Double-Carjackings Began In Sonoma Co.; Arrest After 12-Hour Hunt

PETALUMA, CA — A Sonoma County man was arrested following a weekend overnight search after he allegedly carjacked two vehicles at gunpoint in Petaluma and Novato — crashing one that sparked a vehicle fire at a North Bay gas station, according to authorities. Officials said the suspect also is connected to an earlier theft of another vehicle in Sonoma County.

A citizen's tip led to the Sunday morning arrest of Aaron McKendrick, a 36-year-old, Camp Meeker resident. He was taken into custody at 7:45 a.m. near Vineyard Road and Vivian Court in Novato, following a 12-plus-hour, multi-agency manhunt, the Novato Police Department said.

The ordeal initially unfolded shortly before 7 p.m. Saturday in Petaluma after an armed carjacking was logged from a gas station on Petaluma Boulevard North, the Petaluma Police Department said. A male pointed a gun at individuals inside a black Chevy truck, ordered them out of the vehicle, got it and then took off south on Highway 101, the agency said.

Within a few minutes, at 7:02 p.m., the black pickup reportedly slammed into a white SUV on southbound Highway 101, causing the SUV to catch fire. The SUV's driver pulled into the Shell station at 401 Enfrente Road, where the driver and passengers escaped the fiery vehicle. They were treated at a local hospital for minor to moderate injuries, the Novato police Department said.

The driver of the stolen black pickup, meanwhile, drove on, and stopped in front of a restaurant about 100 yards down the road, where he purportedly pointed a black handgun at another victim, stealing that individual's phone, car keys and vehicle, police said. That car later was later found abandoned on Montura Way in Novato.

A massive search for the suspect was launched and went through the night around the Loma Verde Open Space with officers from the Marin County Sheriff’s Office drone team and the San Rafael/Novato SWAT and canine teams, along with California Highway Patrol officers and air support, officials said.

An "observant resident" called police Sunday at 7:45 a.m. reporting a man, matching the suspect's description, was in the Novato area of Vineyard and Vivian, authorities said.

Officers responded and arrested McKendrick, who was found with a stolen, loaded firearm, Novato police said. He was booked on numerous charges at the Marin County Jail in San Rafael.

Prior to the carjackings, McKendrick allegedly also committed a robbery and stole a vehicle in the Camp Meeker region, Petaluma police said. That vehicle later was located in Petaluma.

Area agencies involved in the hours-long case included the Sonoma County and Marin County sheriff’s offices, police departments from Petaluma, Mill Valley, Novato and San Rafael, CHP and the Novato Fire Protection District.

Any witnesses or those with additional information on the incidents can call Petaluma police at (707) 778-4372.

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