Northern California detectives arrest man wanted as primary suspect in homicide
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- Seth David Cotten was arrested at Lower Colfax Road home in Grass Valley.
- Sheriff’s officials said Cotten is the “primary suspect” in the death of Jeremy Norton.
- Norton was killed April 11 in a shooting in a remote area of Nevada County.
Authorities on Monday night surrounded a Grass Valley home and arrested a man wanted as a suspect in a deadly shooting last month in a remote area of Nevada County.
Seth David Cotten, 33, of Nevada City is a primary suspect in the fatal shooting of Jeremy Norton, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday afternoon in a news release.
Cotten was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder in a shooting involving Norton and another person that occurred a week before the homicide.
About noon on April 11, deputies responded to a 911 call reporting a shooting along Yellow Pine Lane near North Bloomfield- Graniteville Road area, about 15 miles northeast of Nevada City. The deputies found Norton, 45, also of Nevada City, dead from a shooting along Yellow Pine Lane.
A forensic team from the California Department of Justice responded to assist with processing evidence. Sheriff’s detectives investigating the homicide later that day identified “as a suspect of interest,” sheriff’s officials said.
The detectives later learned Cotten had allegedly tried to kill Norton in a shooting eight days before Norton’s death. Sheriff’s officials said Cotten on April 3 fired a gun at Norton and another victim.
On April 16, the detectives obtained a warrant for Cotten’s arrest on suspicion of attempted murder in the April 3 shooting. Sheriff’s officials said Cotten was hiding from authorities, and he wasn’t found until Monday night.
The detectives tracked down Cotten at a home on Lower Colfax Road in Grass Valley. Authorities surrounded the home with help from the sheriff’s Special Enforcement Detail, Critical Incident Negotiations and drone teams.
The Placer County Sheriff’s Office also assisted in the operation, along with firefighters and medics who staged nearby as a precaution.
Sheriff’s officials said Cotten came out later and surrendered. Cotten was booked early Tuesday at the Nevada County Jail, where he remains in custody.
Sheriff’s detectives are working with the Nevada County District Attorney’s Office on the two shooting investigations. Sheriff’s officials said Cotten on Tuesday remained “the primary suspect” in Norton shooting’s death, and they anticipated Cotten will face additional charges as the investigation continues.
