Santa Rosa mechanic accused of swindling seniors arrested in Texas

One victim of a former Santa Rosa mechanic who is accused of scamming people out of their cars and their money said he is “elated that karma came and hit (Suede Barganski) in the head.

“Now we just gotta get him in jail,” Bill Fischer said.

Barganski, who was wanted in Sonoma County on charges ranging from grand theft of personal property to identity theft and auto theft, was arrested in Aransas County, Texas Tuesday and is now awaiting extradition back to Santa Rosa.

Officials said the 55-year-old skipped out on a court appearance in Santa Rosa last year and has since been wanted on $150,000 bail after more fraud and grand theft charges were filed in February.

Barganski also has a second warrant out for his arrest for $50,000 bail for failing to appear in court, according to court records.

Seven of the charges against him, officials added, allege he stole from customers he knew were seniors.

“We just got lucky that he was caught,” said Fischer of Mountain View, who also owns a Santa Rosa house. He said Barganski ruined his 1971 red Camaro and he has been trying to help people get their car parts back. He said he spoke to the bailbondsman who was going to be out thousands of dollars if Barganski wasn’t found soon.

Santa Rosa police Sgt. Chris Mahurin said Thursday that the department was informed by Texas authorities that Barganski is in custody in the Aransas County Jail, and will be extradited to Sonoma County because no local charges have been filed against him in Texas.

Barganski was arrested March 2, 2020, following business-practice investigations by the Santa Rosa Police Department and the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office. He owned Rad Rods of NorCal and also went by the name Suede Beradino.

When Barganski was arraigned, about 20 of his alleged victims testified in a Sonoma County courtroom that the auto shop owner had swindled them out of cash and cherished vehicles and also botched repairs.

Vicki Benson, 74, a Santa Rosa resident named in the county’s criminal complaint, said in court that she took her 1952 Lincoln Capri to Barganski in 2017 for repairs. He left her car inoperable and missing parts, she said.

An acquaintance of a woman who was dating Barganski in the Rockport, Texas area said Barganski told her friend he was an investor, even though he was living in an RV park and waiting tables at a steak and lobster restaurant.

“Something about that didn’t add up,” said the acquaintance, who did not want to be identified for fear of retribution.

She began researching online and discovered that in the RV park, Barganski told others his name was Wade Anderson. When she looked up Suede Barganski, a cavalcade of charges came up, she said.

She said she contacted the District Attorney’s Office in Sonoma County, and her brother contacted the Sheriff’s Office in Rockport.

“ (The woman and Barganski) were getting close …, and it was only a matter of time until he moved in with (her friend),” she said. “When the hair sticks up on the back of your neck, you know,” she added.

According to Fischer, Barganski was going to detail his car and that’s when things went wrong.

Fischer said he allowed Barganski to “sand wash” his car to improve a dull finish and it cost him about $16,000 to repair.

“It was a long-going horror story,” he said. “It was a complete nightmare ...”

Henry Frasier, 70, formerly of Santa Rosa who now lives in Casa Grande, Arizona, said, “I’m real glad to hear he’s getting justice. I don’t see how he will see the light of day” if he is convicted. “He’s wanted by so many people.”

He said Barganski “totaled my truck.”

Barganski was supposed to be painting his truck, Frasier said, but instead he “took it all apart.” The truck was worth $60,000, he added.

“He stole my truck. Every time I came in (to his shop) I asked him, ‘Why aren’t you working on my truck?’ It was a 1965 F-100 that I had completely restored,” Frasier said. “I was getting ready to retire and I told him I wanted my truck back. … Then I found out he was a con man. I only have myself to blame. I didn’t pursue it, you know, and I just took his word.

“I hope he spends a long, long time in prison.”

You can reach Staff Writer Kathleen Coates at kathleen.coates@pressdemocrat.com or 707-521-5209.