City of Santa Rosa, CA, CivicReady Public Safety Alerts & Notifications

SRPD News Release: Ongoing Criminal Investigation Leads to 7 Arrests of Sideshow Organizers & Promoters

1/24/2023 - 5:13 PM

Ongoing Criminal Investigation Leads to 7 Arrests of Sideshow Organizers & Promoters

Since July 2022, detectives from the Santa Rosa Police Department’s Property Crime Team have been investigating individuals who organize and promote coming to Santa Rosa for illegal and dangerous sideshows. These individuals are responsible for tens of thousands of dollars in damage to our roadways and violence during these unlawful and unsanctioned sideshows. Their direct actions to promote and encourage people to commit crimes in Santa Rosa make them responsible for the damages that have occurred.

Today, January 24, 2023, detectives, patrol officers, and traffic officers served 14 arrest warrants at 14 different locations. The services of the arrest warrants were in Santa Rosa, Petaluma, and Rohnert Park. By 3:00 PM, seven people had been arrested for warrants associated with the ongoing investigation, and one additional person was arrested for possession of a firearm. During the service of the search warrants, 11 firearms were seized, and thousands of rounds of ammunition.

SUSPECTS ARRESTED TODAY
  • Richard Murillo Robles, a 24-year-old Rohnert Park resident. He was arrested during a traffic stop prior to the warrant arrest. The warrant service at his residence in the 4500 block of Hillview Court at 10:00 am. He was charged with the following:
    • 594(b)(1) PC – (Felony) Vandalism
    • 182(a)(1) PC – (Felony) Conspiracy to Commit a Crime
    • 5650(a) FG – (Felony) Waterway Pollution
    • 30605 PC – (Felony) Possession of an Assault Rifle
    • 12700(b)(1) HS – (Misdemeanor) Possession of Illegal Fireworks
 
  • Jorge Luis Calderon-Caballero, a 19-year-old Santa Rosa resident. He was arrested during a warrant service at his residence in the 1400 block of Dutton Avenue at 9:45 am. He was charged with the following:
    • 594(b)(1) PC – (Felony) Vandalism
    • 182(a)(1) PC – (Felony) Conspiracy to Commit a Crime
    • 5650(a) FG – (Felony) Waterway Pollution
 
  • Joel Vasquez Cortez, a 18-year-old Rohnert Park resident. He was arrested during a warrant service at his residence in the 10 block of Regents Circle at 7:30 am. He was charged with the following:
    • 594(b)(1) PC – (Felony) Vandalism
    • 182(a)(1) PC – (Felony) Conspiracy to Commit a Crime
    • 5650(a) FG – (Felony) Waterway Pollution
    • Outstanding misdemeanor arrest warrant – not related to this investigation
 
  • Jesus Calderon Avalos, a 32-year-old Santa Rosa resident. He was arrested during a warrant service at his residence in the 600 block of Spence Avenue at 7:20 am. He was charged with the following:
    • 594(b)(1) PC – (Felony) Vandalism
    • 182(a)(1) PC – (Felony) Conspiracy to Commit a Crime
    • 5650(a) FG – (Felony) Waterway Pollution
 
  • Neri Alberto Orea-Vasquez, a 19-year-old Rohnert Park resident. He was arrested during a warrant service at his residence in the 300 block of Burton Avenue at 8:35 am. He was charged with the following:
    • 594(b)(1) PC – (Felony) Vandalism
    • 182(a)(1) PC – (Felony) Conspiracy to Commit a Crime
    • 5650(a) FG – (Felony) Waterway Pollution
 
  • Manuel Andres Garfia, 20-year-old, Rohnert Park resident. He was arrested after a warrant service, but at his place of employment in the 5100 block of Commerce Blvd, in Rohnert Park, at 1:00 pm. He was charged with the following:
    • 594(b)(1) PC – (Felony) Vandalism
    • 182(a)(1) PC – (Felony) Conspiracy to Commit a Crime
    • 5650(a) FG – (Felony) Waterway Pollution
    • 12700(b)(1) HS – (Misdemeanor) Possession of Illegal Fireworks
  • A 17-year-old male from Santa Rosa. He was arrested after turning himself into the SRPD, but after a warrant service at his residence in the 3600 block of Llano Road at 10:20 am. He was charged with the following:
    • 594(b)(1) PC – (Felony) Vandalism
    • 182(a)(1) PC – (Felony) Conspiracy to Commit a Crime
    • 5650(a) FG – (Felony) Waterway Pollution
  • Bianey Valdivia-Hernandez, 24-year-old, Santa Rosa resident. She was arrested during the service of a search warrant service in the 100 block of Butterfly Lane at 8:15 am. She was living with someone associated with sideshows. She was located with an unsecured firearm that children had access to. She was charged with the following:
    • 273(b) PC – Child Endangerment

SUSPECTS OUTSTANDING
  • George Michael Patino Flores, 20-year-old from Santa Rosa
  • Alexys Aguirre-Serrano, a 22-year-old from Santa Rosa
  • Emiliano Bautista Rodriguez, a 21-year-old from Santa Rosa
  • Daniel Felix Nunez Serna, a 26-year-old from Santa Rosa
  • Roberto Carrillo, a 21-year-old from Petaluma
  • Rodrigo Lopez-Tapia, a 23-year-old from Santa Rosa
  • Jersain Lezama Meza, a 23-year-old from Santa Rosa

Anyone with information about their whereabouts is encouraged to call the Santa Rosa Police Department.

