Yesterday's lunch rush at the Rohnert Park In-N-Out turned into a crime scene after a manager was hit by a car in the parking lot and the driver took off, triggering a multi-agency search that ended in a tense traffic stop in Cotati and a suspect in custody.
Rohnert Park press release lays out timeline
According to a press release from the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety, the initial 911 call came in at around 1:03 PM regarding someone spray-painting in the restaurant parking lot. During the encounter, officials say the subject struck the In-N-Out manager with his vehicle, then sped away. The agency later identified the suspect as 44-year-old Nicholas O’Rourke of Santa Rosa and said he was booked into Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, vandalism, resisting or obstructing an officer, and violating probation.
Vehicle found and brief standoff in Cotati
Officers located the vehicle at about 2:19 PM near East Cotati and La Salle avenues and initiated a traffic stop. The driver pulled over near East Cotati Avenue and East School Street but allegedly refused repeated commands to get out, prompting officers to set up a perimeter and ultimately remove him from the car, as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle. Multiple law enforcement agencies assisted in the response, and officials said the sheriff’s helicopter provided aerial support during the incident.
Vandalism reports tied to the same person
Rohnert Park police say the driver is suspected of being the same person reported spray-painting at the In-N-Out earlier in the day, and they linked him to additional vandalism at a Speedway gas pump and a residence in Cotati. Those reports helped officers trace the suspect’s movements, according to the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety. Investigators have not said whether they believe the vandalism or the vehicle collision was intentional beyond what is alleged in the booking report.
Charges and what they mean
Authorities say 44-year-old Nicholas O’Rourke was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, vandalism, resisting or obstructing an officer, and violating probation, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Under California law, Penal Code 245 addresses assault with a deadly weapon and allows for possible prison terms of two, three, or four years for those convicted, according to California Legislative Information.
Rohnert Park DPS has provided a case number for the investigation and is asking anyone with information to contact the department. Formal charging decisions will be handled by the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office as the case moves through the local court system.
