Police in Petaluma cracked down on vehicle theft with the arrest of a driver and passengers found in a stolen car during the early hours last Friday. According to a release from the Petaluma Police Department, the occupied vehicle reported stolen from Healdsburg the previous day, was located by an officer on patrol at about 12:36 am.
The three occupants of the vehicle were taken into custody following a high-risk stop executed by the PPD officers. Alfonso Romero-Zuniga, a 30-year-old Sonoma County resident, was identified as the driver, and Juan Guzman-Santiago, a 42-year-old from the same county, was a passenger. The pair were found to be on active probation in Sonoma County and implicated in the current vehicle theft. A third individual, Susana Arias, a 33-year-old from Santa Rosa, approached and began confronting the officers during the incident. Following her detainment, it was revealed that she, too, was on Sonoma County probation.
Upon searching the vehicle, police discovered a punched ignition and various items believed to be stolen. In a twist of evidence, the ignition cover was in Guzman-Santiago's possession. All suspects were subsequently booked into Sonoma County Jail, facing charges of vehicle theft, possession of a stolen vehicle, and probation violation.
The recent arrests are part of a larger pattern with Petaluma PD night shift officers recovering three stolen vehicles in as many days - taken from Vallejo, San Rafael, and Healdsburg. The assorted recovered property from the vehicles has yet to be fully traced back to the rightful owners. Petaluma PD urges the public to come forward with any information regarding these incidents as the investigation perseveres. Those with information can reach Officer Jacob Boes at (707)781-1262.
For any additional details or media-related questions, Lieutenant Matthew Parnow can be contacted at (707)778-4439 or via email at [email protected], as confirmed by the department's announcement.
