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Plaza freed from frequent flyers

 

The Sonoma Plaza may be absent two of its more familiar, if notorious figures, following arrests made and sentences imposed over the past 10 days.

The first case involves a Sonoma transient with the dubious distinction of having been arrested four times in one week. He was sentenced last week on three consecutive counts of violating his probation. The sentence for each count was 30 days, meaning that the 29-year-old Plaza habitué with a habit of becoming drunk in public, could be in jail for three months.

The violations reflected his failure to adhere to key terms of his court-imposed probation, which included that he not be on the Plaza and that he not possess or consume alcohol. Following his incarceration, he will be on 21 months probation, conditions of which prohibit consumption and possession of alcohol, the possession of weapons or being in the Plaza or the Sonoma Safeway.

A drinking partner with a similar pattern of law enforcement encounters was arrested three times in the last week, the last time on a charge of DUI.

The first two arrests came after he was charged with a probation violation for being in the Plaza on May 7 and again on May 9. The 32-year-old transient's probation terms also prohibit drinking alcohol and being in the Plaza.

Then, on May 10, at 1:43 a.m., the man was spotted driving erratically away from the Sonoma Safeway in a red, 1998 Ford Ranger pickup. A police officer ran the truck's plates and discovered that the driver had a suspended license. When he pulled the truck over, the driver appeared to be intoxicated and blew a blood alcohol level of .15 and .14 on a preliminary screening device. He was then arrested and booked into the county jail on a charge of DUI.

In other incidents reported to local law enforcement:

Friday, May 6:

12:22 a.m. - No license, no insurance, no car. A Sonoma man with no driver's license and no proof of insurance drove straight through the right-turn-only stop sign at First Street West and West Napa. An observant police officer made a traffic stop on the 1994 Nissan Maxima and determined the driver should not be behind the wheel. He cited the driver for the three violations and released the 26-year-old man to a family member. The car was impounded and later released to the registered owner.

2:48 p.m. - Small rock, front window. Police received a report that an empty home in the 100 block of East MacArthur Street was the target of what appeared to be random vandalism when someone threw a small rock through a front window. No estimate of damage was available.

Saturday, May 7:

3:44 p.m. - Broken pipe, illegal weapon. The star of the lead story (above) was spotted in the Plaza drinking and, when an officer approached, the man dropped a glass smoking pipe on the ground and crushed it with his foot. The officer performed a search of the suspect and found a locked, folding knife in a sheath on his belt, which was a further violation of probation terms that already prohibited his carrying weapons. He was cited for possession of a controlled substance paraphernalia and violation of probation.

8:02 p.m. - Four wheels off the balcony. A resident of Sierra Drive told police someone had stolen four tires and rims from the second-story balcony of his apartment. No suspects were identified and the loss was valued at $2,400.

Sunday, May 8:

3:08 a.m. - Post-prom party problems. Two separate phone calls led police to a late-night, post-prom house party in the 500 block of El Verano where an estimated two-dozen people, mostly juveniles, were having a very loud good time.

Upon arrival officers quickly recognized a 22-year-old man they knew to be on probation with a no-alcohol clause. After being questioned, the man consented to a preliminary breath test which registered a blood alcohol level of .17. He was arrested and booked into county jail for violating the terms of his probation.

Meanwhile, a juvenile girl and resident of the party house told officers that her father was present but was in a back bedroom.

The man was summoned and told police that, because he had been in the back part of the house, he was unaware that juveniles had brought alcohol inside. He was charged with violating the social host ordinance and the party was dispersed.

Monday, May 9:

3:32 p.m. - Cash gone. A resident in the 18000 block of River Road returned home to find someone had entered the house through a back door and taken an undisclosed amount of cash from a closet.

6:34 p.m. - Jewelry gone. A resident in the 200 block of Theodor Lane reported that someone entered through a back door, ransacked the residence and stole some personal jewelry and watches. No value was placed on the loss.

10:52 p.m. - Lesson: Don't run stop sign on suspended license. A 26-year-old Sonoma man rolled through a stop sign at Andrieux Street and Fifth Street West, catching the attention of a patrolling police officer. The officer followed, made a traffic stop at Fifth Street West and Leveroni Road, and cited the driver for operating his vehicle with a license suspended in a prior DUI conviction, for violating his probation and for running a stop sign.

Tuesday, May 10:

2:39 p.m. - Money matters. Police were called to the 18400 block of 4th Avenue in Boyes Hot Springs to investigate the report of a physical altercation between a man and his girlfriend. The incident occurred at the boyfriend's house, where he allegedly hit, kicked and pulled the hair of the girlfriend during an argument over money. The woman had no visible injuries, but the man was charged with misdemeanor assault and was booked into the county jail.

Thursday, May 12:

1:57 a.m. - BAC of .20 equals DUI. A patrolling police officer witnessed a 1996 blue Ford Explorer weaving excessively for about 300 feet on Highway 12 near Encinas Lane, and pulled over the 21-year-old driver. A field sobriety test did not go well and the motorist subsequently blew a .20 BAC on a preliminary breath test.

He was charged with DUI and cited out to his aunt.