(Above: Rodriguez, Alberson)

PREVIOUSLY: Three Pipe Bombs Discovered in Eureka Econo Lodge Room

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Eureka Police Department press release: 

On 03/08/16 at about 11:35 a.m., an officer with the Eureka Police Department conducted a field interview with a male on probation near a motel on the 1600 block of 4th Street. The contact led to a probation search of an associated motel room. Five male occupants, most believed to have gang involvement, were detained in the room.

While searching the room, officers discovered what appeared to be three improvised explosive devices. Officers immediately evacuated all guests from the motel and set up a perimeter. The Humboldt County Sheriff Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team (EOD) was called out to assist and EPD investigators obtained a search warrant.

The EOD team used a robot to carefully remove all three devices and render them safe. All three were confirmed to be explosive devices and included fragmentation material. At about 9:30 p.m., the scene was secured and the evacuation notice was lifted.

During a search of the room pursuant to the search warrant, officers found heroin packaged for sales, gang indicia, and evidence that an adjoined room was associated. Officers obtained an additional search warrant for the second room.

In the adjoined room, officers found three handguns, ammunition, just under 11 ounces of methamphetamine, small individual packages of heroin, evidence of drug sales, and gang indicia. Two of the three handguns were confirmed to have been reported as stolen out of Central California.

Two of the five detained were identified and released pending further investigation. One adult male was arrested on a juvenile probation violation and warrant. He was transported and booked into Juvenile Hall.

Jesse Rodriguez (30) and Steven Alberson (26), both of Tulare County, were transported and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility for possession of a destructive device and reckless or malicious possession of a destructive device in or around a hotel. Bail was set at $500,000 for each.

EPD would like to thank the HCSO EOD team for their invaluable professional service and assistance during this incident.