Full Notification

On Saturday, June 22, 2019, at around 1:03am, Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety received a report of a reckless driver on Southwest Blvd. near Snyder Ln. in Rohnert Park.  The caller stated a Dodge Durango was speeding on Southwest Blvd., running red lights, and driving on the opposite side of the road.  At 1:07am, a Rohnert Park Public Safety Officer saw the Durango speeding past him northbound on Snyder Ln., then it ran the red light while turning east onto Rohnert Park Expressway.  The officer turned around and stopped the Durango on Rohnert Park Expressway to investigate the reported reckless driving.  As the officer approached the Durango, it took off east on Rohnert Park Expressway towards Petaluma Hill Rd.  The Officer and a Rohnert Park Sergeant took off after the Durango, and it came to another stop when it reached Petaluma Hill Rd.  As the driver was being called out of the vehicle, it took off again north on Petaluma Hill Rd. 
 
A pursuit of the Durango was initiated, and a Rohnert Park K-9 Unit joined the other Officers.  The pursuit went into Santa Rosa, and assistance was requested from CHP, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department, and Santa Rosa Police Department.  The CHP helicopter responded to assist with the pursuit, and the other agencies were requested to attempt to set up spike strips to stop the vehicle.  The pursuit went through the southeast area of Santa Rosa over to the southwest side, then the male driver and only known occupant went back south towards Rohnert Park and Cotati on Stony Point Rd.  The Durango turned around before reaching Highway 116 and went back towards Santa Rosa, going through the northwest area of Santa Rosa before getting onto southbound Highway 101.  The Durango was fleeing at varied speeds during the pursuit, at times reaching up to 100mph.  There was little to no traffic on the roadways throughout the pursuit and the assisting agencies kept attempting to deploy spike strips to stop the Durango, but were unable to get them in front of it. 
 
Once the Durango got onto southbound Highway 101, spike strips were laid out in front of it.  The Durango drove over the spikes as the CHP helicopter was arriving.  The tires on the Durango began deflating, and the driver finally pulled over and stopped on southbound Highway 101 at Highway 12 at 1:35am.  Traffic was stopped on southbound Highway 101 as the driver was called out of the Durango and taken into custody.  The driver was identified as 34 year old Celico Leon of Santa Rosa.  Leon showed signs of being under the influence of alcohol and potentially narcotics, and he was found to be on two probation cases for prior DUI arrests with an outstanding arrest warrant for having violated one of the probation cases already. 
 
Leon was arrested for felony Evading a Police Officer, Driving Under the Influence, violating his probation, the outstanding arrest warrant, and Driving on a Suspended License which was suspended due to the previous DUI.  Leon was booked into the Sonoma County Jail on the above charges.  There were no collisions and no one was injured during the course of the pursuit or while taking Leon into custody, and the Durango was removed from the highway.