A Sonoma County Sheriff’s Deputy arrested a wanted felon yesterday after a lengthy foot pursuit. Just before noon yesterday a Sheriff’s Deputy was on routine patrol in the 3500 block of Brooks Ave in Santa Rosa when he saw a man standing in front of a home. The alert deputy noticed some distinctive tattoos on the man and recognized him as Joshua Presler, a 29-year-old Santa Rosa man who had a felony warrant for auto theft. The deputy had seen Presler’s picture on a flyer earlier in the day.
As the deputy exited his patrol car to make contact with Presler, Presler took off running and the deputy gave chase. Presler ran through a backyard of the home he was standing in front of and then through another open gate in the backyard. Presler then ran through another property that came out onto Ward Rd. Presler continued running for another 100 yards, all the while the deputy was chasing and ordering him to stop.
Presler attempted to jump a fence into another backyard when the deputy caught up to him. The deputy grabbed him by the shirt, pulled him off the fence and to the ground where he was handcuffed and taken into custody. The deputy confirmed that the man was indeed Joshua Presler and then located a methamphetamine smoking pipe in his pocket. Presler had some minor scratches from some berry bushes he ran through but other than that, he was uninjured.
Presler was booked into the Sonoma County Jail for his no bail felony auto theft warrant and possession of narcotics paraphernalia. He remains in the Sonoma County Jail and is being held without bail.
Prepared BY: Sgt. Spencer Crum
CR 170802012
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