Crime & Safety

Boy, 4, Briefly Lost; Bay Rescue: North Bay Police Logs

More North Bay parents accused in college scandal; tragic crashes; funds raised for twins; and other North Bay police, fire and court news.

CHP and Sonoma and Marin sheriff's rescue personnel responded April 9 to Tomales Bay where five people were stranded.
CHP and Sonoma and Marin sheriff's rescue personnel responded April 9 to Tomales Bay where five people were stranded. (CHP Golden Gate Division Air Operations)

ROHNERT PARK-COTATI, CA — The following is a week's collection of police, courtroom and fire stories from Sonoma County and around the North Bay.

Vineyard Owner's Son Identified In Fatal Remote Sonoma Co. Crash

  • Seth Hellenthal died when his truck went off Bohan Dillon Road Friday night. His girlfriend survived but waited 13 hours for help to arrive.

4-Year-Old Found Wandering Streets Reunited With Parents: Cops

Find out what's happening in Rohnert Park-Cotatifor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • The boy spent the night with relatives and when he woke up in the middle of the night, went walking to find his family and got lost.

North Bay Woman Killed In US 101 Crash Was Single Mom Of Twins, 3

  • Rosa Lua died March 20 when rear-ended by a man accused of driving drunk. A GoFundMe campaign has been established for her 3-year-old twins.

Sonoma Co. Deputies Respond To 5 Stranded On Tomales Bay Island

Find out what's happening in Rohnert Park-Cotatifor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Sonoma County's "Henry 1" crew, Marin deputies and CHP responded. Four of the stranded survived; one died while trying to swim ashore.

Dixon Man Hit, Killed On I-80 Was Trying To Retrieve Ladder: CHP

  • A pedestrian fatally struck by a car Monday has been identified as a Dixon man who was trying to retrieve a ladder that fell off his truck.

Suspect With Counterfeit Money Sought By Petaluma Police

  • Do you recognize this person? Call police at the number provided in the article.

Lockdown Lifted At Benicia Middle School

  • Graffiti prompted the precautionary lockdown but police found it was not a credible threat, district officials said.

Healdsburg 'Hammer Snatcher' Returns Huge Public Art Piece

  • "I'm happy to welcome 'The Hammer' back home," said Healdsburg Mayor David Hagele.

Camera Store Employees Detain Teens Who Robbed Them, Police Say

  • The third suspect escaped, and police found the pistol on the ground and recovered the merchandise, according to Santa Rosa PD.

Arrested: 'Armed & Dangerous' Woman Caught In Vallejo, Cops Say

  • The fugitive was wanted by San Rafael police for burglary, grand theft, being a felon in possession of a firearm and conspiracy

Accused Napa Heroin Dealer Tries Biting To Escape Hospital: NSIB

  • NSIB: While at Queen of the Valley, the man tried to escape from custody in handcuffs and tried to bite security personnel several times.

4 Women Sought in Store Robbery, Employee Assault: Police

  • Do you recognize these women? Police say they stole thousands of dollars worth of sunglasses, then hurt a store employee as they left.

North Bay Man Falls To Death At Grand Canyon

  • The 67-year-old local man was an alumnus of UC Davis and Piner High School.

Police Identify Solano County Man As Oakland Homicide Victim

  • The 24-year-old was one of three homicide victims identified Thursday by the Oakland Police Department.

Rape Reported On Sonoma State Campus: Police

  • The female victim and the suspect had recently met on a dating website, according to campus police.

Sonoma County Man Sentenced In Hate Crime Against Gay Barista

  • Vincent O'Sullivan's defense attorney said his client is remorseful and gave 40 hours of volunteer service after the Guerneville flooding.

Man Accused Of Killing Brother In Healdsburg Pleads Not Guilty

  • Moses Torres, 18, is accused of fatally stabbing his 25-year-old brother, Ivan Torres, on March 27.

Napa County Fugitive Arrested In San Francisco Warrant Sweep

  • Sixty-seven of 70 people — including at least one wanted out of Napa County — arrested were booked into the San Francisco County Jail.

3 North Bay Parents Newly Indicted In College Admissions Scandal

  • Six Bay Area parents are newly indicted in the allegations. Actress Lori Loughlin's husband, Mossimo Giannulli, has also now been charged.

College Admissions Scandal: Bay Area Parents To Plead Guilty

  • Thirteen parents—including a Napa Valley winery owner and four other Bay Area mothers and fathers—have agreed to plead guilty to fraud.

Rohnert Park Driver Flips Car, Hits Tree In Possible DUI: Police

  • Police said the 22-year-old driver remained hospitalized Monday. Officers obtained a search warrant for his blood, as DUI is suspected.

2 Killed in Pickup Crash Into Tree In Marin Co.

  • A dog riding in the truck bed was found dead nearby in the Novato area, officials said.

Fiery, Big-Rig Rollover Crash Closes Northbound Hwy 101

  • The fire and collision involving a big rig blocked lanes in the Sausalito area north of the Golden Gate Bridge, Marin CHP said.

Vehicles, Carport Destroyed In Weekend Fire; Apartments Spared

  • A motorcycle possibly was source of blaze, officials said.

Marin Co. Driver Killed In Mt. Tam Crash ID'd

  • The man and his 13-year-old son were thrown from the vehicle in the accident, officials said.

DAs Seek Death Penalty Against Accused Golden State Killer

  • Prosecutors from multiple counties made a unanimous decision to seek the death penalty against Joseph DeAngelo.

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