Four Youths Arrested in Car Theft: Police Gun Recovered
Found on 07-8-03
By Michael Coit
The Press Democrat


Four Sonoma County youths have been arrested in connection with the 
theft of five cars. One youth told authorities that he stole a 
loaded handgun from an unmarked Rohnert Park police car.

The gun, a .40-caliber Glock semiautomatic, was recovered. Five 
rounds had been fired, police said.

Rohnert Park police and the Sonoma County Auto Theft Task Force, aided 
by Petaluma police, tracked down the youths.

Those arrested are a pair of brothers, ages 14 and 15, from Petaluma, 
a 15-year-old Petaluma male, and a 16-year-old Penngrove male.

Police also arrested a 14-year-old Rohnert Park girl whose boyfriend
was one of the four auto theft suspects. She had been reported as 
a runaway and was arrested on suspicion of unrelated vandalism.

Their names were withheld by police because they are juveniles.

The brothers were arrested Sunday after the younger brother crashed
a stolen pickup while being pursued by Petaluma police.

Later, a stolen car was seen in front of a Petaluma home where police 
had searched for the brothers. The second 15-year-old Petaluma youth
was arrested Monday after he drove the car over tire spikes police used
to disable the car.

The fourth male juvenile was arrested later Monday at his Penngrove 
home. He admitted breaking into the unmarked police car and prying
open a gun safe to steal the loaded handgun.

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