On Saturday March 5, at about 10:52 PM, a Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office Deputy saw a silver Buick with paper plates stopped without headlights in the middle of the intersection of Moorland Avenue at Gorel Court, in the southwestern region of unincorporated Santa Rosa. When the Deputy turned his spot light on the car he saw two men inside it. He recognized the driver as a wanted gang member with a felony warrant. The man had a distinctive tattoo over his eye and on his neck.
The vehicle immediately began to speed-off so the deputy began following the vehicle with his emergency lights flashing and siren sounding. The Buick’s driver fled without stopping at several intersections in the neighborhood and driving on the wrong side of the road.
The pursuit went southbound on Moorland Avenue to Todd Road, then onto Hwy 101 southbound at speeds ranging from 60 mph to 100 mph. Other drivers had to swerve out of his way on the dark, wet roadway. Fortunately there was only moderate traffic at that hour.
Petaluma Police Department assisted us during the pursuit by using spikes to deflate the tires in an effort to slow the Buick and minimize the danger to the public. Despite driving on flattened tires, the driver continued to flee.
At Kastania Road, the vehicle slowed down enough for a deputy to a use pursuit intervention technique to spin the Buick into the center median.
The driver, David Garcia 23 year old from Vallejo, stepped out of the car and immediately began challenging the deputies. He refused to obey with loud, repeated and direct commands to comply. Garcia was tased and taken into custody. Garcia was uninjured in the incident.
The passenger, Brian Mena, 18 years from the Sonoma valley, refused to follow the commands of the deputies. He was taken into custody without incident.
Inside the car were several bottles and cans of beer.
Mena was booked into County jail for obstructing a deputy. He was released on his promise to appear in court on March 28 at 8:30.
Garcia was arrested for evading arrest, evading with a willful disregard for public safety, reckless driving, resisting arrest and DUI. He was on felony probation from Napa County, as well as two probation cases in Sonoma County, so he was also arrested for violating the terms of his probation. He was booked into the Sonoma County MADF and is being held without bail. He is scheduled to appear before a judge on Court March 8 at 1:30.
The pursuit distance was approximately 16 miles, over 14 minutes, and involved a total of seven peace officers from SCSO, Petaluma PD and CHP. We are all very grateful for the assistance from our partners in public safety. By working together, we do our best to insure that those on the highway remain safe during emergency incidents.
Case #160305-020
Prepared by Sergeant Cecile Focha
Media Relations / PIO
