Orland Volunteer Firefighter Jerry Kraemer releases a pumpkin from the top of the ladder of Truck 26.
By Larry Judkins
Glenn County Observer
Pumpkins away!
Fortunately, it wasn’t “Turkeys Away!”, the title of the famous episode of the old WKRP in Cincinnati sit-com in which Mr. Carlson, the owner of the radio station, dropped live turkeys from a helicopter, sending them plummeting to their deaths.
“As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly!” Carlson later told his employees as they took complaints from various animal welfare advocates.
Before the catastrophe, he believed the turkey drop would be the greatest promotional event in the history of radio.
Of course, as anyone from rural Northern California can tell you, turkey flightlessness applies only to domesticated turkeys, which have been bred to be so heavy with the meat craved (and carved) by humans that they cannot fly. However, a wild turkey can, well, fly like a bird.
On the other hand, pumpkins, whether wild or domesticated, can’t fly. “As God is my witness, I thought pumpkins can fly,” said no one ever.
All pumpkins can do when dropped from a height is plummet to the ground and smash into a thousand gooey pieces a fact they may have (but probably didn’t) inspire the name of the alternative rock band, Smashing Pumpkins.
The effect of gravity on falling pumpkins did, however, inspire an event held at the Orland fire station during the Treat Street celebration on Saturday, Oct. 28.
Another pumpkin bites the dust.
In a nutshell, the idea behind the plummeting pumpkin contest was for entrants to figure out a way for pumpkins to survive unscathed a 50-foot drop. Possibilities for reaching this goal included attaching parachutes to the pumpkins, wrapping them in blankets, or employing plenty of bubble wrap, thereby (hopefully) preventing the gourds from becoming squashed (so to speak).
The winner would be awarded $20.
Alas, no one was able to enjoy the fruits of their labors. None of the pumpkins walked er, rolled away completely unharmed, although one or two came close.
This pumpkin almost survived the drop.
The award was shared among the entrants. That is, everyone enjoyed a piece of the pumpkin pie.
Perhaps someone will have better luck next year.
As for the rest of the Treat Street event, it appeared to be very well attended. Numerous organizations and businesses had tables set up in Library Park, and Fourth Street was completely shut down to traffic from Colusa Street to Walker Street.
Orland Police Officer Katherine “Kat” Lowery stands with a group of Treat Street participants at Saturday’s event.
As the name suggests, there were treats aplenty.
Costumes were in abundance, with both kids and adults dressing up.
Look who just sailed in to Orland! This pirate had plenty of sweet treats available for any landlubbers with a sweet tooth who might have stopped by the North Valley Collision Repair Center, 427 Colusa Street.
By the way, the best, most perfect costume(s) I have ever seen were at the Treat Street celebration a few years ago. The pandemic was in full swing, and an adult and younger person I think they were a mother and daughter, but I’m not sure; they were, after all, in costume were dressed as 17th century plague doctors.
And what, you may be wondering, is so special about a 17th century plague doctor? Well, see for yourself:
If you want to know more, go to your local library.
All photos by Larry Judkins, with the obvious exception of the colorized woodcut of the 17t h century plague doctor. (I’m old but I’m not that old!)
Who knew that the California Concepts sits on top of a graveyard?
It must, because several skeletons have risen or are in the process of rising from the ground in the front yard of the hair salon located at 537 West Wood Street in Willows, at the northeast corner Wood Street and North Murdock Avenue.
“Man, I am as dry as a bone!” one skeleton seemed to be saying to the other. “You haven’t looked at yourself in a mirror lately, have you?” came the response.
Besides skeletons galore, the establishment has a dragon, witches, humongous spiders, pumpkin-headed creatures, and a giant werewolf.
Witches appear to beckon visitors.
Beetlejuice can also be seen lurking in the shadows of the front porch.
It was probably just my imagination running away with me, but I thought I heard some witches mixing up an evil potion of some kind: At any rate, the following incantation began running through my head:
Double, double toil and trouble
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.
