Police arrest man inside closed Petaluma drug house

Police reported more than 700 calls for assistance and dozens of narcotic-related arrests at the property in five years.|
ROBERT DIGITALE
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

Petaluma police Monday arrested a man hiding in a residence that a judge last month ordered closed due to frequent complaints over illegal drug activity.

On July 31 a Sonoma County judge declared the residence in the 1600 block of Weaverly Drive a public nuisance and closed it under court supervision for one year. In seeking the closure, the city of Petaluma maintained the property had been the site of 776 calls for police assistance and 45 narcotic-related arrests in the last five years.

Monday morning, with court authorization, police searched the residence and found Kyle Richardson, 54, of Petaluma, hiding in a closet concealed by luggage and clothing. Richardson was arrested on suspicion of possession of methamphetamine and other charges, including resisting arrest and violating a court order.

Richardson previously was served “with a restraining order prohibiting him from being within 150 yards of the property,” according to a Petaluma police press release. His bail at the Sonoma County Jail was set at $110,000.

-Robert Digitale

UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy:
  • This is a family newspaper, please use a kind and respectful tone.
  • No profanity, hate speech or personal attacks. No off-topic remarks.
  • No disinformation about current events.
  • We will remove any comments — or commenters — that do not follow this commenting policy.
Send a letter to the editor