Marin SWAT Search Ends For Petaluma Home-Invasion Suspects

NORTH BAY, CA — Authorities at 12:45 p.m. called off a manhunt and shelter-in-place orders in Novato for the remaining four of nine suspects who carried out three armed home-invasion robberies early Monday morning in Petaluma before leading law enforcement on a chase to Marin County, authorities said.

Five of the suspects were in a white rental minivan but stopped the van on southbound U.S. Highway 101 near San Marin Drive, got out and ran west, authorities say.

For several hours, shelter-in-place orders were in effect for Wood Hollow Drive and neighboring streets in Novato but police in an update said SWAT tactical teams had since concluded their search of the area after locating one additional suspect.

"There are four outstanding suspects, who are described as black male adults dressed in dark clothing," police said in the update. "We believe the suspects are no longer in our perimeter and may have left the area."

The robberies were reported at about 3 a.m. Monday on Eugenia Drive in Petaluma and involved "a group of approximately nine suspects [who] went to three different homes in the 100 and 200 blocks of Eugenia" and "kicked doors in and confronted the homeowners while armed looking for marijuana," said Sonoma County sheriff's Sgt. Spencer Crum.

Sonoma County sheriff's deputies were dispatched to the scene in Petaluma where it was believed that "at least one homeowner was tied up and reportedly pistol-whipped," Crum said.

Petaluma police officers spotted two vehicles but when they attempted to pull them over a pursuit ensued, Crum said.

One of the vehicles, a white rental minivan, stopped on southbound U.S. Highway 101 prior to the San Marin Drive exit in Marin County, the sergeant said.

Five suspects ran off, heading west, Crum said.

Multiple guns were allegedly found inside in the minivan.

Law enforcement agencies from Sonoma and Marin counties set up a perimeter and SWAT teams were searching the area for those suspects, believed to be five black man, Crum said.

At 8 a.m., one of those suspects had been captured but four remained at large.

Authorities found the second suspect vehicle near Novato Costco, where three suspects were taken into custody but a fourth remained at large, Crum said.

The situation Monday morning prompted a brief, modified lockdown at San Marin High School in Novato.

At 10:30 a.m., a shelter-in-place remained in effect for residents of the Wood Hollow area of Novato, where members of the Novato/San Rafael Regional SWAT and Sonoma County Sheriff's Office SWAT teams were searching and clearing yards and residences, Novato police said. Residents of Wood Hollow were advised to remain inside with their doors and windows locked.

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Photos via Sonoma County Sheriff's Office Facebook page