Eureka Police Department press release:

On March 11, 2021, at about 10:00 a.m., Detectives with the Eureka Police Department’s Problem Oriented Policing Team (POP) responded to a motel on the 1500 block of McCullens Avenue in Eureka to serve a search warrant after receiving information that 33-year-old Joshua Bennett of Eureka was selling narcotics from his room.

Bennett and two other occupants were detained inside of the motel room. During the search, detectives located approximately 3 1⁄2 ounces of heroin and a digital scale. Three ounces of the heroin was located hidden inside a cocoa powder container. $1,580 in cash was also located and seized as evidence of drug sales.

Bennett was arrested and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility for possession of heroin for sales. Anyone with information on ongoing drug or nuisance problems in the city limits of Eureka is asked to contact the POP team at (707) 441- 4373.

Press release from College of the Redwoods:

College of the Redwoods plans to bring many courses and support services back for in-person instruction this coming fall semester. The college has been looking at how to safely bring students and staff back on campus since transitioning to online learning at this time last year due to the COVID-19 situation.

“This past year was extremely challenging for CR and its students as we were forced to completely alter how we deliver instruction and services,” said President Keith Flamer. “It also gave us an opportunity to grow our distance education function and cement its value in the institution and student experience.”

The college, working with the public health department, was able to offer vaccinations to all employees in early March and expects most support staff to return full time to campus on June 1st. Summer session classes will continue to be primarily online, with some Career Education classes remaining in-person, but in the fall the college believes students will be able to choose between face-to-face, online, or hybrid (combination online and on-site) offerings throughout all disciplines.

“We now see how much this transition from face-to-face operations has greatly limited access to our curriculum and essentially exacerbated an already widening student equity gap,” said Flamer. “The vaccination protocol and our ability to mitigate the risks associated with COVID-19 exposure and to keep our employees safe, allows us to increase the number of face-to-face or hybrid classes and expand our in-person administrative and student support services.”

Student and Business Services such as Counseling, Financial Aid, Tutoring, Library Services, and Food Services will all be included in the district’s modified in-person plans.

CR will continue to assess ongoing public health conditions, which may affect decisions regarding in-person services and business functions for this fall.

Robbery suspects are typically known for wearing masks before they’re arrested. Eureka man Aaron Aubrey put his on afterward.

Readers took notice when a booking photo of Aubrey wearing a surgical mask and a respirator over his face was used in a Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office press release on Tuesday. The image raised questions about the validity of a booking photo where the suspect’s face is unrecognizable, so the Outpost reached out to HCSO spokesperson Samantha Karges to ask why such a photo was taken.

“Mr. Aubrey told [correctional deputies] that he had been exposed to COVID through a close relative prior to his arrest,” Karges said. “Out of an abundance of caution to protect staff members and other inmates in our processing area, [deputies] required Mr. Aubrey to keep his mask on during his booking photo.”

Karges added that Aubrey’s masks were provided by the sheriff’s office per the on-site medical staff’s recommendations and that inmates cannot typically request to remain masked for booking photos.

“Booking photos are an important part of the booking process,” Karges said. “A booking photo serves many purposes, including providing a photographic record of an inmate in our facility, documenting appearance at the time of arrest, and providing a record of investigative value for current, past or future crimes/investigations.”

While Aubrey’s mug shot is a less-than-distinguishable, Karges said that an unmasked photo of him may not be necessary.

“I cannot say for sure whether another photo will be taken of Mr. Aubrey,” Karges said. “We do have several others of his on file from previous bookings, so it may not be necessary to take another. However, if an updated photo benefits any further criminal investigation, then we will do so.”

Aubrey has since been placed in a 14-day quarantine, as part of the HCSO’s standard COVID-19 booking procedure.

After recently graduating from CSU Long Beach with a degree in theatre arts, Rachel Post, Arcata born and raised, is excited to give their first post-college performance as a part of the fifth annual Zero to Fierce Womxn’s Festival — a week-long event organized by the Arcata Playhouse/ Playhouse Arts, featuring shows, workshops and events celebrating women in the community.

