Mendocino County DUI arrest leads officers to $35,000 in stolen coins

What do drugs, alcohol, weapons, $35,000 in rare gold and silver coins, and an in-home care provider have in common? A New Year’s Day arrest in Redwood Valley, authorities say.

Just after 5 a.m., Mendocino County CHP officers responded to a request from the Coyote Valley Tribal Police Department for help making a suspected DUI arrest near the Coyote Valley Casino, a release from the CHP said.

The driver, Van Allen Hubbard, 56, of Ukiah, was taken into custody on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs on Coyote Valley Boulevard, but when officers did an inventory of his car they found knives, a billy club, up to $20,000 of rare gold and silver coins, and a locked safe, the release said.

When asked about the articles, Hubbard “could not account for the items,” the release said.

The next day, officers got search warrants for Hubbard’s storage unit and car, and found more gold and silver coins valued up to $15,000, the release said.

Further investigation revealed the items belonged to Hubbard’s in-home care clients, the release said.

He was booked into the Mendocino County Jail on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, possession of stolen property, possession of dangerous weapons and elder abuse.

You can reach Staff Writer Christi Warren at 707-521-5205 or christi.warren@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @SeaWarren.