On Thursday an alleged vehicle burglary occured on Lindberg Lane, Petaluma, with a family member bearing witness. They alerted authorities to the unfolding incident according to a Petaluma Police Department report.
Reportedly, the suspect, a 17-year-old juvenile from Lakeport, was in the process of burglarizing a vehicle by peering into and rummaging through the glovebox and central console when they were seen by a family member of the vehicle's owner. The juvenile was observed reaching for an object – which the family member thought resembled a firearm – in their waistband area before making a hasty attempt to flee on foot.
Within a few minutes, officers were able to locate and detain the suspect without incident. As the official police report clarifies, despite the family member's statement, no firearm was found during the arrest. The juvenile suspect was detained and subsequently booked at the Sonoma County Juvenile Detention Facility on the charge of Vehicle Tampering.
Regardless of the absence of a firearm on the suspect, the Petaluma Police Department called K-9 "Pinky" to conduct a thorough search within the neighborhood in pursuit of any discarded firearm. Despite the pups expertise, Pinky was unable to locate a firearm in the vicinity.
Pinky, a 15-month-old detection dog, was born and bred in Ireland before being purchased for the Petaluma Police Department K-9 Unit. Trained to detect and alert to the odor of 10 different explosives, firearms, and ammunition, Pinky has undergone an extensive 10-week K-9 detection school alongside her handler Officer Williams.
