UPDATE TO UPD CASE #24-1284

Date: 06/25/2024

Location: 115 North Orchard Avenue, Ukiah, CA

Suspect: Justin Michael Hietala, 41-year-old-male from Ukiah

Victim(s): 39-year-old-female from Ukiah & The State of California

Violation(s): 664/215(a) PC – Attempted Carjacking (Felony) associated with UPD case #24-1289

245(a)(1) PC – Assault with a Deadly Weapon (Felony) associated with UPD case #24-1289

290.011 PC – Transient fails to register as a Sex Offender (Felony) associated with UPD case #24-1290  

On the morning of 06/25/2024, Ukiah Police Department (UPD) Officers received a phone call from a 39-year-old female from Ukiah wanting to report being a victim of a knife brandishing that occurred on 06/24/2024 at approximately 9:30am at 115 North Orchard Avenue in Ukiah.

The victim, stated she went to McDonalds for breakfast with her two children and parked her vehicle in the parking lot when she was approached by a male subject who brandished a knife he retrieved from his waistband. The victim stated the male was screaming obscenities at her and reached inside her halfway open driver side window with the knife and tried to take her keys out of the ignition. Fearing for her children’s and her own safety, she fought with the male subject to get him out of her vehicle. During the struggle the victim was able to roll the window up on the subjects’ arms at which time the subject stopped the attack. The victim drove to the parking lot at 550 North Orchard Avenue and parked her vehicle. The male subject watched the victim drive away to the parking lot and he ran to the victim’s location and attempted to gain entry to the vehicle again without success. The victim drove away to a safe location. 

During the investigation of the incident with assistance from the Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office Investigative Bureau, UPD Officers were able to identity the subject from the incident as Justin Hietala via video surveillance. The victim was presented with a photo lineup and she identified Hietala as the subject who attacked her. The victim later went to a local hospital where she received medical attention for her non-life-threatening injuries she sustained during the attack by Hietala (UPD case #24-1289). 

The UPD Detective Bureau also assisted in the Hietala investigation and a UPD Detective learned through the California Sex and Arson Registry (CSAR) system that Hietala was required to register as a sex offender, per 290 of the California Penal Code. Hietala failed to register as a sex offender recently when he was released from incarceration on 06/04/2024 as a result of a prior conviction for violation of 243.4(e)(1)PC-Sexual battery against someone’s will that occurred on 11/23/2021. Due to the fact Hietala failed to register as a sex offender once he was released from custody, the UPD Detective charged Hietala with a Felony violation of 290.011PC-Transient fails to register as a Sex Offender (UPD case #24-1290).

Due to Hietala’s prior criminal history, the severity of the crimes he committed on 06/24/2024, and in the interest of the Public’s safety; a UPD Officer contacted a Mendocino County Superior Court Judge and requested a bail enhancement on Hietala. The Mendocino County Superior Court Judge granted the UPD Officer request with an additional $1-Million Dollar bail enhancement and that paperwork was provided to the Mendocino County Jail. Hietala was additionally charged/booked with the following crimes listed above.  

The Ukiah Police Department would like to thank the Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office Investigative Bureau for their assistance with this investigation. 

As always, our mission at UPD is to make Ukiah as safe a place as possible. If you would like to know more about crime in your neighborhood, you can sign up for telephone, cell phone, and email notifications by clicking the Nixle button on our website; www.ukiahpolice.com

ORIGINAL UPD CASE #24-1284

Date: 06/24/2024

Location: 275 South Orchard Avenue, Ukiah, CA

Suspect: Justin Michael Hietala,41-year-old-male from Ukiah

Victim: 51-year-old-male from Ukiah

Violations: 215(a) PC – Carjacking (Felony)

422(a) PC – Criminal Threats (Felony)

On 06/24/2024 at approximately 9:51 AM, Ukiah Police Department (UPD) Officers responded to 275 South Orchard Avenue for a report of a subject who held a knife to a taxi driver’s throat and took possession of a silver-colored Toyota Prius taxi. The suspect was later identified as Justin Hietala. Hietala made threats to kill the victim before leaving in the stolen taxi. The victim was able to provide a picture of the subject driving away in the stolen taxi. The picture clearly showed Hietala driving the stolen taxi away from the victim.

UPD Dispatch utilized the FLOCK camera system to obtain the license plate of the stolen taxi and provided it to UPD Officers. UPD Officers checked the surrounding area and a be on the lookout-BOLO was issued to the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) and the California Highway Patrol (CHP).

CHP Officers located the stolen taxi in the area of Southbound Highway 101 at Henry Station Road in Ukiah. CHP advised Hietala was driving the stolen taxi erratically. A CHP Officer used a “Spike Strip” device and was able to disable the vehicles tires. A felony stop was conducted by CHP and Hietala was placed into custody without issue.

The victim was later transported to the location of the traffic stop. The victim positively identified Hietala as the subject who threatened him with a knife and took the Toyota Prius.

The Toyota Prius was turned back over to the taxi company and Hietala was placed under arrest. Hietala was charged with the above-mentioned charges and booked at the Mendocino County Jail.

The Ukiah Police Department would like to thank the California Highway Patrol and the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance with this investigation.

As always, our mission at UPD is to make Ukiah as safe a place as possible. If you would like to know more about crime in your neighborhood, you can sign up for telephone, cell phone, and email notifications by clicking the Nixle button on our website; www.ukiahpolice.com

Download: press_release_24-1284.pdf