Fillet of a fenny snake
In the cauldron boil and bake.
Eye of newt and toe of frog,
Wool of bat and tongue of dog,
Adder’s fork and blind-worm’s sting,
Lizard’s leg and owlet’s wing,
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
Double, double toil and trouble
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble….
Does anyone remember the old movie, The Incredible Two-Headed Transplant?
All photos by Larry Judkins of The Glenn County Observer.
A woman called 911 Monday morning, telling the dispatcher she believed she was overdosing after smoking fentanyl.
She was eight months pregnant.
Orland police officers responded to the Blue and White Laundromat at 1018 South Street, located in the same strip mall as the Dollar Tree and the Grocery Outlet, at about 9:42 a.m. on Oct. 23.
After the officers “cleared the scene” (made sure it was safe for other emergency responders to enter), Orland Fire Department volunteers and ambulance personnel entered to render aid.
The woman had self-administered a dose of Narcan.
Still experiencing symptoms of overdose, a second dose of Narcan was administered.
Orland Fire Chief Justin Chaney was heard on the scanner saying the woman was eight months pregnant.
A K-9 was brought to the scene to make sure there was no leftover fentanyl or paraphernalia.
The woman was transported by ambulance for additional medical treatment.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), substance abuse by pregnant women has been linked to maternal death, poor fetal growth, preterm birth, stillbirth, birth defects, and NAS, or neonatal abstinence syndrome (withdrawal).
Signs of withdrawal usually begin within 72 after birth and may include tremors (trembling); irritability, including excessive or high-pitched crying; sleep problems; hyperactive reflexes; seizures; yawning, stuffy nose, or sneezing; poor feeding and sucking; vomiting; loose stools and dehydration; and increased sweating.
Neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS) is a subset of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). NOWS is specific to opioid withdrawal and manifests itself within the first 28 days of the infant’s life.
According to the CDC, the signs a newborn might experience, and their severity, depend on a variety of factors, including the type and amount of the opioid to which the infant was exposed before birth; the last time the mother used an opioid; whether the baby was born full-term or premature; and whether the newborn was exposed to other substances, such as alcohol or tobacco, before birth.
Suddenly stopping opioid use during pregnancy is not recommended, the CDC says, as it can have serious consequences, such as preterm labor, fetal distress, or miscarriage.
Current clinical recommendations for pregnant women with opioid use disorder include medications rather than supervised withdrawal, due to a higher likelihood of better outcomes and a reduced risk of relapse.
A motorcyclist with a history of speeding and other traffic violations lost his life Saturday night when his Honda broadsided an SUV on Highway 32 in front of Country Pumpkins east of Orland.
At about 8:28 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 21, Chester William Johnson, 40, of Orland, was riding his red 2023 Honda motorcycle east on Highway 32, just east of County Road Q and near Country Pumpkins and its corn maze. California Highway Patrol officers, Orland police officers, Glenn County Sheriff’s deputies, Orland volunteer firefighters, and Westside Ambulance personnel all responded to the scene.
Jennifer Chua, 49, of Chico, was driving a blue 2017 Subaru SUV west on Highway 32, just east of County Road Q, at a stated speed of 10 miles per hour. She started to make a left turn into a driveway at 7155 Highway 32 on the south side of Highway 32, directly across the road from Country Pumpkins, 7152 Highway 32.
According to the California Highway Patrol and other sources, Johnson was riding his motorcycle at a high rate of speed and passing vehicles on the shoulder. As a result, he was unable to see the Subaru making the left turn and collided with the right (passenger) side of the SUV.
Johnson was ejected from the Honda and sustained fatal injuries, dying at the scene. He was pronounced deceased at 8:42 p.m., and a coroner’s investigation was begun by Deputy Vargas.
Johnson’s next of kin, Corene Mae Ledbeter Johnson, was notified of the death.
