Maybe you saw that wild freeway car chase through Cotati and Petaluma on the news earlier this week? Here’s what happened on Monday afternoon, according to Santa Rosa police: Three twentysomethings from Oakland tried to steal around $6,000 worth of sportswear from a Dick’s Sporting Goods big-box store — the one on Cleveland Avenue in north Santa Rosa — by stuffing it into garbage bags. Then, when police got word of the heist from Dick’s employees, a sheriff’s helicopter spotted the suspects’ getaway car, apparently a white Kia minivan, barreling down the 101 South. (Which is where the dramatic car-chase footage came from.) And local cops started chasing in their cruisers, too. “The suspect vehicle drove in excess of 100 mph in all lanes including the shoulders eventually hitting another vehicle causing injury to the driver,” sheriff’s officials say. And here’s the report from the Santa Rosa Police Department: “All three of the suspects suffered minor injuries from the collision, but after medical clearance they were booked into the Sonoma County Jail for several charges. … Detectives from SRPD’s Property Crimes Investigations Team took over the theft investigation, and learned the crew were likely responsible for a series of similar thefts at several Bay Area Dick Sporting Goods Stores. The extent of those other thefts is still under investigation, but employees estimated total losses attributed to this theft crew to be over $75,000. During a search of the crashed suspect vehicle, detectives located over $5,800 in stolen merchandise, clothing the suspects wore during the Santa Rosa theft, and a loaded privately manufactured firearm concealed within the vehicle.” The suspects have since been named as Brandon Owens, 23; Roy Andrew Jr, 22; and Heaven Henry, 20. They’re all now facing potential jail time here in Sonoma County for organized retail theft, conspiracy, burglary and carrying a concealed and loaded firearm. Officers also claim that the young woman involved, Heaven, gave them a fake name and tried to “resist/obstruct” arrest. (Source: Sonoma Sheriff via Facebook & Santa Rosa Police via Facebook)
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