Armed robbery at Coast Central Credit Union night-deposit box in Hoopa

A 44-year-old female employee was robbed at gunpoint while attempting a night deposit outside Coast Central Credit Union at 12700 State Highway 96 in Hoopa, authorities said. The suspect grabbed two bank deposit bags and fled on foot toward a nearby river bar after a brief struggle.

“On Feb. 16, at 10:50 p.m. Humboldt County Sheriff deputies were dispatched to an armed robbery that occurred at the Coast Central Credit Union located at 12700 State Highway 96 in Hoopa,” the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office said in its press release. Deputies met the victim at the scene and began an investigation.

“The victim stated that a male suspect approached her while brandishing a handgun and demanded money. A brief struggle over the deposit occurred before the suspect grabbed two bank bags and fled on foot toward the river bar,” the sheriff’s office reported. The victim sustained a minor injury to her arm that did not require immediate medical attention, according to the same release.

The sheriff’s office described the suspect as a male in his 30s, approximately 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds, clean shaven with brown hair and a light complexion. He was last seen wearing a black sweater, black pants, light brown boots and a black bandanna covering his face, the release said.

Humboldt County Sheriff deputies were assisted on scene by Hoopa Tribal Police, and both agencies “thoroughly searched the area for the suspect” but were unable to locate him, the sheriff’s office said. Deputies are collecting and reviewing surveillance camera footage from the credit union as part of the active investigation.

No arrests had been reported at the time of the initial release, and the case remains under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at (707) 268-2539.

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office cautioned: “This is a press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office. The information has not been proven in a court of law and any individuals described should be presumed innocent unless proven guilty.”