Chua and three minor passengers were all wearing their seatbelts and were uninjured. The children’s names were improperly withheld from both the CHP’s and Glenn County Sheriff’s news releases, although the CHP’s release, unlike the sheriff’s, gave their ages as 16, 15, and 9, and indicated all three are from Chico and all three are boys.
According to CHP Officer Roach, alcohol is not suspected to be a factor in this accident.
Country Pumpkins, on the north side of Highway 32, east of County Road Q. Glenn County Observer photo by Larry Judkins.
In previous years in October, CalTrans had been known to put out electronic signs, warning drivers of an event ahead at Country Pumpkins. No such cautions are to be found this year, however.
Following the crash, the roadway was completely blocked, and officers closed the highway at County Road P. Nevertheless, drivers continued to head eastbound on Highway 32 from Road P.
A law enforcement officer was heard saying that drivers were traveling through the intersection, going east toward the accident scene. Another officer responded, “We are putting road flares out now. We are having problems with this intersection.
Bambauer Towing responded to pick up both the Subaru and the Honda. At 9:58 p.m., Bambauer notified the CHP that they were stuck in traffic and asked if they could use the shoulder.
However, two minutes later, the south (eastbound) lane of Highway 32 was opened, and nine minutes after that both lanes were opened.
It should be noted that Johnson was no stranger to speeding and reckless driving. From 2002 to 2014, he had gone to court for at least eight cases involving traffic violations in Glenn County.
Among these, he was convicted in 2007 of speeding over 100 miles per hour; he was convicted in 2012 of exceeding 55 miles per hour; and he was convicted in 2014 of speeding in a 70 mile per hour zone.
If Chester William Johnson’s name seems familiar to Observer readers, it may be because this reporter did a story regarding him in January of this year. It read:
Orland man charged with child sexual abuse
By Larry Judkins
Glenn County Observer
Readers: Please remember that in our criminal justice system, the accused is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law….
However, not only is the presumption of innocence a basic premise of our system of government, so is the concept of a fully informed public. Ignorance and democracy cannot exist simultaneously.
Anyway, at about 10:37 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022, Deputy Ramirez received a report of a cold sexual assault of juveniles at an address … near Orland.
Deputy Ramirez met with the caller, Zandi Lin Lawrence of Corning….
Deputy Ramirez initiated an investigation. He concluded his investigation, and it was turned over to the Major Crimes Unit for further action.
According to the sheriff’s log for the Dec. 24 incident, [one of the] “involved parties” included … Chester William Johnson of Orland….
At about 7:54 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 30, Chester William Johnson, 39, of Orland, was booked into the Glenn County Jail on charges alleging continuous sexual abuse of a child, lewd or lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14, sexual penetration with force on a child under the age of 14, and willful cruelty to a child that could result in injury or death (all felonies).
His bail was set at $315,000. He was taken into custody near Orland by a Glenn County Sheriff’s deputy.
On Thursday, Jan. 5, the Glenn County District Attorney’s Office charged Johnson with alleged continuous sexual abuse of a child, and lewd or lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14 (again, both charges are felonies).
The matter is next set to be in court (Donald Cole Byrd presiding) at 8 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 13. At this hearing, Attorney Robert L. Marshall, who works out of Oroville, may be [and in fact was] retained….
Since the writing of the preceding story, a pretrial conference had been set for Friday, Oct. 6, just 15 days before Johnson’s death. Another pretrial conference was scheduled for Friday, Nov. 3, about 13 days after his death.
Whether the stress of Johnson’s impending trial was a contributing factor in the fatal collision will probably never be known with any degree of certainty.
In the coming months, the question posed by the above headline may get asked by a lot of residents of Willows.
On Tuesday, Oct. 3, the Glenn County Sheriff’s Office issued a release explaining that the GCSO “has provided law enforcement services to the City of Willows since 2017 under a contract for services.”
“The contract,” the sheriff’s release continued, “expired on June 30, 2023. Following several months of negotiations, the Sheriff’s Office and the City of Willows have been unable to come to an agreement on the 2023 contract for services.”
