Sonoma County Sideshows End In 4 Arrests, 8 Citations

SANTA ROSA, CA — Sideshow activity involving hundreds of vehicles over the weekend in and around Santa Rosa and Sonoma County led to four arrests, eight citations, three vehicle impounds and 33 vehicle stops at six locations — including one where beer bottles were thrown at officers, according to authorities.

The Santa Rosa Police Department said the gatherings began Saturday at 10:30 p.m. with some 300 vehicles encountered "moving from various locations throughout Santa Rosa and nearby unincorporated areas" until approximately 2 a.m. Sunday.

While breaking up one gathering at 11:25 p.m. at the intersection of Petaluma Hill Road and Aston Avenue in Santa Rosa, officers were threatened and had bottles of beer thrown at them, officials said.

At 11:55 p.m., first responders en route to a disturbance call involving an injured man in the 1400 block of West Avenue "were delayed significantly by the sideshow activities," police said.

Officials said investigations, possible future arrests and 30-day car impounds will continue into the weekend's sideshows — an illegal trend, orchestrated in parking lots or intersections, involving spectators and often such dangerous car-stunts as doughnuts and ghost-riding.

"During the enforcement efforts, officers and deputies contacted vehicles with four to five occupants in the vehicle ranging from young teenagers to young adults, following the illegal sideshow participants," the agency said. "Parents were contacted of those teenagers who were underage."

Intersections and time frames involved in the weekend sideshows, according to Santa Rosa police, included:

• 11:03 p.m. Sebastopol and West avenues;
• 11:25 p.m. Petaluma Hill Road and Aston Avenue;
• 11:47 p.m. Sebastopol and West;
• 12:54 a.m. Stony Point and Bellevue Avenue;
• 1:13 a.m. Piner and Fulton roads;
• 1:38 a.m. Petaluma Hill and Aston.

"In coordination with our Sonoma County law enforcement partners, the new countywide protocol for conducting enforcement of illegal sideshows activity was invoked," the Santa Rosa police department said. "It will continue to be invoked anytime SRPD or our law enforcement partners suspect illegal sideshow activities will occur."

Officials added: "The Santa Rosa Police Department is grateful for the community members that provided important and relevant information and for our local law enforcement partners who assisted in preventing or dissuading the illegal sideshow participants and spectators."