Chief: K-9 program ‘involved with some incredible seizures’
Several arrests in past week with help of K-9 Blitz
Two recent incidents in Fortuna demonstrate the importance and value of the Fortuna Police Department’s K-9 program.
Two men were arrested Saturday after a traffic stop in the Riverwalk Drive and Kenmar Road area. With assistance from Fortuna Police officer Matt Moore and K-9 Blitz, Mark Stuart Melton, 52, of Eureka and John Forrest Mastel, 48, of Fortuna were arrested.
Both Melton and Mastel were suspected of being a felon in possession of a firearm, being a prohibited person in possession of ammunition, carrying a concealed weapon, possession of a controlled substance while armed with a loaded firearm, and possession of a controlled substance.
Another incident that resulted in the arrest of three people and was made possible with assistance from K-9 Blitz happened Thursday in the Strongs Creek Plaza area. In this incident officers arrested three people, recovered a loaded stolen Glock 19, 9mm semiautomatic pistol, and seized over a half ounce of methamphetamine.
Marco Antonia Alverez, 31, Garret Alexandre Gibbs, 33, and Russhia Lee Pittman, 40, all of Fortuna, were arrested.
At the time, Pittman identified herself as a 38-year-old Eureka resident, which was later found to be untrue, according to an email from Fortuna Police Chief Casey Day on Tuesday morning.
Alverez is suspected of being a felon in possession of a firearm, being a prohibited person in possession of ammunition, carrying a concealed stolen weapon, being in possession of a controlled substance while armed with a loaded firearm and possession of a controlled substance.
Gibbs was accused of being in possession of a controlled substance and a violation of probation.
Pittman was suspected of carrying a concealed stolen weapon, possession of a controlled substance while armed with a loaded firearm, and possession of a controlled substance. According to Day, she could face additional charges for providing a false name.
“When I got here in 2020, the department had been without a K-9 program for almost two
years. In short order,” Day said, “these Fortuna K-9 teams have exceeded my expectations and have been involved with some incredible seizures.”
He said the department’s K-9 officers contributed to the largest historic Humboldt County Drug Task Force seizure back in September and are “continuing to
crush it in the field.”
“There is little doubt in my mind,” Day added, “that those involved in trafficking narcotics and crime, in general, are learning a tough lesson — that they may want to stay out of Humboldt County and especially the Eel River Valley.”
Of the two Fortuna Police
Department K-9 teams, one is funded through Measure E while the other is supported solely by charitable donations, fundraising and grant money.
“Without our community’s generosity, our supportive City Council, and the hard work of our K-9 teams, we would not be where we are today,” Day said.