Homicide Suspect May Be Headed to Mendocino County
This is a press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office.
ARCHIVE PHOTO: Austin Michael Medeiros | Humboldt County Correctional Facility 2017
The information has not been proven in a court of law and any individuals described should be presumed innocent until proven guilty:
The death of a Kneeland woman has been deemed a homicide following a forensic autopsy Thursday.
Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office investigators have identified 27-year-old Austin Michael Medeiros of Warwick, Rhode Island as the suspect in this case, and have obtained a warrant for his arrest in connection to this homicide.
Medeiros is described as a white male adult, approximately 5 feet 6 inches tall, 125 pounds, with long brown/blonde hair and hazel eyes. He is also believed to have an unknown face tattoo underneath an eye. Current investigative information indicates that Medeiros may be enroute to Mendocino County. Community members are cautioned against providing transportation to hitchhikers anywhere in our county. If you see Medeiros, do not approach him, but call 911 immediately.
The decedent has been identified as 28-year-old Emily Rose May Lobba. Lobba’s cause of death is being withheld to protect the integrity of the investigation.
This case remains under investigation. More information will be released when available and appropriate.
Anyone with information regarding Medeiro’s current whereabouts or intended destination is encouraged to call the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at (707) 268-2539.
UPDATE: Suspect in Murder of Kneeland Woman Arrested in Santa Cruz
Earlier:
- Scanner Report: One Dead, Police Searching Forest After Car Chase
- Law Enforcement Seeks Suspect in Suspicious Death
- ‘All involved individuals have been identified’ in Sunday’s Suspicious Death Investigation, Says HCSO
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Umm..okay…so NOW the authorities are saying that he is a murderer. But when they lost him in the Arcata Community Forest and he was running around in there desperately looking for another car or money or a house to hole up in or a way out of there the police were telling us that everything was fine and we had nothing to be concerned about?
How can anybody have any confidence about any public safety announcement from the local police in the future? They knew his name but would not release it to us until today. Perhaps they had a picture of him also but we were not allowed to see it because…”don’t worry there is nothing to be concerned about”. This is an outrageous public relations failure for the local police…
Uhmmm, unlike television crime shows, sometimes it takes a few days to get the facts and the evidence put together to make sure that they have the right person. DUH!
After all, real life cops don’t have commercial breaks, during which they could make the same astounding discoveries TV cops do. Real life cops have to grind out real life evidence.
I will address both “me”and” burblestein” here- You try to mock me for my comment. But this much is true:
1)There were over 20 police cars from at least 5 different agencies converged on the scene where he fled from the stolen van
2) They called off the search for him around 4 pm with lots of daylight remain ning
3)Public statements were issued telling us all not to worry, including people who lived on fickle Hill and had backyards going directly into the community Forest… Where the escaped murderer was last seen.
4) A couple days later we were again told not to worry. They weren’t sure if it was even a murder and… They knew his identity. But they did not reveal his identity to us so we had no way of seeing a picture of him.
5) Today they released the information that it WAS a murder… And Austin is still on the loose.
I believe that the authorities should be held accountable for their statements falsely assuring us. I have seen this kind of information manipulation before when a college town wants to project an image of safety and therefore downplays public danger. I would like to know WHY there was not a more concerted effort to initially capture him and WHY the public was falsely assured. No-this is not a TV show this is real life.
I agree, Law Enforcement should have represented the community threat as “unknown”, until they had enough evidence to represent it, either way.
While all your concerns are real…the expectations of magical production of facts just doesn’t work.
Law enforcement must work with evidence…really think it through.
How come these bottom feeders always head south?
And so goes the narrative. When seconds count……
Ummm..good answer
Like the old west common sense tells you when a out law is on the lose to lock your door stay hunkerd down stay self a where and be prepared to protect yourself
the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit. These are their stories…
The cops are concerned about stealing marijuana and hastling people having children. Nationwide torture network uncovered. Can you smell the smoke yet!!! Ho Chi Mihn!!!!
Um. What?
Radical unicorn shite
whoa there.
Become a cop if you want the instant insight. Don’t whine about not knowing facts that are 100% irrelevant to you as a civilian. At all times there are murders running free and future murders living life. It’s not like knowing the details of a strangers murder impacts your ability to take every day safety precautions.
Did you mean murderers, several times in that amazingly coherent and not at all insane comment?
