Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On April 23, 2023, at about 11:10 a.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies on patrol in the Blue Lake area observed a vehicle parked along Blue Lake Boulevard, blocking Buckley Road. The driver of the vehicle was observed to be passed out behind the wheel.  

Deputies contacted the driver of the vehicle, 39-year-old James Melvin McLain, who initially provided deputies with a false name. Upon properly identifying McLain, deputies found that McLain had multiple outstanding warrants for his arrest. During a search of McLain and the vehicle incident to arrest, deputies located pepper spray and bear spray, burglary tools, drug paraphernalia and approximately 0.7 grams of methamphetamine.

McLain was arrested and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on charges of falsely impersonating another to make liable (PC 529(a)(3)), felon in possession of tear gas (PC 22810(a)), possession of burglary tools (PC 466), possession of a controlled substance (HS 11377(a)), possession of a controlled substance paraphernalia (HS 11364(a)), violation of probation and petty theft (PC 488).

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.