Vehicle theft suspect arrested after foot pursuit in Coddingtown Mall

A 37-year-old man suspected of stealing a van in Santa Rosa last week was arrested Monday afternoon after police officers chased him through Coddingtown Mall.

On Sept. 24, a 1998 Dodge full-size van was reported stolen from a residence on Stony Point Road south of Sebastopol Road, said Sgt. David Linscomb of the Santa Rosa Police Department. An off-duty detective spotted the stolen vehicle near Guerneville Road and North Dutton Avenue at 1:45 p.m. Monday. Officers followed the vehicle to Coddingtown Mall, where the driver parked and then ran inside.

Officers pursued and eventually tackled the suspect, identified as Scott Main, in the mall’s main corridor. As Main ran through the mall, he collided with a 38-year-old man who tried to intervene. The man suffered a serious leg injury for which he was transported to the hospital, Linscomb said.

The two police officers and Main sustained some minor injuries during the pursuit, but didn’t require hospital treatment.

Main, who is homeless, was booked into Sonoma County Jail on charges of vehicle theft, possession of a stolen vehicle, obstructing or resisting a peace officer and battery with serious bodily injury.

You can reach Staff Writer Chantelle Lee at 707-521-5337 or chantelle.lee@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @ChantelleHLee.