Santa Rosa Man Arrested on Suspicion of Sexual Assault, Multiple Burglaries
SANTA ROSA (CBS SF) -- Police in Santa Rosa on Wednesday confirmed the recent arrest of a man suspected in multiple burglaries and a sexual assault during a break-in earlier this month.
The Santa Rosa Police Department Twitter account posted about the arrest Wednesday afternoon.
Early on the morning of February 1 at around 6:40 a.m., Santa Rosa police officers were called to the 1500 block of Sendero Lane regarding a residential burglary and sexual assault. According to police, the victim said an unknown male subject broke into her residence, went into her bedroom and touched her in a sexual manner.
Police said the adult female victim was able to fight off the suspect, causing him to flee from the residence. Based on the circumstance, detectives from the department's Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Unit took over the investigation. Field & Evidence Technicians processed the crime scene searching for any evidence that might help identify the suspect.
Investigating detectives determined there were three similar burglaries that happened between January 30 and February 2, though a sexual assault only occurred during the Feb. 1 incident. Detectives canvassed the area and worked with property managers and residents to try and locate any additional evidence.
Detectives uncovered similar burglaries over the past two weeks, with DVSA Detectives finding evidence that leads them to believe the same suspect is responsible for 12 or more residential burglaries on Sendero Lane between December 2021 and February 2022.
Detectives located another significant residential burglary in the 1700 block of Sendero Lane where the suspect broke into the residence and went into the resident's bedroom, in the early morning. The residents woke up and saw an unknown male in their bedroom. The suspect then grabbed personal belongings of the victims and ran from the residence.
On Tuesday at 6 p.m., detectives from all Santa Rosa Police Department Investigative Bureaus canvased on Sendero Lane and in the process identified a residence where they believed the suspect lived on the 1500 block of Sendero Lane. When detectives attempted to contact the male resident, he ran and jumped out of a second-story window. Detectives caught the suspect as he tried to flee his backyard and took him into custody.
Based on witness statements and additional evidence, detectives arrested the suspect, identified as 29-year-old Santa Rosa resident Ezequiel Gomez Francisco. After Gomez Francisco was arrested, detectives served a search warrant at his residence where additional evidence of the burglaries was found.
Ultimately, Gomez Francisco was booked into Sonoma County jail with a $1,000,000 bail on charges felony assault with the intent to sexually assault during a residential burglary along with four counts of felony residential burglary.
Detectives continue to investigate the cases attributed to Gomez Francisco and anticipate sending additional charges against him to the Sonoma County District Attorney's Office. Anyone who believes they have been a victim of a similar crime related to the Sendero Lane burglaries is asked to contact DVSA Detective Brian Fix at 707-543-3595. Anyone who has information that would assist with the case is encouraged to contact SRPD through our online Tip Line: www.srcity.org/CrimeTips.
