Press release from the Eureka Police Department:

On July 21, 2026, at approximately 8:00 p.m., officers with the Eureka Police Department responded to the 200 block of Grant Street for a report of a male attempting to gain access to a vehicle using a coat hanger. Upon arrival, officers were unable to locate the subject.

At approximately 11:50 p.m. the same evening, the owner of the vehicle contacted the Eureka Police Department to report that the vehicle had been stolen. Officers searched the surrounding area but were unable to locate the vehicle. Surveillance footage of the suspect was subsequently shared online by community members.

An officer from an allied law enforcement agency recognized the suspect from the surveillance footage as Casey Nagy, 39, of Eureka.

On July 22, 2026, at approximately 12:30 p.m., a citizen observed a vehicle matching the one shown in the social media posts parked in front of a business in the 2800 block of Broadway. The caller provided dispatchers with a description of the vehicle, confirming it matched the stolen vehicle.

Officers responded to the location and located Nagy near the vehicle and in possession of its keys. Officers detained Nagy while they confirmed the vehicle was the one reported stolen. After confirmation, Nagy was taken into custody without incident for possession of a stolen vehicle and a probation violation. The stolen vehicle was recovered and returned to its owner.

The Eureka Police Department would like to thank the community member who reported the vehicle’s location, as well as the allied agency officer whose identification of the suspect helped bring this investigation to a swift resolution.

Anyone with additional information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact the Eureka Police Department at (707) 441-4043.