5 Arrested In Sonoma County Ulta Beauty Store Robberies, Chase: Police

PETALUMA, CA — Five people were arrested Tuesday night after they robbed Ulta Beauty retail stores in Petaluma and Santa Rosa, assaulted a security guard and led officers on a high-speed chase, Petaluma police said.

It started around 7 p.m. Tuesday when employees from Ulta Beauty, 401 Kenilworth Drive, in Petaluma, called police and reported that five people had come into the store and started filling up large bags with bottles of perfume and other fragrances.

"Store security attempted to intervene and was assaulted by one of the suspects," police said. "The suspects fled the store with the merchandise and were seen getting into a newer white Range Rover with tinted windows."

The SUV was spotted heading toward East Washington Street and several officers responded but did not find the car.

The security guard was not injured but the suspects made off with $1,000-$2,000 worth of merchandise from the Petaluma store, police said.

Petaluma police sent out a broadcast to local law enforcement agencies and described the incident and the car.

Shortly before 7:30 p.m., the Santa Rosa Police Department received a similar robbery report from the Ulta Beauty store at 2080 Santa Rosa Ave. During the theft, one of the suspects punched and threatened a security guard, police said.

The suspects and the vehicle description matched the Petaluma incident.

The license plate on the car belonged to a Jeep, not a Range Rover, indicating the Range Rover was likely stolen, police said.

A Santa Rosa officer soon located the car heading southbound on U.S. Highway 101 at a high rate of speed but lost sight of it in the Cotati area.

A California Highway Patrol officer then spotted the car on southbound U.S. 101 and followed it into Petaluma city limits. Just prior to the Lakeville Street offramp, the CHP officer attempted to stop the Range Rover. The driver did not stop but exited the highway and took the Lakeville offramp into Petaluma.

"Due to the vehicle entering Petaluma city limits, the severity of the crime, limited officers in the pursuit, Petaluma Police Officers entered the pursuit to assist," Petaluma police said. "The suspect vehicle turned right on Lakeville Street, left on Caulfield Lane, and left on Hopper Street entering the RiverFront Community where it continued to flee from officers. Unbeknownst to the suspect, who was from out of the area, there is no additional outlet in that neighborhood. The suspect vehicle made its way back to Hopper Street and appeared to intentionally ram an occupied marked Petaluma Police Department vehicle as it exited the neighborhood."

The crash caused heavy damage to the front passenger side of the Range Rover. With the front right tire deflated, the Range Rover continued for a few hundred yards before it came to rest on Hopper Street.

Five people got out of the car, four of whom jumped a nearby fence and ran across the railroad tracks toward the fence line of a business, police said.

"The suspects had committed three violent offenses, including ramming an occupied police vehicle, and demonstrated a strong desire to avoid capture; based on these circumstances a Petaluma Police Officer deployed his K-9 over the fence," police said.

The K9 helped apprehended two of the suspects.

A third suspect was caught by officers before they were able to jump the fence; a fourth suspect climbed the fence and was later found hiding on the roof of a shed of an autobody shop on Lakeville Street, police said.

The fifth suspect ran northbound on Hopper Street and gave up while being pursued on foot by an officer.

One of the suspects contacted by the K9 was treated for puncture wounds at Petaluma Valley Hospital.

"The second suspect contacted by the K9 was uninjured, it appeared they were brought down by their clothing," police said.

Authorities identified the driver of the Range Rover as Joshua Wilson, 21, of San Jose.

"Wilson provided a false name to officers upon arrest," police said. "He was found to have three outstanding warrants, one each from Sonoma County, Santa Clara County, and Contra Costa County. The warrants were related to theft, resisting arrest, and providing false identification to a police officer."

Dwayne Huntly, 20, of Hayward, and a 15-year-old boy from San Francisco also provided false names, police said. The juvenile suspect had an outstanding warrant.

A second juvenile suspect — a 16-year-old boy from Oakland — kicked an officer while trying to escape from the handcuffs, police said.

Thousands of dollars worth of Ulta Beauty products were found in the Range Rover, which was later determined to be an unreported stolen vehicle out of Oakland.

Police identified the third adult suspect as 19-year-old Dejorna Whitney of Richmond.

The three adult suspects were later booked into the Sonoma County Jail while the two juveniles were taken to Juvenile Hall.

Charges included robbery, grand theft, conspiracy, assault with a deadly weapon, resisting arrest and evading officers.

Four officers suffered minor injuries: two were injured in the crash and two were injured while taking the suspects into custody, Petaluma police said. One of the injured officers was treated at Petaluma Valley Hospital.

"The Petaluma Police Department would like to thank the California Highway Patrol, the Santa Rosa Police Department, Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department Helicopter (Henry one) for their assistance in apprehending the suspects," Petaluma police said.