Petaluma police arrest stalking suspect after chasing him into pumpkin patch
PHOTO: KNTV
PETALUMA — Police have arrested a man on suspicion of violating a protective order after having to chase him through a pumpkin patch late last month.
Just before 9 PM on Friday, September 27, police received word that 29-year-old Ryan Kenneth Watt had violated a protective order by texting and calling his ex-girlfriend, reportedly to ask her to drop other pending cases against him.
Officers searched for Watt, a local transient, at various homeless encampments at the area and eventually found him, but he managed to escape.
Just before 9 AM the next day, September 28, officers conducted a foot patrol in the same areas and again ran across Watt, who fled west across the 101 freeway on foot and into a corn maze at the Petaluma Pumpkin Patch on Stony Point Road.
After establishing a perimeter, officers from Petaluma PD and the California Highway Patrol ventured in while a circling fixed-wing CHP aircraft kept watch overhead.
Watt was quickly located and arrested without incident.
Police say he has been the subject of an on-going stalking investigation regarding the same victim, documented over five previous cases in September of this year and three of which led to Watt’s arrest.
His behavior reportedly included showing up at her son’s athletic practices uninvited, visiting and entering her home uninvited, hacking her social media accounts, and texting her while she was with friends to say he was watching her. At one point he also implied that he’d made a key to her home.
On September 21, he was arrested after being caught prowling in a backyard on the 800 block of F Street. When police seized his phone, they discovered it had been receiving GPS tracker alerts. The next day, September 22, they found a GPS tracking device stuck to the underside of the victim’s vehicle.
Watt is now in custody at the Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of restraining order violation, attempting to dissuade a crime victim, obstructing / delaying / resisting officers performing their duties, and a warrant for prowling.
His stalking charge is also under review by the County District Attorney’s Office.
