HUMBOLDT TODAY: Tenants of an Arcata apartment complex are evicted following the the city granting the developer approval for expansion, local law enforcement report a busy couple days, Punxsutawney Phil has competition, and more in today’s newscast with John Kennedy O’Connor.
Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:
On February 2, 2023, at about 12:30 p.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies on patrol in the Hydesville area conducted a traffic stop for a vehicle code violation.
The driver of the vehicle, 26-year-old John Joseph Roche, was found to be on active probation. During a search of Roche and his vehicle pursuant to the terms of his probation, deputies located approximately 2,400 tabs of LSD and approximately 9 pounds of processed cannabis.
Roche was arrested and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on charges of possession of a controlled substance for sales (HS 11387), transportation of a controlled substance (HS 11379(a)), possession of over 28.5 grams of cannabis (HS 11357(B)(2)) and violation of probation (PC 1203.2(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.
Westwood Garden Apartments on Westwood Court in Arcata | Screenshot from Google Maps
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Following the recent approval of a big expansion of the Westwood Garden Apartments in Arcata – which will add 11 new buildings with 102 units to the property, among other changes – several tenants received eviction notices on Wednesday, something that was not discussed as a part of the project plans.
Raelina Krikston, a longtime resident of the Westwood Garden Apartments and a recent Arcata City Council candidate, brought the issue to the attention of the Arcata City Council during the Wednesday night council meeting.
“Today I come to you as a tenant who has just been served an eviction … a no-fault eviction,” Krikston said to the council toward the beginning of the meeting. “So, in 60 days I’m looking at being homeless, as well as all three of my adjacent neighbors.”
The eviction notice, issued by property owner Steve Strombeck on Wednesday, Feb. 1, states that the tenants have 60 days from the issued date to vacate the premises and that failure to do so will result in legal action. The notice states that the reason for the “no-fault eviction” is because “the owner intends to substantially remodel the residential property.”
Krikston told the Outpost that the notice was only sent to her unit – occupied by herself and her partner, James Taylor – and the other three units on her floor, two of which are occupied by families with young children. The apartment complex currently holds three two-story buildings, with a total of 60 units. It’s unclear what the remodel will entail and why only the tenants on the bottom floor of one building are being evicted. The Outpost reached out to Strombeck but has not yet received a response.
The eviction is completely legal, as a “substantial remodel” is considered a valid reason for a no-fault eviction under Cal. Civic Code 1946.2. Also, most building remodels only require a building permit from the City and do not necessarily have to be approved by the Planning Commission. But the eviction did come as a shock to the tenants, who did not think that the planned expansion project would force anyone to leave their home.
Plans for the expansion project. The existing buildings are in grey, the new buildings are in brown
Krikston told the Outpost that she thought this was “funny timing,” considering that Krikston and Taylor have publicly voiced their opposition to the expansion project multiple times and were among a group of residents who filed an appeal against the project. The expansion project was brought before the Arcata Planning Commission by Strombeck Properties and its hired consulting firm LACO Associates last year and was immediately met with concern from some residents of the apartments. Krikston and other tenants had many issues with the proposed plans, particularly the layout of the new buildings, which they said were too close to each other and to the existing buildings and would cause sunlight obstruction and issues with privacy.
After the Planning Commission requested several changes to the design – including reducing the number of new buildings by one, retaining more open space on the property and cutting down less trees – the commission eventually approved the project. Shortly after, Krikston filed an appeal of the project. During a meeting on Jan. 4, the Arcata City Council denied the appeal and approved the housing expansion project. The vote was 4-0, with Councilmember Kimberley White recusing herself, and the council requested that Strombeck Properties and its consulting firm add bike lockers to the site and work with residents to establish a space for a community garden.
During the council meeting on Wednesday Krikston and Taylor urged the council to consider adopting more protections for local tenants. Mayor Sarah Schaefer said she agreed that this is a pressing issue and requested that city staff place a discussion about tenant protections on a future agenda.
“With the Gateway looming on the horizon and more and more opportunities for landlords to increase their holdings, I’d like you to really take a look at what you can do to help people like myself in the future,” Krikston said to the council.
On February 1, 2023, agents with the Humboldt County Drug Task Force served a search warrant on Marshal Lane in Hoopa. During the service of the warrant, eleven subjects were located on the property, including 39 year old Erik McKinnon of Hoopa. During a search of the property, agents located approximately twelve grams of suspected heroin, firearms, ammunition, 47 Suboxone strips, digital scale, metal knuckles, and three stolen vehicles.
McKinnon was subsequently arrested on the following charges:
H&S 11351(a)- Possession of a controlled substance for sale
H&S 11366.5(a)- Maintaining a residence for narcotics use
H&S 11370.1(a)- Possession of narcotics while armed
H&S 11350(a)- Possession of controlled substances
PC 29800(a)- Felon in possession of firearms
PC 30305(a)- Felon in possession of ammunition
PC 496d- Possession of stolen vehicle
All other subjects were released on scene.
Anyone with information regarding this case is encouraged to contact the Humboldt County Drug Task Force at 707-267-9976.
On Wednesday February 1, 2023, the Humboldt County Drug Task Force served a search warrant on Moon Lane in Hoopa for suspected narcotics. At the time of the search warrant service, agents located 37 year old Darrell Moon, and a two year old juvenile on scene. During a search of the residence, agents located approximately 25 grams of suspected fentanyl, a digital scale, ammunition, body armor, and two firearms.
