The following is a press release 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:
UPD has been experiencing an alarming rise in burglaries of coin operated laundry facilities in recent months, which Officers and UPD Detectives have been investigating.
On 01/04/2023, at approximately 10:37 AM, UPD Officers were dispatched to a burglary investigation involving a forced entry into a coin operated laundry machine at an apartment complex. On arrival Officers found that a suspect had entered the community laundry room of the complex, pried open the machine and stolen quarters. The damage to the machine was estimated to be in excess of $400.
Officers obtained video surveillance footage from the complex that depicted a male suspect committing the theft. The Officers investigating this event were made aware that MCSO Deputies were presently investigating a very similar burglary of another apartment complex laundry facility located nearby on Brush St. Officers responded to that location and viewed surveillance footage that depicted the same male suspect breaking into a laundry machine. In speaking with MCSO Deputies, a UPD Detective learned that the same suspect was earlier captured on video surveillance attempting to burglarize a Redwood Valley business.
While viewing these surveillance videos, UPD Detectives recognized the suspect as Nathan Totten, a person of interest in another case. Detectives had obtained the license plate and description of Totten’s vehicle and entered it into UPD’s Flock vehicle license plate reader system.
Later that day, at approximately 3:48 PM, UPD received a Flock notification advising the suspect vehicle was being driven in the 900 block of S. State St. UPD Officers and Detectives responded and searched the area for the vehicle. A UPD Detective located the vehicle parked outside a laundromat in the 100 block of E. Gobbi St. and observed Totten outside the vehicle. Totten was taken into custody without incident.
At the time of his arrest, Totten was found to be in possession of evidence related to the case and distinctive items of clothing he was seen wearing in the surveillance footage. Totten was on Parole out of Shasta County and was charged with 3056 PC (Violation of Parole), 459 PC (Burglary), and 594(b)(1) PC (Vandalism exceeding $400). Totten was transported to the MCSO jail where he is currently being held.
This flock system has me a little worried. I suppose it’s good for tracking criminals or stolen vehicles, but, I would imagine, it can & does get used for unwarranted & even personal applications. I think we’re too used to, or are unaware of, how much we are surveiled.
Every time you leave your home and go down the street chances are you are on someone’s camera.
Absolutely, but privare residential & business cams aren’t used to follow our movements along roadways. Flock is used to track who, when & where we’ve gone or are going. Im sure its great for finding stolen cars or cars being used in criminal activity but I’d bet my life it gets used for reasons that are unjustified or even personal.
Poor guy was gathering funds to buy a chin