Men in high-speed chase elude massive Lakeville search

Two men who ran from their crashed Mercedes off Lakeville Highway following a lengthy high-speed chase down Highway 101 remained at large Wednesday, according to law enforcement officials.

An extensive search for the men throughout the rural Lakeville area lasted more than three hours Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.

The search involved two police dogs, a CHP helicopter and well over a dozen law enforcement officers from multiple agencies. Several searchers used heat-sensing equipment as they combed marshes and fields to try to find the men in the dark, Sonoma County Sheriff’s Sgt. Cecile Focha said Wednesday.

Nearby residents, several of whom came out to see what the large police presence was about, were told to return home and lock their doors, Lakeville Fire Chief Nick Silva said.

The abandoned black 2003 Mercedes has been towed to be processed for evidence.

It was left near Lakeville Road No. 2, apparently after it had hit a dirt embankment, according to a CHP report.

There was no sign of the two men who had led a Santa Rosa police officer on a seven-minute chase from northern Santa Rosa into Petaluma at speeds up to 120 mph.

The Highway 101 chase began at 9:13 p.m. at Airport Boulevard. A Santa Rosa officer spotted the Mercedes traveling at about 110 mph without headlights, Santa Rosa Police Sgt. Lisa Banayat said. The officer started a pursuit, reporting to dispatchers that the Mercedes was increasing its speed.

Novato resident Tom Ray said he was driving south near Corby Avenue when the Mercedes came up behind him, moving fast.

“Without its lights on. I could see the silhouette of the car in my rearview mirror but the lights were off. Obviously this person was really frantic to not get caught,” Ray said.

The Mercedes driver passed Ray on the narrow shoulder. “It really rattled me,” he said.

Law enforcement officers with lights and sirens activated soon began passing him as well, Ray said, estimating that two dozen or so CHP, sheriff’s deputy and police cars eventually swept by at high speeds.

Heading into Rohnert Park, the Santa Rosa officer leading the pursuit reported the Mercedes was traveling at up to 120 mph. The officer indicated he was struggling to keep the vehicle in sight due to its speed.

Approaching Petaluma, the Santa Rosa officer stopped his pursuit when it became unclear whether the driver had exited the highway. Petaluma police were alerted and trailing law enforcement officers continued heading south.

A sheriff’s deputy spotted the car at 9:28 p.m. in southern Petaluma. The deputy reported the car was going more than 100 mph, apparently headed for Lakeville Highway.

A short while later the Mercedes was found along the rural highway with a flat tire.

Searchers learned from a resident that a man believed to be from the Mercedes had stopped to ask for directions to the highway and then fled on foot.

Police dogs from Santa Rosa and Petaluma were brought in to track the men. The helicopter crew flew for some time, then had to leave to refuel and returned to rejoin the search. The operation was called off about 1:20 a.m., although a few deputies remained in the area.

Chief Silva said volunteer firefighters also participated, in case medical aid was required and to help transport searchers throughout the rural area. The search headquarters was set up at Papa’s Taverna restaurant, along the Petaluma River.

The river was too low to make it a likely escape route. Searchers knocked on doors, checked fields, boats, barns, levees and livestock culverts that cross underneath the highway.

“It was a quite a police presence,” said Silva, a volunteer chief and CHP officer. “It’s amazing how quick they (the two suspects) just disappeared.”

The car was registered to an owner in the Oakland area and an officer was sent to the address as part of the investigation.