On 09-03-2014, at approximately 11:00 p. m. one of the burglary suspects called the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office after a friend saw him on the six o’clock news and told him he was wanted by law enforcement. The suspect was identified and interviewed by a deputy. The suspect told the deputy he was not the person who actually stole the water heater, but admitted to being at the scene.
A Fortuna Police Officer saw the photos of the suspects in the press and also called the Sheriff’s Office with the names of both suspects. A request for an arrest warrant is being submitted to the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office for the suspect who called the Sheriff’s Office and provided a statement. The Sheriff’s Office is actively seeking the second suspect, Dale Otto Elliot, 25 years old for the burglary of the water heater and violation of his felony probations.
Elliot is on three separate felony probations, one for possession of illicit drugs, one for possession of narcotics and one for possession of stolen property.
Dale Otto Elliot is further described as follows: White male adult, 6 feet tall, approximately 250 pounds, brown hair and blue eyes.
Anyone with information for the Sheriff’s Office regarding Elliot or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Sheriff’s Office at 707-445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at 707-268-2539.
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On 09-03-2014, at approximately 8:00 a.m., the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a burglary by an employee of Renner Petroleum. The employee reported at approximately 1:10 a.m. this morning, two suspects walked onto the Renner Petroleum card lock property in Scotia. The suspects then gained access to a bathroom on the site. The bathroom lock is supposed to only accept Renner gas cards or credit cards. One of the suspects removed a water heater from the bathroom. The water heater is designed for a sink and only weighs five pounds. The employee told the deputy the suspect who stole the water heater appeared to have electrical experience, because he did not damage the wall and he taped off the wires like an electrician.
The employee told the investigating deputy he reviewed a video tape of the crime and watched the suspects steal the water heater. He provided still photos to the deputy in hopes someone could identify the suspects.
The suspects are described as follows:
1. White, male adult, with a goatee and a tattoo on his right shoulder, wearing a white tank top with a baseball hat worn backwards.
2. White male adult, wearing camouflaged colored pants, and a camouflaged colored jacket, with a shaved head.
Anyone with information for the Sheriff’s Office regarding this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Sheriff’s Office at 707-445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at 707-268-2539.
Mike Downey
Sheriff