Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On March 13, 2022, at about 2:37 p.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a residence on Larson Heights Road near Blue Lake for the report of a drive-by shooting occurring earlier that morning.

Deputies arrived at the residence and contacted multiple residents at the home, including young children. Deputies learned that earlier in the day, at about 6 a.m., a suspect fired multiple gunshots toward the residence, striking a vehicle parked outside. No one was injured as a result of this incident. Through their investigation, deputies identified the suspect as 33-year-old Rhett Alex August of Eureka.

At about 9:30 p.m. that evening, deputies executed a search warrant at a residence associated with August on the 1000 block of Westgate Road in Eureka. During this operation, deputies deployed HCSO K9 Yahtzee and August surrendered without incident.

August was booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on charges of shooting at an inhabited dwelling (PC 246), assault with a firearm on a person (PC 245(a)(2)), child endangerment with potential of great bodily injury (PC 273a(a)), discharging a firearm in gross neglect (PC 246.3(a)), felon in possession of a firearm (PC 29800(a)(1)), prohibited person in possession of ammunition (PC 30305(a)) and criminal threats (PC 422).

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.