Road Rage Incident Leads To Arrest, Santa Rosa Police Say

SANTA ROSA, CA — A Fortuna man was arrested Monday in Willits in connection with a road rage incident in Santa Rosa, police said.

Around 12:11 p.m. Monday, the Santa Rosa Police Department received several 911 calls about a shooting in the area of Sebastopol Road and West Avenue.

"Witnesses reported a road rage incident between two vehicles," Santa Rosa police Sgt. Christopher Mahurin said.

The cars were in a parking lot southwest of the intersection; the suspect pulled out of the parking lot and went behind the business on the southeast corner of Sebastopol Road and West Avenue, and the victim followed him.

The suspect was driving a blue Honda Pilot; the victim was driving a white pickup truck.

When both cars were stopped behind the business, the suspect got out of the Honda, pulled out a gun, and shot it into the air at least two times, Mahurin said.

"The suspect then pointed the gun at the driver of the pickup, who was still in his vehicle," Mahurin said. "It is unknown what the suspect said to the victim. The suspect then got back into the Honda and fled the scene."

The victim, identified only as a Sonoma County man in his 20s, followed the suspect but ultimately lost sight of the Honda Pilot on northbound U.S. Highway 101 north of Santa Rosa.

Detectives from SRPD's Violent Crime Team took over the investigation.

A short time later, a citizen contacted SRPD and said they found a .9mm handgun on the ground on West Third Street, between Dutton Avenue and the railroad tracks.

Detectives believe it was the suspect’s handgun because it matched the type of gun used during the shooting and was found in the area the suspect fled, Mahurin said.

Based on witness statements, initial work by patrol officers, and the Violent Crime detectives, the suspect was identified as Arnaldo Jimenez-Romeo, a 28-year-old resident of Fortuna.

Detectives believed Jimenez-Romeo was in the Willits area, and contacted him and convinced him to turn himself in to the Willits Police Department, Mahurin said.

Jimenez-Romeo surrendered himself and detectives went to Willits to arrest him and bring him back to Sonoma County.

Jimenez-Romeo was later booked into Sonoma County jail on suspicion of felony assault with a deadly weapon and felony negligent discharge of a firearm.