Eye Editor

ARCATA – Exactly one week after what turned out to be a drug robbery at shotgun-point in Larson Park, a cannabis grow house right across the street was invaded by more shotgun-brandishing robbers.

On Friday, Jan. 15 at about 12:25 a.m., the Arcata Police Department took a report of an armed robbery which had just occurred in the 2400 block of Eye Street.

Upon officers’ arrival, they learned that a male suspect had kicked in the door, pointed a shotgun at the victim and demanded his money and property – the marijuana.

Two additional victims, a male and a female, heard the altercation and jumped out of a bedroom window. They confronted a second suspect in front of the residence, and the suspect pointed a handgun at them.

The male victim struggled with the suspect and took possession of the suspect’s handgun, a .45 caliber semi-automatic. The suspect then fled the area on foot.

The suspect in possession of the shotgun was described as a Hispanic male adult, about 18-years-old, 5 feet, 9 inches, stocky build, with dark, buzzed-cut hair.

The suspect was wearing a black bandana with a marijuana leaf emblem partially covering his face. The second suspect was only described as a white male adult who was taller than the other suspect.

He said the cannabis grow at the house was not of the legal variety, but for the time being, APD’s focus is on the robbery. “The immediate priority is life safety issues,” Chapman said.

“It certainly appears to be a home invasion robbery, the grow being the intended target,” Chapman said. “There appears to be more to the story than what we have.”

Oxy-robbin’

Chapman said the previous week’s shotgun robbery in nearby Larson Park was also a druggie escapade, but unrelated to the attempted grow house robbery.

“As far as we can tell, there’s no connection,” he said.

In that Jan. 8 incident, a number of non-Arcata residents apparently agreed to meet in the park for an OxyContin transaction. But, Chapman said, “The bad guys brought guns, with no intention to buy.”

The suspects fled in a black Honda Civic, and Chapman said APD is pursuing leads in the case. Anyone with information asked to contact APD at (707) 822-2428.

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There, officers learned that one of the victims was approached by a male with a shotgun. The suspect held the victim at gunpoint and demanded his money. A second suspect ordered another victim out of his vehicle. The suspect then took the car and fled the area.  Officers later located the victim’s vehicle abandoned on the side of the road in the 1200 block of Q Street.

It was further reported that two to three other male suspects involved in the robbery fled the area in another vehicle. The suspect vehicle was described as possibly being a late-’90s to early 2000s model black Honda Civic with a spoiler, gray rims and clear tail lights.

The suspect in possession of the shotgun was described as a male adult, 5 feet 9 inches, 170 pounds, wearing a white hooded sweatshirt. The second suspect was described as a white male adult, 6 feet to 6 feet, 2 inches with a thin build, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt. The other two to three suspects were described as males wearing dark clothing.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Arcata Police Department at (707) 822-2428.

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