Suspected car thief leads Sonoma deputies on wrong-way Highway 101 pursuit

A 28-year-old homeless man who led Sonoma Valley deputies on a chase at speeds exceeding 100 mph Saturday night was apprehended in San Rafael, where officers brought the car to a halt by placing spike strips in the road to puncture his tires.

At one point, the stolen car headed south on Highway 101 in the wrong direction, forcing northbound motorists to swerve out of the way and avoid crashing into the fleeing car.

Andrew Muzinich was arrested on suspicion of seven felonies, robbery, making death threats, vehicle theft, possession of a stolen vehicle, evading police, elder abuse and driving on the wrong side of the road, and a misdemeanor violation of probation, sheriff’s Sgt. Juan Valencia said Sunday. He was held at the Sonoma County Jail on $50,500 bail.

The episode began when deputies working for the Sonoma Police Department responded at 5:42 p.m. to a family disturbance related to a vehicle theft in the 1800 block of Thornsberry Road.

The victim, a relative of Muzinich, said he had threatened to kill a pet dog if he wasn’t given the keys to her car, Valencia said. Deputies were still at the residence when Muzinich pulled into the driveway at 6:07 p.m., saw the deputies’ cars and quickly backed out and drove away.

The white 2012 Ford Fusion drove through the outskirts of Sonoma at 45 to 60 mph, then hit speeds of 65 to 100 mph as the driver headed south on Eighth Street East and west on Highway 121. Once the driver reached Highway 37, the car then accelerated west at speeds up to 120 mph, Valencia said.

Deputies abandoned the pursuit, which covered 20 miles, when the car began driving into oncoming traffic on Highway 101. The sheriff’s helicopter, Henry 1, was airborne and tracked the car while two deputies followed at a safe distance. CHP officers headed off the pursuit in Marin County, blocking all but one lane of a city street and deploying a spike strip that punctured some of the tires. The car continued moving until smoke streamed from the wheels, finally coming to a halt in the 4400 block of Redwood Highway, Valencia said.

The driver attempted to run away, but eventually lay down on the pavement and surrendered.

Had the helicopter not been in the air, Valencia said it would have been unavailable to follow the suspect’s car. The driver did not appear to be aware that he was being followed by the “eyes in the sky,” he said.

You can reach Staff Writer Julie Johnson at 707-521-5220 or julie.johnson@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @jjpressdem. You can reach Staff Writer Guy Kovner at 707-521-5457 or guy.kovner@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @guykovner.