The GCSO release states, “Due to increased costs to provide services and increased caseload within the City of Willows jurisdiction, the total cost of the contract has increased.” The City of Willows jurisdiction accounts for approximately 50 percent of the Glenn County Sheriff’s Office’s total law enforcement caseload, the GCSO says.
“This increase in costs and caseload must be accounted for in the contract renewal,” the release explains. “Per government code 51350, the County must contract for actual costs for services provided and cannot provide services at a discounted or lower rate than actuals.
“Additionally,” the release goes on, “the Sheriff’s Office will not sacrifice officer safety by agreeing to staffing levels below the minimum required.”
The GCSO document reads, “The Sheriff’s Office has continued to meet with City Management to discuss this issue and has provided documentation for the increased costs as well as the required increase in staffing to meet the law enforcement needs of Willows.
“The Sheriff’s Office has also presented alternative solutions to the City of Willows including a transition plan for the restart of City provided law enforcement services. This transition plan would come with phased law enforcement coverage by the Sheriff’s Office until the City Police Department could be reinstated.
“Currently, there is no contract for law enforcement services in effect for the City of Willows. The Sheriff’s Office continues to provide law enforcement services within the city limits; however, [the GCSO] has been unable to bill for the services provided since July 1, 2023.
“Currently the costs incurred exceed $600,000.”
The GCSO release concludes, “If the Sheriff’s Office and the City of Willows are unable to come to an agreement by October 16, 2023, contracted Law Enforcement services, including animal control, will end in the City of Willows. The Sheriff’s Office will continue to provide dispatching services and respond only to felonies in progress.
“The Sheriff’s Office remains committed to finding a solution that ensures the safety of the residents of Willows as well as the safety of our deputies….”
On Thursday, Oct. 5, the City of Willows posted comments by members of the Willows City Council: The post was headlined, “Willows City Council Agrees with Glenn County Sheriff: The City needs to move forward with rebuilding its own law enforcement services”.
The post reads:
The Willows City Council agrees with the Glenn County Sheriff that the City needs to start planning and incrementally moving forward to reinstate its own law enforcement services. While it will take time and support from the Sheriff’s Office, the Council is committed to rebuilding and providing high quality law enforcement services to the citizens of Willows.
“We agree with the Sheriff that the City needs to bring its law enforcement and public safety services back inhouse; however, we need time and money to get there,” stated Mayor [Richard] Thomas.
To that end and effective with the next round of accounts payable, the City will pay the County through the month of October 2023 based on the Council approved fiscal year 2023-24 budget for law enforcement services. The remaining budget will be paid in early 2024 after the City receives its property taxes. Concurrently, the City hopes that the Sheriff’s Office will work with the City to develop a transition plan to reestablish the City’s own law enforcement services.
“The City has been an honest and transparent partner with the Sheriff’s Office, especially regarding the City’s struggling financial circumstances, and we hope this payment will demonstrate our commitment to law enforcement and to protecting our families and children,” commented Vice-Mayor [David] Vodden.
In the short term and during this transition, the City would also appreciate the Sheriff’s cooperation and support in affirming an affordable law enforcement contract as the City gradually reduces its reliability on the Sheriff’s Office.
When asked to comment on the current situation with the City’s law enforcement negotiations, Councilmember [Gary] Hansen (and retired law enforcement) stated: “We appreciate that public safety protection services are costly and those costs are increasing every day; however, with the city’s current financial circumstances and for the time being, we simply cannot afford to pay more than is already budgeted for. Rest assured, however, the council is fully committed to providing the professional and effective law enforcement services that our citizens need and deserve.”
Following its Tuesday, Oct. 10 meeting, “[The Willows City Council], with a 4-1 vote in favor, declared a fiscal emergency and authorized staff to place a 1 [percent] sales tax measure on the March 2024 presidential primary election ballot.”
