Arrest Made In Rohnert Park Shooting

ROHNERT PARK, CA — A Petaluma man was being held on $1 million bail Friday following his arrest on suspicion of trying to kill someone in Rohnert Park, police said.

He is suspected in a shooting that happened at 6:45 p.m. Sunday in the 7500 block of Burton Avenue in Rohnert Park but was not reported to police until the following morning at 11 a.m., the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety said.

An investigation revealed the suspect, later identified as 30-year-old Petaluma resident Richard Brandon Meza, followed the victim to the 7500 block of Burton Avenue, where they each stayed in their cars and engaged in a verbal confrontation, police said. It is alleged that during that argument, Meza pointed a handgun at the victim and fired one gunshot that struck the driver's side door of the victim's car.

Meza then drove off in an unknown direction, the victim told police.

The victim was not hurt and no other injuries were reported in connection with the shooting, police said.

On Wednesday with the help of the Petaluma Police Department, Rohnert Park DPS detectives located Meza, his car and a handgun in the 300 block of Eastwood Drive in Petaluma, police said.

Meza was taken into custody without incident on suspicion of one felony count of attempted homicide, one felony count of criminal threats, one felony count of felon in possession of a firearm, and one felony count of felon in possession of ammunition.

Meza was booked into the main Sonoma County jail Wednesday and remained in custody early Friday.

Police did not say what led to the shooting or whether there was a possible motive.

The investigation was continuing; Rohnert Park DPS asked anyone with information regarding the case to contact Detective Ramirez at 707-588-3597 and refer to Case Number 23-2274.