Crime News from the Ukiah Police Department — June 1, 2026
Arrests made for sexual assault, possession of 600+ child sexual abuse images, stabbing
A 22-year-old man was arrested Sunday following a Ukiah Police Department investigation into allegations of sexual assault involving a teenage girl and the possession of child sexual abuse material.
According to Sgt. August Kinney, the investigation began in April after the father of a 16-year-old girl reported that his daughter had been sexually assaulted by an adult male.
Police said detectives determined that the girl had engaged in sexual activity with Giovanni Buriel, 22, and that she alleged some encounters were nonconsensual. During the investigation, detectives learned Buriel possessed child sexual abuse material on his cellphone and in cloud-based storage accounts.
Detectives obtained search warrants for those accounts and reported finding more than 600 images depicting child sexual abuse material.
On May 29, detectives obtained a no-bail Ramey warrant for Buriel’s arrest. He was taken into custody without incident in Patterson, CA on May 31 and booked into the Mendocino County Jail.
Buriel was arrested on suspicion of rape by force, oral copulation with a minor, possession of child sexual abuse material, and possession of more than 600 images depicting child sexual abuse material.
Ukiah Police Arrest Man in Stabbing Case
Ukiah police arrested a man Saturday in connection with a stabbing that occurred earlier this year in the 100 block of Luce Avenue.
According to Sgt. August Kinney of the Ukiah Police Department, Bobby Roston is accused of stabbing an adult man in the torso following a verbal altercation. The victim suffered injuries that were not life-threatening and was treated and released from a local hospital.
Police said they were unable to locate Roston immediately after the incident. When officers contacted him on May 31, investigators determined that he had also failed to comply with sex offender registration requirements within the City of Ukiah.
Roston was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and failure to register as a sex offender. He was booked into custody pending prosecution.
Charges are allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.