UPDATE 12/20, 10:58 a.m.: Micki Johnston called LoCO this morning to contest the allegations maded against her by the propane delivery man calling the account in the press release below “false and exaggerated.”
“I didn’t shoot at him,” Johnston claims. “No shots fired. No guns pointed.”
She plans to give us all an update after her court date.
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From the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:
On 12-6-2013, at approximately 12:30 p.m. the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by the owner of Sequoia Gas Company who reported one of his drivers had been assaulted with a firearm while attempting to deliver propane to a customer.
A deputy spoke with the 45 year old male driver who reported the assault happened on 12-5-2013, at approximately 5:00 p.m. The driver told the deputy he had driven to a residence on Brinks Drive, Honeydew in his clearly marked propane gas truck to deliver propane. The driver arrived and backed his truck up near the propane tank to make the delivery. He started to open the door to his truck when he heard a loud angry voice that he recognized as Rachael “Micki” Johnston, 64 years old, the homeowner. The driver knew Johnston because he has delivered to her residence four or five times in the past. Johnston yelled at him to leave as he exited his truck. The driver saw Johnston had a revolver in her hand which she pointed at the driver while standing five feet away. Johnston then ordered the driver to put his hands up. The driver explained to Johnston that she called their company asking for her propane tank to be filled, which is what he was doing. The driver begged Johnston not to shoot him and told her he had a family. Johnston turned the gun to the side and fired two shots into the ground while again demanding the driver immediately leave. The driver eventually was allowed to leave unharmed.
Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office Detectives obtained a Humboldt County Superior Court search warrant and an arrest warrant for Johnston. The arrest warrant was for assault with a deadly weapon, brandishing a firearm in a threatening manner and false imprisonment. The bail was set at $100,000.00.
On 12-18-2013, at approximately 11:45 a.m. Humboldt County Sheriff’s Deputies stopped Johnston on Mattole Road, Honeydew. They arrested her on the arrest warrant without incident. They then served the search warrant on her residence and located two firearms, one of which matched the description of the one pointed at the driver. Johnston was transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility where she was booked on the charges and an additional charge of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Her total bail was set at $50,000.00.
Anyone with information for the Sheriffs Office regarding this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Sheriffs Office at 707-445-7251 or the Sheriffs Office Crime Tip line at 707-268-2539.