On 2/1/2017 at approximately 1:15 PM, an off-duty Rohnert Park Police Officer observed a black Chevrolet PT Cruiser he believed was stolen, parked in the parking lot of the Home Depot, located at 6280 Hembree Lane, in the Town of Windsor. The officer subsequently alerted the Windsor Police Department of the vehicle.
Detectives from the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Property Crimes Unit and the Sonoma County Auto Theft Task Force responded to the area and located the unoccupied vehicle. During surveillance of the vehicle, detectives observed two subjects enter the vehicle and drive it around the parking lot at separate times.
At approximately 2:00PM, detectives attempted to make an enforcement stop on the vehicle in the parking lot of the Home Depot. The vehicle immediately fled from detectives through the parking lot of Wal-Mart. As the vehicle exited the parking lot onto Hembree Lane, the passenger of the vehicle, identified as Marco Zarco, 23 years old from Petaluma, fled from the passenger side of the vehicle and was detained by detectives. As the vehicle continued to evade detectives, deputies from the Windsor Police Department initiated a pursuit of the vehicle near Hembree Lane and Shiloh Road. The suspect fled from deputies, entering onto Northbound Highway 101.
Deputies from Windsor and the Sheriff’s Office, including a K-9 deputy, continued to pursue the stolen vehicle northbound Highway 101 at speeds of approximately 100 mph. The deputies were assisted by the Sheriff’s helicopter “Henry-1”, who monitored the pursuit from above. The pursuit concluded at the Mendocino County line, when the driver pulled to the shoulder of Highway 101 and fled the vehicle on foot. The suspect, Gene Nehf, 39 years old from Petaluma, was taken into custody after a brief chase.
Gene Nehf was arrested for an outstanding felony warrant, theft of a motor vehicle, possession of stolen property, felony evading and resisting arrest. He was booked into the Sonoma County Jail, with a no bail hold.
Marco Zarco was arrested vehicle theft, possession of stolen property and violation of conditional probation. His bail is set at $10,000.
Prepared by: Sgt. Shawn Murphy