Willows Mayor Richard Thomas commented, “I am very concerned about the City’s fiscal future. We need to find a path forward that, in the short term, balances increased revenues with controlled spending; and in the long term, strives for greater self-reliance to sustain critical city services.
“In a nutshell, the city needs to grow its population in order to sustain itself for the long term. Right now, however, we need immediate revenue to remain solvent beyond 2024.”
According to the City of Willows, the City already faces an ongoing estimated deficit of nearly a half-million dollars that will continue to grow to a projected $1.6 million with the proposed increase in the law enforcement contract with the Glenn County Sheriff’s Office.
Vice Mayor David Vodden said, “We need the sales tax in order to provide more services and benefits that will improve our quality of life more funding to do more things to make City of Willows and our lives better! The tax increase is an immediate means to opening up doors and generating more opportunities to better our community and city!”
After the Oct. 10 Willows City Council meeting, the City of Willows explained that regardless of whether the City contracts with the Glenn County Sheriff’s Office or the City of Willows re-establishes its own law enforcement program, the City does not currently generate sufficient revenues to provide adequate and sustainable law enforcement services long term, as well as other vital city services, including fire, emergency medical, public works, permitting, finance, library and administration.
When asked to comment, Councilmember Gary Hansen stated, “The Council’s number one duty and obligation to the citizens of Willows is to provide effective and adequately funded law enforcement, fire protection, emergency medical, and public works services. With rising costs and inflation, the city has no other choice but to consider a sales tax measure.”
With the current proposed cost increase for law enforcement services, the City of Willows said, the City will have no General Fund Reserve and cashflow by 2025, requiring deep cuts in city services to balance the budget starting in the second half of 2024.
“By placing this measure on the ballot, we have given Willows voters the opportunity to help ourselves and to decide our children’s future. We cannot function with current revenues. If we want to stay incorporated, this is our best opportunity to fix the city and ‘pay ourselves’ for the quality of life we all deserve and want,” commented newly appointed Councilmember Evan Hutson.
On Friday, Oct. 13, the Glenn County Sheriff’s Office issued the following release:
Following several months of negotiations, the Sheriff’s Office and the City of Willows have been unable to come to an agreement on the contract for law enforcement services for the City of Willows. Since July 2023, there has been no contract for law enforcement services in effect for the City of Willows. The Glenn County Sheriff’s Office has continued to provide services to the City of Willows in good faith; however, the Sheriff’s Office has been unable to bill for the actual costs of the services, which exceed $700,000.
The Glenn County Sheriff’s Office is unable to continue providing law enforcement services to Willows without adequate funding from the city. The Sheriff’s Office cannot continue to shoulder the cost of city services without significant impacts to county services, county residents, and risks to officer safety.
The City of Willows jurisdiction accounts for approximately 50 percent of [the GCSO’s] total law enforcement caseload. The cost of providing services has increased significantly since 2017 due to increased wages, benefits, and inflation on supplies, equipment, and transportation. Per government code 51350, the county must contract for actual costs for services and cannot provide services at a discounted or lower rate than actuals, therefore, providing services at a reduced rate to the city is not an option.
Beginning Monday night at 11:59 p.m., October 16, 2023, [the] Glenn County Sheriff’s Office will no longer provide law enforcement and animal control services to the City of Willows. The Sheriff’s Office will continue to provide dispatching services and respond only to felonies in progress. Routine calls for service will be transferred to the City of Willows.
We continue to negotiate with the City of Willows to provide essential law enforcement services. A potential solution being explored is an option to provide phased law enforcement coverage by the Sheriff’s Office until the City Police Department could be reinstated.
Then, on Monday, Oct. 16, the sheriff’s office announced that there will be “no interruption to law enforcement services for the City of Willows due to a tentative agreement being reached between the City and the Glenn County Sheriff’s Office this afternoon. This agreement will provide payment for law enforcement services through the end of the calendar year 2023.
