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Press release from the Eureka Police Department:

Garrett Juchtzer

On May 1, 2022, Officers with the Eureka Police Department and a Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) K9 team served a search warrant at an apartment on the 1000 block of Pine Street to investigate the sale of controlled substances and illegal firearms possession.

Upon arrival, officers detained 39-year-old Garrett Juchtzer and a female at the front door. During a search of the residence, the K9 alerted on an item which appeared to be an explosive device. The HCSO Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team responded to the residence and confirmed the item was a live explosive device.

Occupants of the adjoining apartments were contacted and voluntarily left the area out of precaution. Utilizing an EOD robot, sheriff’s deputies removed the device and safely disposed of it in a secure location.

Once the residence was deemed safe, officers continued with the service of the search warrant, locating drug paraphernalia and a small amount of methamphetamine. Juchtzer was arrested and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility for possession of a destructive device and possession of methamphetamine. The female was detained and released without incident.

The Eureka Police Department would like to thank HCSO and the Sheriff’s EOD team for their assistance in this investigation. Pictures of the device are included. If you see a device that seems suspicious or out of place in your neighborhood, do not touch or move it, but contact your local law enforcement.