Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On Dec. 14, 2021, at about 4:40 a.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies on patrol in the unincorporated area of Eureka conducted a vehicle investigation on a suspicious occupied vehicle parked at the Herrick Avenue Park and Ride.

Deputies contacted two individuals, a male and a female, inside the vehicle. The male, who was later identified as 23-year-old Malique Tija Bassey Smart, initially provided deputies with a false name. Upon proper identification, deputies learned that Smart had multiple felony warrants for his arrest. During a search of Smart incident to arrest, deputies located approximately 0.3 grams of methamphetamine.

Smart was booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on charges of false identification to a peace officer (PC 148.9(a)) and possession of a controlled substance (HS 11377(a)), in addition to three felony warrants for violation of probation.

The female occupant was released at the scene.

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind the public that loitering, camping, and/or vending is prohibited at the Herrick Avenue Park and Ride. Deputies routinely patrol this area during the overnight hours.

Anyone with information about this case 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.