Pipe-wielding man who smashed windows & threatened to kill Redding bar patrons arrested

REDDING, Calif., — Authorities say a pipe-wielding man who was smashing windows at a popular Redding bar while threatening to kill people was arrested without incident by officers who responded to the scene late last night, Tuesday, Jan. 18.

In addition to last night’s arrest, jail records show that the alleged suspect, Cameron James Willits, 25, of Redding, was recently arrested twice on the same day, Monday, Jan. 3, on suspicion of shoplifting, disorderly conduct, vandalism and other charges after he reportedly used a wooden object to break down the front door of a Redding Rite Aid on Eureka Way.

Although he was quickly released after both earlier arrests this month, he remains in custody today in lieu of $25,000 bail or bond.

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City of Redding police officers were dispatched to the Rusty Nail Lounge, located at the Shasta Mall at 900 Dana Drive, around 11:30 p.m. after receiving reports of a man armed with a metal object, later determined to be a metal pipe bent into the shape of a sword, Redding Police Department Sergeant Chris Mills has since said of the incident and arrest.

“The subject reportedly threatened to kill someone, was actively trying to enter the business, and was striking windows with the sword,” Mills explained.

Arrested three times so far this month, Cameron Willits was arrested again after a violent incident involving a pipe at a Redding bar late last night. Redding PD photos

Several officers who responded to the bar located Willits in front of the food court entrance of the Mt Shasta Mall, “actively smashing a window with an object later determined to be a bent metal pipe,” Mills continued; saying, “Willits appeared violent, armed and highly agitated.”

“In an effort to de-escalate the encounter and reduce the need for deadly force, officers made a plan to contact Willits, which included preparing K-9 Miko and other less-than-lethal options before establishing communication,” the Sergeant went on to say; adding, “Officers successfully convinced Willits to drop the weapon and surrender peacefully.”

During their subsequent investigation, officers learned that Willits had entered the Rusty Nail Lounge with what the victim, an employee of the bar, believed to be a sword in hand.

When the employee asked Willits to leave, the combative and confrontational man “responded by raising the weapon towards the victim, pointing it at him, and stating he was there to murder him,” Mills explained.

Asked not to murder anyone and to leave the location, Willits backed out of the business, at which time bar employees were able to lock the door.

When Willits attempted to reenter the business and realized he had been locked out, he began striking the windows with the metal pipe before being safely detained and later arrested by the responding officers.

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Willits was booked into the Shasta County Jail in Redding on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, making criminal threats, and vandalism.

Anyone with further information regarding this investigation is encouraged to contact the Redding Police Department at (530) 225-4200. Callers can refer to incident file number 22R004051 and can remain anonymous.

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Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 50, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).

Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.

Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.

Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.