Post will be doing their one-person show “A Very Ray Variety Show” tonight at 8:30, and it will showcase their many different talents, including clowning, dancing, violin and “a whole lot of singing.” And though the show will be over Zoom, without that in-person crowd that artists love, Post is grateful for the performance opportunity — something there aren’t too many of these days.

“It’s such a privilege to be able to put a show on at all right now,” Post told the Outpost in a phone interview on Tuesday. “Just the fact Zero to Fierce is happening at all this year is such a testament to how theater and art are so important to the community.”

Arcata Playhouse Director Jacqueline Dandeneau | Photo: Bob Doran

In past years the festival has taken place in Arcata’s Creamery District, with most of the events held at the Arcata Playhouse and Redwood Raks Dance Studio. But like so many things, Zero to Fierce was forced to go virtual this year due to the pandemic.

Although holding the festival almost completely over Zoom has been a bit of an experiment, Arcata Playhouse Director and festival organizer Jacqueline Dandeneau told the Outpost, it has been going surprisingly well. The festival kicked off on Monday, March 8 — International Women’s Day — and so far, most of the events have been really well attended, Dandeneau said.

The festival runs almost all day —  from about 9:30 or 10 a.m. each morning until about 8:00 or so at night — and features a variety of classes, workshops, films, speakers, forums and performances from both local and national artists.  Almost all of the events are free, though most you can still support the artists and participants through the event’s virtual tip jar.

Though the festival is already a few days in, there are still some very exciting events coming up.

Today at noon, Abby Abinanti, chief judge of the Yurok Tribal Court, will lead a discussion on using art and cultural practices as a way to engage with the youth and address issues of trauma, addiction and family crisis. Abinanti’s talk will be a part of the festival’s “Lunchbox Series,” which includes an optional $10 meal that can be picked up at the Arcata Playhouse prior to the event.

Allison Russell | Photo: Laura E. Partain

In addition to Post’s variety show, Dandeneau said she is very excited to welcome musician, poet and activist Allison Russell, who will be streaming live from Nashville on Saturday night. Known for her work with musical groups the Birds of Chicago and Our Native Daughters, Russell is working on the release of her debut solo album and has put out several singles this year, which were highly praised by Billboard and Rolling Stone magazines.

Also on Saturday is the festival’s beer-tasting event, which will be hosted by local beer enthusiasts Sarah McKinney and Johanna Nagan starting at 3:00 p.m. You are probably wondering, how on earth do you do a beer tasting over Zoom? Well, the beers will be provided to-go style — you pick up your beverages (and snacks) before the event and then return home to join the Zoom tasting party. LoCO is told that after you purchase your ticket ($25 or $35 options) you will be contacted with information on how to pick up your products.

Another boozy event on Friday night includes a “virtual cocktail” hosted by owner of the Logger Bar Kate Martin. It will feel (kind of) just like you’ve attended a Dell’Arte show and are having a drink at the actual Logger Bar!

The festival also includes more kid-friendly events each afternoon, such as storytelling with Yurok Tribal member Laura Woods, a leaf art crafting session led by Shoshanna and a theatre and movement workshop with Dell’Arte Master’s student Julieta.

Shoshanna prepares to Zoom | Photo: Bob Doran

If you aren’t able to attend an event that interests you, most of them are also recorded and put on the website for you to watch at your leisure. You can check out the videos of the week’s events so far here.

So, whether you are looking for a way to celebrate Women’s History Month, support the arts or are just dying for something to ease your boredom as we continue to slog through this pandemic, you might want to check out the Zero to Fierce Womxn’s Festival, which runs through Saturday, March 13. You can find the full schedule of events here.

“I want people to know the arts are alive and well,” Dandeneau told the Outpost. “Come on down, virtually, and I look forward to seeing you all in person when we can hold outdoor events again. ”

Humboldt County Drug Task Force press release:

On March 10, 2021, special agents with the Humboldt County Drug Task Force (HCDTF) served a search warrant in the 1600 block of Kellner Ln. in Mckinleyville. Agents had been investigating this residence for methamphetamine sales since February of 2021. Agents stopped the suspect, Deryl Craig Morse (58 years old), as he drove away from his residence. Morse was detained without incident. Morse was found to be in possession of approx. $12,000 in US currency.

