Bay Area/ North SF Bay Area
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Published on January 22, 2025
Suspect Arrested in Sonoma County for Alleged Attempted Airplane Theft and TrespassingSource: Sonoma Sheriff

On October 13, 2024, an unusual incident unfolded at the Sonoma County Airport when Augustin Ortiz, a 29-year-old man, allegedly attempted to abscond with a private airplane. According to a social media post by the Sonoma Sheriff, mechanics working on the aircraft confronted the suspect, who had managed to breach the aircraft's door and get inside. The suspect was reportedly kicked away from the plane and fled to a wooded area, prompting an intense manhunt involving the use of a drone, a K-9 unit, and a California Highway Patrol helicopter. The search initially did not yield an arrest.

Subsequent investigations conducted by the sheriff's Property Crimes detectives, armed with tips from the community, eventually led to Ortiz's identification. Detectives obtained an arrest warrant, and he was arrested by the Santa Rosa Police Department last Sunday for his warrant. Running towards a hangar with multiple private airplanes, the suspect had tried to make his escape after the confrontation.

In a follow-up post by the Sonoma Sheriff's Office, it was shared that Ortiz was booked into the Sonoma County Jail on charges of taking an aircraft without consent under Penal Code 499d P.C. and for trespassing in an airport posted area under Penal Code 602(U)(1) P.C. He was released on zero dollars bail after the arrest.