GOP vandalism suspect and "Bernie Bro" said his name was "Gypsy"

 

Preliminary hearing for GOP vandalism suspect Michael Valls finally started today. Direct examination was completed. 

Deputy Conflict Counsel April Van Dyke is Valls' attorney.  Deputy District Attorney Luke Bernthal is the prosecutor.

People's only witness is Eureka Police Department Officer Jeremy Sollom. Defense played a video clip from surveillance footage at the local GOP headquarters.

Cross examination did not conclude because the video clip the EPD officer saw was not the same one played by defense in court. The hearing resumes at 1 p.m. tomorrow.

There were videos on several sites and surveillance footage given to EPD and other sources by GOP. Tomorrow, we hope to see the video clip the officer saw.  It seems to be different than what the DA has or what they provided to defense in discovery. 

Valls is charged with second degree burglary, vandalism of the local GOP office and two counts of resisting/obstructing a police officer.

On February 8, EPD Officer Sollom was working patrol. At 4:43 a.m. , he was dispatched to 5th and D "about a possible burglary in progress."

"I observed a male subject matching the suspect description by the reporting party," said Officer Sollom. Suspect jacket and color of bicycle was in the description.

Officer Sollom identified Valls in court. 

At 1st and D streets, Officer Sollom saw Valls. He exited his patrol vehicle, Valls saw him exit. Officer Sollom told Valls to stop. "He drove away from me. I yelled commands. He did not comply." Officer Sollom turned Code 3 lights and pursued Valls.

Via radio contact, Officer Ben Altic and Officer Trish Mendoza observed Valls near Madaket Plaza. They attempted to stop Valls and detain him. As Officer Sollom pulled into the parking lot, Officers Altic and Mendoza were attempting to handcuff Valls. He was resisting arrest. Officer Sollom had to grab Valls' legs so they could cuff him. Everyone involved was on the ground during this process.

After Valls was handcuffed, the officers "stood him up." Officers Sollom and Altic grabbed him by the arm to walk him to a patrol car. Valls attempted to get away. Officers Sollom and Altic had to do a "wrist lock". Valls gave the name "Gypsy."

Valls' bike had a Bernie for President sticker. Valls and his property were searched. In a plastic container, he had a 3 x 5  blue Trump flag with the words Make America Great Again.

There was a "chemical odor" in the container. Officer Sollom described it as "smell of ash" and "a pungent, alcoholic odor." 

While Valls was being searched, Officer Sollom received additional information that the GOP office on 311 5th street had a call regarding the alarm. Officer Camaron Hooks was at that location and he told Officer Sollom, there was "extensive damage to the front."

Officer Sollom went to the GOP office. "Multiple large windows as well as the glass front door had large cracks which appeared to be from rocks. There was broken glass thrown inside/outside."

Officer Sollom could smell the same odor at the GOP office and he saw an "oily, chemical substance on the glass and window."

There were multiple flags at the GOP headquarters, including Trump flags and a blank space where a flag had been hung. These flags were similar to the one found in Valls' plastic container.Officer Sollom observed multiple rocks inside and outside the GOP office.

Officer Sollom requested Officer Altic take a chemical swab and he asked Humboldt Bay Fire to respond and check the substance. HBF tested the air to determine "if there was any danger but they could not identify the substance."

EPD had contacted the person listed as responsible for the GOP property. Floyd Bonino responded and confirmed a flag was missing. He gave a $4,000 estimate.

Officer Altic informed Officer Sollom that Valls wanted to speak with him. Valls had invoked Miranda. At various times, he had agreed and disagreed about speaking to Officer Sollom. 

Officer Sollom explained that he had to tell Valls a few times that he was the arresting officer.

This was after Valls said he rather speak to the arresting officer. Valls was under the impression the arresting officer was Officer Altic. Valls wanted to speak to Officer Altic to tell him that he did not intentionally throw his bike at Officer Altic.

Even though he had invoked Miranda, Valls made "spontaneous statements." 

Valls bicycle with a Bernie Sanders' sticker was seized as evidence by Eureka Police Department and processed. Officer Sollom said surveillance footage showed Valls throwing items on the windows of the GOP office, reaching through the window, dumping a substance and taking a flag.

That was Valls' previous mode of transportation. Valls preliminary hearing had to be continued last time due to "car issues."

Valls wanted to be personally present and in criminal courts, defendants are being allowed to be present. Judge Kaleb Cockrum had told Valls he could get his attention if he wanted to speak to his attorney and Valls took full advantage of that, interrupting three times during direct. He had a pad and paper and could have waited until his attorney started cross examination to give her the questions.

Valls nodded his head during cross examination to questions Ms. Van Dyke was asking Officer Sollom about whether Valls was in pain when he was being detained, cuffed and arrested. Officer Sollom said the only time he recalled Valls indicating pain was during the wrist lock.

Officer Sollom was not aware of other vandalism reports at GOP headquarters.

The defense seems to be going for the strategy that the suspect was not Valls and could not be seen clearly on the video. Even if they manage to make the argument at the preliminary hearing that the face cannot be seen clearly on the videos, at 4:43 a.m. and minutes later after being dispatched about that location, Valls was the only one matching the description and he fled when he saw EPD. How did Valls get a flag and the exact one missing from the GOP office and why was there this chemical smell in Valls' container?

As for the charges, the people have already provided enough evidence to hold Valls to answer on the charges for the preliminary hearing.

I am the only one who has covered this case regularly since the incident until today.  You need to read the previous posts on Valls, especially the one before his arraignment where he was in the hallway to fully appreciate his behavior in court today. Search feature on the blog will access all posts.

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