Man Accused Of Brandishing Fake Gun, Stealing Bike From Walmart

ROHNERT PARK, CA — A man accused of pointing what turned out to be a replica gun at another man Thursday in the parking lot of a Rohnert Park motel was taken into custody after he stole a bicycle from the nearby Walmart store, police said.

The incident started around 12:30 p.m. when a man called the Rohnert Park Public Safety Dispatch Center to report someone had just pulled a gun on him in the parking lot of Good Nite Inn, 5040 Redwood Dr., Rohnert Park police Sgt. Jerrod Marshall said.

The victim said he was sitting in his car when a man he did not know walked up and asked to use his cellphone.

"The victim said when he told the subject he could not use his phone the male went to his car and retrieved a handgun," Marshall said. "The subject then pointed the handgun at the victim. The suspect fled the area in a vehicle towards Home Depot."

As officers searched for the suspect and his car, an on-duty Rohnert Park police detective who was in the area in an unmarked car saw someone on the side of Walmart who matched the suspect description.

"When the Detective turned his vehicle around the suspect got out of the vehicle and stole a bicycle from the side of the store and began riding through the parking lot in an attempt to flee," Marshall said.

However, officers and the detective quickly surrounded the suspect in the Walmart parking lot and ordered him to the ground.

The suspect, Russell Blystone, 37, of Santa Rosa, was taken into custody without injury, Marshall said.

At the same time, another officer saw a black Glock handgun on the driver's side floorboard. The gun was seized, and upon closer inspection, it was determined to be a BB gun replica of a 9mm Glock handgun, Marshall said.

Blystone was booked into Sonoma County jail on suspicion of grand theft and brandishing a replica gun.