19 Month Old Child Held at Knifepoint–Deputy Talks Distraught Mother Down

Humboldt Co. Sheriff’s Office Press Release:

On 07-29-2013, approximately 12:50 p.m., the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office received a request from Hoopa Valley Tribal Police Department for a deputy to respond and assist with a welfare check of a possible suicidal female. The female was supposed to be armed with a knife. 

When a Tribal Police Officer and Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived at the residence located on Grasshopper Lane, Hoopa they learned the 31 year old female had gone into the bedroom with a four inch folding knife and her 19 month old female child. The female told the deputies that if they entered the room she would kill the child and then herself. She also indicated to the officers she wanted them to kill her.

A Deputy trained in crisis negotiations was one of the initial responders spoke with the woman who held the four inch knife in her hand and the child in the other. The woman constantly adjusted the knife and child while threatening to kill the child. The deputy spoke with the woman for over an hour while a Sheriff’s Sergeant Crisis Response Supervisor and two Mental Health Crisis Team members responded to the scene from Eureka. The woman finally agreed to release the child to an adult cousin who was summoned to the scene.

After releasing the child at 2:30 p.m., the woman who was still in possession of the knife, held the knife to her own throat, threatening to kill herself in front of the deputies and Tribal Police Officers. After additional negotiations by the same deputy with the woman he convinced her to put down the knife, which she did. She was then taken into custody. She is being transported to Mental Health for an evaluation and then will be booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on charges of felony child endangerment and terrorist threats. No one was injured.

Anyone with information for the Sheriff’s Office regarding this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Sheriff’s Office at 707-445-7251 or the Sheriffs Office Crime Tip line at 707-268-2539.