The next day, Willow Mayor Richard Thomas wrote, “The City Council has agreed to pay $1,285,000 to the Glenn County Sheriff to continue police services for the City of Willows starting at midnight tonight. Public safety is paramount to our city services and we will continue to make sure our citizens are well-served. If at all possible, we’d like to avoid this same problem that we had and make sure that we’ve ironed out the details well before the end of the calendar year so we don’t have these issues in January. That’s been the goal of the city council all along, to make sure that folks are served and protected.”
The same day, Glenn County Sheriff Justin Gibbs commented, “[The city is] planning on going down the path of reopening the City of Willows Police Department and the sheriff’s office, myself included, will be there to jointly help them hand in hand throughout that entire process.”
So, for the moment at least, Willows’ law enforcement crisis has been averted. However, as Mayor Thomas said on Oct. 17, “If at all possible, we’d like to avoid this same problem that we had and make sure that we’ve ironed out the details well before the end of the calendar year so we don’t have these issues in January.”
Therefore, the possibility of residents of Willows wondering, “Where’s a cop when you need one?” may yet happen after the start of the new year.
These wonderful Halloween decorations can be seen on the south side of East Yolo Street in Orland, east of East Street. The yard is full of monsters, including a giant werewolf, giant skeletons, human-sized skeletons, and pumpkin-headed ghouls. Be sure to check this yard out before the end of the month! Glenn County Observer photos by Larry Judkins.
Three giant skeletons stand watch over their yard.Some human-sized skeletons rest their weary bones along the fence surrounding their yard.
The person who was killed early Friday morning on Interstate 5, north of County Road 57, has been identified.
He was Jose Carlos Argueta Ayala, of El Salvador.
According to his niece, Anastacia Nava of Lancaster, Calif., Ayala and his granddaughter had flown into Seattle, Wash., with the intention that they and several relatives from Hoquiam, Wash., would drive to the Los Angeles area in order to surprise Nava’s mother (Ayala’s sister).
Nava says that “while on the freeway the tire exploded and the car lost control.” The vehicle he was riding in rolled over several times and Ayala died at the scene.
As reported previously in The Observer, according to the Willows Area Office of the California Highway Patrol, at about 3:40 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 13, Eric Samayoa (the Glenn County Sheriff’s Office gives his name as Erick Castro Samayoa), 31, was driving a 2000 Chevy south in the fast lane of I-5, at a stated speed of 65 or 70 miles per hour.
For unknown reasons, he allowed the vehicle to drift to the left, where it entered the dirt and gravel median.
Samayoa applied the Chevy’s brakes and turned it sharply to the right.
The vehicle rotated clockwise in a southwesterly direction and traveled across both lanes of southbound I-5, where it began overturning.
The Chevy continued overturning in a southwesterly direction, across a dirt and dry grass area and through a perimeter fence west of southbound I-5.
It came to rest on its roof, facing a northeasterly direction.
Neither drugs nor alcohol were considered a factor in this accident.
According to CHP Officer Gilliam, a male passenger, name and age withheld, died as a result of the accident. The Glenn County Sheriff’s Office, which conducted the death investigation, identified him as Jose Carlos Argueta Ayala, but stated that his place of residence was “unknown.”
Eric Castro, 6, was transported with major injuries to U.C. Davis Medical Center in Sacramento; Kimberley Castro, 10, was transported with major injuries to Enloe Medical Center in Chico; and Carolina Serrano (the sheriff’s log gives her name as Carolina Serrano Vigil), 29, was transported with major injuries to Rideout Memorial Hospital in Marysville.
Ashley Castro, 5, and Axel Castro, 1, both sustained minor injuries. They were both transported to Rideout hospital. (The sheriff’s office improperly withheld the names of all the juveniles listed in the log.)
All of the occupants of the Chevy, except the man who was killed, were from Hoquiam, Wash. All but the person who was killed were wearing their seatbelts or other safety equipment at the time of the rollover.
According to the Glenn County Sheriff’s log, when deputies, CHP officers, and medical personnel arrived at the scene, several people were found standing outside the crashed vehicle and were provided medical aid.
