John Chiv: January 2018

Jan 31, 2018

23 years in law enforcement, Humboldt born and raised, Sheriff Honsal shares his priorities

Sheriff William Honsal's campaign kickoff is at noon on February 5 in front of the Humboldt County Courthouse on the 5th street side.

If you cannot make it, information on his website sheriffhonsal.com gives you the basics.

Reception for Judge Kelly Neel at the Eagle house well attended

A reception was held for Judge Kelly Neel at the Eagle House Inn. It was well attended.

Family law attorney Sarah Kaber summed up what everyone was saying about Judge Neel. "You are such a deserving candidate."

Not too often you get to see someone sworn in as Judge that you actually worked with; this was at Child Welfare Services when I first met Judge Kelly Neel.

Humboldt County's newest Superior Court Judge to be sworn in at 4 p.m. this afternoon

As previously reported, this afternoon at 4 p.m. Ms. Kelly Neel will be sworn in as the newest Humboldt Superior Court Judge.

Bronson Townsend arrested the fourth time for violation of parole and other charges

On 01-31-18 at about 1:15 a.m. a Humboldt County Sheriff”s Deputy made a traffic stop in McKinleyville for a lighting issue.

This morning, jury trial for former Miss Hoopa, Kayla Brown, was scheduled for June 18 at 9:15.

Brown is charged with four counts of alleged abuse including abnormal sexual interest in children. Alleged victim is a female minor.

Desiree Henley's preliminary was scheduled for today. She is charged with arson as well as aiding and abetting in the Blue Heron fire. Defe

Fernando Macias is wanted by the Mendocino Sheriff for:

* PC 664/187(A) ATTEMPTED MURDER
* PC 136.1(C )(1) PREVENT W V BY FORCE
* PC 12022.53( C) SA USE OF FIREARM
* PC 12022.53(B) SA USE OF A FIREARM

$350,000 BAIL

Stolen guns, mental illness history revealed in father-son death on Arrow Bear trail

Two bodies found dead yesterday on Arrow Bear trail were father and son. The San Luis Obispo Sheriff's office identified the deceased as Edward Chavez Mendoza and Edmundo Eduardo Mendoza, Jr.

Preliminary hearing for Desiree Henley, charged with arson as well as aiding and abetting in the Blue Heron fire, is still scheduled for tomorrow.

Time estimate is an hour and a half.

Hikshari Trail suspect gets private attorney; preliminary hearing rescheduled

Preliminary scheduled for January 31 for Hikshari trail suspect was vacated today.

Conflict Counsel's office declared a conflict; private attorney Mr. David Celli was court appointed to represent Willey.

Mark Dare is charged with four counts, one special allegation. Two alleged Jane Doe victims.

A woman was at the Courthouse earlier asking about the arraignment but the complaint had not been filed yet. She was not in court when Dare was arraigned.

Three cases in 2017, Wesley Starritt already charged with violation of probation before yesterday's arrest

19 year old Wesley Starritt, who was arrested yesterday for alleged assault with a deadly weapon, had three cases in 2017.

(Olivio, Jr)

Two men found dead on Arrow Bear Trail, gun found nearby

KSBY's Alexa Bertola reported at 5:13 p.m. today:
The sheriff’s office just obtained a search warrant to go inside this home in #CaliforniaValley. Two people were found dead inside. This is on Arrow Bear Trail off Highway 58. https://t.co/VUfID4kk6k

Arrest has been made by EPD for incident reported below. 19 year old Wesley Starritt of Eureka. Arrested for assault with a deadly weapon.
Earlier post:
https://johnchiv.blogspot.com/2018/01/epd-investigating-alleged-assault.html?m=1

EPD investigating alleged assault, initial call from 3rd and T, no arrest yet

EPD's Brittany Powell confirmed that officers and detectives are investigating an assault. The initial call was from Third and T around noon.

No arrests have been made. Officers are still contacting and interviewing witnesses.

Probation and six other cases with Humboldt Superior Court did not deter Jared Nelson

Jared Randall Nelson arrested on January 27 has three traffic infractions and three criminal cases listed in Humboldt Superior Court records.

Bail is $150,000.

DA investigators assisted HCSO in arresting Mark Alan Dare on January 26 for two counts of alleged oral copulation/penetration of a child 10 years or younger and two counts of alleged lewd and lascivicious acts with a child under 14.

Bail is two million.

AFD determined "an ignited illegal firework container" to be cause of Humboldt Machine Works fire

On 1/28/18 at about 0202 hours, the Arcata Police Department was dispatched alongside the Arcata Fire District to 937 I St, Humboldt Machine Works building, for a reported structure fire.

"Arcata Fire had two commercial fires in less than 24 hours. There was a potential to burn down two complete city blocks during this shift but thankfully we were able to prevent that from happening."

Former PenAir employee enters a plea in Federal Court for fraud in connection with computers

PenAir ended service in Humboldt County in August 2017. The comment below is from the article linked below.

