Four teens suspected in beating, Santa Rosa carjacking

A Santa Rosa man was pulled from his car Tuesday night and beaten by at least four teenagers who then drove off in his vehicle in a gang-related carjacking, Santa Rosa police said.

Around 10:10 p.m. Santa Rosa police found a man, who is not being identified, bleeding with significant injuries to his head and face in the 2300 block of Amethyst Way, police said.

The man claimed to have been pulled from his car and repeatedly punched and kicked by four teens while lying on the ground, police said.

Shortly after, a police officer spotted the man’s vehicle at the Renaissance apartment complex on Kawana Springs Road, police said. The driver quickly parked and walked away from the vehicle, leaving the engine running.

The officer detained the 16-year-old Santa Rosa boy, who has known gang ties, police said. Over the next day detectives with the Gang Crime Team identified three additional male suspects, two 16-year-olds and a 15-year-old.

Police served a search warrant Thursday and arrested the three boys. The four teens, who are not being identified because of their age, were booked at the Juvenile Justice Center for carjacking, assault with a deadly weapon, battery with serious bodily injury with gang enhancements.

Detectives believe the four boys are active gang participants and committed the carjacking and assault in association with other criminal street gang participants. A reward of up to $2,500 is being offered by the Sonoma County Alliance “Take Back Our Community Program” for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspects.

You can reach Staff Writer Nick Rahaim at 707-521-5203 or nick.rahaim@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @nrahaim.