From the Eureka Police Department:

On December 3, 2022, just before 6 p.m., officers with the Eureka Police Department responded to the 3300 block of Broadway for the report of a robbery that just occurred outside of a major retail store. The victim, a 65-year-old Salvation Army Bell Ringer, was handed a demanding and threatening note by an unknown male. The male then removed the red kettle full of donations and fled into the nearby greenbelt.

Officers reviewed surveillance provided by store security and were able to immediately identify the suspect as 32-year-old Dennis Scarella of Castro Valley. Scarella had been contacted by officers less than an hour prior. Officers searched the greenbelt but were unable to locate Scarella. An arrest warrant was issued and broadcasted to surrounding agencies.

On December 4, 2022, at about 4:10 p.m., officers responded to a restaurant on the 3000 block of Broadway for the report of a stolen tip jar. Employees provided officers with an image from surveillance. The suspect was identified as Scarella. After a brief search through the surrounding greenbelt, Scarella was taken into custody without further incident.

Scarella was transported and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility for robbery. Additional theft related charges are still under investigation.