A 74-year-old man, Thomas Long, was arrested in Blue Lake, California, on December 1, 2024, after stealing a chainsaw from a local hardware store. The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) reported that Long was caught after a theft incident at Ace Hardware in McKinleyville.
At around 3 p.m. on Sunday, deputies were dispatched to the store, where an employee reported seeing Long take a Milwaukee chainsaw and quickly leave the premises. According to the HCSO, another employee, who was on a break outside, witnessed Long exiting the store through an unauthorized door and placing the stolen chainsaw into his truck bed. The employee managed to retrieve the chainsaw from Long’s truck before he fled.
Surveillance footage from the store confirmed the employee’s statements. Deputies later located Long at his Blue Lake residence, where he was arrested without incident. He was initially booked for petty theft. However, during the booking process, deputies discovered methamphetamine hidden in Long’s sock, leading to an additional felony drug charge.
Long now faces charges of both theft and drug possession.
