Two individuals from Santa Rosa have been detained following a shooting at Dutton Plaza last Saturday night, as per the Santa Rosa Police Department. The incident, which unfolded at approximately 8:33 p.m., elicited a rapid response from a K-9 Officer conducting a patrol near Dutton Avenue and Sebastopol Road. Upon hearing the gunfire, the officer encountered the victims, who relayed that someone with a rifle had targeted them.
The subsequent investigation by the officers determined that two white male suspects were involved, fleeing eastward in a blue Pontiac sedan. Their escape was short-lived as the SRPD Patrol Officers located and performed a high-risk stop on the vehicle in the 900 block of Sebastopol Road, securing both suspects. They found a high-powered assault rifle in the car. The suspects, identified as Steve Strawn, a convicted felon, and Jared Ambrose, both of whom hail from Santa Rosa, were taken into custody without further incident.
As the Violent Crimes Investigation Team delved deeper into the case, evidence technicians processed the scene, and it emerged that the shooting was the outcome of an earlier dispute in the parking lot. "Detectives later determined that the shooting was a result of an altercation in the parking lot," according to Santa Rosa Police Department's post on Facebook. After the squabble, Strawn and Ambrose reportedly fetched the assault rifle and directed gunfire toward the victims while making their departure, causing damage to nearby structures.
Detectives executed search warrants at the suspects' residences on Kirkwood Court and Beachwood Drive, which led to the uncovering of an arsenal comprising 12 additional firearms, various firearm parts, and a stockpile of ammunition. Ambrose now faces charges of attempted murder and shooting from a vehicle. At the same time, Strawn is accused of attempted murder, being a felon in possession of a firearm, a felon in possession of ammunition, and discharging a firearm from a vehicle.
Authorities urge anyone knowledgeable about the case to relay information through the SRPD online Tip Line or by contacting Violent Crimes Investigations Detectives at (707) 543-3590. Sergeant Brandon Matthies, the point of contact for media inquiries, can be reached at [email protected], referencing SRPD case number 24-11468.
