Full Notification

On Friday, 01-01-16, at approximately 4:17 am, the Sebastopol Police Department received a 911 phone call from a resident on Litchfield Avenue.

The resident stated they had seen someone walking in the shadows along the side of their house. The resident believed the suspect was there to break into their home. The suspect moved toward the front of the house as the resident called 911. The resident saw the suspect looking through the windows of his vehicle, which was parked in the driveway.

As officer's were on their way, the resident retrieved his handgun. The resident, still fearing the suspect may be preparing to break into his house, confronted the suspect in the front yard. At gunpoint, the resident told him to get on the ground. The suspect complied, and moments later officer's arrived. The officer's detained the suspect without incident.

The suspect, Steven James Stothard, age 33, of Sebastopol, was determined to be extremely intoxicated. He had been drinking in the downtown area of Sebastopol, and was trying to walk home. Stothard was several miles away from and had been walking in the opposite direction of his home.

Stothard was booked in the Sonoma County Main Adult Detention Facility for Public Intoxication.

This incident is a reminder to the citizens of Sebastopol and Sonoma County of their right to protect their homes and families through safe and responsible gun ownership.

As a firearm owner, it is your responsibility to ensure that guns in your home are always stored where they are inaccessible to children or other unauthorized persons. Hiding a gun in a closet, drawer or similar location is not safe storage. Safe storage is employing precautions and multiple safeguards that provide an additional barrier against unauthorized use.

Happy New Year!