The Milk Can, a symbol of the football rivalry between Ferndale and Fortuna high schools for decades, was recovered Wednesday after it was stolen from Ferndale High School around Halloween.
Fortuna Police Chief Bill Dobberstein said the Milk Can was located around 1 p.m. Wednesday, thanks to a tip the investigations unit received Tuesday from the public.
"They identified three male suspects, all high school age," Dobberstein said about the unit. "Through the course of interviewing those persons, we located the Milk Can."
He said one of the teenagers showed investigators where the Milk Can had been stashed. It had been thrown over the side of the bluff off Blue Side Road between Ferndale and Rio Dell.
"The night they had stolen the can, in their haste, they crashed their car and they threw the Milk Can as far as they could over the side of the bluff," Dobberstein said.
He said the teenagers left the car on the side of the road and called for friends to pick them up. The next day, they reported the car as stolen, lying to police officers.
"(The California Highway Patrol) had found the car and towed it because it was missing its front tire," Dobberstein said.
He said the teenagers go to Fortuna High School. He said they will face burglary charges, and whoever reported the car as missing will be charged with filing a false report with police. Additional charges could be added by the Ferndale Police Department.
The Milk Can went missing late Oct. 30 or early Oct. 31 when the front window of Ferndale High School was shattered, and only the can was taken. The Ferndale High School and Fortuna High School football teams have played each other for the Milk Can each year since at least since 1945. The can lists all the scores of Milk Can games between the two schools, and Ferndale was in possession of the can this year after winning the rivalry football game on Sept. 16.
Megan Hansen can be reached at 441-0511 or [email protected] .
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