Cloverdale man turns himself in to Mendocino County deputies after armed carjacking

A 37-year-old man turned himself in Tuesday after ambushing and robbing an acquaintance who was trying to buy marijuana the day before, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office said.

Deputies said Cloverdale resident John Bellotti Jr. knew the victim through a mutual friend and that the two may have met before the ambush in which Bellotti made off with the man’s rental car.

The carjacking was reported to deputies about 4 p.m. Monday in front of the Eagle Peak Middle School in Redwood Valley. The victim in the case, Atlanta resident Jarvais Primus, 33, told deputies an unknown man pointed a pistol at him and took his rental car, which was transporting a large amount of cash. The suspect then fled southbound on West Road.

Primus also told deputies he had a legal business that sold vape pens and marijuana oil in California and Georgia. The ambush happened as he was trying to buy “shake,” or small cannabis flower remains, that would be processed into marijuana oil.

The deputies continued to question Primus, and looked through social media, eventually identifying Bellotti as a suspect in the carjacking. The deputies found that Primus knew Bellotti’s spouse.

At about the same time, the stolen car was spotted going north on Highway 101 in Redwood Valley. Authorities followed the car past Willits, losing sight of it south of the Highway 101 and Highway 162 intersection.

Bellotti surrendered to deputies at the sheriff’s Ukiah station the next morning. He was booked into Mendocino County Jail on suspicion of carjacking, robbery and recklessly evading a peace officer.

The rental car was found on Dos Rios Road. The cash that was inside the car earlier has not yet been located, according to Sheriff’s Capt. Gregory Van Patten.

Staff Writer J.D. Morris contributed reporting. You can reach Staff Writer Nashelly Chavez at 707-521-5203 or nashelly.chavez@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @nashellytweets.