Residents walk in on intruder in two Santa Rosa homes

Sonoma County sheriff’s deputies searched Thursday for a man suspected of breaking into two homes in southwest Santa Rosa.

A Moorland resident returning to his home on Gloria Drive found the man inside his house, Sgt. Cecile Focha said. Neighbors called 911, with some saying they saw the intruder jumping fences, running through backyards and adjacent fields.

The suspect is white, 45 to 50 years old, with tattoos and a goatee, Focha said. He was wearing black shorts, a white shirt and carried a backpack, Focha said. He had been seen earlier on a bike.

The man reportedly argued with a resident and pushed the person as he fled, the sergeant said.

Deputies surrounded the neighborhood and searched the area with the aid of a trained dog named Shadow, Focha said. Neighbors came to the aid of their neighbor and offered assistance to law enforcement, she said.

Deputies found no sign of the intruder, but undercover detectives remained in the area.

About an hour later, a resident on Valerie Way in the nearby Roseland neighborhood called 911 after confronting a man she found in her home who matched the description of the earlier burglary suspect, Focha said. The man ran out the back door, and deputies launched another search, calling in a CHP helicopter team and Santa Rosa police officers to help.

They did not find the man, who was last seen running through backyards off Dutton Avenue and Southwood Drive, Focha said.

Anyone with information about the case can call the sheriff’s investigations tip line at 565-2185.

You can reach Staff Writer Julie Johnson at 521-5220 or julie.johnson@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @jjpressdem.