Suspect flees after stabbing 57 year old at Veteran’s Park in Willow Creek

 

Josue Diego Aguilar Garcia was arraigned on 2/5, bail is $750,000; Public Defender's office was appointed. Preliminary hearing on 2/19/26.

Garcia is charged in PC 664/187 (a) Count 1 with the attempted murder of  Lee Kelly Long.  Count 2 PC 245 (a) (1) assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury. Special allegation for Count 2 PC 12022.7 (a) personally inflicting great bodily injury.

2/19/26: Preliminary hearing continued by defense to 3/25.

2/3/26 HCSO update: "On Feb.2, 2026, at approximately 9:05 p.m. Josue Diego Aguilar Garcia was taken into custody by the Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office on the Ramey warrant." Attempted murder suspect Garcia was booked into the Humboldt County jail today.

2/2/26 HCSO update:

After receiving a tip and through follow up investigation, Humboldt County Sheriff deputies have identified 23-year-old Josue Diego Aguilar Garcia of Willow Creek as the person responsible for the stabbing that occurred on Jan. 24th in the Community Commons Park. 

A Ramey arrest warrant has been issued for his arrest.  The Sheriff’s Office believes that Aguilar Garcia is a threat to the community and is releasing his photo. 

2:57 HCSO update: The stabbing occurred at the Community Commons park located near the Big Foot Museum located on Highway 299 at Highway 96 in Willow Creek and not Veteran's Park as previously reported.

Original press release:

On Jan. 25, 2026, at 2:25 a.m., the Humboldt County Emergency Communications Center received a report from Providence St. Joseph Hospital regarding a male subject who arrived at the hospital emergency department with a stab wound to the back.

Deputies responded to the hospital and contact the 57-year-old victim.  The victim reported that on Jan. 24, 2026, at approximately 9:00 a.m., he was at Veteran’s Park and was packing up his belongings into a bag when he observed a male subject who he did not know walked past him. Without a word being said, the subject stabbed the victim in the back with an unknown object. After the stabbing the subject ran away northbound on Highway 96.

The victim described the suspect as a male in his early 20’s with light tan skin, light-colored eyes, and short brown hair.  He was described being between 5-foot-11-inches and 6-foot-1 inches tall and weighing approximately 180 pounds, wearing a light blue zippered sweatshirt with the logo “True Religion” on the front, blue Levi 501 jeans and tan cowboy boots.

The victim sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries and was admitted to the hospital for further treatment.

This incident is under investigation.