Moon was subsequently arrest on the following charges:
H&S 11351- Possession of a controlled substances for sale
H&S 11370.1(a)- Possession of narcotics while armed
PC 31360- Felon in possession of body armor
PC 29800(a)- Felon in possession of firearms
PC 273a(a)- Child endangerment
At the conclusion of the investigation the juvenile was released into the custody of a safe caregiver.
Anyone with information regarding this case in encouraged to contact the Humboldt County Drug Task Force at 707-267-9976.
On January 28, 2023, at approximately 11:45 p.m., a stabbing occurred in the 1000 block of G Street in Downtown Arcata. Two 16-year-old Eureka residents sustained knife wounds during a physical altercation with two adults, as both parties left a Downtown music venue. The victims survived the attack and were treated at a local hospital for lacerations and a broken jaw. The stabbing suspect was identified as 20-year-old Loleta resident Gage James Sand.
On January 30, 2023, the Arcata Police Department took Sand into custody without incident, and he was booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on the following charges:
PC 245(a)(1)-Assault with a Deadly Weapon.
PC 243(d)-Aggravated Battery.
PC 273d(a)-Inflicting Injury on a Child
PC 12022.1(a)(1)-Committing a Felony While out on Bail.
The second suspect, who is wanted for aggravated battery, remains at large pending identification. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Arcata Police Department (707-822-2424).
Austin Michael Medeiros must stand trial for the alleged murder of Emily Lobba, a 28-year-old disabled woman who was found strangled to death on April 3, 2022 in her apartment on Greenwood Heights Road.
Yesterday Judge John Feeney held the 28-year-old Medeiros to answer on charges of murdering Lobba and assaulting her caretaker, who was punched in the face when she tried to stop Medeiros from stealing Lobba’s Dodge van. He also was held to answer for an alleged attack on a jail correctional officer a few weeks after his arrest.
Medeiros.
Deputy District Attorney Candace Myers called four officers to testify during Medeiros’s preliminary hearing, which had been postponed several times because of questions about his mental competency.
According to witness testimony, Lobba was born with arthrogryposis, which affects the joints and ligaments and limits mobility. She had two caretakers who were at her apartment for a total of six days a week. Lobba had introduced her friend Austin to at least one of them, and said she planned to spend some time with him because he was leaving town.
On April 3, when one of the caretakers arrived for her usual shift, she found the door locked. Then Medeiros opened the door but wouldn’t let her in.
‘’She pushed her way in,” sheriff’s Investigator Scott Hicks testified this afternoon. The caretaker told Hicks she and Medeiros had a physical altercation. He then left with the keys to Lobba’s Dodge Ram van, she told Hicks, and while she was trying to stop him from leaving “Austin hit (the caretaker) in the face.”
As to Lobba’s apartment, “Almost everything was missing,” Hicks said.
Under cross-examination by Medeiros’s defense attorney, Deputy Conflict Counsel Owen Tipps, Hicks said the caretaker reported that at one point, Medeiros told her “I don’t want to hurt you.”
Lobba was found in the bathroom, with the upper half of her body in the shower stall. Sheriff’s Sgt. Brandon Head testified he saw no obvious injuries. But when Head attended Lobba’s autopsy on April 27, the cause of death was ruled as “asphyxiation with the elements of neck compression.”
Head compiled a photo lineup that included a picture of Medeiros. There were six manila envelopes, each containing one photo. He provided the six envelopes to the caretaker who confronted Medeiros on April 3.
“I handed her the manila envelopes and walked away,” Head testified. He said the caretaker chose the photo of Medeiros, saying she was “100 percent positive” he was the man she had met and fought with.
Head also testified about his interview with Medeiros in Humboldt County Correctional Facility. He said Medeiros made numerous nonsensical statements, including some about a group called The Wrecking Crew. When asked whether he had a California driver’s license, Medeiros explained he “dropped his wallet in the water in a spot where he thought a body was, and the people who left the body there were the Wrecking Crew.”
Medeiros told Head he had a phone, and he gave him the number. Later the phone was found In Lobba’s apartment.
After the body was found and Medeiros allegedly fled, a hair-raising chase ensued.
Sheriff’s Deputy Hal Esget was dispatched to the Greenwood Heights residence at about 11 a.m. on April 3. The lights and siren were on as he drove south on Old Arcata Road. Then Esget saw the van in question heading north, and he did a quick U-Turn and began the pursuit.
“It took off at a high rate of speed,” Esget testified. He estimated the van was traveling 80 mph on Old Arcata Road. It continued past the Indianola Cutoff at about 70 mph. Then, around Vitus Lane, the driver veered into the wrong lane and was maneuvering between oncoming vehicles.
At Bayside Cutoff, Esget said, the van turned west toward Highway 101, reached 101 and headed north at an estimated 100 mph. The van exited in Arcata, finally stopping at the entrance to the Arcata Community Forest. The driver fled into the woods and could not be found. Medeiros was arrested a few days later in Santa Cruz.
No mention was made about the fate of Lobba’s dog, which was in the van.
About three weeks after the arrest, Medeiros allegedly attacked correctional Deputy Richard Sanchez as Sanchez was conducting a routine inmate count at the jail. Medeiros allegedly used a sharpened plastic fork, leaving a scratch on the left side of the officer’s head.
Medeiros is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges on Feb. 15.
At the conclusion of the investigation the juvenile was released into the custody of a safe caregiver.
