UPDATE 4:12 p.m.: Nope. EPD’s Susanne Owsley lays LoCO‘s typo assumption to rest and says, in fact, this incident did not happen earlier today and she believes the date placing the incident 18 days ago to be correct. -AG

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Eureka Police Department press release (LoCO has an email in to EPD checking to see if this actually occurred today, 7/31, as opposed to the way it was released with the incident occurring on 7/13. We’ll update the post when that is clear.):

On 7/13/13, at about 12:23 PM, Eureka Police Department officers responded to a reported armed robbery that had just occurred in Sequoia Park. Upon arrival, officers met with four victims who had been walking together in the park off the Hodgson Street trailhead.

The victims, two married couples, told officers they were walking along the trail toward the Duck Pond when they encountered a bicycle lying across the path. As they went to move the bicycle off the path and navigate around it, an unknown adult male popped out of the bushes. The male began brandishing what appeared to be a black semi-automatic handgun and excused the victims of trying to steal his bicycle. He then racked the pistol’s slide menacingly and told the victims to empty their pockets.

In fear for their lives, one of the victims surrendered her sunglasses to the suspect and a second gave him her house and car keys. The suspect then fled with the victims’ property leaving his bicycle behind (it didn’t have a chain on it and was inoperable). He was last seen heading back toward the Hodgson Street trailhead. The victims continued to the Duck Pond where they awaited officers’ arrival after calling 9-1-1.

No shots were fired and the victims were not injured. The suspect remains outstanding and unidentified as of this time. He is described as a white male adult, approximately 28 years old, with a shaved head and dark hair, and approximately 6’ and 170 pounds. He was last seen wearing a torn light blue plaid shirt and blue jeans.

Per the victims, the suspect may have been with an unidentified black male adult who was not involved in the robbery.

This appears to be an isolated event and EPD is not aware of any similar, related incidents in the vicinity of Sequoia Park.

This is an on-going, open investigation. Anyone with information concerning this incident is encouraged to call Officer Mike Stelzig at (707) 441-4060.