– Ukiah taxi theft
– Ukiah man knife threat.
Accident – Death – Obituary News :
A Ukiah resident, Justin M. Hietala, 41, was taken into custody on Monday by the Ukiah Police Department on suspicion of carjacking. The incident occurred on the 200 block of South Orchard Avenue at approximately 9:50 a.m. on June 24.
According to reports, Hietala allegedly held a knife to the throat of a 51-year-old Ukiah taxi driver and forcefully took possession of the taxi, a silver Toyota Prius. Prior to fleeing the scene in the stolen vehicle, Hietala reportedly made threats to kill the victim.
The quick actions of the victim, who managed to take a photograph of Hietala driving away in the stolen taxi, aided law enforcement in their pursuit. Utilizing the FLOCK camera system, dispatch personnel were able to obtain the license plate of the stolen vehicle and provide this crucial information to responding officers.
With the assistance of the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office and the California Highway Patrol, a Be On The Lookout (BOLO) was issued for the stolen taxi. CHP officers located the vehicle on southbound Highway 101 at Henry Station Road, where Hietala was reportedly driving erratically.
A successful deployment of a Spike Strip by CHP officers disabled the vehicle’s tires, allowing for a safe felony stop to be conducted. Hietala was then taken into custody without issue.
Upon arriving at the scene of the traffic stop, the victim positively identified Hietala as the individual who had threatened him with a knife and stolen the Toyota Prius. The vehicle was promptly returned to the taxi company.
Hietala was subsequently booked into Mendocino County Jail on charges of carjacking and making criminal threats. The Ukiah Police Department expressed their appreciation to the California Highway Patrol and the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office for their collaboration and support in resolving the incident.
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“Ukiah man steals taxi holding knife to driver’s throat”.
