SHERIFF, DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE: WHAT'S NEXT FOR JASON WARREN?

The California Highway Patrol’s investigation into the hit and run crash that killed 1 jogger and injured 2 more back in September has still not been turned over to the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office. Jason Warren is the person of interest in that case… now just one day after the Sheriff’s Office submits their case against Warren for the Hoopa Homicide, Sheriff Mike Downey and Assistant District Attorney Kelly Neel speak to News Channel 3’s Kelly May about confidence that justice will be done, about what’s next for Jason Warren:
 
“This is a high profile case, something we're committed to making sure there’s a good resolution to,” Sheriff Downey said Wednesday. He says he’s confident his team of investigators has done well for Dorothy Ulrich.
 
"Its a very horrific case, and I’m confident that it was well put together,” he says.
 
Ulrich; the victim of a violent homicide in her own home in Hoopa in late September.
 
Jason Warren named the person of interest in the case, finally put in the hands of the district attorney’s office Thursday.
 
"My hope is that there's enough merit in the case that he will be charged with all the charges that have been submitted to the D.A.’s office."
 
Assistant District Attorney Kelly Neel says now that they have the homicide part of the case… they’re just waiting to hear from the highway patrol about the hit and run.
 
They’ve decided to look at the two together.
 
"Those in all likelihood would be charged together and viewed together so that they would all be handled in one proceeding,” Neel says.
 
But she says its hard to speculate what charges will be sought for the hit and run, "Its hard to tell until we actually receive the reports and know what the evidence suggests."
 
So what’s next for Jason Warren? Right now he’s serving time in San Quentin state prison on a charge not related to these cases. Sheriff Downey says his office’s request would bring Warren back to Humboldt.
 
“So we could transport him from there to here to be arraigned and initiate the proceedings," Neel said.
 
"Theoretically it could all happen rather quickly,” Neel added, “My experience has been that things don't happen all that quickly."
 
But Neel says there’s a good reason to wait…
 
“You don't want to be hasty about any decision. Particularly if you're charging somebody with homicide, you want to make sure that you can prove it.”