Vehicle smashes into Santa Rosa cannabis dispensary in robbery attempt; Suspects at large
SANTA ROSA -- Multiple law enforcement agencies joined forces on Monday to try to catch several suspects who had attempted to rob a cannabis dispensary in Santa Rosa, the Santa Rosa Police Department said.
All of the suspects are still outstanding.
SRPD was notified at 3:18 a.m. of a possible attempted burglary at a marijuana dispensary located in the 1800 block of Ferdinand Court. A vehicle had rammed the gates of the business and four vehicles with covered license plates then entered the parking lot.
According to police, an armed security guard at the site yelled at the suspects as they got out of their vehicles, but then the suspects got back into their vehicles and fled before police arrived.
The security guard provided a description of the vehicles and surrounding agencies were notified, SRPD said.
A witness reported seeing four vehicles with their license plates covered exit U.S. Route 101 at Bicentennial Way. A Santa Rosa officer patrolling another dispensary on Piner Road saw a group of vehicles matching the description of the suspects' cars, noting that their license plates were covered as well.
SRPD attempted to make a stop of the vehicles, but they entered Highway 101 going south. Officers pursued the vehicles at speeds that reached approximately 100 mph, according to police.
During the chase, one vehicle exited the freeway at Todd Road and police lost sight of it and ended the pursuit. The remaining three vehicles continued on the freeway until they reached the Cotati Grade, where police lost sight of the vehicles due to fog.
At this point, the Sonoma Sheriff's Office and the California Highway Patrol took over the pursuit and followed the vehicles into Petaluma. A Petaluma officer successfully deployed a spike strip that disabled one of the cars; two of the occupants of that vehicle fled into a nearby wooded area and were not located.
CHP were later called to a vehicle on eastbound Interstate Highway 580 that was blocking the freeway; SRPD officers learned that this vehicle was identified as one of the vehicles from the earlier pursuit and had run out of gas. Police believe that another vehicle picked up the occupants of that car.
The vehicles in question are described as a black mid-size SUV, two silver SUVs and a black Mercedes Benz sedan.
Anyone who may have information about this case is asked to contact the Santa Rosa Police Department at (707) 528-5222.