In Paradise, California, a vigilant citizen's phone call led to the arrest of a man with a history of felony near a local school. The Paradise Police Department reported the incident occurred on the evening of Sunday, August 4, when the citizen spotted a suspicious male climbing over the school fence and immediately contacted law enforcement.
Officers arrived at the scene promptly and commenced a search, which resulted in the discovery of the suspect on Pentz Rd at Dean Rd. The man, identified as Paul Featherstone, 41, from Woodland, claimed his presence in Paradise was for the purpose of "recycle." According to the Paradise Police Department's Facebook post, an investigation into Featherstone's background revealed he was on felony probation following an arson conviction and had multiple outstanding arrest warrants.
After detaining Mr. Featherstone, officers performed a probation search of his backpack, which contained suspected methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. The subsequent charges for Mr. Featherstone included a violation of probation, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was transported to Butte County Jail, where he was held without bail for the arrest warrants, with the bail for the fresh charges set at $91,000.
The Paradise Police Department took the opportunity to acknowledge the role of community vigilance in maintaining public safety. "The Paradise Police Department would like to thank our citizens for being observant and willing to call in suspicious activity," stated the department in their communication with the public.
