Man Leads Cops On Chase Down 101; Meth Found In Car: Police

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — A Petaluma man is accused of leading Santa Rosa police on a 13-mile pursuit early Thursday morning while in possession of methamphetamine, according to Santa Rosa police.

The chase started around 1:30 a.m. at Hearn Avenue and U.S. Highway 101 in Santa Rosa when an officer initiated a traffic stop but the driver, later identified as 34-year-old Petaluma resident Rudolfo Cortez-Maldonado, instead got onto U.S. Highway 101 and drove southbound, police said.

The pursuit continued down US 101 until Cortez-Maldonado exited onto Petaluma Boulevard North. Cortez-Maldonado briefly drove eastbound but turned around and headed west toward the freeway onramp to US 101, Santa Rosa police Sgt. Rick Boehm said.

By this time, a second Santa Rosa officer was in position and ready to perform a Pursuit Intervention Technique —PIT —maneuver, which is designed to cause a car to spin out or stop.

Cortez-Maldonado quickly accelerated, however, and prevented the officer’s first PIT attempt, police said.

When the officer made a second attempt, Cortez-Maldonado pulled over and stopped. As the pursuit came to a close on the US 101 overpass at Petaluma Boulevard North, the two Santa Rosa officers and a Cotati police officer safely took Cortez-Maldonado into custody without further resistance, Boehm said.

Officers found Cortez-Maldonado to be on active probation.

“He violated his probation by failing to stop and cooperate with law enforcement,” Boehm said.

In a search of his car, officers "found unpackaged suspected methamphetamine scattered across the passenger front floorboard,” Boehm said.

Cortez-Maldonado was arrested and booked into Sonoma County jail on suspicion of felony evading, possession of a controlled substance and violation of probation.