Sheriffs Capture Child Abuse Suspect

Deputies tipped off, discover wanted man in Eureka

Humboldt Sentinel
11/12/08
By Sentinel Staff

EUREKA -- A McKinleyville man charged with child abuse and torture of his own daughter was discovered and arrested in Eureka today thanks to an anonymous tip.

At approximately 10:00 a.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office deputy Kenny Dison received a tip concerning Fernando Joel Calderon, who has been sought for the last week by law enforcement. Dison responded to an apartment on the 1300 block of I St. in Eureka and located Calderon, who was arrested and taken into custody without incident.

Deputies received a child abuse report last week after family members had become alarmed at the child’s condition after she returned from an unsupervised visit with Calderon. The victim’s injuries were significant enough that they required medical treatment.

Calderon was transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility where he was booked for charges that include torture, inflicting unjustifiable pain upon a child, and inflicting an injury upon a child. Additionally, Calderon had outstanding warrants for driving on a suspended license and a probation violation. He is not eligible to post bail due to the status of the warrants. He is expected to be arraigned by Friday.