ABOUT SIDESHOW ENFORCEMENT IN SANTA ROSA
One of Chief Cregan’s key priorities is violence reduction and maintaining public safety. Due to violent incidents that have occurred during illegal sideshows (shootings, stabbings, threats of violence, and assault on community members), the Santa Rosa Police Department regularly increases patrol resources when sideshows are expected, conducts zero-tolerance enforcement, coordinates with local law enforcement agencies, and educates the community on the dangers of participating in an illegal sideshow.

In 2022, Chief Cregan and community stakeholders worked with the Santa Rosa City Council to establish and adopt a sideshow ordinance that allows officers to arrest or cite participants, vehicle passengers, spectators, and organizers. Throughout 2022, we saw a 62% increase in sideshows from 2021 and averages to weekends of sideshows each month. Sideshow participants takeover private parking lots and public streets, causing thousands of dollars in damage to private businesses and taxpayers. The average cost to repair a standard intersection impacted by sideshows is $5,000 but the costs increase depending on the size of the intersection.

During sideshows in Santa Rosa and Sonoma County, we have had promiscuous shootings, homicides, stabbings, and assaults. Sideshows are a danger to our community and strain police services for other significant calls for service. Additionally, other City projects are paused to address the damaged roads and environmental impacts caused by illegal sideshows.

Over the past two years, the Santa Rosa Police Department has partnered with other Santa Rosa City departments to engineer roadways and intersections that will deter and prevent sideshows from occurring. These engineering projects for illegal sideshows take away from preplanned road improvements in other areas and cost thousands of dollars. City teams have installed Bots Dots in more than 20 intersections, installed bumper blocks and delineators, and resurfaced more than a dozen intersections. Additionally, we have seen rubber and chunks of roadways go into storm drains, which lead to our creeks and waterways.

Illegal sideshows pose a significant threat to our community because of reckless driving and violence toward participants, community members, and first responders. They cause significant damage to roadways, sidewalks, and parking lots and threaten the safety of our creeks. Over the past two years, we have made numerous arrests, citations, and impounds associated with sideshow participation, but the Santa Rosa Police Department is also holding individuals who promote illegal and dangerous sideshows in Santa Rosa accountable.


Ongoing Efforts to Deter Sideshow Activity & Hold Violators Accountable

SIDESHOW ORDINANCE
Over the last few years, Santa Rosa has experienced an increase in illegal and reckless driving exhibitions on City streets. These contests, known as “sideshows” (involving activities such as drifting, burnouts, and donuts), are held throughout the city several times per month, usually in the late night or early morning hours. Hundreds of participants and spectators at these dangerous sideshows converge on various public streets and off-street parking lots in both commercial and residential neighborhoods.

The adoption of the sideshow ordinance allows police officers to arrest or cite sideshow participants, vehicle passengers, spectators, and organizers, providing an additional tool for law enforcement to respond to and dissuade this illegal and unsafe behavior. The Santa Rosa Police Department has a zero-tolerance approach to people who come to Santa Rosa to participate in illegal and dangerous sideshows. In addition to arrests and citations, a vehicle actively participating in illegal sideshow activities will be impounded for 30 days. It will cost the registered owner more than $3,000 to recover their vehicle after the impound period.

CIVIL LITIGATION
SRPD detectives are working with the Santa Rosa City Attorney’s Office to examine civil litigation options to recover the costs for roadway repairs and engineering and City staff time for addressing sideshows (including public safety and transit staff). Not only should promoters be criminally responsible for their actions, but their actions have caused more than $100,000 in costs and city employee time.

STREET ENGINEERING
The Santa Rosa Police Department’s Traffic Bureau is working with the Santa Rosa Department of Transportation and Public Works, allied law enforcement partners, and property owners to identify innovative strategies for deterring illegal sideshows. Speed bumps in private parking lots and Botts Dots/Bumper blocks on roadways are proving to be effective. With the assistance of Santa Rosa Transportation and Public Works approximately 20 intersections now have Bots Dots to deter sideshow activity. SRPD continues looking for new methods to maintain road safety and prevent illegal intersectional side shows.

ARRESTS & VEHICLE IMPOUNDS
Any vehicle identified from illegal sideshows is wanted, and warrants are being issued for the vehicles. The warrants are uploaded into a California vehicle database, and the vehicles are listed as “wanted.” If the vehicle is stopped in Santa Rosa or any other city, the vehicle will be immediately impounded for 30 days. SRPD officers, led by SRPD Traffic Bureau, have impounded more than 60 vehicles since 2021.

Each of the vehicles will be held for 30 days and the registered owner is required to pay tow fees, storage fees, and release fees.  The total cost is more than $3,000.  Vehicles cannot be registered with DMV until the “wanted” status is cleared. Participants also face arrest and fines. The SRPD Traffic Bureau continues to work with allied agencies throughout Northern California to identify vehicles and participants in illegal sideshows.

Additionally, officers continue to arrest and cite participants in illegal sideshows. Traffic Investigators work with the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office on criminal warrants and potential prosecutions.

COUNTYWIDE SIDESHOW ENFORCEMENT RESPONSE PLAN
Illegal sideshows are not localized to just Santa Rosa. They continue to be a dangerous problem in all cities in Sonoma County. SRPD worked with local law enforcement leaders and took the lead in drafting a Countywide Sideshow Enforcement Response Plan. The goal is to have a unified approach to addressing sideshows while supporting each jurisdiction with the necessary personnel and resources to effectively deter sideshows and hold participants, spectators, and promoters accountable.

Media inquiries may be directed to Sergeant Christopher Mahurin at (707) 975-0129 or cmahurin@srcity.org.


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