Helicopter Crew Helps Catch Trespasser In Petaluma, Police Say

PETALUMA, CA — A man was caught trespassing at a new subdivision under construction in Petaluma and was taken into custody with the help of the Henry-1 helicopter crew from the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office.

Around 8:15 p.m. Wednesday, officers assigned to the Petaluma Police Department Community Impact Response Team —CIRT — responded to a video burglary alarm in the 500 block of Madison Street.

The subdivision, adjacent to the Clover Sonoma Dairy Bottling Plant is surrounded by a fence with a locked gate.

Officers responded and saw Hernandez-Valadez inside a garage of one of the new homes within the fenced area, Petaluma police Sgt. Jake Gutierrez said.

When Hernandez-Valadez saw the officers, he ran off and ignored their commands to stop, Gutierrez said, so the officers initiated a foot pursuit that led them through the complex, over a fence and onto the Lynch Creek Trail path.

Because of the nighttime darkness, they lost sight of him as he entered the path.

Officers set up a large perimeter of the area and requested the assistance of Henry-1. It did not take long before the helicopter crew found Hernandez-Valadez still within the perimeter but hiding along the creek path behind a flood wall barrier, Gutierrez said.

The Henry-1 crew guided officers to Hernandez-Valadez’s location, where he was taken into custody without further incident, the sergeant said.

Hernandez-Valadez was booked into the Sonoma County jail on suspicion of criminal trespassing and resisting arrest. He was no longer in custody Friday, according to jail records.

The Petaluma Police Department thanked the Henry-1 crew for its willingness to always help.

"The helicopter Henry-1 has proven to be an invaluable asset for law enforcement and has undoubtedly kept our community and officers safer," Gutierrez said. "This incident is an excellent example of the coordination and collaboration between Sonoma County Law Enforcement agencies which occurs daily in our communities."