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Five-finger discount turns into felony

 

A Sonoma teen is facing felony burglary charges after he reportedly shoplifted two bottles of Bacardi rum from Rite Aid.

Sonoma police officers were sent to the store at about 7:15 p.m. on Saturday, June 11, after an employee saw the teen put the two bottles of rum in his backpack and heard the bottles clanking together.

The teen told officers that he had receipts for the two $30 bottles of rum in question but came up with more excuses than receipts. After he ran out of excuses, the teen admitted to officers that he had no money and entered the store to steal the rum. Since he entered the store specifically to steal, Sultan Lee, 18, of Boyes Hot Springs, was charged with felony burglary instead of shoplifting. Officers also found a bottle of Bombay Gin in his backpack and he admitted that he stole it from another store.

In addition to the burglary charge, he was also charged with minor in possession of alcohol and booked into county jail.

In other incidents reported to Valley law enforcement recently:

Monday, June 6:

12:22 a.m. - Harassing with Natural Light. Police received a call from the Sonoma Safeway store requesting assistance with a subject who was harassing customers. When officers arrived they eventually found a 34-year-old Sonoma man on the bike path near Highway 12 who was identified as the suspect and who had a can of Natural Light beer in his pocket. Because he was on probation with a no-alcohol clause, he was cited for a probation violation and released, but not before receiving a warning that if he returned to Safeway the store would pursue trespassing charges.

11:59 a.m. - Used Honda for sale. A man who parked his 1983 Honda motorcycle with a for sale on it in the 300 block of First Street East on June 3, discovered on June 6 that someone had tried to steal it. Judging from the obvious damage, a would-be thief had tried to punch out the ignition with a screwdriver, which was left behind.

8:07 p.m. - Get high, go to jail. A police officer spotted a familiar transient on the street at Calle de Monte and Highway 12. Knowing the man was on probation with a search and seizure clause, the officer stopped the man, noticed symptoms of his being under the influence of a drug and conducted a sobriety test, which the man failed. The officer then did a pat-down search, which produced a syringe from one pocket.

The 29-year-old man was arrested for being under the influence of drugs, possession of drug paraphernalia and probation violation. He was booked into the county jail.

Wednesday, June 8:

10:12 p.m. - At least it's not a horse head. A manager at the Sonoma Cheese Factory reported to police that she found a dead snake with its head cut off at the facility's back door. The manager said some disgruntled laid-off employees might be responsible.

11:54 p.m. - Some buds and some Buds. When an 18-year-old Santa Rosa man ran the stop sign at First Street West and West Napa, Sonoma police pulled him over, approached the car and immediately smelled the pungent odor of marijuana. After searching the car, officers found 26.6 grams of pot and an 18-pack of Budweiser in the trunk. He was cited for being a minor in possession of alcohol and for possession of marijuana in a vehicle.

Friday, June 10:

7:06 p.m. - Even a .05 is trouble. While on patrol in the vicinity of First Street West and West MacArthur, an officer stopped a vehicle for a cracked windshield. Both the driver and the passenger were on probation with no alcohol clauses as part of the terms of their probation. The officer detected the odor of alcohol and had the pair blow Breathalyzer tests. The driver, a 27-year-old El Verano resident, blew a .05 while the passenger, a 35-year-old Sonoma resident, blew a .02. They were both cited for a probation violation and released.

Saturday, June 11:

7:58 p.m. - Brotherly threats. A resident in the 500 block of Este Madera Drive, reported that her 44-year-old brother had made threats and was going to come to her residence and assault her. Officers found the intoxicated man before he got to his sister's residence and give him a ride to the county jail along with charging him with public intoxication.

Sunday, June 12:

3:47 a.m. - I wasn't aiming at those windows, officer. Officers were sent to Sassarini Elementary School when a citizen heard glass breaking at the school. As officers arrived, they encountered 22-year-old Matthew While, of Sonoma, who was carrying what appeared to be an assault rifle. The weapon turned out not to be an assault rifle, but a pellet gun that looked like one. Officers also found three broken windows. While, who was apparently intoxicated, admitted that he shouldn't have been carrying a gun on school property, but denied that he shot out the windows. While was arrested on charges of felony vandalism, possession of a weapon at school and public intoxication. He received a chauffeured ride to the county jail.

Tuesday, June 14:

7:52 p.m. - Battling siblings. A woman who got into an argument that turned physical with her brother over his eating chocolate, swore out a citizens arrest against the man after he reportedly knocked the woman into her 3-year-old daughter causing a red welt on the child. During the incident, in the 400 block of Andrieux Street, while she was trying to call police, her brother, Dario Carafa, 20, of Sonoma, pulled the telephone from her hand. Carafa was charged with felony child endangerment, damaging a communication device and a probation violation and was taken to county jail.

Wednesday, June 15:

2:22 p.m. - Purloined benches. An official from the Center for Healing Arts at 19399 Sonoma Highway, reported that sometime between May 9 and May 10, two benches had been stolen. A teak bench with arms that weighed about 100 pounds, was valued at $1,000, while a redwood bench with decorative wrought iron was valued at $700.