City of Santa Rosa, CA, CivicReady Public Safety Alerts & Notifications
SRPD News Release:
- 54 traffic stops conducted
- 10 citations issued
- 1 vehicle towed
- 7 arrests for warrants and DUI
- 1 vehicle pursuit and related arrest
- 1 stolen vehicle recovery
- Be a driver in a sideshow, street race, or reckless driving exhibition
- Be a passenger in a vehicle involved in a sideshow, street race, or reckless driving exhibition
- Be a spectator at a sideshow, street race, or reckless driving exhibition
- Be a spectator where preparations are being made for a sideshow, street race, or reckless driving exhibition
More than 200 cars attempt sideshows, multiple arrests made
On Saturday, 12/17/22, the Santa Rosa Police Department received information that numerous vehicles were enroute to our city with the intention of conducting illegal sideshows. Additionally, we were aware of a sanctioned “drifting” event in Sonoma County which drew hundreds of vehicles and over 4000 people to the area. SRPD quickly assembled a sideshow response team and notified our allied law enforcement agencies. At 10:45 p.m., our Communications Center received information from area residents that approximately 200 cars were gathering in the area of Petaluma Hill Road and Colgan Avenue. SRPD officers, with the assistance of numerous Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office deputies and California Highway Patrol officers, began conducting numerous traffic enforcement stops. Because of the rapid law enforcement response, the group was unable to take over the intersection and scrambled to find another location.
Our sideshow response team and mutual aid officers were able to meet the sideshow cars as they attempted to takeover Central Avenue. They were once again unable to establish a sideshow, and additional traffic enforcement stops were conducted.
The remaining cars dispersed and left Santa Rosa, headed to Rohnert Park. Officers with the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety were able to disperse a sideshow that occurred in their city, which left the participants clambering to find yet another location for their sideshow. They once again came to Santa Rosa, trying to take over the intersection of Sebastopol Road and Lombardi Lane. Our officers and mutual aid assistance from CHP and SCSO, were able to prevent the group from establishing a sideshow through additional traffic enforcement stops and sideshow dispersal techniques.
With their numbers rapidly declining, the would-be sideshow participants left Santa Rosa heading south on Highway 101 before leaving the North Bay via the Richmond Bridge.
Of the many arrests made on Saturday night, the most significant occurred shortly after the sideshow group first gathered in Santa Rosa at approximately 10:50 p.m. An officer with SRPD attempted an enforcement stop on a white Dodge Charger involved in the sideshow activity in the area of Petaluma Hill Road and Cogan Avenue. The vehicle fled and the officer initiated a vehicle pursuit. The driver of the vehicle, 20-year-old Pittsburg resident Dominick Desouza, led officers on a pursuit throughout south Santa Rosa before eventually heading south on Highway 101. At speeds in excess of 100-mph, the pursuit continued through several towns in south Sonoma County before entering Marin County in Novato. CHP officers utilized a spike strip to disable the vehicle. The four occupants of the car, including Desouza, fled the vehicle on foot. The three passengers, two of which are juveniles, were quickly caught and detained by officers from several different agencies. Desouza was eventually located by alert Novato Police Department officers. During the investigation, it was learned the Dodge Charger was reported stolen out of Vallejo and had been equipped with license plates belonging to a Volkswagen in Antioch. Desouza was arrested by SRPD and booked into Sonoma County Main Adult Detention Facility for the following charges:
496d PC: Felony possession of a stolen vehicle
2800.2(a) VC: Felony evading
273a(a) PC: Two counts of felony child endangerment
Overall, the Santa Rosa Police Department with the assistance of mutual aid agencies took the following enforcement action related to illegal sideshow activity:
Chief Cregan has heard feedback from the community who want more enforcement related to illegal sideshows. Chief Cregan has directed patrol and investigative resources to take a proactive approach to sideshow enforcement. SRPD will not allow illegal and dangerous sideshows to occur in Santa Rosa.
The Santa Rosa City Council recently approved a City Ordinance aimed at reducing the amount of sideshow activity in the city. The new city ordinances make it illegal to: