Two men suspected of vandalizing a historic military battery in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area ended up needing to be saved by the same law enforcement officers they tried to evade.
According to GGNRA spokesperson Alexandra Picavet, "two adult male suspects became stranded on a cliff near Battery Yates at the waterfront of Fort Baker" in Sausalito after they "tried to evade arrest by scrambling down a steep cliff near the water's edge" at around 4:30 Thursday evening.
The men, identified by ABC7 as Louis Murrillo and Zane Johnides, both of San Rafael, face charges including trespassing, resisting an officer and vandalism after rangers on patrol approached the men, who Picavet says were in a restricted area.
Instead of greeting the rangers, according to NPS ranger Scott Larson, "It appears they were trying to evade them by going down the hill, and it's a very steep cliff, so as one was trying to come back up the cliff, he got stuck and started to fall down."
"One was approximately 50 feet down, the other was 100 to 150 feet down," Battalion Chief Matt Barnes of the Southern Marin Fire Department told ABC7.
"Rangers, along with Southern Marin Fire Department, CHP helicopter and a Coast Guard boat rescued both men, who are now in custody," Picavet says.
"Rangers and Southern Marin Fire rescue team reached the first man to rescue him using technical rope skills and climbing gear," Picavet says. According to Barnes, it wasn't easy: MFD rescuers had to create their own anchors, with huge rods.
"We drive those into the ground to stabilize and secure ourselves to the land, then we go down and pick up the victim and bring them back up," Barnes told ABC7.
"The second man was lifted to safety by a long-line from the CHP helicopter," Picavet says. You can see a photo of his rescue above.
A news helicopter caught shots of graffiti on the structure, but Picavet, citing an ongoing investigation, declined to confirm if that's the vandalism for which they'd arrested Murrillo and Johnides.
According to Larson, the area "is closed to the public, so it's kind of a haven for people who like to vandalize."
