Parolees Visited, Arrested – September 7, 2010
Kevin L. Hoover
Eye Editor
ARCATA – With the state budget crisis forcing early release of prisoners, it has fallen to local authorities to monitor and lessen the impacts on communities in which the freed prisoners reside.
On Wednesday, Sept. 1, officers from the Arcata Police Department’s Special Services Unit, assisted by Agents from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) Eureka Parole Unit, conducted a parolee compliance check in the City of Arcata.
The residences of subjects on active CDCR Parole were visited by officers and agents to ensure the parolees were complying with the conditions of their parole.
As supervised parolees, areas within their control are subject to unannounced visits and searches without the need for a search warrant.
Of six parolees contacted, two-thirds were found to be in violation of the terms of their release. Four arrests were made for parole violations and warrants.
• Thirty-year-old Anthony Raya of Arcata was arrested for alleged possession of concentrated cannabis and parole violation.
• Thirty-one-year-old Seth Mallo of Arcata was arrested for alleged cultivation of marijuana, possession of marijuana for sale, maintaining a drug house and parole violation.
“It wasn’t a large grow,” said Detective Sgt. Todd Dokweiler. Nonetheless, several pounds of processed marijuana were located and seized. He said Mallo had no Prop 215 recommendations at the grow location.
• Twenty-year-old Vernon Johnson of Arcata was arrested for an outstanding warrant.
• Thirty-five-year-old Junior Ramirez of Eureka was arrested for alleged possession of concentrated cannabis and probation violation.
All of the suspects were placed on a parole hold and jailed. Their cases will be reviewed for a parole revocation hearing.
“This is something you’re going to see us do more of,” Dokweiler said.
He said that the alleged recidivists aren’t necessarily typical.
“Some of these folks are really trying to turn their lives around and they’re doing well in the community,” Dokweiler said.
