Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office press release:

On 1-14-2014, at approximately 9:40 p.m., a Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office Deputy was flagged down by an employee at Bear River Casino, Loleta who reported there was a man associated with a blue 1991 Dodge Dakota burglarizing a vehicle in the parking lot.

The employee told the investigating deputy when he confronted the suspect; the suspect brandished a knife at him. The employee backed away to avoid being stabbed.

The deputy saw the Dodge Dakota stopped in the roadway on Bear Paws Way. The deputy attempted a traffic stop of the vehicle with his emergency lights, and the vehicle accelerated towards the exit of the Casino and running two stop signs. The deputy initiated a pursuit. The Dakota traveled into the housing area near the casino and into vacant fields nearby, while attempting to evade the deputy. The Dakota drove towards Singley Road, driving over the side walk several times, then onto Singley Road where it accelerated to approximately 60 mph with the deputy still pursing. The Dakota drove onto Eel River Drive and then over Fernbridge, with sparks coming from a damaged front passenger side tire. The Dakota turned onto Substation Road, then down to the Eel River and onto the river bar. The deputies terminated their pursuit and went down to the river bar on foot where they located the unoccupied Dakota. After searching the area, they located two females, an 18 year old and a 29 year old, who they learned were associated with the vehicle.

The females told the deputies they were passengers in the truck, were not driving  and denied knowledge of the burglary. When the deputies returned to the truck with the females they located a male hiding behind the passenger side door with wet clothing. Deputies arrested the male who was identified as Cory Levi Weatherman, 18 years old from Fortuna. Weatherman had run from the vehicle and into the Eel River to avoid the deputies, but doubled back to the truck when it was left unattended.  

The Bear River Casino employee positively identified Weatherman as the person who brandished the knife at him, burglarizing the vehicle and as the driver of the Dakota. Weatherman was arrested for felony evasion and brandishing a weapon. The two women were interviewed and released. The victim of the vehicle burglary did not want to pursue charges or file a report so Weatherman was not charged with the burglary of the vehicle.

Weatherman was transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility where he is being held on $50,000.00 bail.

Anyone with information for the Sheriff’s Office regarding this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Sheriff’s Office at 707-445-7251 or the Sheriffs Office Crime Tip line at 707-268-2539.