Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On Oct. 1, 2023, at about 10:14 a.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies on patrol in the McKinleyville area observed a vehicle being driven by a man wanted on a felony warrant.

The vehicle stopped at a business on the 1000 block of Murray Road in McKinleyville and two people exited, 43-year-old John Wayne Ellis II and 22-year-old Lynzee Aurora Strange. Both Ellis and Strange were confirmed to have warrants for their arrest.

Ellis and Strange were both taken into custody without incident. During a search of Ellis, deputies located approximately 3.2 grams of methamphetamine, .7 grams of fentanyl and drug paraphernalia.

Ellis was transported to a local hospital for treatment of an unrelated illness and was cited on his felony warrant, in addition to charges of possession of a controlled substance (HS 11377(a)) and possession of a narcotic controlled substance (HS11350(a)).

Strange was booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on warrant charges of transportation/sale of a narcotic controlled substance (HS 11352(a)), possession of a controlled substance (HS 11378 & 11351), transportation/sale of a controlled substance (HS 11379(a)), disorderly conduct (PC 647(a)) and possession of a controlled substance paraphernalia (HS 11364(a)).

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.