Police dog catches bungling burglar

COTATI — The night of May 2, Kenneth Hogue allegedly tried to break into more than one home without success.

On his first attempt, the 33-year-old Cotati resident tried to enter a home on Lincoln Avenue in Cotati through the side window of the house, but was scared off by the residents.

Cotati police officers arrived around 8:30 p.m. to search the area for the suspect. As they did, they received a report of a person attempting to enter a garage through a side window one block away on Marsh Way. As the officers checked the home, they heard a car alarm go off and saw Hogue running away from the car and across East Cotati Avenue.

Within minutes Rohnert Park public safety officers brought a police dog to assist police. They found Hogue on Burton Court in Rohnert Park, taking stolen property out of a parked vehicle.

“Hogue refused to comply with the officers instructions and tried to run away,” said Cotati police Chief Michael Parish. “The K-9 assisted in the apprehension of the suspect Hogue.”

Hogue was taken to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital for treatment of dog bite injuries and was later booked into the Sonoma County jail on charges of resisting arrest, felony possession of stolen property, felony burglary, and violation of probation.

Hogue is on felony probation for prior thefts. Almost all of the reported stolen items were recovered from Hogue. He was also found in possession of a stun gun and pepper gun.

“Because concerned Cotati citizens immediately reported suspicious activity to police dispatchers our officers were able to apprehend this felon,” Parish added.

Several items recovered from Hogue have not yet been claimed or identified as stolen property.