Suspected thief nabbed after returning for car key in Santa Rosa

A suspected thief may have pressed his luck one time too many, according to an account of his crimes by Santa Rosa police.

Alexander Paul Arrabit, 23, is set to appear in court today on six charges involving theft, burglary and drugs following an odd mini-crime spree last week.

Police said they were called at 3:30 a.m. Thursday by a woman who said she awoke to find two men in her home, off Parker Hill Road near Chanate Road.

The men fled when she screamed, but officers discovered a Lexus key that had been dropped inside the home by one of the suspects, Sgt. Phil Brazis said.

The woman’s purse and the Toyota 4Runner that had been in her garage were gone.

Less than four hours later, Brazis said, the woman called police again because a man was “yelling towards the victim’s home that he had found her purse and that he had lost his key inside her residence.”

Police arrested Arrabit near the home.

Officers again checked the neighborhood and found a Lexus that had been reported stolen the previous day from a Mendocino Avenue car wash. The key found in the victim’s home fit the stolen Lexus.

A few hours later, an officer spotted the victim’s vehicle parked at a nearby condominium complex. Inside were two high-end road bicycles that did not belong to her and are suspected of being stolen in an unrelated crime.

The bikes were described as a red Specialized S-Works with one Specialized riding shoe, and one yellow Giant OCR3.

Each bike appeared customized and very valuable, Brazis said.

Arrabit, who told police he is homeless, was booked into the Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of residential burglary, vehicle theft, possession of stolen property and possession of burglary tools.

Police were still seeking the second suspect, and anyone who may have had their bicycles stolen.

Detective Gavin Holzapfel, 543-4092, is handling the case.