Robbery Suspect Shot At Santa Rosa Pot Grow House Dead After Police Standoff At Kaiser Hospital
SANTA ROSA (CBS SF) -- A home invasion robbery suspect is dead and another is injured following a standoff with police at a Kaiser hospital parking lot Monday morning.
The incident started as a robbery before 1 a.m. on the 400 block of Acacia Lane in Santa Rosa. The homeowner shot at least one of the robbers during the home invasion.
"Definitely surprised because it's a pretty good area," said neighbor Stacey Mathieu. "It's scary and I have a 2-year-old and 4-year-old."
The homeowner's wife and two little kids were in the same house where the dad exchanged gunshots with three thieves.
Police say the homeowner fired in self-defense and hit two of the robbers. None of the home's residents were injured, according to police who noticed signs marijuana was grown in the house.
"It appears that home was targeted because of the large quantities of marijuana being grown there," said Santa Rosa Police Sgt. John Cregan.
The homeowner called 911 and said the suspects fled in a vehicle, police said.
About one hour later, Sonoma County sheriff's deputies conducted a felony stop on a vehicle that matched the description in the shooting, according to police. The vehicle was pulling into the Kaiser Hospital parking lot in Santa Rosa, police said.
The suspects in the vehicle initially refused to comply with deputies and deputies fired tear gas into the car. Two men came out of the truck.
Deputies said they pulled a third man who was already dead from inside the truck, likely after he was being shot by the homeowner.
Mathieu said she can't believe the thieves hit so close to her home. Now she's worries about her two kids.
"It's pretty scary," she said. "People act like pot's not a big deal, but it kind of is, if this kind of stuff is happening over it."
The driver who flagged down the deputy was taken in for questioning. Deputies are trying to figure out his involvement and are leaving open the possibility that he's a good Samaritan who was offering a ride to a couple of suspects.
Two of the men in the home were arrested under suspicion of drug and weapon crimes. One of them could also face child endangerment charges because children lived in the house where the marijuana was grown.
