Photo: Robert Nelson
Originally published as a Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office press release –
“On 01-19-2022 at 5:15 PM Mendocino County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to a third party report of a domestic violence incident that occurred earlier in the day at a residence at the 23000 block of Greely Street in Covelo, California.
While Deputies were responding they were informed the suspect in this incident Robert Nelson had a self-induced medical emergency and was currently in his backyard.
Prior to Deputies arriving, medical personnel located Nelson and started transporting him to a local hospital for medical treatment.
Deputies continued their response to the Covelo area in an attempt to contact the victim.
They located an adult female at an undisclosed location in Covelo. Deputies learned the adult female and Nelson were married.
Earlier in the day around 9:00 AM – 9:30 AM she and Nelson became engaged in arguments and Nelson physically assaulted her by putting his hands on her face covering her mouth and nose and attempted to suffocate her. Nelson also grabbed her by her hair and pulled her to the ground where he attempted to suffocate her again using his hands to cover her mouth and nose.
The adult female resisted and Nelson eventually discontinued the assault. The adult female left the location and went to the undisclosed location to get away from Nelson.
Deputies observed a visible injury on the adult female’s face.
While Deputies were still talking with the adult female, the ambulance personnel that were transporting Nelson to a local hospital reported he had become combative as the ambulance was traveling on Highway 162 between Covelo and Highway 101.
A Round Valley Tribal Officer had been following the ambulance and was able to detain Nelson in the back of his patrol vehicle.
Deputies responded to the location of the ambulance and the Round Valley Tribal Officer to arrest Nelson. Nelson was not handcuffed in the back of the Tribal Officer’s Patrol vehicle and was threatening to physically assault the Deputies when they opened the door to arrest him.
When Deputies went to arrest Nelson he resisted by physically fighting. Deputies quickly wrestled him to the ground and handcuffed him without further incident.
Nelson was transported to a local hospital where a medical clearance was preformed. Nelson was subsequently booked into the Mendocino County Jail where he was to be held in lieu of $25,000.00 bail.”
