Suspect arrested in break-in at 4th Street Market and Deli in Santa Rosa

A Santa Rosa man is suspected of forcing open the front doors of the 4th Street Market and Deli in downtown Santa Rosa, where city police officers said they found the 69-year-old man hiding behind a countertop and arrested him about 4 a.m. Thursday.

The suspect, identified by police as Kenneth Fuller, refused to leave his hiding spot behind the deli’s food counter. After he refused to comply with orders to surrender, officers sent in a police dog. The dog, Kolt, subdued Fuller until officers could detain him.

He was taken to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital to be treated for a bite wound on his forearm, police said. Nothing appeared to have been taken from the store, police said.

The market and deli sits across from Old Courthouse Square and serves fresh breakfast and lunch daily from 7 a.m. until5 p.m. Opened in 1995 by Pete Mogannam, the family business is a popular stop for downtown workers, residents and visitors.

Mogannam said he got a call at 3:55 a.m. that his alarm had been triggered. He immediately thought of residents living near his shop that could be awakened by the shrill noise.

“I drove like 100 mph to get here to see if everything was all right,” said Mogannam, who got to his market in time to see police make the arrest of the intruder.

In the aftermath, Mogannam said he did a quick inspection of the store. Shelves were damaged where the police dog had subdued Fuller, he said, and there was glass scattered across the floor.

“The man drank a bottle of wine, a couple of bottles of iced tea and had a 5-Hour Energy shot,” Mogannam said. “But it really was not a big deal.”

The deli, operated by Pete and his brother, Neil Mogannam, was open for business as usual Thursday morning. The brothers, who were serving coffee to customers later, said it was the first break-in they experienced in 25 years at the market.

“Our phones have been ringing from people who are asking if we are all right, which has been really nice,” Pete Mogannam said. “We are just happy no one was hurt because after doing this for as long as we have we just want to keep the peace.”

Fuller was booked into the Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of burglary, felony vandalism and resisting and obstructing a police officer.

You can reach Staff Writer Alexandria Bordas at 707-521-5337 or alexandria.bordas@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @CrossingBordas.