Man Holds 4 People Hostage, Calls Himself 'God': Police

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — A 25-year-old El Dorado County man is accused of false imprisonment, kidnapping, obstructing police, possession of a controlled substance and other charges in connection with a suspected hostage situation that began late Wednesday night and continued into the early-morning hours Thursday in Santa Rosa, police said.

Officers responded to the 500 block of Apple Creek Lane — near West 3rd Street and Dutton Avenue — around 1:20 a.m. Thursday when a 911 caller reported that a man was holding several people hostage at knifepoint, a Santa Rosa police sergeant said in a news release.

"The reporting party, who had called 9-1-1 from a separate residence in the Sacramento area, was currently on an open phone line with tenants inside the apartment," SRPD Sgt. Matt Crosbie said. "The male suspect, heard inside the home, was identified as Jarrett Cole, a 25-year-old resident from El Dorado County. Cole had been brought to the apartment earlier in the evening by an acquaintance."

Cole was threatening to burn the apartment down and making threats to kill everybody inside, Crosbie said.

The 911 caller told police they could hear Cole acting aggressively, making threats, and referring to himself as “God.”

Police learned there were four people, including a 5-year-old child, being held against their will.

"Cole would not allow the tenants to leave, move within the home, or communicate with their phones," Crosbie said.

Moments after officers got to the scene and surrounded the apartment, a female resident opened the front door and threw a large knife out onto the lawn area. She was able to grab the knife when Cole was physically fighting with a male victim, police said.

"Cole quickly exited the upstairs apartment and engaged officers along the stairway," Crosbie said. "The female tenant was able to run back into the apartment after officers yelled and instructed her to lock her door. Cole stood along the upper stairway and began making threats to kill every officer on scene."

Cole displayed signs of being under the influence of drugs and did not have any weapons in his hands, the sergeant said.

Officers maintained a short distance as they worked to deescalate the situation.

In the hopes Cole would peacefully surrender, officers negotiated with him for around 15 minutes.

"At one point, Cole again stated he was going to kill officers on scene and took steps off the stairway towards them," Crosbie said.

Given Cole's threatening behavior and immediate threat toward officers, Crosbie said, officers struck him one time in the upper front torso with a less-lethal foam round.

Cole was quickly handcuffed, then given immediate attention by medical personnel.

As he was being placed into a gurney, Cole continued to resist officers, Crosbie said.

As Cole was treated at a local hospital for minor injuries suffered while officers worked to take him into custody, he was found with a small amount of methamphetamine on his person, according to police.

During follow-up interviews, police discovered the victims were held hostage for about two hours before officers got there.

"Cole stabbed a television inside the home with the large knife, made threats to hurt the small child, punched a dog in the head, and attempted to move a tenant towards a vehicle outside at knifepoint to flee the area," Crosbie said.

Cole was booked into Sonoma County jail on suspicion of felony false imprisonment, felony assault with a deadly weapon, felony obstructing/threatening an officer, misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance, misdemeanor battery, felony kidnapping, felony criminal threats, felony animal cruelty and felony vandalism.

Cole remained in custody Thursday afternoon. Jail records showed his bail was set at $100,000 pending a court appearance set for Friday.