[UPDATE] Scanner Report: One Dead, Police Searching Forest After Car Chase
According to scanner traffic, a woman in her late 20’s was assaulted in the area of Greenwood Heights Drive before 11:20 a.m. today. Medical personnel and officers from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene where the woman was pronounced dead around 11:30 a.m.
Officers responding to the call spotted a “silver Dodge Ram van” fleeing the area at a high rate of speed and began pursuing it. The vehicle made it to the area of Fickle Hill Road before the driver exited the vehicle and fled into the forest on foot. Around 11:40 a.m., officers said over the scanner that a person had been detained. However, this person was determined not to have been involved in the incident. Police are still in the area searching for the suspect.
We will update this post when and if we find out more information.
Please remember that this story is unfolding. Information is being reported as we gather it. However, some of the information coming from witnesses and initial official reports could be wrong. We will do our best to get the facts but, in the case that something is inaccurate, we will update with correct information as soon as we can.
UPDATE 1:39 p.m.: Arcata Community Forest is closed to the public.
Our reporter Ryan Hutson is live at the scene.
UPDATE 1:45 p.m.: Ryan Hutson sent us photos of the suspect’s van at the scene as well as law enforcement.
Van of the suspect.[Photo by Ryan Hutson]
![Van of the suspect.[Photo by Ryan Hutson]](https://kymkemp.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/277609115_401379711329231_3976144325033629202_n.jpg)
UPDATE 2:05 p.m.: Cal Poly Humboldt just put out a text alert stating, “HUMBOLDT NOTIFICATION: UPD searching for white male, 20-30, scruffy brown hair in Arcata Comm. Forest. If you contact, use caution & call 707-826-5555 or 911.”
University Police searching for the homicide suspect. [Photo by Ryan Hutson]
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Many police vehicles there at the entrance to redwood Park on fickle Hill road by the water tank. Lights are flashing. That Dodge van is parked at the locked gate where it could go no further. This was at 12:30. Just driving by it did not appear that the situation was under control yet since I saw a couple cops with their hands on their gun holsters
curious why there’s no law enforcement in sunnybrea forest since it joins fickle
hill. One would think they would patrol
for sightings
Guess I’m on moderation but…
1:30 p.m. -there are now 15 police vehicles at the parking area on fickle Hill road including one from fortuna and one with a trailer. The Dodge van is there and being monitored by two women police officers whose hands are close to their holsters. So yeah it seems like the perp is still out there… But fickle Hill road is open and there has been no alert put out in the area which is concerning since the perp would be able to go up through that Forest and pop out anywhere at any of these houses up the hill or on to the road and take somebody’s car if they have a gun. And the only way anybody would know this is happening is if they drove by and saw all of this police activity or if they read red-headed black belt. But not my comment because I’m on moderation…
Hey- I saw this reporter there! Nice camera! But yeah- I’d think there should be some phone notifications going out? There are many houses that back right up to the forest… And people up there have no idea what’s going on
Residents are up here texting, calling one another, getting word out the best we’re able. Please text/call your FH acquaintances yo let them know. Thanks, all.
Do you live on Ficklehill Road near the scene? Was wondering if they had sent out and Nixel or reverse 911 alerts.
They did not, no. No patrolling prior to the search call-off either (or after). Considering the new(er) trailheads up here… Come on, guys! And calling off the search after a few hours??
Weak sauce. My friends are a few more miles up the hill. They have their guns ready. There has been talk about going out to find this guy who likes to kill young women. The killer/fugitive would do well to find the cops and turn himself in…stand a much better chance w/ Humboldt courts than some bored and fired-up vigilantes
You are not on moderation. I have a caching system to keep my website from breaking when there is a big story. It can take a bit for a comment to show then.
would you like to see the contract I just signed to buy this vehicle from the PD? Not sure why you took down my posts (other then past grudges)
I’m pretty sure, Kim, that you are a troll that has been banned. But, as Farce said, “Kym is too nice.” Until I’m absolutely sure, I’ll just take down the posts where I know you are trolling.
Thanks for the information oh moderated one.
I’m not moderated! Kym is too nice. With some of the crap I’ve posted I probably should be permanently moderated, hence my suspicion. This website- Kym’s website- had this important news hours before anybody else. News like this is almost as important to public safety as fire reports. Kym rocks…
Alerts needed. This is a very popular hiking area, especially on Sunday!
Are there any entry points to the forest that don’t have law enforcement at them?
Mark, I don’t know.
The link crossing Fickle Hill Rd into Sunnybrae Forest never had anybody posted there. He could be down in Sunnybrae. Or over into Blue Lake by now. From what I could see the cop cars were all clustered at the origin spot of the escape -at his van. The childrens playground is right below there so…well…there are just so many ways he could escape through the forest they couldn’t cover all and then there’s so many backyards and well, yeah…I’m not gonna second guess them except why was there no alert sent out? Maybe they already shot him but aren’t telling us that either…
a forest is a group of trees. you can enter the forest by walking between any two trees. how about post the guys photo and the community turns him in
That forest is huge and there are thousands of places to hide. I’ve explored a lot of it and there def are a ton of spots to exit the forest without being seen. He’s probably long gone now.