Agents served the search warrant at Morse residence and located the following evidence:

• .357 revolver and ammunition
• 192 grams of methamphetamine (approx. ½ pound)
• Digital scale and packaging

Deryl Morse is a convicted felon and is not allowed to possess firearms. Morse was transported to Mad River Hospital for medical clearance before being transported to the Humboldt County Jail where he was booked for the following charges:

• H&S 11370.1 Possession of controlled substances while armed
• H&S 11378 Possession of methamphetamine for sale
• H&S 11366 Operating or maintaining a drug house
• PC 29800(a)(1) Felon in possession of a firearm
• PC 30305(a) Felon in possession of ammunition

Anyone with information related to this investigation or other narcotics related crimes are encouraged to call the Humboldt County Drug Task Force at 707-267-9976.

After being caught in bed with 16-year-old Shelly Moon, Mauricio Sanchez-Johnson pulled a handgun and shot Shelly, her mother and her mother’s fiance, according to an affidavit for a search warrant issued in Utah.

“Mauricio Johnson was ‘getting with’ a girl when the girl’s stepdad walked in,” Sanchez-Johnson reportedly told a witness. “The stepfather started ‘getting tough’ with Mauricio Johnson so Mauricio Johnson pulled out his gun and shot him. The girl’s mother walked into the room and Mauricio Johnson shot her. Mauricio Johnson then shot the girl because he didn’t want any witnesses.”

Sanchez-Johnson.

Shelly Moon, her 40-year-old mother Margarett Lee Moon and Margarett’s fiance Nikki Dion Metcalf, 40, were all shot in the head. Shelly Moon and Metcalf were dead when emergency crews arrived at the home on Carroll Road in the Bear River Rancheria. Margarett Moon was taken to a hospital, where she was declared brain-dead and died shortly afterward.

The affidavit was written by Sgt. Branden Davis, a Utah law enforcement officer who was seeking to search Sanchez-Johnson’s vehicle. It was seized in Utah after he was arrested there the day after the killings. Davis relied on information provided by Humboldt County District Attorney’s Investigator Scott Hicks.

Sanchez-Johnson, who turned 19 on March 1, remains jailed in Tooele County, Utah, and is fighting extradition to California. His mother’s boyfriend Von Eric Keener, who was in Sanchez-Johnson’s vehicle when he was pulled over on Interstate 80, waived extradition and was booked into Humboldt County Correctional Facility on Tuesday.

On Feb. 9, Shelly Moon had invited some cousins over, according to the affidavit. About 3:30 a.m. on Feb. 10, it was discovered the kids were drinking alcohol.

“Margarett Moon was upset and had broken a liquor bottle in the hallway of the residence,” the affidavit stated. This information came from Shelly Moon’s 13-year-old sister, who was in the home that morning.

Not long after the drinking had been discovered and the cousins’ mother came to pick them up, the 13-year-old’s younger brother told her “Nikki Metcalf had observed a male subject in (Shelly Moon’s) bedroom. The male subject was on top of (Shelly). Nikki Metcalf hit the male.”

It wasn’t until about 8 a.m. that the 13-year-old called 911 to report she’d found her sister, mother and Metcalf were “bleeding out” in the bedroom. Investigators found 9mm shell casings and a bullet in the room.

According to the affidavit, after the shootings Sanchez-Johnson was panicked and nearly hysterical, barely able to form a coherent sentence. Witnesses said he kept crying and apologizing, saying “I wasn’t thinking” and “I did something.” His clothes were bloody and he was carrying a pistol.

At some point Sanchez-Johnson, accompanied by Keener, drove off in a white 2008 Toyota Highlander belonging to Sanchez-Johnson’s mother. The mother, Melissa Sanchez-Johnson, followed them in a 2014 Chrysler.

Law enforcement was able to track the Toyota because the auto dealership had placed a tracking device in the vehicle when it was purchased.

