At about 11:50 p.m. on Sunday, March 28, Orland police officers responded to the Glenn Medical Center emergency room for a reported victim of a gunshot wound.
Officers and assisting deputies learned that Arlo Little, 31, was shot at or near 714 Tehama Street, Orland, then was transported by private vehicle to the hospital.
Little was triaged at Glenn Medical Center, then taken to Enloe Medical Center for further treatment and evaluation.
This investigation is ongoing, and the Orland Police Department urges anybody with information about the incident to contact the department at 530-865-1616.
According to Arlo Little’s Facebook page, which appears to have been neglected for the last few years, he attended Willows High School, studied at Butte College, and lives in Willows.
Little has had numerous encounters with law enforcement. His Glenn County Jail booking information in recent years states that he is a Willows transient.
According to the Glenn County Superior Court, Little was found guilty of various crimes in 2016 and 2017. Most of the violations for which he was convicted were drug-related.
Most recently, in August of 2020, Little was convicted of misdemeanor domestic battery and possession of methamphetamine and was found in violation of probation for the fourth time.He was sentenced to 364 days in jail and probation was terminated.
Obviously, Little was not still serving (or not yet serving) his 364 days in jail when he was shot late Sunday night.
Do you see the story below, “OPD makes Prior arrest”? It probably won’t be until Wednesday when you will learn anything about it from another news source. On the other hand, The Observer will likely have an update available on Monday. As for the photos you see with the story, you won’t find them anywhere else. Ever. So, if you want to continue to see stories and photos like these, and see them sooner rather than later, support The Observer by making a donation. Thank you!
Orland – Westside Ambulance personnel cut off Sean Prior’s shirt as they prepare to examine him. Glenn County Observer photo by Larry Judkins.
By Larry Judkins
Glenn County Observer
Orland – Local police officers missed Sean Prior, 32, Friday night, but caught up to him early Saturday evening.
Throughout most of Friday evening, law enforcement officers surrounded a residence in the Paigewood Village Apartments, south of East Walker Street (Highway 32) in eastern Orland.
Officers contacted neighbors in the apartments, advising them either to evacuate or to shelter in place.
Not too late into what was believed to be a standoff, Orland officers contacted Chief of Police Joe Vlach and he responded to the scene.
Late Friday evening, the Orland Fire Department was called to the area and asked to stage nearby.
Since standoffs like this generally take many hours to resolve, your generally responsible reporter decided to call it night and went to bed sometime after the firefighters were called to the scene.
He believes the standoff ended in the early morning hours when the officers made their way into the apartment and discovered Prior was no longer there.
But don’t worry. At about 7 p.m. on Saturday, Orland officers, as well as a Glenn County Sheriff’s deputy and a California Highway Patrol officer, caught up to Prior just north of the Paigewood complex.
Immediately ahead of this reporter, Westside Ambulance also arrived at the scene and began examining Prior as he sat on the ground. It was not clear to this reporter whether officers had deployed a Taser against Prior.
Prior did not exercise his constitutional right to remain silent. Indeed, he was so excessively talkative that the arresting officer asked him more than once to be quiet – an unusual request given that law enforcement officers normally appreciate it when suspects volunteer information they don’t have to provide.
Let’s just say that it is as if Prior has a Ph.D. in talking but is still in kindergarten when it comes to conversing.
Orland – Clearly trying to dominate the discussion, Sean Prior talks at Orland Police Sgt. Sean Johnson, foreground, and Officer Daryl Mills, just to Johnson’s left. Glenn County Observer photo by Larry Judkins.
At one point, Prior asked repeatedly, as he was on the ground in handcuffs, “Officer, why will you not take my report?”
The officer, growing increasingly impatient with the constant interruptions of Prior, responded, “Will you shut your mouth so I can talk back to you?”
Prior objected, “You’re not answering my question though.”
The officer pointed out to Prior that he had “fled last night.”
Prior replied, “No, I did not. No, I did not.”
The officer said, when they arrived on the scene, “She [a domestic violence victim] was crying on the sidewalk and you were long gone.”