Excellent job Ryan!
I hope they get some cops stopping 299 and 101 traffic – very possible to make your way in that direction through the forest easily
I hope they can make sure to cover the 101 and 299 – by now they could be at the roads.
People seem to like having cops around in this situation, much sadness for the victims, I hope they will get some closure.
Why on earth would people “like having cops around in this situation”? A woman is allegedly killed in or near a public road and park; the alleged perp is running around the redwoods and neighborhoods and all these cop cars show up! Wow. Tsk, tsk. Imagine what a downer Chief Ahearn is! What was he thinking?
Oops. Sorry, guess I was trolled. Nobody could be THAT obtuse and oblivious! My bad.
I guess you didn’t think the situation required cops.
The cops left. Perp still at large. Citizens expected to find and turn him in. Yeah cops.
he’s not been identified, soo thats not happening
Exactly. No name. No description. No search after dusk. Police locally and nationwide are on cruise control / do nothing, as a response to efforts to try and reel in their budgets. Is the van stolen? Let us know. If not, does the perp match the description of the owner? Couple more hours and we can move toward Lawson Case level of negligence?
Note the handicap license plate. Is it the suspect’s vehicle as in he owns it, or did he borrow his grandparents van for the day?
Being Handicapped has Nothing to do with age…
No, it doesn’t. Would help them know how capable he is in the forest though.
First Handi-cap permits can be for hidden illness. Second the Paralymics runners kick ass.
You’re right, he could be a Paralymic runner lol
but every grandparent is disabled…
Most likely stolen from the person who was killed.
Arcata police involved? Dammit! History proves this will not have a good ending
Hopefully a bad ending for the perpetrator.
Have they found the suspect yet ?It’s 4:00 now ,just wondering if they did ??
Cal Poly Humboldt sent out alert at 3:59: “ HUMBOLDT NOTIFICATION: Search concluded, subject not found. Remain vigilant and call UPD 707-826-5555 or 911 if necessary.”
Dudes gonna be another stump mummy. Late 80s, lady jogger killed in Arcata Community Forest by transient. Killer found a month later in an old growth redwood stump near Redwood Sciences Lab. Self inflicted gunshot wound.
Yes, barefoot Bob, had killed some ripooffs at a grow in Orleans(?) and had returned to town to hideout in the forest.
The stump mummy killed three Hupa teens near Orleans, then ran to hide in the forest after his employer walked away from the situation. The woman he killed was just out for her morning run, he thought he had been spotted, and suicided. It was more than a month after his last killing, some LA born HSU students took his skull to decorate their room. Ah, Humboldt….
Welcome to Cal Poly
Wierd and unnecessary comment. What does this story have to do with the university?
string theory
I called the University Police at 545pm and was told that the search in the Arcata Community Forest had concluded and the suspect is still at large.
Would be nice to know if the murder was by a person known to deceased or if random and we all need to be scared to go to sleep tonight.
Not if you are armed. For FUCKS SAKE, Stop RELYING On Others For yOur Well BEIng
in the video they said that it’s likely that it was a domestic violence situation but then again they haven’t released anymore info to confirm that.
In fact zero info anywhere I can find. Anywhere.
Me too. So…there’s a murderer on the loose, last seen in the Arcata Community Forest near the children’s playground and…”Nothing to see, people Just move along”. Officer Bar-Brady from South Park is running the show. Does he have a gun or a weapon? “You don’t need to know”. Has he been caught or has the public danger been neutralized? “Nobody needs to know”. Did you warn the people who live directly next to the forest or well, anybody? “Why should we do that?Nothing to see here! Move along” Do you think he might come out of the forest and do something else that is violent and desperate in his attempt to continue fleeing the murder he just committed? “Well you sure are over reacting. We will let you know- maybe-if we decide you need to know. Just go about your day and Have Fun in The Forest”…Frankly I find this situation terribly lacking/ irresponsible in public information! They had 5 different police agencies up there yesterday so maybe they’re confused about who is in charge?!
I think you are giving them way too much credit with those hypothetical answers to your questions. There is no possible way anyone could have answered all that with a mouth full of donut.
The yellow tapes and LEOs have been gone for a couple of hours.
Kym, take this comment down. This is clearly someone with a problem.
If I lived in any of the areas around the community forest Id be organizing citizen patrols, and especially on campus, its so easy to get to HSU, and also to make it out along west end road through the forests to blue lake and east. At this point using horses on the trails would be a smart way to cover lots of ground. The cops will not be watching all exit points,if any, tonite. Its up to you to prptect your neighborhood.
Its a good opportunity to organize your neighbors and get a good phone/text tree going. Nextdoor is a great tool as many elderly and other low tech folks can easily navigate it.
If you havent figured it out already, you cannot wait for cops to get things done here. People thinking about sending your kids to college here ought to check out the lack of solid policing. Read the statements the retired FBI agent made publicly about the lack of any good investigations in the Lawson case.
Well, time to take self defense more seriously. People think safety is the cops job, like they think health is a corporationa job.
Was the van stolen or do they know who the suspect is?
