Full Notification

On April 5, 2015 at approximately 8:02 AM, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office received a call on 911 regarding a burglary on Franz Valley School Road, in the unincorporated area known as Knights Valley, close to the Napa County border. A woman called and told the dispatcher that an unknown man had broken a window beside the entry door and burst into her home. He was rambling incoherent threats. She was terrified and fled the residence to a neighbor to call for help. The woman said her bedridden husband was still inside the home and that she had left food cooking on the stove.

The woman did not know who the man was, but she was extremely concerned for the safety of her husband. Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office Deputies have recently responded to many calls from family members regarding a man named Ned Kohler, a 49 year old from the area. Fortunately, there had been thorough documentation of prior events regarding Kohler on property off Highway 128, about a mile from the reported burglary.

It was learned that Kohler had called family members late yesterday and threatened to kill them. He had been walking the property without clothing or shoes and talking nonsensically. He has been threatening people and is frequently armed with any number of firearms he possesses.

Patrol Deputies responded and set up a perimeter on the vast and rugged property. They tried repeatedly to establish communication with Kohler, but to no avail. The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Helicopter, Henry 1, was alerted but could not initially fly because of the cloud ceiling. Members of the Hostage Negotiations Team were summoned along with the SWAT Team.

Fire Department and paramedics responded to in case there was a medical or fire emergency. The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad was already en route when Deputies on-scene saw a plume of smoke from one of the buildings on the property. The Highway Patrol assisted by temporarily closing portions of Franz Valley School Road to non-essential traffic. Calistoga Police Department coordinated operations from their jurisdiction. Detectives from the Violent Crimes Unit and Crime Scene Investigations also responded.

The infirmed man was found uninjured and reunited with his wife. At this time, Kohler has not been located.

This is an open investigation of an on-going event. We appreciate the public’s patience and cooperation during the incident. Updates will be forthcoming in a manner that does not interfere with the safety of personnel and citizen’s in the area.

Prepared by Sergeant Cecile Focha
Media Relations / PIO