Both vehicles were pulled over the next day in Tooele County, Utah, though the Utah Highway Patrol had to use spike strips to stop the Toyota.

According to Davis, who wrote the affidavit, a search of the seized vehicles yielded two two-way radios, five cellphones and two computers.

Melissa Sanchez-Johnson was detained but released.

Her son’s next hearing is on March 16 before Third District Court Judge Dianna Gibson. He is represented by a public defender in Utah, and attorney Andrea Sullivan has been hired to represent him locally.

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PREVIOUSLY:

• 18-Year-Old Bear River Homicide Suspect, Two Associates Taken Into Custody in Utah, Sheriff’s Office Says
• Suspect in Bear River Triple Homicide Appears in Utah Court, Gets Public Defender Assigned
• Bear River Murder Suspect Still Fighting Extradition From Utah, but One Person Arrested With Him Has Been Returned to County Jail

Debra Elaine Sherman Albers more commonly known as “Debbie” crossed over on March 2, 2021 at her home in Loleta. She was born on July 25, 1966 in. She was a proud member of the Bear River Band of Rhonerville Rancheria.

Debbie had a heart of gold and a smile to reflect that. She was a caring mother, grandmother, and friend to all. She greeted everybody with her open arms no matter who you were. Debbie loved spending time in the kitchen, creating delicious meals and baked goods for her family and friends. She was especially known for cooking the best Spanish rice and peanut butter cookies. One of her proudest moments was conquering and remastering another recipe. When it came to cooking up a storm in the kitchen there was no doubt that she was truly uncontested.

Debbie was not a hard person to find matter of fact, you would find her more times than not. She was notorious for walking with multiple bags flung over her shoulders. For if she has somewhere to be, she would get there regardless if she had to walk ten miles and catch four different busses to get there. She was a determined, goofy, free spirited soul and would walk as far as her little feet could carry her, and then some.

Debbie will be remembered for attending council meetings, cultural ceremonies, and sporting events. She truly lived for social interactions and self development. She loved her watching her children at sporting events. Debbie would fill the sporting arenas with her loud laughter and loud cheers, as that was her in her element.

In Debbies younger years she attended beauty school in Eureka, where she learned skills that she generously provided to anybody in need of some beauty. Debbie was an avid competitor on the daily quiz radio channel “Cool 105”. She would listen to that station every morning no matter how loud or who was asleep.

Debbie did not have a lazy bone in her body, for if you needed help she would be there at the drop of a dime, regardless of who you were and the situation you were in. Debbie made it her life destiny to make sure all was loved, and for that she will truly be missed by many.

Debra Elaina Sherman Albers is survived by her children Delmar Donahue, Edwin Donahue Jr (Zance), Derek Donahue, Clifford Albers jr, Shannon Albers, Elaina Albers and Dentillia Albers. Grandchildren Kidiwische Donahue, Naomi Donahue, Raymee Donahue, Neisha Donahue, Marissa Donahue, Tyler Donahue, Quintin Donahue Jr, Shirley Anne Donahue, Damian Ike Donahue, Eliza Albers, Numikoy Albers, Abalone Albers, Adalina Arias and many many cousins aunties and uncles.

She is preceded in death by her father and mother Duane and Elaine Sherman, Grandma (mom) Beverly James, Grandpa Cecil Sherman Sr, Her husband Clifford Albers Sr, and Former Partner Gus Donahue.

Paul Bearers - Denny Sherman, Gusto Bowie, Rick Moorhead, Richard Moorhead, Art Moon, Wayne Moon, Joe Sherman, Darrell Sherman, Jess Sherman, Douglas James, Melvin F Farmer III, Zanz Donahue, Delmar Donahue, Quintin Donahue Sr, Derek Ike Donahue, Clifford Albers, Shannon Albers, Jim Bowie, Rhys Arias.

There will be a wake Thursday, March 11, 2021 at her residence in Loleta at 5:30 p.m.

Her services will be held Friday, March 12, 2021 at the Bear River Recreation Center at 11 am. She will then be laid to rest at Sunset Memorial in Eureka. A Reception will follow at the Bear River Recreation Center.