Full Notification

A Santa Rosa man was arrested after a drug deal went bad which forced a temporary lockdown of a Santa Rosa Elementary School. The incident began at about 12:30 PM yesterday afternoon. Sonoma County Sheriff’s Deputies were called to the Vineyard Creek apartments in Larkfield on a report of a man who had stolen the victim’s Louis Vuitton hand bag.
 
Upon contact, the victim told deputies that he was approached by a man in a black Jeep Cherokee in the parking lot of the apartment complex. The suspect asked the 18-year-old apartment complex resident if the bag was real, inquiring as to whether the Louis Vuitton was an authentic brand or possibly a fake. When the victim stated it was real, the suspect got out of his truck and chased after him through the complex. The victim yelled for help and several employees came to his aid but not before the suspect was able to pull the handbag away from him and run off with it back to his Jeep.
 
Employees and the victim chased after the suspect who emptied the contents in his car and threw the bag out the window. The victim told deputies the suspect got away with about $350 cash and some Xanax pills. A description of the black Jeep Cherokee, a partial license plate and the suspect was broadcast over the Sheriff’s radio and an incoming deputy saw the Jeep pass him southbound on Fulton Rd.
 
The Jeep made an abrupt turn onto Francisco Blvd, went around a gate that blocks the road, went into the parking lot of Jack London Elementary School and came back out onto Francisco Ave at which point the deputy lost sight of it. Responding deputies found the Jeep parked and unoccupied in the nearby driveway of 2427 Waltzer Rd. Deputies surrounded the home but couldn’t get the suspect to come out.
 
The registered owner of the car was determined to be 25-year-old Raymond Burt of Santa Rosa and that his mother actually lived at this home. When his mother arrived home shortly thereafter, she allowed deputies to enter search for Burt. When deputies entered, Burt came out of a bedroom and had pretended that he was asleep. He was taken into custody without further incident. The Jack London Elementary school was temporarily locked down for safety of the students as Burt had sped through their lot and it wasn’t known if he was possibly armed.

After further questioning of the suspect and victim, it was determined they both knew each other and that this was a planned drug transaction over Xanax pills and cocaine. At one point there was a disagreement and Burt stole the victim’s handbag which contained both Xanax and cash. These items were recovered in his jeep and were booked into evidence.
 
Ultimately Burt was arrested for felony robbery and has since been released on a $50,000 bail bond.