“I was long gone, yes,” admitted Prior.
“What about the knife and the handgun?” asked the officer.
“What handgun?” asked Prior.
A zipgun was mentioned by the officer, but Prior denied any knowledge of such a weapon.
“So that was just our imagination,” replied the officer.
Orland – A Westside paramedic prepares to cut the shirt off Sean Prior as Orland Police Officer Daryl Mills and another Westside staff member look on. Glenn County Observer photo by Larry Judkins.
Prior asked what he was being charged with. The officer told him his charges included assault, and weapons charges (including alleged possession of a firearm by a felon).
Prior began to argue that the apartment in question “is my residence. That is my residence.”
The officer responded, “You are not to have any contact with –”
“I own the residence,” interrupted Prior.
“Listen to me,” insisted the officer.
“I own the residence,” repeated Prior.
“Listen to me.”
“I own the residence.”
“Listen to me, Sean.”
Prior continued to insist he was the owner of the residence right up to the time he was being placed in the back of a patrol unit.
Orland – The scorched remains of an outbuilding at the fire scene at Thursday afternoon’s blaze. Glenn County Observer photo by Larry Judkins.
Orland – It was nothing like the previous day’s inferno.
At about 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, the Orland Volunteer Fire Department responded to a reported structure fire on County Road FF, north of County Road 200.
Like the fire at 4:30 Wednesday morning at 106 Fourth Street, Thursday’s fire was (correctly) toned out as a structure fire.
And like Wednesday’s fire, Thursday’s fire turned out to involve outbuildings.
The fire on Fourth Street, however, involved at least one very large outbuilding, while the fire off County Road FF involved what appeared to be a shed and a chicken coop.
So, yes, this latest fire was the fourth structure fire in Glenn County in two days (the first two, in the southeast area of the county, were the results of arson), and while the owner of this property off Road FF was undoubtedly not happy about the fire, the truth is it was not comparable to the first three.
Joe Vlach, who is both the Orland Chief of Police and, since 2020, an Orland volunteer firefighter, douses the scene of Thursday’s fire. Glenn County Observer photo by Larry Judkins.
To get to the fire, firefighters took County Road 200 to Road FF, where they turned right, or north. Just north of 4630 County Road FF, a gravel road shoots off to the east.
Two or three hundred yards down the gravel road, on the north (left) side, is the property where the fire ignited.
Artois firefighters were initially called for mutual aid, but were canceled a short time later.
City of Orland Public Works Director and Orland Fire Department volunteer Ed Vonasek walks to a nearby fire engine to get a chainsaw. Glenn County Observer photo by Larry Judkins.
Firefighters were on-scene for an hour or so, first dousing the area with water, then with foam. A few small, scorched trees were also cut down.
According to Orland Fire Chief Justin Chaney, the fire was apparently started by a heat lamp that ignited some hay.
Orland – According to Orland Fire Chief Justin Chaney, the early morning structure fire at 106 Fourth Street is believed to have been caused by smoldering woodstove embers igniting debris after being blown about by Wednesday’s strong winds.
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Here are the latest bookings from the Glenn County Jail. Remember: Everyone accused of a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Thursday, March 18:
9:33 a.m., Brandon Casey Heaton, 29, a welder who lives in Redding, was booked into the Glenn County Jail in charges alleging driving while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs (a misdemeanor). Bail was set at $5,000. He was taken into custody on County Road 30, just west of Highway 45, by a California Highway Patrol officer.
3:53 p.m., Joshua Clifford Pennock, 33, a laborer who lives in Rackerby, Calif., was booked into the Glenn County Jail without bail on a Butte County warrant alleging violation of post-release community supervision (a felony). He was taken into custody at Walmart, 470 North Airport Road, Willows, by a Glenn County Sheriff’s deputy.
11:37 p.m., David William Gutierrez, Jr., 32, a painter who lives in Orland, was booked into the Glenn County Jail on a warrant alleging disobeying a court order (a misdemeanor). Bail was set at $12,000. He was taken into custody at Tehama and Fourth Streets by an Orland police officer.
