Man suspected of breaking into Luther Burbank home, defecating on floor

Police Wednesday arrested a man they suspect broke into the historic Luther Burbank Home and Gardens building on Santa Rosa Avenue and defecated on the floor.

The man was booked into the Sonoma County Jail as a “John Doe” because they were not able to determine his identity and the man did not offer up the information, Sgt. Jonathan Wolf said.

Alerted by an alarm, officers spotted a broken window at the landmark building on the corner of Santa Rosa and Sonoma avenues at about 2:15 a.m., Wolf said. An officer with a police dog ordered whomever was inside to exit, but received no reply.

As the dog, a Belgian Malinois named Hoss, entered the building the officer saw a man “standing with his hands tucked up against his chest and holding a black object,” Wolf said. When the man didn’t respond to the officer’s repeated orders to get onto the ground, the officer deployed the dog, which bit the man’s arm and leg, causing him to fall to the ground, Wolf said.

The man was taken into custody, arrested on suspicion of felony vandalism, resisting arrest and trespassing. His bite wounds were treated at a local hospital before he was brought to the jail, Wolf said.

Police suspect the man broke a window to get inside the building, ripped an alarm panel from the wall and defecated on the floor.

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