ER - Rape suspect re-arrested after he was mistakenly released

Rape suspect re-arrested after he was mistakenly released
by Heather Muller , 8/8/2007

A man suspected of breaking into a woman’s Arcata apartment and raping her returned to custody Wednesday night after he was mistakenly released Friday from the Humboldt County jail.

Clinton Lee Harris III, 25, of Arcata, was arrested April 18 and was awaiting trial on rape and burglary charges stemming from the incident, reported April 11.

Public Information Officer Brenda Godsey from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, which manages the jail, said that at the time of the arrest Harris was already serving a four-month sentence in the Sheriff’s Work Alternative Program for a driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol conviction.

His arrest on the rape and burglary charges, she said, violated the terms of his participation in SWAP.

So when he was re-arrested on the new charges, he was also booked into the jail on the DUI case, Godsey said, and that sentence — 120 days — was calculated to determine his custodial status.

“When he served the balance of that sentence, his name showed up on a report that is generated each night that indicates which inmates are scheduled for release. However, he still had the other case pending, and that was missed during the release process,” Godsey said.

APD Capt. Tom Chapman called Harris’ release “unfortunate,” but added, “The correctional facility does an outstanding job, and obviously it’s an oversight on their part.”

Chapman noted, however, that the circumstances of Harris’ alleged offense were troubling.

“In looking at the crimes Mr. Harris was involved in, it’s clear to us in our investigation that he’s a dangerous person. … We’re aware of a previous offense. We’re aware of another victim. He has not been prosecuted for that,” Chapman said.

“But for him to be out is obviously very concerning for us,” he said Wednesday afternoon. “So hopefully we’ll be able to get him back in custody in short order.”

He didn’t have long to wait.

Shortly before 8 p.m., Godsey announced Harris had been re-arrested by sheriff’s deputies and APD officers.

“He was located at an Arcata residence and taken into custody without incident,” she said.

But she acknowledged that his release was a mistake.

“It should not have happened. We are looking into the matter and taking steps to ensure that it does not happen again.”

Copyright (C) 2005, The Eureka Reporter. All rights reserved.

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