Windsor Man Wanted In Carjacking, Assault Turns Self In: SRPD

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — A Windsor man who was wanted in connection with a carjacking and assault in Santa Rosa turned himself in Tuesday morning, Santa Rosa police said.

Rico Richard Leaton-Gomez, 28, was arrested when he attempted to turn himself into the Sonoma County Jail, Santa Rosa police Sgt. Christopher Mahurin said.

SRPD officers took Leaton-Gomez into custody without incident and he was later booked into jail on suspicion of carjacking, felony battery, felony elder abuse and felony violation of post-release community supervision, Mahurin said.

Authorities had been looking for Leaton-Gomez since Sunday after he was identified as the suspect in a carjacking.

Officers responded to reports of the incident around 11:40 a.m. Sunday at 1st Street and A Street and found a 67-year-old man lying in the roadway on the east side of the intersection. The man had blood coming from his face and officers learned he was unconscious before they arrived, police said.

Officers learned that a man later identified as Leaton-Gomez approached the victim while he was sitting in his pickup truck. Leaton-Gomez offered to purchase the victim’s truck, but the victim declined the offer, police said.

Leaton-Gomez initially walked away but came back moments later and punched the victim once through the open window, Mahurin said. Leaton-Gomez then opened the driver's side door and punched the victim again, then pulled the victim out of the truck and struck him several more times before the victim fell to the ground, police said.

Leaton-Gomez ran back to the victim’s pickup truck, got into the driver’s seat and started to drive away, police said.

Leaton-Gomez ultimately backed up the pickup, got out of the truck, and ran westbound on 1st Street toward A Street, according to police.

Officers searched the area for Leaton-Gomez but did not find him.

Meanwhile, the victim was taken to a local hospital where he was treated for significant lacerations to his face, facial abrasions and a broken nose, Mahurin said.

"Based on a thorough investigation, officers identified Leaton-Gomez as the suspect in the carjacking and assault," Mahurin said.

According to police, Leaton-Gomez was released from state prison in June and recently become homeless. At the time of the carjacking, Leaton-Gomez was on post-release community supervision — a conditional release where a person is placed under the supervision of their local county agency —for a prior assault with a deadly weapon related to a previous carjacking.

Leaton-Gomez remained in custody Tuesday afternoon with his bail set at $100,000.