Retired Red Bluff police lieutenant to face trial in stalking, burglary case

A Shasta County Superior Court judge on Thursday ruled that there was enough evidence to have a retired Red Bluff police lieutenant face trial on burglary, stalking, resisting arrest and related charges in connection with an incident involving his ex-wife last year in Anderson.

Judge Daniel Flynn issued the ruling after a preliminary hearing on the charges against Daniel Flowerdew, who was allegedly found hiding in bushes two blocks from an apartment he was accused of attempting to break into.

Two Anderson Police Department detectives and one of the department's officers testified at the hearing about what led to Flowerdew's arrest on felony burglary and stalking charges. He faces four other misdemeanor charges that include three counts of resisting arrest and one count of possessing burglary tools.

Police had been called to a disturbance around 12:30 a.m. after a woman reported someone threw a large rock through the window of an apartment on Jason Court, according to a police report on the incident.

Anderson police Det. Melanie Catanio testified Thursday a woman staying there that night told her that when the rock smashed through the window she thought Flowerdew was coming to get her.

"She believed Mr. Flowerdew was there to kill her," Catanio said.

Officer Beau Hamilton testified Tuesday that he went to the apartment and saw a white GMC Yukon parked about two blocks from the woman's apartment. Police later found out the vehicle was registered to Flowerdew, he said. While checking out the vehicle, Hamilton said he heard a loud rustling coming from the bushes near the street.

By that time, other officers had arrived and one of them saw someone in the bushes down on his hands and knees on all fours. The officers ordered the individual to come out, Hamilton said. But the person, later identified as Flowerdew, did not initially come out of the bushes, he said.

The man eventually came out of the bushes, but did not comply with officers commands to lie flat on the ground, the officer said. Police had to force Flowerdew onto the ground, according to a police report.

Officers later found out the retired lieutenant had a domestic violence-related restraining order to keep away from the woman staying at the apartment, according to court testimony.

Hamilton said that when he arrested Flowerdew he had a pair of handcuffs and pepper spray on him. Officers also found in his vehicle some paperwork with Flowerdew’s name on them and retired Red Bluff police identification cards, according to a police report.

The charges filed by the district attorney’s office also said Flowerdew had numerous burglary tools in his vehicle, including a picklock kit, a crowbar, screwdriver, vice grip pliers, water pump pliers, a slide hammer, Slim Jim tool, a bump key, master key and a floor safe door puller.

Flowerdew's attorney, Gregg Cohen, said during Thursday's hearing there was no evidence tying Flowerdew to the rock that was thrown threw the window. He also said breaking the window did not amount to burglary, and that Flowerdew did not enter the apartment.

Despite Cohen's arguments, Flynn ordered Flowerdew held to answer on all seven charges. He is due back in court Nov. 20 for arraignment.

Reporter Damon Arthur welcomes story tips at 530-338-8834, by email at damon.arthur@redding.com and on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @damonarthur_RS. Help local journalism thrive by subscribing today!

This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Retired Red Bluff police lieutenant to face trial in stalking case