Fire Started in Trailer After Ukiah Woman Assaulted and Possibly Held Captive for Several Days There

Smoke rising from the trailer fire. [Photo provided by MendoFever]

This is a press release from the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office. The information has not been proven in a court of law and any individuals described should be presumed innocent until proven guilty:

On 05-11-2021 at approximately 3:16 P.M. Mendocino County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to a domestic disturbance at the Golden Rule RV Park in Willits, California.

Deputies were advised that a 41 year-old female had been assaulted by her husband and possibly held captive in an RV trailer for several days.

Deputies responded to the location.  Upon arrival, Deputies observed a fifth-wheel trailer which had a large amount of black smoke coming from inside.

Deputies briefly contacted the female and other witnesses, who advised the female’s husband was last seen entering back inside the burning trailer.

The male was later identified as Joshua Lipscomb.

Deputies responded to the trailer and attempted to make entry to determine if anyone was inside.  Deputies found the door to be locked and they were unable to see into the trailer due to the large amount of smoke.

Deputies began breaking windows in an attempt to see inside of the trailer and to provide an exit route should someone be inside.  Deputies and other residents of the RV park attempted to fight the fire using water hoses.

The fire rapidly expanded throughout the trailer and unknown items began to explode.  The situation became too dangerous and Deputies and citizens had to back away from the fire.

Fire Department personnel arrived on scene a short time later and were able to extinguish the fire before it spread to any other trailers.

Deputies interviewed witnesses who stated they observed smoke coming from the trailer. The citizens could hear someone was inside of the trailer and they were able break the back window out of the trailer.  They observed Lipscomb inside of the trailer and they were eventually able to help him out of the rear window.  It appeared to the witnesses that Lipscomb did not want to come out of the trailer.

Once Lipscomb was out of the trailer, they continued trying to put water on the fire.  The witnesses observed Lipscomb climb onto the roof of the trailer and they did not see him again after that.  The witnesses believed he had entered back into the trailer, as they did not see him flee the area.

Deputies spoke with the female.  Deputies learned during an altercation on Sunday, Lipscomb grabbed her by the throat and forced her to take an unknown amount of blood pressure pills.  Deputies learned the female lost consciousness during the incident.  Lipscomb threatened to kill the female and kept her locked inside of the trailer.

When the female awoke, she was badly bruised in various parts of her body, and she had numerous small puncture marks on the insides of both of her elbows, which she believed to be hypodermic needle injection marks.

When the female awoke, she observed Lipscomb was sleeping and she was able to exit the trailer.  As the female started her vehicle to leave, Lipscomb entered the back seat of her vehicle.  The female told Lipscomb to get out of the vehicle and that she was calling law enforcement.  Lipscomb exited her vehicle and went back inside of the trailer.  The female drove down the road and request another park resident to call law enforcement.

Shorty after this, the female observed smoke coming from the trailer.

Deputies learned that Lipscomb was currently the restrained party in a served domestic violence restraining order from a previous case with the same female.

Approximately one hour after the fire began, Deputies, with the assistance of fire personnel, were able to locate Lipscomb hiding in a creek bed near trailer.  A portion of the creek bed had been eroded away by water, which allowed Lipscomb to conceal himself behind a root system.

Lipscomb was uncooperative with Deputies and refused to crawl out from his hiding spot.  Fire personnel had to use tools to cut away the tree roots in order for Lipscomb to be extracted and placed under arrest.

Lipscomb had several preexisting lacerations to his arms.  Lipscomb was uncooperative with medical staff as they attempted to bandage his wounds.

Lipscomb was transported to Adventist Health Ukiah Valley, where it was determined he had internal injuries related to smoke inhalation.  Lipscomb was transferred to an out of county hospital for further treatment.

Based on the need for further medical treatment, Lipscomb was released on a citation with a date to appear in court.

The cause of the fire is being investigated by a Cal Fire Arson Investigator.