A man who witnessed his car being stolen Friday night called police, leading officers to arrest three Santa Rosa men and locate more stolen cars in a suspected carjacking that was in the making, officials said. civil servants
Around 6 p.m., a man called 911 and said he saw his Honda Accord being stolen near Occidental Road and Harvest Lane in west Santa Rosa, said Sgt. Santa Rosa police. Travis Dunn.
The caller told police a Chevy Tahoe was assisting in the burglary and that his stolen car and the Tahoe sped off in different directions.
At the same time, a sheriff’s office helicopter was in the area for a different reason and spotted the Tahoe. He followed the Tahoe to very near Fulton Road and West Third Street. Police then arrested the driver, Salomon Gonzalez, 34, of Santa Rosa on suspicion of vehicle theft.
Santa Rosa police officers went to Gonzalez’s residence on Marsh Road in northeast Santa Rosa. There, they encountered two brothers who have known criminal records. “There were cars there that didn’t belong there,” Dunn said.
Officers executed a search warrant and recovered three stolen vehicles, one belonging to Vallejo. Officers also found large pools of automotive fluids, which posed an environmental hazard, Dunn said.
“We have reason to believe they were developing a chop shop at their home,” Dunn said. A body shop is a place where stolen vehicles are dismantled so that the parts can be sold or used to repair other stolen vehicles.
The environmental crimes are currently under investigation by the police department’s property crimes unit, Dunn said.
Rafael Trajo, 33, of Santa Rosa was arrested on suspicion of felony possession of a stolen vehicle. His brother, Fernando Trajo, 29, was arrested on the same charge plus suspicion of vehicle theft.
Staff writer Alana Minkler can be reached at 707-526-8531 or at alana.minkler@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @alana_minkler.