I live on Fickle Hill and know of multiple accesses to the ACF. Only one I knew to be monitored.
What I don’t understand is if they were chasing this guy in the van when he got out and ran how the hell did they lose him and why have they given up the search. I understand they even had dogs.
Meanwhile we saw people going into the ACF from higher up on bikes. They knew nothing of what was going on.
It would be good to know a bit more of what happened. Was this guy on drugs? Was it a crime of passion? in other words is he still a danger?
He could of ran a reverse right back out the front of the park, who knows.
Yes!
The RedBearded Burglar “dashcam dash”, a classic maneuver.
oh boy. they’d better get some good tracking dogs out there. there are so many ways in and out of that forest/park and along fickle hill, onto GDR land, up to Maple Creek, etc. Even alongside Fickle Hill Rd at any hour of the day people aren’t seeing most of what’s going on. If this suspected killer has a form of GPS/google earth… they’d really better get some good dogs out there.
Why would the search be called off during daylight hours? Would any Fickle Hill residents further up allow the police to access the community forest behind their properties? Seems like the cops could search on e-bikes throughout the trails. With all the police cars, we’d hope for a better result.
They got fingerprints in the van you watch
Well…run the plate/VIN on the van. Stolen/not stolen? Who is the Reg. owner? Do they match the description of the man seen fleeing? If this person is physically handicapped how far would he be capable of getting if he!s not capable of walking across a parking lot into the grocery store? And how could he flee like a gazelle through the forest? But what’s most disturbing is the fact that…”oh well looked for a little while and couldn’t find him so we just gave up, whatever!” WTF there’s a killer in the woods! Get a scent off the van and send out the dogs and don’t stop until you find him! Negligence and complicity at its finest. Just let him go…
This right here. Maybe there is some police reason and not,”Welp, it’s almost 5 pm people! “
They’d put more effort into searching for a lost hiker…they’d search all night with dogs and a helicopter if a handicapped person were “lost” in the woods! Maybe that first guy was the guy and after they let him walk, they realized they got played, it was him so they knew he wasn’t in the woods …
How do you know they haven’t already done all of the things you suggest and more and obtained knowledge that led them to make an informed decision to end the search? While I’m sure your genius is unparalleled, your suggestions here are not that revolutionary. Ironically, you are accusing them of being negligent in their investigation solely based upon your own paucity of knowledge.
Your lack of information is all yours. Just because you don’t have the answers doesn’t mean the police are clueless. They just are not going to report every time they collect nor information. That would not be prudent. Just be patient and wait, the whole story will come out eventually.
yeah!
There are a shitload of silver Dodge & Mercedes vans in Northern Humboldt right now. Some are surf mobiles and some are homes for people passing through. We’ve had a lot of people hanging out in this type of van in the Moonstone Beach ⛱ Camel 🐫 Rock scenic drive to Baker Beach zone lately. The Mercedes is more common, but I do recognize this van from being in this Trinidad zone recently due to the handicapped plates and more square rear of the vehicle. I have a few friends that have the Mercedes silver van, but this Dodge caught my eye, because it looks similar but is different. This is the scary thing for us/people living near van transients. This guy turned out to be a killer and my family & I walked right past his death mobile multiple times when we went to the beach to surf or play. I have compassion for homeless people having been homeless myself in the past, but we do need to regulate overnight camping and transients posting up in our neighborhoods. There was a vehicle transient murder in Mendocino last week and now we have a van guy killer in Humboldt this week. Enough is enough! We need law enforcement, the supervisors and state officials to ban camping statewide in non designated areas. It’s a safety issue and until we make serious legislative changes more horrific stories about transients killing and committing crimes is going to continue…..
Bummer. This is a classic response from the scaredy cats who cannot or will not take responsibility for protecting themselves or their families. Over -regulate and issue permits and stop anything that can’t be controlled because… I am afraid! And this is how California went to crap. The “safety” people took over. Everything not mandatory is now prohibited. How dare anybody crash out in their van or truck while they are passing through the area. They must pay expensive hotel fees or what- be fined for being broke? Or just keep driving while exhausted and then do a head-on collision when they pass out at the wheel. The official and regulated campgrounds are now $40/night and are full all summer. The hotel rooms are $100+/night. But one guy in a van is a murderous nut and now everybody everywhere must be regulated tighter…and tighter…and tighter. Because We Are Scared!
Yeah, California used to be so much cooler. Another reason is over population.
Law enforcement cannot protect you. They can only take a report after the fact. They just simply cannot be everywhere and they don’t know when/where crime is going to happen.
We have to protect ourselves. Cops can’t do it for us, and laws only work on the law abiding.
Obviously true.
it might have been her van though
Please stop with all the speculating and fear. The van belonged to the amazing young woman who was murdered. I knew her. Your comments are upsetting.
Any updates???
no kidding, is the park still closed, suspect at large, is the suspect dangerous, do we have an ID on the victim? not a peep in any news outlet I can find.
https://kymkemp.com/2022/04/04/suspectsuspicous/
never mind BB, Loco has update
Far too young to go.
Condolences to the young Lady’s family.
RIP