Police Log: Walking While Drunk, Shoplifting Excess

Here's a selection of key reports from the Sonoma Police Department, April 13 - 19.

Report No. 530: At 11 pm on Saturday, April 14, went to Sonoma Historic Plaza on a report of a fight in progress. At the park, where a event was ongoing, the police were directed by a citizen to nearby There they found a grey Mitsubishi Lancer stuck in a ditch, and two men, both 25 Asian men from San Francisco, who said another group of people started yelling at them for no apparent reason. They became engaged in a brief altercation, then fled across the park in their car until it ran into the ditch. Police extricated and towed the vehicle at owner's expense; no charges were filed.

534: That same night, two shoplifters were witnessed and caught in the act at . They were identified as Elena Guinina, 49, and Alex Zhukov, 65, both of Palo Alto. Store security said they entered the story and while the man placed items in a hand basket, the woman placed items in shopping cart. In the diary aisle they tried to redistribute the items into a black plastic bag and prepared to leave. On the way out Zhukov took other bags he had placed elsewhere in the store, which he then put in his car in the parking lot. Guinina left the store without paying and was stopped before she got in the car where Zhukov was waiting.

The items value totaled over $214, and include a bottle of Napa Valley cabernet, valued at $96.99 a bottle of Paul Hobbes cabernet, valued at $83., a package of smoked duck breast ($24.59), buffalo milk butter, ($6.99) and, incongruously, pizza-by-the-slice ($2.99). The items were returned to the store, and the two were cited and released.

537: Early the next morning, April 15, a guest at the Best Western Inn on the plaza called to report his car, a Toyota FJ cruiser, had been broken into and goods stolen. He said he returned to the hotel about 11:30 pm on Saturday, locked his car and went to his room. When he went down to his car the next morning found the car unlocked and the alarm not activated. Missing items included the following: Apple 17-inch Powerbook; Wacom digital tablet; Apple iPhone; two mini hard drives; Apple iPad; and a Canon 5DMKII camera with three LS series lenses, including a 100mm macro lens. Also a bag with auxiliary equipment, printer cartridges, and a Swiss army knife were reported missing. The victim, Samuel Hamann, 53, of Ojai CA, estimated the value at $10,000.

541: A little after midnight on April 16, a deputy inside recognized Erick Whedon from an outstanding warrant, and asked if he had missed his court appointment. Whedon, who had a full shopping cart, left the building and as the deputy arrested him for the outstanding warrant was found to have five 1.75 oz. bags of Safeway coffee in his sweatshirt pockets, and two jars of macadamia nuts in his waistband. The shopping cart in the store had similar items. Whedon was placed under arrest for shoplifting and cited for non-appearance.

543: On Monday April 16 at 6:20 pm, a student at Dunbar Elementary School was taking the school bus home and got off at Boyes Bld and Highway 12. A Hispanic male asked if he needed a ride, but the boy declined and walked to his mother's car nearby. The woman identified the suspect as a Hispanic male in his 30s, between 5'6" and 5'10", 165-185 pounds, wearing shirt, shorts and tennis shoes. The woman also reported that he got into an older model blue 2-door vehicle, where two other men were waiting. The woman also said the three had been shopping at Andy's Liquors before the incident.

551: At 4:04 P.M. on April 15, a white red haired male was reported intoxicated, staggering and passed out in a parking lot in the 900 block of W. Spring St. The suspect was observed to fall twice, once into a the front of a truck and again onto his face. When police arrived he was identified as Samuel Kulp, 43, of Sonoma. He was awake but clearly intoxicated, and fell for a third time on his back. Police called for an ambulance to evaluate him for injuries resulting from the falls. The suspect asked if they were joking, saying he just wanted to go home. When the ambulance arrived he was placed in an immobility brace and taken to Sonoma Valley Hospital, where it was determined he had a broken neck. He was then transferred to Memorial Hospital for treatment. He was cited for being drunk in public and violation of probation from San Bernardino County.

554: On April 16 at 19:16, a woman on 5th St. West called police when she found her ex-husband, who was still living in the house, alive but extremely intoxicated in the apartment with great amounts of blood in the apartment, in the backyard, in the bathroom and on the bed. Police initially feared there had been violence or foul play.

When police arrived the 56-year old Sonoma man  was conscious but had difficulty communicating. Taken by ambulance to the, he began to revive once given fluids and said he fell down, but couldn't remember where. At the hospital a 3/4-inch laceration was found on the back of his head, confirming his story of falling; there were no signs of struggle in the apartment. He was treated  and no charges were filed.

558: On April 18, a 17-year old boy was taken to juvenile hall following an altercation with his father, 57. The parents had locked up the boy's bicycle due to abusive language, and he tried to saw the lock off. When his father confronted him they boy punched him, knocking him down and bloodying his nose. Police were called because the boy was "beyond control" and he was taken to to cool off.