Witnesses aid police in Santa Rosa burglary arrest

Santa Rosa police late Monday had help in arresting a suspected store burglar when witnesses called 911 and offered a play-by-play of the crime at a Sebastopol Road auto parts store.

They called just after 11 p.m. to say they saw a man shattering a glass door of the O’Reilly Auto Parts store, then go inside and grab merchandise, Santa Rosa Police Sgt. Ryan Hepp said in a prepared statement.

One caller told police the man was carrying items from the store and gave a description of his appearance and where he was going. Police quickly found a man in the area who matched the description and who had items from the store.

Witnesses identified him and officers arrested James Parcher, 55, on suspicion of burglary, felony vandalism and violating his probation, and booked him into Sonoma County Jail, where he remained in custody Tuesday on $20,000 bail.

Parcher told officers he is homeless and had intended to sell the stolen goods, Hepp said.

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