Law enforcement officers found one person, Ayala, who did not survive the rollover and was pronounced deceased at the scene. His family members at the scene of the accident were told of his death.
Anastacia Nava says that the other occupants of the vehicle are hospitalized in stable condition.
Nava has set up a GoFundMe account for her uncle, writing, “We are sending him back to El Salvador and will also be holding the service … there as well.”
She continues, “That takes a lot of money, money we don’t have on hand.”
She concludes, “That takes a lot of money, money we don’t have on hand. Anything helps really. Thank you for your time.”
As of early Tuesday evening, Oct. 17, $600 of Nava’s $25,000 goal has been reached.
A vehicle rolled over early Friday morning on Interstate 5, north of County Road 57, killing one of its seven occupants.
According to the Willows Area Office of the California Highway Patrol, at about 3:40 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 13, Eric Samayoa, 31, was driving a 2000 Chevy south in the fast lane of I-5, at a stated speed of 65 or 70 miles per hour.
For unknown reasons, he allowed the vehicle to drift to the left, where it entered the dirt and gravel median.
Samayoa applied the Chevy’s brakes and turned it sharply to the right.
The vehicle rotated clockwise in a southwesterly direction and traveled across both lanes of southbound I-5, where it began overturning.
The Chevy continued overturning in a southwesterly direction, across a dirt and dry grass area and through a perimeter fence west of southbound I-5.
It came to rest on its roof, facing a northeasterly direction.
Neither drugs nor alcohol were considered a factor in this accident.
According to CHP Officer Gilliam, a male passenger, name and age withheld, died as a result of the accident.
Eric Castro, 6, was transported with major injuries to U.C. Davis Medical Center in Sacramento; Kimberley Castro, 10, was transported with major injuries to Enloe Medical Center in Chico; and Carolina Serrano, 29, was transported with major injuries to Rideout Memorial Hospital in Marysville.
Ashley Castro, 5, and Axel Castro, 1, both sustained minor injuries. They were both transported to Rideout hospital.
All of the occupants of the Chevy were from Hoquiam, Wash. All but the person who was killed were wearing their seatbelts or other safety equipment at the time of the rollover.
A CalFire helicopter drops a load of water onto one of several fires burning in the bed of Stony Creek on Sunday, Oct. 8. Glenn County Observer photo by Larry Judkins.
By Larry Judkins
Glenn County Observer
Shortly after 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 8, Glenn County Sheriff’s deputies and Orland Fire Department volunteers, followed a few minutes later by Orland police officers, responded to a report of a fire in the Stony Creek bed, northeast of Orland.
Upon arrival at the scene, it was soon discovered by responders that they weren’t dealing with just one fire, but several. Orland Fire Chief Justin Chaney was heard on the police scanner saying it was a total of six separate fires; Action News Now (TV Channels 12 and 24, or 36 for short) reported it was five fires; and the Glenn County Sheriff’s log item for this incident said it was four fires.
Whatever the correct number of fires was, they were in very rough terrain and access to them was extremely difficult. A call for bulldozers went out, mutual aid from several area fire departments was requested, and the CalFire helicopter was also called to the scene.
The sheriff’s log entry for this incident begins: “On 10-08-2023 at approximately 1605 hours [4:05 p.m.], Glenn County Sheriff’s Office and Orland Fire Department personnel responded to the area north of Stony Creek Drive at the creek for a report of a vegetation fire. Personnel from various agencies responded as mutual aid for the incident, and assisted until the fire was extinguished and no longer a threat to the community. At the time, no arson investigation or reports were taken by GCSO personnel for the incident.”
However, the log item continues: “At approximately 1825 hours [6:25 p.m.], fire personnel requested GCSO to respond for transients who were returning to their camps. Deputies arrived on scene [and] interviewed Blake Martin, Garry Lewark, and Johnathan Bush. All three advised they did not have any information regarding how the fire started. GCSO does not have any suspect leads at this time. Deputies attempted to locate Alton Steele (age 39), Allen Smock and Robert (no last name), who also live in Stony Creek, for interviews but were unsuccessful.”