Friday, March 19:
12:42 a.m., Jesus Martine Galarza, 24, a student who lives in Chico, was booked into the Glenn County Jail on charges alleging driving while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, and driving while under the influence of alcohol (both misdemeanors). Bail was set at $10,000. He was taken into custody on Highway 32, east of Sacramento Avenue, Hamilton City, by a California Highway Patrol officer.
2:21 a.m., Michael Eugene Bamford, 50, a laborer who lives in Montgomery Creek, was booked into the Glenn County Jail on Shasta County warrants alleging misdemeanor violation of probation. Total bail was set at $11,000. He was taken into custody at County Roads P and 9 by a Glenn County Sheriff’s deputy.
9:30 a.m., Bryan Paul McLain, 37, a firewood cutter who lives in Orland, was booked into the Glenn County Jail without bail on a warrant alleging felony violation of probation. He was taken into custody at the Willows branch of the Glenn County Superior Court by a Glenn County Sheriff’s deputy.
11:10 p.m., Luis Enrique Tapia, 22, a farm worker who lives in Corning, was booked into the Glenn County Jail on charges alleging driving while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, and driving while under the influence of alcohol (both misdemeanors). Bail was set at $10,000. He was taken into custody on County Road 7 at Interstate 5 by a California Highway Patrol officer.
Saturday, March 20:
3:20 a.m., Tanya Lynn Wilson, 45, a social worker who lives in San Rafael, was booked into the Glenn County Jail on charges alleging driving while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs (a misdemeanor). Bail was set at $5,000. She was taken into custody on the northbound side of Interstate 5, north of County Road 57, by a California Highway Patrol officer.
10:16 a.m., David John Carlile, 42, a laborer who lives in Willows, was booked into the Glenn County Jail on charges alleging using or being under the influence of a controlled substance (a misdemeanor). Bail was set at zero. He was taken into custody on Lassen Street at Oak Street, Willows, by a Glenn County Sheriff’s deputy.
1:24 p.m., James Wayne Hansen, 22, a bee keeper who lives in Orland, was booked into the Glenn County Jail on a warrant alleging unlawful use of personal identification information (a felon). Bail was set at $10,000. He was taken into custody at Highway 99 and County Road 20 by a Glenn County Sheriff’s deputy.
1:24 p.m., James Scott Beegle, 32, a laborer who lives in Orland, was booked into the Glenn County Jail without bail on a warrant alleging violation of parole (a felony). He was taken into custody at Highway 99 and County Road 20 by a parole officer.
9:38 p.m., Allan Paul Rueda, 31, a car detailer who lives in Orland, was booked into the Glenn County Jail on charges alleging possession of controlled substance paraphernalia, and driving with a suspended license (both misdemeanors), and Butte County warrants alleging possession of a firearm by a felon (a felony), theft of livestock (a felony), failure to appear on a felony charge (a felony), and possession of an open container (a misdemeanor). Bail on the fresh charges was set at zero. Total bail on the warrants was set at $174,000. He was taken into custody at 6871 County Road 12, Orland, by a Glenn County Sheriff’s deputy.
10:01 p.m., Cristal Ruiz Hernandez, 25, a licensed vocational nurse who lives in Grimes, was booked into the Glenn County Jail on charges alleging possession of controlled substance paraphernalia, and possession of concentrated cannabis (both misdemeanors). Bail was set at zero. She was taken into custody at 6871 County Road 12, Orland, by a Glenn County Sheriff’s deputy.
Sunday, March 21:
11:41 a.m., Stephanie Ranee Wright, 33, a laborer who lives in Willows, was booked into the Glenn County Jail on warrants alleging disobeying a court order, and failure to appear on a misdemeanor charge (both misdemeanors). Total bail was set at $35,000. She was taken into custody on Highway 99 near County Road 18 by a Glenn County Sheriff’s deputy.
