Sonoma County Dispute Over Dead Rabbit Leads To Arrest

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — A Penngrove man was arrested Monday after a dispute with a neighbor over a dead rabbit.

Deputies with the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office responded shortly before 6 p.m. to reports of a disturbance at Brand and Dutch lanes in Penngrove and detained William Hawley, 58.

Deputies investigated the disturbance and learned Hawley confronted a neighbor about a dispute over a dead rabbit, sheriff's Sgt. Juan Valencia said.

After an eyewitness told deputies Hawley had a gun tucked in his waistband, deputies determined that because of a prior felony conviction, he was prohibited from possessing a gun.

A revolver, a short-barrel shotgun and ammunition were found in Hawley's trailer, Valencia said.

Hawley was later booked into the Sonoma County Main Adult Detention Facility on suspicion of being a felon in possession of a firearm, a felon in possession of ammunition, and possession of a short barrel shotgun.

Hawley was later released from jail on $30,000 bail.