High-Speed Chase For Catalytic Converters On HWY-101 Through Sonoma County

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — Sheriff’s deputies spotted a vehicle tied to Bay Area catalytic converter thefts on Highway 101, but the attempted traffic stop quickly spiraled into a dangerous wrong-way chase that stretched across southern Sonoma County before officers captured two suspects.

Deputies with the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office first saw the vehicle traveling southbound on Highway 101 earlier in the day. Authorities suspected the car was connected to a series of catalytic converter thefts reported across the Bay Area.

When deputies attempted a traffic stop near Cotati, the driver refused to pull over and instead steered into the northbound lanes while continuing southbound, driving the wrong way on the freeway. Deputies ended the pursuit because of the risk to other motorists.

Officers later with the Petaluma Police Department located the same vehicle in Petaluma. Police attempted another stop, but the driver again fled and repeated the same maneuver — driving northbound in the southbound lanes of Highway 101.

The pursuit ended north of Petaluma when the vehicle stopped and both occupants ran from the scene on foot. Deputies and the sheriff’s helicopter, Henry-1, quickly searched the area and arrested the two men after a brief search. Officers from the California Highway Patrol assisted in the response.

Investigators later identified the suspects as brothers from Richmond and said the pair allegedly cut a catalytic converter from a vehicle in Petaluma shortly before the pursuit.

Authorities booked Alejandro Alarcon, 30, into the Sonoma County Jail without bail. His brother, Roger Alarcon, 35, was booked with a $100,000 bail enhancement.

Prosecutors could charge the men on suspicion of felony evading, grand theft, possession of stolen property, and possession of burglary tools. Authorities said one of the brothers was already on parole for theft and vehicle-pursuit related offenses.

Catalytic converters fetch high prices because they house precious metals—rhodium, palladium, and platinum. They can be stripped in minutes, particularly from trucks and SUVs.