Suspect in Rohnert Park man’s death at pot farm extradited

A man suspected of killing a fellow worker at a remote Mendocino County marijuana farm and then fleeing the state has been brought back to California after losing his four-month bid to fight extradition, Sheriff’s officials said.

Joshua Ruoff, 30, of South Lake Tahoe was booked into the Mendocino County Jail at ?11:40 p.m. Friday on suspicion of murder and assault with a deadly weapon other than a firearm, records show.

Investigators suspect Ruoff attacked Timothy Sweeting, 27, of Rohnert Park on May 17 at the property in northwest Covelo on Road 337D, locally known as the Charlie Hurt Highway.

A fellow laborer said he witnessed the assault. The witness reportedly fled, apparently fearful for his safety, and called the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office the next day, May 18.

A deputy sent to the Covelo property found a bloody scene inside the house, but no sign of Sweeting, his dog or his Chevrolet Tahoe. He also found about 400 marijuana plants spread among a greenhouse, backyard garden and the house.

By that time, Ruoff had already rented a U-Haul and was on the way to New Hampshire. He was arrested there May 23.

A dog found Sweeting’s body ?June 2 on the property in a shallow grave.

Capt. Greg Van Patten said East Coast connections apparently brought Ruoff and Sweeting together to grow pot on the parcel, owned by a New Hampshire family. Ruoff originally came from New Hampshire and Sweeting grew up in Seneca Falls, New York.

In August, narcotics detectives returned to the property and arrested a couple and their grown son who investigators said were running an illegal pot farm and sending at least some of the marijuana to the East Coast. Van Patten said there was no evidence they were growing the pot for medical purposes.

Robert and Katherine Overend, 66 and 67, both of Francistown, New Hampshire, bought the property for their son, 28-year-old John Overend, to grow pot, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

All three Overends were booked into the Mendocino County Jail on Aug. 11 on suspicion of marijuana cultivation and sales, and a weapons charge, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Detectives found 190 growing marijuana plants, 5 pounds of processed pot and “a large sum of U.S. currency.”

They were released and prosecutors have filed no charges against them.

New Hampshire State Police had intercepted packages of marijuana being shipped from the son to his mother, according to Mendocino investigators.

The Mendocino County Sheriff’s team said they raided the property to assist the New Hampshire investigation.

Tension had been building between Ruoff and Sweeting before the assault, Van Patten said.

Sources familiar with the investigation said investigators suspect Ruoff had sent angry text messages about Sweeting to one of the property owners and had even indicated he might attack Sweeting with the suspected murder weapon, a metal Little League-sized baseball bat.

Ruoff is scheduled to be arraigned Sept. 23 in Mendocino County Superior Court.

You can reach Staff Writer Julie Johnson at 707-521-5220. ?