UPDATE, 7:53 p.m.: Another press release from the Sheriff’s Office:

On Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2017 around 3 p.m. the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office received a report that a vehicle had just been stolen near the 100 block of Gely St. in Blue Lake. The victim reported that a firearm was inside the vehicle at the time of the theft.

Sheriff’s deputies, with the help of the California Highway Patrol, were quickly able to locate the vehicle, a silver 2008 Dodge Ram truck. The truck was found unoccupied, crashed in a ditch on Blue Lake Blvd. between Acacia Dr. and Raymar Ave. The firearm was recovered inside of the vehicle.

Sheriff’s deputies are looking for the suspect who is described as a white male adult, 6’2” tall and 250 pounds, wearing dark clothing. Anyone with information regarding this case or related criminal activity is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Crime Tip Line at (707) 268-2539.

###

UPDATE, 4:54 p.m.: Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2017 around 3 p.m. the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office received a report that a vehicle had just been stolen near the 100 block of Gely St. in Blue Lake. The victim reported that a firearm was inside the vehicle at the time of the theft.

Sheriff’s deputies, with the help of the California Highway Patrol, were quickly able to locate the vehicle, a silver 2008 Dodge Ram truck. The truck was found unoccupied, crashed in a ditch on Blue Lake Blvd. between Acacia Dr. and Raymar Ave. The firearm was recovered inside of the vehicle.

Sheriff’s deputies are looking for the suspect who is described as a white male adult, 6’2” tall and 250 pounds, wearing dark clothing.

Anyone with information regarding this case or related criminal activity is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Crime Tip Line at (707) 268-2539.

###

UPDATE, 3:47 p.m.: A firearm has been located in the vehicle.

###

UPDATE, 3:45 p.m.: The vehicle was discovered to be unoccupied when officers moved up on it. They are searching the surrounding area now.

###

Blue Lake residents may be seeing a large police presence in the neighborhood of Raymar Avenue and Acacia Drive at the moment. That’s because deputies have located a stolen car in the vicinity, and are being careful about recovering it.

“We believe that the person who stole the vehicle is possibly armed, so out of an abundance of caution they are conducting a felony traffic stop,” Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Samantha Karges told the Outpost a few minutes ago.

A reverse 911 call was placed to residents of the neighborhood warning them to shelter in place. Several intersections have been shut down, Arcata Police Department has been brought in to assist.

We’ll update when we know more.