Early last Friday morning, a regular business on Hembree Lane became the center of an attempted theft that led Windsor deputies on a high-speed pursuit. Two suspects, one identified as 55-year-old William Fletcher of San Leandro, failed to uproot an ATM with their silver Cadillac before fleeing the scene.
The Windsor Police Department stated that Fletcher, alongside an unidentified accomplice, endeavored to steal the ATM using a chain to dislodge it from its moorings. However, their attempt was thwarted as the machine remained steadfastly anchored, prompting the duo to desert their criminal designs and the scene in the aforementioned Cadillac, giving rise to a pursuit that coursed through the streets of Windsor, the velocity fluctuating erratically from a casual 25 mph to an extreme 70 mph, and then spiking to a perilous 120 mph on Highway 101 North—according to a statement on the police department's Facebook page.
A deputy's vigilance led to spotting the deviant vehicle, igniting a pursuit that unfortunately culminated with the Cadillac losing its fight with control and colliding into the center median guard rail just south of Healdsburg; flowing from the wreck, Fletcher and his anonymous accomplice took their chances on foot, with Fletcher later found concealing himself in a barn on Los Amigos Road, his partner in crime remaining at large.
Searching the Cadillac offered more incriminating revelations—a sawzall and grinder, along with suspected methamphetamine, were found hinting at a premeditated crime and potentially turbulent lives tangled in the grips of felony and substance abuse; Fletcher is now held at the Sonoma County Main Adult Detention Facility with a $20,000 bail and faces charges of attempted grand theft, evading, conspiracy, along with misdemeanors including possession of a controlled substance, driving with a suspended license, and possession of burglary tools.
The Windsor Police Department affirmed to the public their continual balancing act between public safety and the imperative to apprehend suspects, emphasizing their thanks to both the public and Healdsburg Police Department for their partnership during the exhaustive search for Fletcher—their statement concluded with an assurance, "We want to assure the public that we constantly evaluate the public's safety with our duty to apprehend the suspect."
With one suspect still at large, the Windsor Police Property Crimes Unit earnestly seeks any additional information the community might offer. Those with knowledge that could aid in identifying the second suspect are encouraged to contact the Windsor Police Department at (707) 838-1234.
