Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On April 7, 2020, at about 3:05 p.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the Hammond Trail in the area of Hiller and School Roads in McKinleyville for an assault that had just occurred.

Berger.

Deputies arrived on scene and located a teenage male victim injured on the trail. The victim was transported to a local hospital in stable condition.

Upon further investigation, deputies learned that the victim had been walking on the trail with family members when an unknown male suspect, later identified as 19-year-old Kyle Cole Berger, reportedly approached the victim and hit him in the head from behind. Following the assault, Berger was confronted by family members of the victim, at which time, he physically assaulted a female adult relative and fled the scene with the female’s cell phone.

Witnesses to the incident followed Berger to a residence on the 1600 block of Fischer Road. Deputies responded to the residence and located Berger. He was taken into custody without incident.

Berger was booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on charges of robbery (PC 211), felony battery (PC 243(d)) and child abuse (PC 273a(a)).

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