Murders Haiku
Murders living free
Murders with no place to be
Murders communtee
I don’t need your advice or to become a cop. I was there on Fickle Hill and I know that forest well. I saw the first few cop cars and then many more arrive. People I know on Fickle Hill were as surprised as me how they bungled the situation. All cars in one spot, all cops standing around, not one car going to a vantage spot in case he slipped back across the road etc etc and eventually they called off the search with hours of daylight left. Then they told us all to not worry. BUT…there was a murderer loose and he was in desperate panic mode so the public should have been put on alert. It was shoddy police work and worse public relations. That’s why I’m calling it out. And commenters such as yourself have no clue…Later that same day there were unsuspecting people- single women, families- hiking in that forest starting exactly where the van had been left. Don’t demean me because you unconditionally love cops or have some weird power fetish…
fortuna cops would have gone full man hunt. Arcata cops are a little gummy
I saw one Fortuna police car there at the park. All agencies were there- CHP, Sheriff, APD, EPD, Fortuna and I heard also Fish and Game. They all left after about 4 hours…and the park was re-opened to the public like nothing had happened
You voted for these woke policy makers 🤷😂
Can’t scare away all the new, incoming folks during HSU’s show-off week
So, this seems a little redundant, but, since this is now officially ruled a homicide, there seems to have been a murderer on the loose, after all, when the LE experts were reassuring us, that they perceived no threat to the community, while this guy ran amok.
It seems as though they are singing a different tune, now.
Now, the question is, was it this guy’s, “first rodeo”.
Like I said before, “Killer”, “Serial Killer”, “tomayto”, “tomahto”.
I doubt this bloke is hitchhiking, with his penchant for stolen vehicles.
Why did they give up searching for him so quickly?
Interesting thing, there was a vehicle stolen Tuesday morning from Union and 12th in Arcata which is just a couple blocks from the playground entrance to the park. Wonder what the outcome of that was.
Yes that does seem like it could be relevant.
I wonder if Law Enforcement has made the possible association?
If he was able to escape in that vehicle, he could be long gone.
A description, and or plates, of the stolen vehicle, would definitely be interesting…
Good looking out.
Let me hazard a guess- APD does not bother with vehicle thefts. They are prioritized to spend their limited resources on more important things. No- we do not know what those “more important things” are…but it is obviously not catching murderers
Gee, he looks nothing like the ill advised photos posted on here. Imagine that.
Anybody named Austin in the area, it’s safe to come out now, the vigilante crowd has dispersed.
Funny. Only really white people are tweakers. Sure black folk use as well. But sheesh I’ve never seen a whole town / populous of just straight white tweakers until I came to caifornia. Y’all white people gotta do better. This WORLD was literally designed for y’all to win. And this is what y’all choose. Lmfaooo
If you had to interview for your job, you are not privileged.
If you pay taxes, you are not privileged.
If you had to pass the SATs to get into college, you are not privileged.
None of the above excludes or includes any one group or another in particular. Worldwide … try again, RaceBaiter.
You’re a weirdo & your fake black’cent isn’t fooling anyone Trolling Racebaiter.
Yes, I agree, this is most likely a white person trolling as “black” to race bait because wow, this site has really attracted a lot of weirdos the last year or so.
Lol, Kym loves the click bait. One person supposedly race baiting and another moron inaccurately describing privilege and the only thing y’all care about is the supposed race baiting. Hilarious. I couldn’t be more grateful to be away from the least emotionally intelligent county I’ve had the displeasure of experiencing. It’s hilarious watching a bunch of white people that proudly claim to live in a bubble speak on the real world. A county full of narcissistic jokes.
Ok
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zu3nu6ue2qU
Y’all need to y’all betta y’all cuz y’all some dumb y’alls…y’aaaalllll
You obviously haven’t traveled much
You’ve never been to Midwest? Humboldt is the mid west of California though.
that was unproductive blather. try to make a useful creature of yourself or save commenting for people that cant put an idea together.
It should be mentioned that the mugshot shown is from 2017, and apparently he is now believed to have an unidentified tattoo underneath an eye, according to the HCSO.
He could look very different now, 5 or so years later.
Thank you for pointing that out. I hadn’t realized I had cut that info off. I’ve fixed it now.
You’re welcome.
Nice work, thanks, Kym.
D.O.B. 10-1-1994, FWIW.
Any way to determine what the charge was, for his arrest, back in 2017?
I can’t find anything.
Should say “D.O.B. 10-16-1994”.
My error.
Typo actually.
Has anybody seen this guy?
Totally not funny.
“Start with God – the first step in learning is bowing down to God; only fool’s thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning”.
-King Solomon-
The Invisible Man will save us..
It may be someone, that bows down to God, that might save you.
That’s possible.
If you see this guy hitchhiking, please do the right thing.
So how far “south” can you get with a 3-4 day head start! Brilliant…
5 year old booking photo. I’m guessing this guy looks very little like this 2017 mugshot.
At least he has face tattoos for easy ID. I got a bet he is apprehended within 48 hours
I figure he is in Ol’ Mexico by now.