Although this log item says that the Glenn County Sheriff’s Office “does not have any suspect leads at this time”, the very same entry elsewhere calls Alton Claude-Douglas Steele, an Orland transient, a “Suspect Known”. No one else is listed in this manner. Rather, Garry Michael Lewark of 102 Eighth Street, Orland; Allen Wade Smock, an Orland transient; Johnathan Perry Bush, a Willows transient; and Blake James Martin of 6686 County Road 21, Orland; are all called “Involved Parties”.
The summary for this log entry concludes, “There was a total of 4 separate fires, 2 of which were under a quarter of an acre and 1 was approximately 2 acres.”
This wasn’t the last time Alton Steele’s name came up in the sheriff’s logs for Oct. 8. The sheriff’s office recorded the following for 5:21 p.m.: “Deputy Vargas was detailed to 6653 County Road 10 in Orland, for a report of threats. Deputy Vargas arrived on scene and contacted Aaron Bressoud, who advised he drove his quad to go see the fire at Stony Creek on 10-08-23. Deputy Vargas was told by Bressoud, while he was down by the creek, a transient male began yelling profanities and threatened to kill him and his family. Bressoud told Deputy Vargas that the male subject was located on the other side of the creek, which was separated by water. Deputies were unable to locate the male subject … due to the time of night and terrain to get to the male subject. Deputy Vargas advised Bressoud to give [the sheriff’s office] a call if the male subject returned.” Later in the log entry, the “male subject” is named as “Suspect Known” Alton Steele.
Steele is no stranger to the Glenn County law enforcement and justice systems. Without a doubt, his most notorious encounter with the law occurred in early 2020. On Saturday, March 14 of that year, a gymkhana event was taking place at the Glenn County Fairgrounds. A young girl entered a public restroom at the fairgrounds and a man followed her inside. There, the man attempted to look under the stall the girl was using.
A boy saw what was happening and intervened, and the man fled the fairgrounds. The incident was reported to adults, and the California Highway Patrol, which has jurisdiction over the fairgrounds, and the Orland Police Department were contacted. At about 12:25 p.m., an Orland police officer found the man, identified as Orland transient Alton Steele, at Fourth and Colusa Streets, and detained him. At about 1 p.m., a CHP officer booked Steele into the Glenn County Jail on charges alleging possession of controlled substance paraphernalia, a misdemeanor; loitering in or around a public restroom, a misdemeanor; child molesting, a felony; and violation of parole, a felony. (In 2017, Steele was convicted of burglary in a trial by jury. He was sentenced to four years in state prison, although he obviously was released prior to the completion of the full sentence.)
In June of 2020, after a lengthy court trial, Steele was found guilty of annoying, molesting, or harassing a child under the age of 18 (a misdemeanor), possession of methamphetamine pipes (a misdemeanor), and a parole violation. Six witnesses testified, two of whom were children. The Glenn County District Attorney’s Office thanked “these two juveniles and their family for standing up to this sexual predator and thereby helping keep other children safe.” Steele was sentenced to 315 days in the Glenn County Jail and ordered to register as a sex offender for 10 years. Parole was also reinstated.
While serving his sentence in the county jail, Steele was found to be in possession of an intoxicant (a felony). On Nov. 30, 2020, he was served with a warrant alleging this. On Friday, Feb. 5, 2021, he was convicted of felony possession of contraband (the intoxicant) in jail. He also admitted to a prior strike. He was sentenced to 32 months in state prison.
As for the events of Oct. 8, 2023, in which Steele’s name twice came up as a “Suspect Known”, as of 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 11, Steele had not been booked into the Glenn County Jail for anything, nor does The Observer even know whether Glenn County law enforcement is even actively looking for him.
The Glenn County Observer 