Latest news with #MendocinoCountySheriff'sOffice
San Francisco Chronicle
4 days ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Hitchhiker dies after Northern California deputies restrain him, using pepper spray and Taser
A Northern California hitchhiker died Thursday evening after he was restrained by law enforcement officers who zapped him with a Taser, used pepper spray and held him down on his stomach as they struggled to place him under arrest, according to the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office. The confrontation between law enforcement and the 36-year-old hitchhiker occurred in Willits after officers received a complaint that the hitchhiker had 'brutally assaulted' a driver who had picked him up. The incident began around 7:02 p.m. when the California Highway Patrol notified the sheriff's office of an altercation between a driver and the hitchhiker in the 2000 block of Hearst Willits Road. Authorities say the attack on the driver was unprovoked and his injuries required hospitalization. A sheriff's deputy responding to the area encountered the suspect walking in the middle of the roadway. According to the department, the man ignored commands, assumed a fighting stance, and lunged at the deputy, prompting a drawn Taser and repeated attempts at de-escalation. The situation escalated as the man fled into nearby brush. Law enforcement used pepper spray and a Taser after the man resisted arrest and allegedly assaulted a deputy during the struggle to restrain him, the sheriff's office said. Officers from the Willits Police Department arrived to assist, and authorities eventually succeeded in handcuffing the suspect. Shortly after, deputies reported that the man became unresponsive. CPR was initiated and Narcan was administered at the scene. Emergency responders continued life-saving efforts for roughly 30 minutes before the man was pronounced dead. As required under county protocol for in-custody deaths, the Mendocino County District Attorney's Office has taken over the investigation.
Miami Herald
27-04-2025
- Miami Herald
Body of missing 74-year-old found in truck after crash into river, CA cops say
A pickup truck found in the Russian River in Northern California contained the body of a missing 74-year-old man, authorities reported. Clifford Frances Souza was last seen leaving his Gualala home to drive about 120 miles to Martinez on Wednesday, April 23, but never arrived, the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office said in a news release. Souza, who was driving a gray 2021 Ford Ranger, was reported missing Thursday, April 24, the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office said. Deputies tracked his cell phone activity to Sonoma County, and the itinerary for his pickup truck also showed it somewhere in the county, SFGate reported. On Saturday, April 26, California Highway Patrol officers responded to reports of a vehicle submerged in the Russian River off Highway 1 near Highway 116, officers said. Officers found Souza's body inside the pickup truck, the CHP said. The vehicle apparently veered off the highway into the river. An investigation into the crash, including when it took place, continues. Investigators ask anyone with information to call 707-806-5600. The Russian River is about a 135-mile drive northwest of Sacramento.
San Francisco Chronicle
27-04-2025
- San Francisco Chronicle
Body of missing man found in submerged truck in Russian River
The body of a 74-year-old Mendocino County man who was reported missing was found in a truck in the Russian River on Saturday, authorities said. Clifford Souza was found in a submerged Ford Ranger around 2:30 p.m. along state Route 1, north of state Route 116, the California Highway Patrol said. Souza had been reported missing Wednesday by the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office. Investigators believe Souza veered off the roadway and into the river, although it was unclear when the crash occurred, the CHP said.
