Bizarre Roadside Robbery Attempt with Road Sign and PVC Pipe Near Fortuna

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 until proven guilty:

Jed Arthur Stoll Booking Photo | ARCHIVE 2018 Humboldt County Correctional Facility*Current booking photo is unavailable*

On Aug. 20, 2023, at about 1:33 p.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the 5500 block of Rohnerville Road, in the county’s jurisdiction of Fortuna, for the report of an attempted robbery.

The two adult victims told deputies that they had driven to the intersection of Rohnerville Road and Fox Hill Lane to retrieve their mail. After retrieving the mail, a resident in the area, 45-year-old Jed Arthur Stoll, approached the victims’ vehicle. The victims rolled the window down and Stoll reportedly reached inside to take the mail from them. The victims were able to get the mail away from Stoll and push his arm out of the vehicle. Stoll then reportedly armed himself with a road sign and a PVC pipe, and began swinging the pipe towards the vehicle, blocking the roadway and preventing the victims from leaving. No one was injured during this incident.

Upon arrival to the area, deputies located Stoll walking on Fox Hill Road. Stoll initially complied with deputies’ requests to stop, but then fled from deputies, barricading himself inside his residence on Rohnerville Road. Sheriff’s deputies, with the assistance of officers with the Fortuna Police Department surrounded the residence and began issuing commands for Stoll to exit. After several minutes, Stoll exited the residence and was taken into custody without further incident.

Stoll was booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on charges of attempted robbery (PC 664/211), false imprisonment (PC 236), battery (PC 242), assault (PC 240) and violation of probation (PC 1203.2(a)(2)).

Anyone with information about this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at (707) 268-2539.