Felony Assault Suspect Captured After Lengthy Pursuit: Sonoma Sheriff's Deputies

SONOMA COUNTY, CA --

Deputies arrested a Rio Nido man for felony assault after a lengthy chase. It started at about 3:45 PM on Monday, May 15, 2017 when a victim came into the Sheriff’s River Substation reporting that he had been assaulted by a man he knew as “Shorty.” The 40-year-old Forestville man said he went to Rio Nido to visit Shorty and talk to him about a dog that was in Shorty’s possession. There was some discrepancy over the ownership of the dog. When the victim stepped out of his car to consult with Shorty near Canyon 2 at Willow Road, Shorty allegedly punched the victim several times in the face and the victim fled.

When he described “Shorty,” deputies believed they knew Shorty was actually a man named Jacob Haynes, a 31-year old drifter who spends time between Rio Nido and Corning, a city in Tehama County. The victim picked Haynes out of a photo lineup and deputies went to another man’s house in the 20200 block of River Blvd in Monte Rio. This third man was the alleged owner of the dog and deputies believed Haynes was headed there to confront the third man about the dog.

At about 4:20 pm, deputies say they arrived to the 58-year-old man’s house in Monte Rio and saw Haynes there. As soon as Haynes saw the deputies, he allegedly fled on foot. Deputies contacted the third man and he told them Haynes showed up there and pulled a claw hammer out of his waistband and swung it at him, hitting him in the left forearm, and that Haynes then lost his grip on the hammer and dropped it. Haynes then went and picked up a five gallon propane tank and allegedly threw it, hitting the man on his upper left arm. Haynes then allegedly jumped up and down on the trunk of this victim’s Ford Mustang before fleeing from the deputies.

Authorities say that after Haynes fled, he swam across the Russian River, climbed several hills and continued eastbound. Several area residents called the Sheriff’s Department stating Haynes was hiding on their property but he kept moving. Deputies used the Sheriff ’s helicopter and canines to assist in the search. This area was described as densely wooded and hilly.

At about 6:00 pm, a deputy hiking in the canyon found Haynes allegedly hiding in a small hollowed-out burrow in the area of Old Monte Rio Rd and Sunny Dr. in Monte Rio, about a half mile from the second victim’s home. Haynes was taken into custody without further incident, and was booked into the Sonoma County Jail on charges of assault with a deadly weapon, battery and resisting arrest. He has since been released on $30,000 bail.

Image via Sonoma County Sheriff's Office