2:06 p.m., William Lloyd Coats, 54, a laborer who lives in Orland, was booked into the Glenn County Jail on charges alleging possession of a narcotic controlled substance, and driving with a suspended license (both misdemeanors), and a warrant alleging disobeying a court order (a misdemeanor). Bail on the fresh charges was set at zero. Bail on the warrant was set at $10,000. He was taken into custody at Woodward Avenue and East Walker Street by an Orland police officer.
10:04 p.m., Juan Rios Figueroa, 31, a laborer who lives in Orland, was booked into the Glenn County Jail on charges alleging threatening to commit a crime with intent to terrorize (a felony), willful cruelty to a child (a misdemeanor), driving while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs (a misdemeanor), driving while under the influence of alcohol (a misdemeanor), and driving while under the influence with three or more priors (a felony). Bail was set at $170,000. He was taken into custody at 1052 South Street by an Orland police officer.
11:46 p.m., Juan Trujillo Ortiz, 50, a logger who lives in Hoopa, was booked into the Glenn County Jail on charges alleging driving while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, driving while under the influence of alcohol, and driving without a license (all misdemeanors). Bail was set at $10,000. He was taken into custody at East Walker Street and Woodward Avenue, Orland, by a California Highway Patrol officer.
Monday, March 22:
2:42 a.m., Joshua Charles Hanson, 27, a kitchen crew member and transient, was booked into the Glenn County Jail on charges alleging possession of a narcotic controlled substance, and possession of controlled substance paraphernalia (both misdemeanors), a warrant alleging disobeying a court order (a misdemeanor), and a civil warrant alleging civil contempt. Bail on the fresh charges was set at zero. Total bail on the warrants was set at $20,000. He was taken into custody in the 6900 block of County Road 57 by a Glenn County Sheriff’s deputy.
3:08 a.m., Jonathan Scott Hanson, 29, a mechanic who lives in Willows, was booked into the Glenn County Jail on charges alleging possession of controlled substance paraphernalia (a misdemeanor). Bail was set at zero. He was taken into custody in the 6900 block of County Road 57 by a Glenn County Sheriff’s deputy.
11:19 a.m., Valentin Morales Gonzalez, 47, a laborer who lives in Orland, was booked into the Glenn County Jail on charges alleging driving while under the influence of alcohol (a misdemeanor). Bail was set at $5,000. He was taken into custody at 73 East Walker Street by an Orland police officer.
9:10 p.m., Chanh Thammavong, 63, disabled, of Orland, was booked into the Glenn County Jail on charges alleging public intoxication (a misdemeanor). Bail was set at zero. He was taken into custody in the 200 block of Fifth Street by an Orland police officer.
10:20 p.m., Zevah Marie Keshtbod, 38, a truck driver who lives in Sacramento, was booked into the Glenn County Jail on charges alleging using or being under the influence of a controlled substance, and child endangerment (both misdemeanors). Bail was set at zero. She was taken into custody at 1481 Highway 99, Willows, by a Glenn County Sheriff’s deputy.
Tuesday, March 23:
3:08 p.m., Mario Alberto Madrigal, 36, a laborer who lives in Orland, was booked into the Glenn County Jail on a warrant alleging disobeying a court order (a misdemeanor). Bail was set at $17,000. He was taken into custody at 1101 Cortina Drive, Orland, by a Glenn County probation officer.
3:51 p.m., Salvador Garcia Tirado, 51, a construction worker who lives in Orland, was booked into the Glenn County Jail on a warrant alleging driving without a license (a misdemeanor), no current motor carrier program operating authority (a misdemeanor), providing false evidence of insurance (a misdemeanor), registration required (an infraction), and failure to pay a restitution fine (a misdemeanor). Bail was set at $4,000. He was taken into custody at Walmart, 470 Airport Road, Willows, by a Glenn County Sheriff’s deputy.
11:29 p.m., Heather Lee Beath-Alvarez, 44, a laborer who lives in Willows, was booked into the Glenn County Jail on warrants alleging disobeying a lawful order of the court (a felony), and disobeying a court order (a misdemeanor). Total bail was set at $25,000. She was taken into custody at 210 West Wood Street, Willows, by a Glenn County Sheriff’s deputy.
