CAL FIRE Takes Man Into Custody After Unusual Series of Events in Trinity County

Law enforcement at the Coffee Creek store in Trinity County Sunday. [Photo by Matthew Reichling]

Redheaded Blackbelt was unable to reach CAL FIRE or the Trinity County Sheriff’s Office Sunday evening to confirm the circumstances surrounding the detention or whether any charges have been filed.

Matthew Reichling, who lives nearby, said he first noticed something was happening around 4 p.m. after hearing sirens and watching Trinity County Sheriff’s deputies and CAL FIRE units head toward the Coffee Creek Store. He later walked toward the area and observed numerous law enforcement vehicles at the store.

When reached by phone, the owner of the Coffee Creek Store, Raymond Reed, said the man taken into custody had first arrived in the area several days earlier  after suffering a flat tire. The owner said he tried to help.

“So I went to my house to help air his tire up. His tire wouldn’t take air, so I was like, I have an Airbnb. You can stay there tonight,” Reed told us. He took the man to town and helped him get his tire fixed. “He came back and he wanted to stay there again because he said, “Oh, I love it here. I love it here.”

Reed explained that he had people checking in and the man wouldn’t be able to use the Airbnb–“There’s people checking in tonight.”

According to the owner, the man later returned to the community, carrying a large Bible, preaching to visitors, and sleeping outside after he could no longer stay at the rental. The owner’s account indicates the man’s family later came from the San Jose area and picked him up, but the man subsequently returned to Coffee Creek driving a different vehicle than the one he had originally come in.

When the owner saw the man kneeling outside the store again Sunday, he contacted authorities. He said that they recognized the description of the vehicle

The owner said Trinity County Sheriff’s deputies responded within minutes and ire patrol and sheriffs, and “Cal Fire was right behind them because apparently he tried to light two fires.” He said CAL FIRE personnel ultimately took the man into custody.

The owner also said he was told by law enforcement that the man had been involved in setting fires. However, he didn’t personally witness those events, and Redheaded Blackbelt has been unable to independently confirm his reports.

Despite the unusual turn of events, the store owner said the community’s first instinct was simply to help someone who appeared to be stranded.

“That’s what we do here,” he said. “There’s no cell phone service…if you’re from out of the area…people help.”