Cops find ‘borrowed’ car at Graton Casino

A Sonoma woman who lent her vehicle to a friend to run to McDonald’s on Jan. 28, got concerned when the woman didn’t return and wouldn’t answer her phone. She attempted to call the woman numerous times that day and the next. Finally, on Jan. 29, she reported her car as stolen. At 2:30 a.m. on Jan. 30, deputies found the missing car at the Graton Casino in Rohnert Park. They also located the woman who borrowed it and arrested Amber Aris-Garfias, 24, of Santa Rosa, on charges of felony vehicle theft, felony possession of a stolen vehicle and an outside warrant. This time, she received a chauffeured ride – to the county jail.

In other incidents reported to Valley law enforcement recently: Tuesday, Jan. 27:

5:12 p.m. – Restraining order. Deputies were sent to an incident in the 300 block of Boyes Boulevard where, during an argument, a man pushed his mother down. The woman didn’t want her son arrested, but did want a protective order. A translator told the deputies that she (the translator) and the man were a couple and a few of weeks ago he had punched her with a closed fist. The woman said she didn’t report it at the time because she was scared and the man was the sole support of their family. During a search of the suspect, deputies found a fake Social Security card on the man. The 20-year-old man was arrested on charges of domestic violence assault and having false citizenship papers and transported to jail. The deputies also got a restraining order against the man.

Thursday, Jan. 29:

4:14 p.m. – Mom has son arrested. A woman residing in the 900 block of East Napa Street wanted to swear out a citizen’s arrest against her son. The 72-year-old woman told deputies that her 54-year-old son had a history of hitting her and throwing things at her and that she asked him to leave the property. The man became agitated, yelled at the woman and threw something at her. The son denied everything. The woman signed a citizen’s arrest alleging elderly cruelty, and the man went to jail.

Friday, Jan. 30:

6:51 p.m. – Obscene phone calls. A deputy from the Valley substation was sent to a residence in the 100 block of East Thomson for a report of annoying and obscene phone calls. The victim told deputies that his ex-girlfriend had been calling and texting constantly over the last three years. The deputy contacted the ex-girlfriend who told him the victim owed her $10,000 and she wasn’t going to stop the calls and told the deputy he’d have to arrest her. The deputy went to the suspect’s residence, but she originally refused to step outside. She finally did step outside and the deputy arrested the 55-year-old woman on charges of making annoying, obscene or threatening phone calls and took her to the county jail.

Sunday, Feb. 1:

12:37 a.m. – Alcohol-fueled fight. A 28-year-old Glen Ellen man landed in jail on charges of public intoxication after an incident in front of the Town Square Bar on First Street East. The suspect reportedly punched another male knocking him to the ground, but by the time Sonoma police sorted things out, the victim had disappeared so the suspect went to jail for public intoxication.

1:30 a.m. – Alcohol-fueled threat. An intoxicated male at Steiner’s caught the eye of Sonoma police when they saw the man being escorted from the bar and appear to challenge the bouncers. The man, who apparently had urinated on himself, was uncooperative and became aggressive with the officers. He claimed he was a boxer in Mexico and then made a fist. He also threatened to take the officer’s gun and shoot him. While the deputy tried to handcuff the unruly man, he tried to twist away from the officer who then took him to the ground where it took four people to subdue him. After being cuffed, the man continued to resist, so he was placed in maximum restraints for his chauffeured trip to jail. Pavel C. Fontes, 29, who refused to give an address even while being booked, was charged with felony obstruction.

4:16 p.m. – Finding meth. Deputies were sent to a residence in the 18000 block of Jami Lee Lane for a report of an intoxicated subject in front of the house. When deputies arrived, they didn’t find anyone out front, but they heard voices from the garage. They knocked on the front door and as a subject approached the door, the deputies watched him take something from his pocket and throw it away. The man denied throwing anything away, but he was on searchable probation. He told deputies that he lived in the garage, so the deputies searched the garage and found what appeared to be methamphetamine. He denied it was his, but he admitted that he had done a line and smoked some grass. The 31-year-old man was charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of paraphernalia and a probation violation. A second man, a 21-year-old Santa Rosa man, was charged with being under the influence of a controlled substance. Both men were transported to the county jail.

Monday, Feb. 2:

12:20 p.m. – Jagermeister at school? A 17-year-old Sonoma Valley High student was cited for consumption of alcohol by a minor after he was found to be in possession of a clear plastic bottle containing Jagermeister. The teen registered a .068 and a .065 on a breath test.

2:08 p.m. – Third stolen truck. A Ford F350 truck was stolen from the 1200 block of Broadway. It was the third Ford F350 stolen in the city in the last month.

