Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office release:

On Dec. 1 at about 3 p.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the Ace Hardware store on Central Ave. in McKinleyville for the report of theft.

A store employee reported that a male suspect, later identified as Thomas Long, age 74, of Blue Lake, had entered the store and grabbed a Milwaukee chainsaw before quickly walking out of the store. Another store employee was on a break outside when he witnessed Long leave the store through an unauthorized exit and place the chainsaw into the bed of his truck. The employee was able to retrieve the chainsaw out of the truck bed before Long drove away.

Surveillance footage corroborated the eyewitness reports, and deputies responded to Long’s residence in Blue Lake and apprehended him without incident. Long was transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility to be booked for petty theft (PC 484(a)). While booking Long into the facility, a Correctional Deputy located a plastic bag containing methamphetamine tucked in Long’s sock, resulting in an additional charge of PC 4753.6(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.