Thieving Couple is Booked in Humboldt on Robbery Charges
McKINLEYVILLE – on Thursday, April 11th at approximately 9:10 p.m. the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office was alerted of a hindrance involving multiple people occurring near the intersection of Murray Road and Daffodil Rd., McKinleyville.
Mercado, female victim's cousin
Upon the arrival of the officer, a 37-year-old woman told him that she and her husband, 45 of McArthur, Calif. were robbed. The victims reported they were robbed of cash and personal items. In addition, the female victim told the officer that they drove to Eureka with the suspects in the suspect’s car.
The suspects were identified as Manuel Amoroso, 31 and Virginia Mercado, 49 from River Mills, Calif. As it turns out, Mercado is the female victim’s cousin. The victims reported to the officer that they had stayed in Eureka overnight with Mercado and Amoroso at a hotel.
On Thursday, April 11, they traveled up to Klamath. On the trip back, there were disagreements. The car was pulled of to the side of the road at Murray Rd., and Daffodil Rd., McKinleyville. They retreated form the White Ford Explorer they were in and resumed arguing.
Amaroso, Mercado's partner in crime
Amoroso pushed the male victim to the ground during the argument. When the female victim tried to call the police, Mercado grabbed her cell phone, put it in her pocket and would not give it back. Next, Amoroso and Mercado loaded into the vehicle and drove off, abandoning the victims and taking several of the victims’ belongings with them.
A look-out warning was promulgated for the White Ford Explorer and, fortunately enough, a Humboldt County Sheriff’s Deputy in Willow Creek saw the car traveling on SR 299 and stopped it. The victims’ possessions were in the vehicle and Mercado and Amoroso were arrested for robbery. They were booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility where their bail is set at $50,000.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at 707-445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Tip Line at 707-268-2539
Read more:
Lost Coast Outpost.com: Family Road Trip Allegedly Ends with One Cousin Robbing the Other
Times-Standard: Fighting cousins lead to robbery, arrest
