Petaluma police say shoplifter tried to run down store employee

Petaluma police are looking for witnesses in a case of a suspected shoplifter who allegedly nearly hit a store employee with a car.

The assault and shoplifting case occurred Tuesday afternoon at about 4:10 p.m. outside of Kohl’s department store on North McDowell Boulevard, police said in a release.

A store security employee told police they’d seen a woman leave the store carrying a Kohl’s bag holding merchandise, which apparently hadn’t been purchased. When the employee tried to contact the woman, she got into her car and began driving away.

The employee approached the car and the driver accelerated. Fearful, the employee jumped out of the way and the car sped by, missing them by a foot or so, police said.

The driver then fled the shopping center. Police said the car was a white 1994 Mercury Sable with a South Dakota license plate of 49U N64.

Officials asked anyone with knowledge of the incident or the suspect to contact Officer Ryan DeBaeke at 707 781 1244.