Hopland woman faces vandalism charges at two fire stations

A former Hopland firefighter now faces charges she vandalized vehicles at two Hopland fire stations, according to the Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office.

Rachael Seivertson, 29, remained in custody Wednesday and is due in court Feb. 21 for a hearing to determine if she is mentally competent to face prosecution.

Seivertson was arrested Jan. 14, suspected of using a baseball bat to bash two department rigs and a knife to slash tires at the Hopland Volunteer Fire Department, as well as shattering station windows. She then fled into nearby hills with firefighters and Mendocino County sheriff’s deputies on her trail and later that day was arrested at her home.

Further investigation connected the woman to an attack days earlier on two private trucks owned by Cal Fire firefighters that were parked at the Hopland Cal Fire station. The vehicles had smashed windows and slashed tires.

Seivertson now faces three felony vandalism charges and misdemeanor resisting arrest, according to a District Attorney’s spokesman.

Seivertson had volunteered years ago for the volunteer department and also worked briefly for Cal Fire in the area.

Hopland volunteer fire Battalion Chief Ron Roysum said local businesses were helping the financially strapped department with replacement vehicle parts and windows to ease the $20,000 in damage to the trucks and station.