Firefighters on the ground view the blaze behind the house at 106 Fourth Street as the Orland Fire Department’s ladder truck douses the outbuilding from above. Glenn County Observer photo by Larry Judkins.
Orland – An early Wednesday morning fire at the far north end of Fourth Street here was the third major structure fire in Glenn County in 12 hours.
The first two fires occurred in southeast Glenn County, one being toned out at about 4:45 p.m. on Tuesday, March 23, and the other being reported just 15 minutes or so later.
The 4:45 p.m. call was for a fully involved structure fire on Highway 45 just south of County Road 61.
The 5 p.m. call was for a building at the Butte City boat launch. Both structure fires were abandoned houses.
The Glenn County Arson Team, along with Deputy Chavez, initiated an investigation. It was determined the two South County fires were likely the result of arson.
Fire departments that responded to these two fires included Glenn-Codora, Butte City, Princeton, Bayliss, and possibly others. (If I missed anyone, please send a message to gcolarry@yahoo.com.)
The Orland fire was toned out at roughly 4:30 a.m.
Orland Fire Chief Justin Chaney, left, talks with Willows firefighter John Peterich, center, and other firefighters at the scene of Orland’s structure fire early Wednesday morning. Glenn County Observer photo by Larry Judkins.
The location of the fire was given as 106 Fourth Street, which is at the far north end of Fourth Street, on the west side, immediately to the south of the Orland Unit Water District canal.
Before firefighters began arriving at the scene, law enforcement officers could be heard on the police scanner as they went house to house, evacuating people whose homes were in danger of catching fire.
No houses burned, including the one at 106 Fourth Street. However, a number of outbuildings were reportedly destroyed, including a large barnlike structure.
A stream of water pours down from the Orland Fire Department’s ladder truck. Glenn County Observer photo by Larry Judkins.
Fire departments that responded included Orland, Artois, Willows, and, a little later, Hamilton City’s portable air cascade unit.
No causes for any of these fires were known at the time these photos and this story was posted.
Firefighters from outside of Orland began to be released at about 8:30 a.m. Orland firefighters would remain on-scene until much later for “extended mop-up.”
Willows – On Thursday, March 11, Cynthia Sarah Hardie, 44, was arrested by the Glenn County Sheriff’s major crimes unit (GLINTF) on child pornography charges.
At the time, the only information regarding this matter that was released to the public was the Glenn County Jail’s news brief. Now, thanks to the statement of probable cause for a search warrant by GLINTF agent and Glenn County Sheriff’s Detective Zachery Lopeteguy, much more is known.
Ten days earlier, on Monday, March 1, Detective Lopeteguy received a phone call from Javier Dominguez, a security investigator for Swift Transportation. Dominguez told Lopeteguy an employee named Cynthia Hardie (a man, by the way, according to the Glenn County Jail’s media release) works for Swift Transportation as a truck driver.
Hardie had a medical issue and parked the Swift Transportation tractor in Dunnigan. The big rig was later retrieved by other Swift Transportation employees.
Dominguez explained that Hardie’s tractor was cleaned and all of the belongings were removed and stored for a period of time. While another employee was sorting the items prior to discarding them, the employee found a camera and an MP3 player.
Dominguez said the employee examined the contents of the camera and found 25 to 50 files with titles similar to “Rape, child porn and child pornography”. The employee notified a superior and that is how Dominguez learned about the incident.
Dominguez told Detective Lopeteguy to contact Claudia Stone at the Swift Transportation terminal at 1475 Highway 99 in Willows for the evidence items. On Wednesday, March 3, Lopeteguy went to the Swift terminal and met with Stone.
She explained that she received a camera with an SD card and an MP3 player from employee Stephen Hansel, who told her the camera possibly held illegal sexual content. Stone then notified Swift Transportation security.
