Man Arrested On Suspicion Of Vehicle Theft; Passenger Taken In On Felony Warrant

SONOMA COUNTY, CA -- Several law enforcement agencies participated in the arrest of a Santa Rosa man on suspicion of vehicle theft and his passenger on a felony warrant on Tuesday.

The Sonoma County Auto Theft Task Force says a detective spotted a stolen vehicle on northbound U.S. Highway 101 south of Steele Lane around 9 a.m. on April 11, and that Santa Rosa Junior College District police then followed the vehicle when the driver exited the highway and drove east on Steele Lane.

Santa Rosa police responded when the vehicle turned into a cul-de-sac on Oakview Court in Santa Rosa, police say.

The driver, identified as Andrew Pasquale Chaffer Sr., 40, fled the vehicle during a high-risk traffic stop, but a passenger, Jennifer Marie Coulter, 40, of Rohnert Park, was arrested on a felony warrant, according to
Santa Rosa Junior College police.

Santa Rosa and Santa Rosa Junior College police, the California Highway Patrol, Sonoma County sheriff's deputies, the sheriff's office's helicopter and the Sonoma County Auto Theft Task Force searched backyards in the area but called off the search at 11:45 a.m.

Steele Lane Elementary School and the Lewis Adult Education Center were on lockdown during the search.

Santa Rosa police then received a call at 1:50 p.m. about a wet man without a shirt or shoes walking in the area of Slater Street and Carr Avenue in Santa Rosa.

Santa Rosa and Santa Rosa Junior College police and auto theft task force detectives responded and arrested Chaffer on suspicion of possession of a stolen vehicle, resisting arrest, vehicle theft and five misdemeanor no-bail warrants.

Bay City News contributed to this report/Image via Shutterstock