April 20, 2020 — Four key law enforcement officials joined KZYX for a special program to discuss their thoughts about the systemic “gray areas” that made it possible for a former inmate with a communicable disease to travel across the state without medical or legal monitoring.
On April 17, a former inmate at the California Institute for Men in Chino (San Bernardino County) tested positive for coronavirus. He was not tested prior to his release on April 8, but was given a bus pass to Stanislaus County, where he was supposed to report to probation. Instead, a relative picked him up and brought him to Ukiah. On April 16, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office and Public Health learned about his presence, and he was immediately tested. Though he showed no signs of illness, the test was positive, and he is now in isolation in a motel, with an ankle bracelet and daily monitoring by public health nurses. His relative is isolated in her home and is also under medical supervision.
District Attorney David Eyster, Sheriff Matt Kendall, Ukiah Police Chief Justin Wyatt, and Chief Probation Officer Izan Locatelli shared their perspectives and took questions from callers.