6 Accused In Rohnert Park Burglary, Child Endangerment: Sheriff

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — Six burglars were caught in the act Sunday night when taking things from a home in unincorporated Rohnert Park, the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office said. Deputies responded at about 11:45 p.m. Sunday to the 6000 block of Eagle Ridge Road to investigate a report from a resident who said his neighbor's home was being broken into.

The caller told dispatchers his neighbor was out of town for an extended period of time. When deputies arrived, a truck and trailer were in the driveway and several people were moving about the residence, sheriff's officials said.

The deputies surrounded the home and requested the assistance of a CHP helicopter crew, then moved in and detained six people — five who were in or about the home and one suspect, identified as 36-year-old Antonio Ruben Diaz Jr., of Santa Rosa, who was running through brush behind the home, sheriff's officials said.

Deputies reported finding items from the home in the suspects' truck, and a Kubota tractor from the Eagle Ridge home had been loaded onto the trailer attached to the truck.

A lengthy investigation revealed Diaz used to work for the elderly homeowner.

Sheriff's officials said when Diaz found out the homeowner was away for an extended period of time, "he took advantage of the situation and had been coming to the home over the past three weeks and essentially taking everything."

Detectives also served a search warrant at Diaz's home in the 300 block of Scenic Avenue in south Santa Rosa where they recovered "numerous other items stolen from the Eagle Ridge home," sheriff's officials said.

The five others arrested were: Howard Rigney, 49, of Santa Rosa; Ryan Nash, 32, of Rohnert Park; Thomas Hance, 32, of Petaluma; Robin Winder, 27, of Santa Rosa; and Ashley Cortez, 35, address not listed.

All six were arrested and booked into Sonoma County jail on suspicion of burglary, grand theft, conspiracy and child endangerment.

The child endangerment allegation is because Cortez had her 12-year-old son with her during the commission of the burglary, the sheriff's office said.

Diaz and his fellow burglars were each being held in lieu of $50,000 bail, the sheriff's office said.

The 12-year-old boy was released to a relative.