(Left) Aubrey on Monday (right) Aubrey in 2015. | HCSO
Robbery suspects are typically known for wearing masks before they’re arrested. Eureka man Aaron Aubrey put his on afterward.
Readers took notice when a booking photo of Aubrey wearing a surgical mask and a respirator over his face was used in a Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office press release on Tuesday. The image raised questions about the validity of a booking photo where the suspect’s face is unrecognizable, so the
Outpost reached out to HCSO spokesperson Samantha Karges to ask why such a photo was taken.
“Mr. Aubrey told [correctional deputies] that he had been exposed to COVID through a close relative prior to his arrest,” Karges said. “Out of an abundance of caution to protect staff members and other inmates in our processing area, [deputies] required Mr. Aubrey to keep his mask on during his booking photo.”