Petaluma Police Make 3 DUI Arrests Over Weekend

PETALUMA, CA — Petaluma police over the weekend made three arrests for alleged DUI offenses. In the first incident, officers were dispatched at 9:17 p.m. Saturday to a report of a hit-and-run crash in the 200 block of N. Water Street, Petaluma police Sgt. Lance Novello said in a news release.

"Witnesses provided a vehicle description, and officers located the vehicle in the 800 block of Petaluma Boulevard North," Novello said. "The driver was contacted and identified as Rudolf Giancola, who displayed obvious signs of intoxication. His passenger, Mary Stewart, was also contacted and displayed obvious signs of intoxication."

After speaking with the pair, officers came to the conclusion that Stewart, a 28-year-old Wisconsin resident, was allegedly driving during the initial collision, Novello said. It is alleged that she drove to Petaluma Boulevard North where because of her intoxicated state, she and Giancola, 28, of Cotati switched seats and Giancola then drove.

Both were arrested and booked into Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of DUI after testing revealed their blood-alcohol contents were more than over twice the legal California limit of .08 percent, Novello said.

Giancola was also found to be on probation for a previous DUI conviction.

In the third DUI arrest, officers responded at 10:26 p.m. Sunday to a citizen's report of a possible DUI driver in the 400 block of Washington Street. The witness told police the driver was "swerving and traveling well under the posted speed limit," Novello said.

Using a license plate number provided by the witness, officers located the driver, later identified by police as Cynthia Lorenz, 63, of Petaluma, as she was stopped at a gas station — allegedly displaying "obvious signs of intoxication while attempting to pump gas," Novello said.

"Based on her poor performance during field sobriety tests, she was arrested for DUI," Novello said.

Lorenz was booked into Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of DUI after testing revealed her blood-alcohol content was nearly three times the legal limit.

Mugshots courtesy Petaluma Police Department