Tuesday, Feb. 3:

9:39 a.m. – Punch lands teen at juvie. A 15-year-old student at Hanna Boys Center was transported to juvenile hall on charges of battery after he reportedly punched another student in the back of the head and threatened to get his gang and beat the victim up.

Wednesday, Feb. 4:

7:56 a.m. – Staring into space. Deputies were sent to a residence in the 800 block of Indian Lane for a report of an individual sitting on the front porch staring blankly into space. The deputies found two empty bottle of vodka – one 375ml, the other 750ml. The woman told the deputies she drank the vodka and some rubbing alcohol, but she was having a problem answering questions. The deputies also found two yellow pills. The 52-year-old woman was arrested on charges of possession of prescription medication and public intoxication and transported to jail.

1:34 p.m. – Identity theft. A resident in the 500 block of Brockman Lane reported that someone used her name to obtain credit. Earlier that day, she received a collection call from Comcast saying she owed $756.48 from an address in Oakland from November and $756.48 for another address in Oakland from September.

3:41 p.m. – Wrong address. A resident in the 600 block of Campagna Lane in Kenwood reported numerous instances of trespassing and vandalism on her 33-acre parcel. She lives in a small cottage on the property but is in the process of building a home and a horse stable. She also happens to live next door to a 186-acre parcel that was formerly the Graywood Ranch and was recently sold to a Chinese development group. The woman said in numerous instances, people who came on to the land, yelled at her for “building a spa.” The woman said the construction crew had also been accosted on more than one occasion. She posted a “No Trespassing” sign one day, and by the next day it had been knocked down and vandalized. She said when a local daily newspaper ran a story about the development on the adjoining site, it used a picture of her front gate to illustrate it.

4:40 p.m. – Child endangerment. Sonoma police responded to a call of a shoplifter at Sonoma Market. A Sonoma woman had been apprehended for trying to steal meat and barbecue sauce. The woman told officers she was with her 2-year-old child and started drinking when she got to the parking lot. A search of her vehicle led to an empty 50ml bottle of vodka along with a 20-ounce diet soft drink bottle that contained a clear liquid. The woman blew a .30 and a .30 on successive breath tests. Since she apparently drove intoxicated to the store with her child in the car, Alisha M. Risedorf, 35, of Sonoma, was charged with felony child endangerment, public intoxication, petty theft and the police recommended that the district attorney also charge her with driving under the influence.

Friday, Feb. 6:

7:03 p.m. – Thief steals running car. A man who left the engine running and his Nissan 350Z unlocked while he got a haircut at a shop in Maxwell Village, came out to find his car missing. The man told Sonoma police that he left it running because he was having a hard time starting it. On Tuesday, Feb. 10, Napa police apprehended a local transient after the man led them on a chase while driving a stolen car. While going through the man’s possessions, the Napa police found a key ring for a Nissan 350Z along with a bill of sale for the car from CarFax. The transient, 30-year-old James Cull of Napa, told police, “I’m just the driver, dude.” He claimed he didn’t know where the stolen vehicle was, but hinted it wasn’t far from where it was stolen. Sonoma police found the purloined Nissan on Penny Lane.

Sunday, Feb. 8:

7:22 a.m. – Spitting in wife’s face? Sonoma police were called to the Best Western in the 500 block of Second Street West for a report of two men fighting. When the officers arrived, they found it was a male and female who had been fighting. The couple, from San Clemente, have been married for 37 years. The 61-year-old husband said he never touched his wife, but admitted spitting in her face – twice. The husband was arrested and charged with domestic violence battery.

Monday, Feb. 9:

1 a.m. – I don’t know where the Xanax came from. While on patrol on Verano Avenue, a Sonoma police unit saw a white Cadillac with no front license plate, and four people inside. When he approached the car, the policeman spotted a bottle of beer and an 18-pack of the same beer on the floor of the Caddy. He started asking people to exit the car and saw the front passenger reach between his legs, where he spotted another 12-pack of the same beer and smelled the unmistaken odor of marijuana. One of the passengers was on probation with a no-alcohol clause along with a no-gang clause. The officer also found the marijuana. The 18-year-old driver, a female, didn’t have a driver’s license, only a permit. During a search of the car, the officer found more marijuana in the glove box along with 97 Xanax pills. The driver told the officer she had no idea where the marijuana nor the Xanax came from. She was cited for being a minor in possession of alcohol. The passenger in the front seat also denied the Xanax were his. But Ramon A. Manzo, 22, of Sonoma, was charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana and four probation violations. Manzo was transported to county jail and the car was towed.

10:16 a.m. – Fishing for funds. The Bank of the West at 201 W. Napa St., reported that some time overnight, an unknown person tried to fish night deposits using a string and sticky paper. They apparently didn’t succeed.

To contact Sonoma Police – 996-3602

To contact the

Sonoma Valley Substation – 996-9495