Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On Feb. 27, 2021, at about 11:18 p.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a residence on the 5700 block of Dows Prairie Road in McKinleyville for the report of a domestic disturbance resulting in injuries.

Deputies arrived on scene and located a combative male suspect, later identified as 35-year-old Joseph Earl Thurston. Thurston continued to be combative and resist deputies as he was taken into custody.

Inside the residence, deputies located a 63-year-old female victim with serious injuries. The victim was transported to a local hospital and later transferred to an out of area hospital for treatment of her injuries.

During their investigation, deputies learned that Thurston and the victim had gotten into a verbal altercation inside the residence. When a male victim on scene attempted to intervene, Thurston reportedly began pursuing the male victim outside of the residence and threatened to kill him while wielding a piece of wood. The man fled to safety and was not injured. Thurston reportedly then re-entered the residence and physically assaulted the female victim.

Thurston was booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on charges of assault by force likely to produce great bodily injury (PC 245(a)(4)), criminal threats (PC 422) and resisting arrest (PC 148(a)(1)).

This case is still under investigation.

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.