Man suspected of indecent exposure on West County Regional Trail

A 31-year-old Santa Rosa man was in custody Wednesday, suspected of exposing himself to women as they traveled a popular west county biking and walking trail.

Sonoma County sheriff’s detectives arrested Michael Rodd Tuesday evening at his job in Forestville, sheriff’s Sgt. Spencer Crum said Wednesday in a news release.

Rodd was booked into the Sonoma County Jail, suspected of three counts of indecent exposure and one count of evading deputies. Bail was $5,000 for the four misdemeanor counts.

The investigation started last weekend when three woman called the Sheriff’s Office to report a man on the West County Regional Trail had committed lewd acts including pulling down his pants to expose himself, according to the Sheriff’s Office. The women had been jogging and biking near Forestville.

On Sunday deputies searching the area spotted a possible suspect but he ran and eluded them.

Detectives were aided through a tip from a person who’d seen reports of the allegations, Crum said. The tip led detectives to a black Mercedes that had been parked during the weekend on Ross Station Road, which connects the trail sections.

The car was registered to Rodd, whose picture was picked out of a photo lineup by a victim, Crum said.

You can reach Staff Writer Randi Rossmann at 707- 521-5412 or randi.rossmann@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter@rossmannreport.