Attempted armed robbery suspect barricades self in home, arrested after hours-long standoff
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SANTA ROSA // Police have arrested a local man in connection to an attempted armed robbery which occurred just before noon on January 10th.
That day, officers arrived at Harry’s Market on the 500 block of West Ninth Street after receiving a report that a subject had entered the store, drew a shotgun from under his jacket, and demanded cash from the register. When the clerk was unable to open it, the subject fired a single shot right next to her.
After a second failed attempt to open the register, the suspect fled the business, running southbound through the parking lot towards West Ninth. When police searched the area a short time later, he was nowhere to be found.
Then, just after noon on January 11th, police received word of a man potentially holding hostages at gunpoint at a home on the 1500 block of Dutton Avenue. A source who reported the incident also claimed that the man in question may, in fact, have been responsible for the attempted armed robbery at Harry’s.
Police Officers and SWAT officials, as well as investigators from the Violent Crimes Investigations Unit, responded and surrounded the home. Nearby roadways were blocked and residences evacuated.
Before long, it was determined that nobody else was in the home, at which point negotiators attempted to make contact with the suspect — who steadfastly refused commands to surrender. What followed were several hours of repeated attempts to negotiate, which proved unsuccessful.
Things took a turn, however, when the suspect was caught trying to leave the house through the side yard. SWAT officers were able to head him off and take him into custody without further incident. Police then searched the residence, discovering a shotgun believed to have been used in the attempted robbery at Harry’s, as well as clothing consistent with the description of the suspect in said incident.
The suspect has been identified as 31-year-old Adrian Aurelio Aldema of Santa Rosa. He is charged with attempted armed robbery and is housed at the Sonoma County Jail.
