Sheriff: Dropped car keys link Rohnert Park man to Santa Rosa robbery

A 20-year-old Rohnert Park man was arrested Monday on suspicion of using a replica handgun to rob a jewelry and sport store in Santa Rosa’s Roseland neighborhood for the second time in two weeks.

Cristian Heredia was taken into custody a few blocks from Joyeria Torres Soccer Sport in the 700 block of Sebastopol Road, Sonoma County Sheriff’s Lt. Steve Brown said in a written statement. Heredia was identified by someone from the store and by surveillance video, Brown said.

The robbery Monday took place shortly before 1:45 p.m. Deputies went to the store and were told that the robber was the same person who had robbed the store on Feb. 23. He appeared to be armed with a handgun and had dropped a set of car keys in the store before fleeing onto nearby West Avenue.

Based on the description of the robber, deputies soon located Heredia walking along Sunset Avenue. Afterward, a store representative alleged that the necklace that Heredia was wearing had been stolen in the earlier robbery.

“Deputies searched the path which the suspect fled and located items taken from the robbery and an airsoft semi-auto replica pistol with the orange tip painted black,” Brown said. Deputies also found a vehicle that fit the keys that had been dropped at the store, he said

Heredia was arrested on suspicion of robbery, possession of stolen property and a probation violation.

Robert Digitale