The original story regarding the alleged attempted kidnapping of an individual at the carnival event in Fortuna,
California has gained some traction in the media, causing unnecessary fear and panic. After conducting a thorough
investigation, the Fortuna Police Department has yet to find any credible evidence to support that any crime or
attempted crime occurred.
During follow-up investigation by Fortuna Detectives, a clear case of mistaken communication between parent
and child was confirmed to have occurred. Police now know through extended interviews that there was no
grabbing or attempt to grab at any of the involved juveniles. In addition, no proper identification of any suspect(s)
was made and there is a high probability of a real time misidentification of the carnival employee that was listed
previously as a “person of interest”.
In addition, the aforementioned person of interest has been identified and contacted by Fortuna Police and has
been fully cooperative.
The employee is no longer in the Humboldt County region and there is no immediate threat to the community.
Members of the public and/or witnesses can still reach the Fortuna Police Department at 707-725-7550 with any
information on this matter.
CLICK TO MANAGE