Shortly after meeting with Stone, Detective Lopeteguy met with Hansel, who explained how he came across the suspected contraband. He said the Swift tractor was picked up in Dunnigan after the driver left it there due to a medical emergency.
The vehicle was brought to the Willows terminal, and after the interior of the tractor was cleaned and all of Hardie’s personal belongings were removed, Hansel decided to look at the items. Hansel found a camera and an MP3 player.
Hansel told Detective Lopeteguy he removed the SD card from the cameral to confirm the camera belonged to Hardie and to make sure there weren’t any family photos before the items were thrown away. When he opened a file under a “limelight file,” he found titles that read “Sex with a 14-year-old, sex with a 16-year-old, and rape of a minor”.
Hansel did not open any of the files. He closed the files, notified his supervisor, and turned the camera, SD card and MP3 player over to Claudia Stone.
Hansel also sent Stone an email regarding the incident. He gave Detective Lopeteguy a copy of this email:
“On 3/1/2021 around 1330 [1:30 p.m.] I started to go through driver belongings that have been deemed trash for staying in storage too long by the Swift manager. Upon going through the belongings of truck 20257 I found a camera that had an SD card in it and I wanted to make sure there were no family photos that would be lost if thrown in the trash.
“I proceeded to remove the SD card from the camera and put it in my laptop to check for photos. Upon doing this I found that there were was a file that said MIDIA and when I checked the file it was empty.
“There were several more files on this card and when I checked the second one that labeled LIMEWIRE I had seen that there were either photos or video of what sounded like it was child pornography. These titles included sex with a 14 year old, sex with a 16 year old, and rape of a minor.
“None of these files were open. I then called the Swift manager over to verify what I was looking at and asked him what his company policy was on this matter. He looked at the computer screen and told me to pull it out and he will give it to Claudia to let her get ahold of Swift security.
“I cannot say that the titles I wrote above are exact to the titles on the photos or videos. There are also other videos of animated porn (7 in total) and other pornographic DVD’s (3 in total).
“After talking to the head of Swift security, he said to try and get everything that was in the box back in it and put it to the side and take photos of the box. Attached are the photos of the box with everything I believe was in the box at the time. Some of the items may still be in another box or in a trash bag that is next to the box.”
Detective Lopeteguy also spoke with Swift Transportation Service Leader Justin Jager, who explained that Hardie’s tractor was in Dunnigan for a period of time. Hardie had an unknown medical issue, parked the tractor, and locked it.
Jager and Swift Transportation employee Russel Adams went to Dunnigan and picked up the tractor. They found it secure but filthy inside.
Adams drove the tractor back to the Willows terminal, where it was photographed and then cleaned. Swift Transportation employee Roy Tunget cleaned the filth from the tractor and placed the items belonging to Hardie into a large cardboard box, which was stored at the Willows terminal.
Russel Adams told Detective Lopeteguy he and Justin Jager went to pick up the Swift tractor in Dunnigan. Adams found the tractor secure when he arrived, with the windows up and the doors locked.
Adams said the tractor was filthy and he regretted having to drive it back to Willows. Upon arrival at the Willows terminal, he parked and secured it.
Adams immediately left the tractor and washed his hands because of the filth inside. He did not remove anything from the vehicle.
He was the only person in the vehicle when he drove it from Dunnigan. He did not tamper with anything inside the vehicle.
Swift Transportation employee Roy Tunget told Detective Lopeteguy that he was tasked with cleaning the filthy tractor. He threw away what he thought was garbage.
He found what appeared to be cartoon-style pornography and threw it away, also. He did remember a camera being in the tractor. He told Lopeteguy the camera went into the cardboard box.
Detective Lopteguy requested a warrant in order to search the above-mentioned digital media devices for child pornographe and for any indicia of who the owner of these items is.
At 7:29 p.m. on Thursday, March 11, Cynthia Sarah Hardie of Rapid City, South Dakota, was booked into the Glenn County Jail on charges alleging sexual exploitation of a child, and possession of child pornography (both felonies). Bail was set at $100,000.
The Glenn County Observer 