Or Canada.
He’s been arrested cannot enter Canada legally
Anybody know what he was booked for back in 2017 ???
How in the hell did he get away ? I seen the video , & the cops were right behind him . If our sheriffs & that out of shape , or just plain lazy , scared , or incompetent they should be relieved of their duties immediately ! There is no excuse for our law enforcement officers to be so stupid ! If you want to get away with murder come to humboldt. That’s what people say anymore . Crooked , lazy , pigs !!
You’d think their police dog(s) would’ve caught up to him pretty quickly. But maybe they didn’t bother calling in the K9 until it was too late. Shoddy police work for sure.
It’s pretty dam easy to outrun the police in the forest even if they are in shape, which most police are. Go try to run straight through the brush with all that gear they wear while the perp simply had clothes on. I guarantee you I could outrun and outmaneuver any cop in the woods 99% of the time and they would never find me. Sleep in a stump during the day, move out at night. Walk the tree and brush line along major roads. Utilize culverts large enough to cross under major roads like 101 and never be seen. Unfortunately for most of these dummies like this guy, they tell someone what they did because they like to brag or get it off their conscious. Then they get busted. Loose lips sink ships……He will be caught, if for anything when he calls his parents which the police have already contacted I am sure of. So the police are already 15 steps ahead of you Danny. I think there are Chinese proverbs which speak of this, something along the lines of why utilize all your energy to find a needle in a haystack when you could use your brain and find the needle.
He escape from Live PD before. I am there parents neighbor and watched it live and seen the police chase him but he managed to escape.
Can you find the link to the livePD episode he escaped on?
we look forward to you doing a better job
Hate to say, sometimes I think the sheriffs department and Arcata cops couldn’t catch a cold. Sorry, had to say it.
Oh…eventually he will go into a donut shop…
Hey rwsnp how are the smelt? Will there be any salmon viewing. You are the only salmon.
These armchair law enforcement experts are so clever and smart.
Just boggles the mind how stupindously well informed they are.
Please elucidate and illuminate us poor simpletons with your brilliance.
Farce for Sheriff in 2022!!!
Danny for Under Sheriff in 2022!!!
Guest for District Attorney in 2022!!!
Hick for ADA in 2022!!!
Show those fuckers how it’s done!
You forgot about me, I am also very woke on catching criminals.
I witnessed the failed apprehension in the Arcata Community Forest. I have paid close attention as the police made public statements telling us to not be concerned. I know many people who live in close proximity to the area the suspect fled into. We are all flabbergasted by the incompetence that was repeatedly demonstrated by the police in their careless statements. I’m sorry if you have not been following the evolution of this story and only now want to step in to reject any criticism but perhaps you would like to address the actual situation? Because when a murderer is on the loose and the police tell everybody to not be concerned only to reverse themselves 5 days later then there is a problem…
There have been several reliable sightings of him traveling through Lake County, hitch hiking on hwy 20 and reaching the town of Upperlake.
He might be traveling on the North side of Clear Lake and might try to hide in the city of Clearlake.
It appears he is trying to sneak into the Bay Area through Napa County.
Let’s hope we got him tracked down.
Any idea if he had her dog with him?
He got caught in Santa Cruz ca trying to steal a boat from our harbor.
Do not approach him unless you are willing to shoot him 🤭
Unless he attacks you, or another, with murderous intent AND you, or the other, fear for their life, you might just become the next murderer with a warrant out for your arrest.
Otherwise approaching him, with the knowledge of what he’s wanted for will show evidence of a lack of fear for your life.
I hope they catch him soon. Emily was a childhood friend and schoolmate of my daughter. She was a very special, beautiful and inspiring young lady. Her loving family and community are devastated.
Justice for Emily! She looks like she was such a sweet soul, I hope her dog is ok? Did he take her dog?
I don’t know what happened to her dog. I don’t feel like I can ask her parents about that right now. They’re so devastated. And it’s been many years since my little girl and theirs made flower garlands together. But I can’t stop seeing the image of little Emily, and also grown Emily who I would run into sometimes. She was so amazing and strong. Overcame so many obstacles. Life can be so unfair.
I’m sorry for your loss. We have heard so much about him but very little about her. I hope he is caught soon also.
Actually we hadn’t heard much about him, all we have heard about is what you have to say about the cops, even though you do not have the facts about what happened, and other facts that led to decisions in the investigation. We know you are an expert in matters relating to law enforcement and their practices by all the moving testimonials you spew, so can you enlighten us on the facts of the crime so we will know the who, what, how, and why of the crime like you do? That way we won’t have to rely on the limitted information the blogs have.
i’d love an update on this case! i believe he was going to be given a placement at a mental healthy facility – which one?