Mendocino County men suspected of burglarizing home of dead person

The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office arrested two men who they suspect burglarized the home of a person who had recently died, according to a Sheriff’s Office press release.

Bo Eder and Elijah Swithenbank, both 38 and from Fort Bragg, were taken to the Mendocino County Jail after their arrests Wednesday. They were booked on suspicion of first degree burglary, possession of burglary tools and conspiracy to commit a crime. Eder was additionally found to be in violation of his probation, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Deputies were alerted to the reported Little River home burglary, on the 7000 block of North Highway 1, about 5:17 p.m. on Wednesday.

They were told the suspects fled in a car, and deputies at the scene determined items were missing from the home of a person who had recently died.

Different deputies then saw a car matching the suspect vehicle passing them on Comptche-Ukiah Road, headed in the opposite direction. The deputies turned around and stopped the car.

Inside, they found Eder and Swithenbank, as well as property stolen from the home and burglary tools, the Sheriff’s Office reported.

Before the traffic stop, while they were following the suspects’ vehicle, they saw what looked like a box lying in the road, deputies said. Authorities were not able to locate the box when they returned to the same spot, but believe it may have been thrown out of the suspects’ car after the men spotted the deputies.

The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office asked anyone who may have information about the object in the road to call 707-234-2100.

You can reach Staff Writer Nashelly Chavez at nashelly.chavez@pressdemocrat.com.