Sebastopol man arrested on drug, theft and weapon charges

Deputies looking for a Sebastopol man suspected of stealing from a pool serviceman’s truck found him asleep Tuesday with a loaded 9 mm gun and what appeared to be a meth pipe in a room littered with marijuana leaves and bullets, Sonoma County sheriff’s officials said.

John Lytle, 21, of Sebastopol, was booked into the Sonoma County Jail Tuesday on suspicion of a variety of drug and weapons charges, including being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and possessing a firearm while under the influence of a controlled substance, Sgt. Spencer Crum said. He was later released on bail.

A pool maintenance man told deputies he caught Lytle taking tools from his truck about 8:30 a.m. Tuesday when he was cleaning the pool at Lytle’s family home in the 3300 block of Highway 116 South, according to Crum. Lytle returned about $620 worth of equipment. The worker called the Sheriff’s Office to report the attempted theft.

Deputies contacted Lytle’s family and went inside, since Lytle was on probation and subject to searches by law enforcement.

They found him sleeping next to a woman in a bedroom, sheriff’s officials said. Deputies also found ammunition for a rifle and other caliber handguns, and numerous bottles with what appeared to be crystal methamphetamine, according to Crum.

You can reach Staff Writer Julie Johnson at 707-521-5220 or julie.johnson@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @jjpressdem.