Floyd Squires, at the scene of the Blue Heron fire.

UPDATE, 3 p.m.: From the Eureka Police Department:

On behalf of Captain Stephens, the Eureka Police Department did not authorize the release of the arson investigation police report to the public. Any questions related to the report should be referred to the City Manager’s office.

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We noted this morning that the city seems to be playing a new level of hardball with Eureka slumlord Floyd Squires. But we were not quite anticipating this level of hardball.

This afternoon, the city issued a press release that vows to continue to fight Squires’ “egregious violations” of the law. In the middle of the call-to-arms, which is signed by city manager Greg Sparks, the city lets drop that last week’s arson fire at the Blue Heron Motel was “allegedly over lack of payment for sexual services by Mr. Squires.”

Greg Sparks.

This allegation appears to come third-hand from a witness to the Blue Heron arson, and not from either of the principals in the purported transaction — Squires and Kattie Yocum, who was arrested in the wake of the Blue Heron fire.

A police report, which the city attaches, quotes a witness who said Yocum had told her she had provided oral sex for Squires in exchange for an apartment, which never materialized. This, said the witness, prompted Yocum to set the Blue Heron on fire.

Read the police report here, if you like.



The Outpost reached out to Floyd Squires this morning and hasn’t heard back yet. We’ll update when we do.

Press release from the City of Eureka: