The following is a press released issued by the Ukiah Police Department. The information has not been proven in a court of law and any individuals described should be presumed innocent until proven guilty:
On February 27, 2021 at approximately 11:59 AM, UPD Dispatch received a report of a possibly intoxicated driver, on Talmage Road. The caller advised they saw several violations, which caused them to suspect the driver was impaired. Dispatch obtained the license plate number from the caller and found that it corresponded to a vehicle that had been reported as stolen to CHP’s Garberville station. The caller advised the vehicle parked at the fuel pumps at the gas station located at 1099 S. State Street. Officers responded to the location and once there saw the silver Toyota Corolla was in fact parked at the fuel pumps. They saw the vehicle was occupied by at least one person.
Due to the inherent dangers of apprehending suspects who are in possession of stolen vehicles, a high risk or Felony stop was conducted on the vehicle. In these types of stops, Officers remain in a position of cover (protection) while they give verbal directions to the occupant(s) of the vehicle to exit and come back to the Officer’s location. The sole occupant, Eryka Smith complied with verbal directions and was taken into custody without further incident.
Officers learned Smith was on Summary Probation from this county and one of the terms of her probation was “obey all laws”. Smith was arrested for possession of a stolen vehicle and a violation of her probation terms. She was subsequently booked at the MCSO Jail. Officers contacted the vehicle’s owner and released the vehicle to them.
