Originally published as a Petaluma Police Department Nixle post –
“On 12/31/2021, an alert resident called to report a possible auto burglary in the area of J Street and 5th Street. Officers arrived in the area and the suspect vehicle fled the scene. The vehicle continued to flee in an apparent attempt to evade officers.
The suspect vehicle reached an estimated 90 MPH on Petaluma Blvd South. As the vehicle approached the roundabout on Petaluma Blvd South and Crystal, the driver lost control and crashed. Several subjects were seen fleeing from the vehicle into the Quarry Heights neighborhood.
Officers searched the vehicle for injured persons and located apparent stolen constructions tools, estimated to be worth more than $5,000. The vehicle was reported stolen from Oakland and it had stolen license plates from another vehicle attached to it. There was nobody in the vehicle.
During a coordinated search of the neighborhood, they located a 16-year-old hiding in the bed of a pickup truck. He was taken into custody without incident.
As officers continued to search the Quarry Heights neighborhood, they located 22-year-old Oakland resident, Anna Barajas. She was sitting in a vehicle, and it was discovered that she was communicating with the outstanding subject via cellphone and assisting him in avoiding arrest by law enforcement. She was arrested as an accessory to the thefts.
The minor was transported to Juvenile Hall. Barajas was transported to Sonoma County Jail.
When the dayshift team started their shift, they began to patrol the Quarry Heights and Sterling Heights neighborhoods to prevent any additional thefts and, in an effort, to apprehend the outstanding suspect(s). An officer observed 2 people walking off the hillside back towards the Sterling Heights model homes. They were located hiding near one of the homes and taken into custody without incident.
While Karina Melara and Josue Cervantes were being taken into custody, a man called Petaluma Police to report a jobsite was broken into on D Street and more than $8000 in tools were stolen.
Melara and Cervantes were transported to Sonoma County Jail for the above listed charges.”
