FPD with K9 Searches through Roof ‘Tunnels’ to Locate Alleged Thieves

Fortuna Police Department Press Release:

On April 17, 2014 at about 3:55 AM, officers responded to the Strongs Creek Plaza Shopping Center (Fortuna Blvd / Strong Creek Dr) for a report of subjects possibly on the roof.

Upon arrival, officers located several items of stolen property behind the shopping center and then observed a female subject attempting to get off of the roof. When the subject saw officer, she refused to obey the officers and fled across the roof to an unknown location.

Officers secured a perimeter with the assistance of the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Department and Ferndale Police Department. Once a perimeter was established, three officers made access to the roof and began looking for the subject.

Officers and the Fortuna Police Department K-9 unit began searching the roof and overhangs of the shopping center which had extensive tunneling throughout. After more than an hour of searching, officers located two subjects who had made entry into a secured portion of the roof (above Starbucks Drive-Thru).

Christopher Crowl (Age 35 of Fortuna) and Joyce Mullins (Age 48 of Fortuna) were taken into custody without further incident.

With the assistance of the Fortuna Fire Department’s Arial Ladder Truck, officers were able to remove both subjects from the roof.

Crowl and Mullins were both transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility and booked on the following charges:

Penal Code Section 459 (Burglary)Penal Code Section 602 (Trespassing)
Penal Code Section 148(a) (Resisting Arrest)Penal Code Section 1203.2 (Violation of Probation)

Crowl has an extensive arrest history and has been arrested and booked into jail several times by the Fortuna Police Department this year and had been released from the jail less the 24 hours prior to this incident

Previously:

•  Fortuna Man Arrested for Assault and Possessing Stolen Property