The search for a man wanted for questioning in the homicide of Ahwahnee resident Wendy Pullins is over. The arrest of Justin Bolton, 42, of Mariposa, punctuates a case that spanned two counties over 17 months. He is charged with murder in the case of Pullins. A Pullins family member told the...
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The search for a man wanted for questioning in the homicide of Ahwahnee resident Wendy Pullins is over.
The arrest of Justin Bolton, 42, of Mariposa, punctuates a case that spanned two counties over 17 months. He is charged with murder in the case of Pullins.
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The details of the arrest were still unfolding at press time on Tuesday, but the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) did say he was arrested in the town of Willits, which is in Mendocino County.
That town is located approximately 150 miles northwest of Sacramento in a remote area near the Pacific Coast of California.
Kristie Mitchell, the public information officer for the sheriff’s office, said local deputies worked with the Mendocino County/Lake County Interagency SWAT Team to take Bolton into custody. It was not clear on Tuesday why the SWAT team was involved, but those details are expected to be released in the near future.
She confirmed he has been charged with murder. No bond has yet been set in the case because Bolton was still in the Mendocino County Jail as of Tuesday morning.
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Wendy Pullins went missing in June 2022 after leaving on what was supposed to be a short drive in the Sierra Nevada foothills.
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The man sought in the homicide of Wendy Pullins, who disappeared last year during what was supposed to be a short drive in the Sierra Nevada foothills, was arrested Monday in Mendocino County.
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On Monday, Nov. 13, law enforcement officers saw the suspect getting into the passenger seat of a car in Willits. The vehicle was followed about half a mile, and then officers from Mendocino, Lake and Mariposa counties closed in on it and “performed a high-risk enforcement stop,” said a statement from the Mendocino County sheriff’s office.
The driver, said to be a relative of the suspect’s, obeyed commands to get out of the car, but the suspect did not. A dog was “deployed into the vehicle,” and the man was removed.
He was taken to Mendocino County Jail on a felony murder arrest warrant pending extradition to Mariposa County, the sheriff said.
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He was the same man that last month, sheriff’s detectives called a “possible suspect” in the homicide while releasing his photo.
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“Just because Bolton is in custody for the murder of Wendy Pullins does not mean that we’re done,” stated Sheriff Briese. “We need to ensure that everybody and anyone that was involved in this case will be held accountable. We will continue to investigate this case until its completion.”
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The goal, according to Briese, is to partner with the District Attorney’s office to later give a more detailed release, adding, “This is all the information that can be given out at this time.”
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