Jamie Woodard ·

Eureka Senior High

It should be way more. She screwed up my flights to and from Arcata CA and since they filed bankruptcy they had to quit flying into Northern CA and Southern OR.10 years is not enough

"By comparison, there are an estimated 15,000 illegal marijuana farms in Humboldt County alone."

http://m.sfgate.com/news/politics/article/After-California-pot-stockpiles-go-up-in-smoke-12530370.php

This is the "gag" order in former Corrrectional Deputy Cory Fisher's case with six minor male victims

OR/Bail hearing was scheduled for Lee Conoboy on January 26. Visiting Judge Terence Boren denied supervised release.

Two EPD vehicles, initial call Code 3 headed towards 4th and R

Around 6:50, two EPD cars, Code 3 headed southbound on 4th Street. They were near 4th St and R around 6:52, according to reader who was driving by in that intersection. Reached out to EPD for more information. It wasn't EPD. Reader still says it was EPD.

Kailan Meserve's new case's outcome to be decided by Judge Wilson

Kailan Meserve's 2017 appeal was stayed pending outcome of this new case. On January 12, the case was submitted to Judge Christopher Wilson for ruling.

Intervention was scheduled for Jennifer Willey on January 25. Intervention was continued to January 30. Preliminary still scheduled for January 31.

Judson Stiglich has retained Mr. David Celli, an associate at the Clanton Law Firm. Mr. Russ Clanton represented Stiglich in a previous case.

Today District Attorney Maggie Fleming announced that Humboldt County Judge Christopher Wilson accepted a guilty plea from 27-year-old Christian James Shepard of Rio Dell.

If it was not for California's sanctuary law, ICE would be dealing with Aguirre

Hugo Parral- Aguirre has a criminal past, he has been deported more than once, he has no prior mental health history. In addition to the deputies, he endangered the life of one citizen and put others nearby at risk

If it was not for California's sanctuary law, ICE would be dealing with Aguirre. Then, there are those "Humboldt court rules."

Appointment of a second doctor to evaluate Hugo Parral-Aguirre's competency to stand trial was requested by the People at the last court hearing. That appointment was expected to be decided today. It wasn't.

Sheriff Deputies arrested the suspect of a robbery in McKinleyville just minutes after it was
reported. On Jan. 26, 2018 around 1:18 p.m. the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center received a report from an employee at the Mill Creek Cinema in McKinleyville that a robbery had just occurred.

Setting for Joshua David Grow's preliminary hearing was scheduled for January 25.

Intervention is scheduled for March 27. Preliminary for April 5.

POP undercover bust results in arrest for possession and transportation of heroin

On January 25, 2018, at about 11:00 a.m., Detectives with the Eureka Police Department’s Problem Oriented Policing Unit (POP) conducted an undercover buy bust on the 400 block of W. Harris Street in Eureka.

Humboldt Superior Court warns public about phone scam regarding court fines

Humboldt County Superior Court has recently received several calls from the public notifying us that they have received calls from persons identifying themselves as representatives from court and demanding payment for a fine, or “’mediation over the phone by the end of the day to avoid a much larger claim amount in court.

Like most business owners in Eureka, Tina Mori of Tina's Photography, located on 533 F street, was fed up. She has been dealing with the same public safety issues you have heard about over and over again. Some businesses have had a few break-ins resulting in no arrests.

Humboldt County gets failing grade on no tobacco control policies, why not cannabis?

Thank you to KIEM for reporting on this but it isn't just tobacco smoke, it is secondhand smoke from cannabis as well.

If you could not make it to the Fieldbrook community meeting tonight, this is the link to HCSO facebook live.

https://www.facebook.com/HumboldtCountySheriff/videos/1743815245638893/

Sheriff, William Honsal, DA Maggie Fleming, Supervisor Ryan Sundberg, Captain Kevin Miller and Lt. Mike Fridley.

Matthew Thomas McCarthy accepts 35 years plea for sexual molestation of three victims after DA's opening statement

A recidvist defendant, having listened first to the prosecutor's opening statement to the jury outlining anticipated testimony and knowing that all of the prosecution's witnesses were in the courthouse ready to testify, decided over the lunch break to cut his losses (overall prison exposure) by accepting a plea and sentence bargain that the prosecutor had placed on the table.

Today's press release:

Around 5:45 p.m. on Jan. 23, 2017, sheriff's deputies responded to a residence on the 300 block of Panther Ridge Rd. in Willow Creek following up on a tip that wanted felony warrant subject Cody Benjamin Sides, 37, was inside.

Setting was scheduled for two of Michael Grant's recent cases. Preliminary hearing for the attempted murder case is now scheduled for February 8. Setting of the jury trial for another case (possession of a firearm) will be decided after the outcome of the preliminary.

Status of doctor's reports for Kimberly Felder was scheduled for January 24. Two doctor's were appointed to evaluate Felder after she entered an additional plea of not guilty by insanity.

Setting for a preliminary hearing was scheduled today for Richard Dean, from Hoopa. Dean was charged with the murder of a 52 year old in Arcata in October 2015.

No doctor's report yet; continued to February 21st.

Lindsay Kaminsky, the woman charged with stabbing her husband, plead guilty to lesser charge in 2015 and received formal supervised probation.

Attempted murder suspect Lee Conoboy was arraigned on information this morning. The charges are the same ones he was held to answer after the preliminary hearing.