COVELO, MENDOCINO COUNTY – It was Monday afternoon about 3 o’clock when the couple were driving through Covelo. the town they both live in. Covelo is a small town in north east Mendocino County, just south of the Round Valley Indian Tribes reservation, and is home to the tribal center and Hidden Oaks Casino. 19-year-old Harlan Nelson-Hawk Williams and 26-year-old June Elizabeth Anderson, both of Native American descent, were in a car with a broken front windshield, and Harlan was driving recklessly, according to a Mendocino Sheriff’s deputy.
Williams and Anderson booking photos.
The problem was, Anderson had been arrested in Willits just a couple of weeks ago, on October 4, and charged with possession of methamphetamine and being under the influence, and she was carrying some meth and paraphernalia for smoking or injecting meth. And Williams was under felony probation for criminal threats, with an “obey all laws” clause – plus he had a warrant out for a probation violation. He had been arrested in Willits last year for exhibiting a deadly weapon.
Both also had connections to Lake County, just east of Mendocino. Williams was arrested there in March on an outstanding warrant from Mendocino for probation violations, along with possession of drug paraphernalia. He was residing in Lakeport at the time. Anderson was living in Nice, along the north shore of Clear Lake, in 2012 when arrested for driving without a license or a seatbelt.
The pair were chased at speeds up to 70 mph through the small town (Greely and Main).
When the deputy initiated a traffic stop by turning on the lights and siren, Williams decided to run for it. He accelerated to 70 miles per hour in the 25 mph zone, and then turned on to Greely Street, a narrow two lane road. He was headed at high speed in the wrong lane, took a quick right at Main Street and another left on Howard, all the while traveling at 60 to 70 mph through the mix of residential and commercial streets with 25 mph limits. The deputy continued in cautious pursuit as the car headed down Howard Street towards Round Valley Elementary School, turned on Airport Road, and finally crashed through a fence at an open field.
Williams jumped out of the car, leaving Anderson behind. He made a run for it, but was soon captured by a Covelo Tribal Police officer, who had come to assist. The couple were both arrested at the scene and booked into the Mendocino County jail. Williams was charged with evading a peace officer with reckless driving, probation violation, and his outstanding warrant. He was held with a no-bail status. Anderson was charged with possession of a controlled substance and paraphernalia, with her bail set at $10,000.
