[UPDATE] In Spite of Social Media Posts, Stabbing in Cooper Gulch Not Believed to Be Related to a Serial Killer

On Wednesday, May 13 at 8:46 p.m., Eureka Police officers were dispatched to Cooper Gulch Recreation area off of Myrtle Avenue after a woman reported that a male had choked and assaulted her, EPD Chief Steve Watson told us today.

He explained that the officers found the adult female victim in the grassy area south of Skate Park. The woman had been “stabbed multiple times in the back and neck area” and was “transported to the hospital to be treated for her wounds which were not life threatening,” Watson told us.

The woman, who was “intoxicated” and thus unable to clearly articulate all aspects of the situation, told officers that she had been preparing to leave the park, Watson explained, when an unknown male attempted to get her attention.

“She ignored the man and walked away,” Watson said she told his officers. The woman told the officers she was then assaulted by the light-skinned male with a shaved head, possibly Hispanic, in his twenties.

Watson said the the crime is being investigated as an assault with a deadly weapon. “Evidence was collected from the scene,” he told us.

Two social media posts that were frequently paired together in the last day and shared widely were taken by many to believe that multiple women were in danger from a killer.

One of the comments expressing alarm that was posted on one of the posts.

Watson added that at this point, despite social media posts alleging a repeat violent criminal in the area, “I don’t have any evidence that a serial killer was involved in the situation.”

If you have more information, please reach out to the Eureka Police Department at (707) 441-4060.

UPDATE: The Arcata Police Department released this information:

Recent social media postings of an interaction that was reported to the Arcata Police Department underscores the value of social media platforms as tools that can be utilized to inform, educate and create awareness of community interactions that may assist with safeguarding the personal safety of all community members.  This interaction occurred near West End Road and St. Louis Road on Thursday, May 14, 2020.  While no crime was reported there were behaviors displayed in conjunction with a name associated with past violent crime in Humboldt County that generated the social media postings.

Social media can be used as a personal safety and crime prevention platform that connects people in an information sharing capacity to not only solve crime but to provide information on current investigations.  As was the case in this most recent interaction, social media can also be used to inform community members and to provide situational awareness that enables people to be more aware of their surroundings.  Greater awareness provides additional capacity for personal safety as well as the safety of others.

The Arcata Police Department encourages all community members to continue to utilize social media as an extension of the community/police partnership; providing information that can be used to keep people safe and to solve crime.  Through the investigative process APD can determine if a crime occurred or the potential for crime to occur.  While no crime was reported to have occurred during this interaction, in an abundance of caution the Arcata Police Department is providing information on this interaction, and the social media postings that followed, as an additional reminder to all community members to be vigilant in planning for their own personal safety and to continue to utilize social media to assist law enforcement with safeguarding the personal safety of all community members.