Snakes, Smokes, Peepers and Coach Bags in the Police Blotter

Unvarished reports from the Event Press Logs of the Sonoma Police Department.

Monday, June 26, includes a report of a python beneath a porch on Andrieux St, at 3:48 p.m. A man doing yard work made the report, and when deputies from arrived they coaxed the 5-6 foot snake with brown and black markings out from under a shed and turned it over to Sonoma County Reptile Rescue, based in Sebastopol.

Also on June 26, at 6:55 p.m., a bicycle patrol deputy saw several teens with skateboards head toward . He followed what he called "the gaggle of teens" and found them smoking a controlled substance behind a mausoleum. The deputy asked the juveniles to throw down what they had and they produced several smoking pipes, bags of marijuana, and firewood as well as bottle rockets and Black Cat firecrackers. The deputy told them to leave everything and go home, although one juvenile was cited for less than an ounce of marijuana.

At 7:35 p.m., a domestic violence call was received and an officer dispatched to the 700 block of 3rd St. West, where a couple who had been married for 25 years with one adult child were having a dispute. The victim claimed that his wife shoved him, demanding that he fillet and cook the fish she had caught the day before. The victim argued that he didn't want to both fillet and cook it, and in response she shoved him. The woman told police that he had a knife, and the victim agreed, saying he did have a filleting knife but made no aggressive or threatening gestures with it.  After talking to both parties the victim changed his mind and said he did not want to press charges, but the woman was arrested and booked for domestic battery.

Tuesday, June 27 saw a petty theft at for about $27 worth prepared food. At about 3 in the afternoon, a man selected several items from the hot foods counter including a cheeseburger and some Oriental food. He then went to the checkout counter where he only asked for change for a dollar, not paying for the food. He walked around the store for a few more minutes then left. A security officer apprehended him outside, and the suspect said he meant to pay but forgot. He was identified as Joseph Bush, 33, of Boyes Hot Springs.

On Wednesday, June 28, a burglary attempt was reported at on West Spain St. At 7:46 in the morning the woman who had closed up the church offices the night before came to work to find the door ajar and a window shattered. Police determined that entry was gained but apparently nothing was taken. The incident is under investigation.

Late Thursday night, June 29, a woman reported she was showering in her downstairs apartment on 1st St. West when she saw a man staring at her through the window. He had opened the window from the outside, apparently cutting the screen and pushing the sliding window open. As it opened however it knocked over a shampoo bottle, getting the 27-year old woman's attention. The subject appeared to have a cell phone he was using to video record her.

She jumped out of the shower, dried quickly and got dressed,  then went outside to see a man as he biked away, apparently giggling. She described the man as tall, between 6' 1" and 6'3", between 20 and 30 in age, with blond short hair and facial stubble. He wore a gray sweatshirt hoodie with the number 6 on the back. The case is under investigation.

If anyone knows someone with clothing of this description who might be the suspect they are asked to inform the Sonoma Police Department at 996-3602.

On Sunday, July 1, at 8:02 a.m., a woman called to report a burglary on Fryer Creek Dr. She said she and her husband had had a garage sale the day before, and had ordered a pizza for dinner. He left to collect the yard sale signs and she fell asleep on the sofa, with her burgundy colored Coach-style handbag beside her (which she admitted was not a designer original, but a knock-off made in China). The purse was missing when she woke up, having slept through the apparent pizza delivery. In her missing bag were prescriptions for Xanax, Prozac and an empty bottle of Vicodin, as well as her checkbook and health insurance card. The thief left a wallet nearby that contained a sizeable amount of cash from the yard sale. Police are investigating.

Please see 4th of July No Picnic for Police for news from the mid-week holiday.