Ex-girlfriend links knife to Rohnert Park murder suspect

<p>The former girlfriend of a man accused of murdering a Rohnert Park guitar maker testified Tuesday that a knife, glove and jacket found at the scene likely belonged to her ex-beau.</p><p>Stephanie Gareis testified that defendant Joshua Begley, 29, whom she dated from October 2009 to about February, kept three knives in his Jeep Cherokee, including one near the center console and another in a pocket on the driver's side door.</p><p>She identified a knife handed to her by prosecutor Tashawn Sanders as one of those knives, describing its color and markings.</p><p>“That was one of the knives that was always (in the car),” she testified as Begley, dressed in a black sweater, listened from the defense table.</p><p>Gareis also identified a greenish jacket that prosecutors said was draped over Taku Sakashita, 43, who was found stabbed to death Feb. 12 outside his Martin Avenue workshop. She said the jacket and a single black glove with yellow markings found in the pocket resembled other items Begley kept in the Jeep.</p><p>Begley is accused of killing Sakashita during a robbery at his business late on Feb. 11. Begley has pleaded not guilty and his lawyer, Charles Ogulnik, said he can prove he was not at the crime scene.</p><p>Gareis' statements followed testimony from another prosecution witness who described a run-in with Begley involving a folding knife or tool about five years ago.</p><p>Rodolfo Alvarez, manager of an auto sales business at the county fairgrounds, said Begley confronted him over a car on Dec. 6, 2005, ultimately pulling the weapon from his pocket.</p><p>Alvarez identified Begley as the man who came in to buy a used Mitsubishi Eclipse but was denied because he didn't have proper identification. He returned a few hours later and tried to grab the keys, Alvarez said, but he fought him off. As they struggled on the ground, Begley pulled out what Alvarez thought was a knife and tried to open it. Another salesman kicked it away, Alvarez said.</p><p>Begley then took off running, he said. </p><p>Begley's lawyer tried to exclude the testimony from jurors but Judge Ken Gnoss allowed it because of similarities between it and the Sakashita slaying.</p>