23 year old William German. The video showed a thin white male driving a small brown pickup truck with a darker canopy shell. Deputies took the copper wire and booked it in as evidence.

On Thursday, June 23, 2016 at about 12:55 p.m. Deputies responded to Alto Brothers in Eureka to meet with the victim who located a possible suspect vehicle and stolen property. Upon arrival, deputies observed a brown pickup truck with a black canopy. The victim stated he could see one of his stolen tools, a hammer, in the truck. There were numerous tools in the truck as well as a Husqvarna and a Stihl chainsaw. It is unknown if the tools in the truck were stolen.

A vehicle arrived on scene and William German exited the vehicle. The parked truck belonged to German. German returned the hammer to the victim. Deputies ran a records check and discovered German had a warrant for his arrest. Deputies detained German in handcuff. After German was handcuffed he ran away from the Deputies. The Deputies were able to catch German after a brief pursuit. Deputies searched German prior to arrest and located credit cards on his person that were not in his name, drug paraphernalia, and suspected heroin.

German was arrested and taken to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility where he was booked for possession of stolen property, resisting arrest, possession of a controlled substance, possession of unlawful drug paraphernalia and a warrant for possession of stolen property. His bail was set at $10,000.