Illegal camper threatens to kill employee who asked her to leave

On Dec. 3, 2020, at about 8:47 a.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a business on the 121,000 block of U.S. Highway 101 in Orick for the report of a female brandishing a knife.

According to the male victim who is an employee of the business, the female suspect, later identified as 25-year-old Amber Marie Rountree, was reportedly illegally camping in front of the business. The victim contacted Rountree and asked her to leave the property. At that time, Rountree reportedly brandished a knife at the victim and threatened to kill him. The employee retreated into the business and Rountree reportedly followed, entering the business while still brandishing the knife. Rountree then fled on foot.

Due to extended response times, deputies requested the assistance of officers with the California State Parks to begin searching the area for Rountree. Deputies and State Parks officers searched the area but were unable to locate Rountree.

Later that afternoon, at about 2:40 p.m., State Parks officers located Rountree in the area of US Highway 101 and Lundblade Street in Orick. Deputies responded to the scene and placed Rountree under arrest.

Rountree was booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on charges of exhibiting a deadly weapon other than a firearm (PC 417(a)(1)), assault with a deadly weapon other than a firearm (PC 245(a)(1)) and criminal threats (PC 422).

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank California State Parks for their assistance with this case.