Police beat: ‘Suspicious vehicles’ lead to arrests in Sonoma

Sonoma County Sheriff’s deputies made two “suspicious vehicle” stops in Agua Caliente on Friday, April 17. They paid off in four arrests and the recovery of a stolen vehicle.

At 2:13 p.m., a deputy on patrol on Mountain Avenue identified a brown Hyundai Elantra with temporary paper plates as a possible stolen vehicle and began to follow the car, while the Henry 1 helicopter maintained surveillance. According to the Sheriff’s report, the deputy ran the Vehicle Identification Number, or VIN, for a records check, which turned up a report that the car had been stolen from a business on West Napa Street.

The car was stopped and deputies found that both its driver, Miguel Carranza, 41, and passenger, Carmen Emis, 20, were identified as being on probation for prior convictions. Carranza was in possession of a shaved key, commonly used to steal cars. He was also found to have a suspected controlled substance - methamphetamine - on his person. Carranza was arrested for possession of a stolen vehicle, vehicle theft, possession of burglary tools, possession of a controlled substance and violation of probation. He is currently a Santa Rosa resident, native of the Los Angeles area with multiple previous convictions.

Emis, of Sonoma, was arrested for possession of a stolen vehicle and violation of probation, stemming from a felony conviction for corporal injury, vandalism, with two open cases.

Several hours later, at 5:46 p.m., a deputy was dispatched to the area near the Sonoma Charter School to investigate a suspicious brown Chevy Malibu. The deputy contacted two people in the car and determined the male was subject to search under terms of probation. During the search, a usable amount of methamphetamine was located in his pocket, and he was booked into county jail for violation of his probation and possession of a controlled substance.

The female was charged with possession of a controlled substance and issued a citation. All charges are misdemeanors.