Novato man arrested after evading Sonoma County deputies in high-speed chase

A 34-year-old Novato man who evaded Sonoma County sheriff’s deputies in a vehicle chase that reached 100 mph over the weekend was arrested Monday night after officials found him in Sonoma.

Jesse Watson was booked into Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of multiple charges, including resisting arrest, possession of stolen property and probation violation, the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. He is being held without bail. Sonoma County officials learned Marin County deputies had pursued Watson before and that he had arrest warrants.

The incident began about 8:20 p.m. Saturday, when a deputy was dispatched to the 500 block of Ivy Court in Sonoma after receiving reports of suspicious people inside a white Chevrolet Malibu, according to the statement. The driver, later identified as Watson, got out of the car and spoke with the deputy before suddenly running back to the car and speeding away. The deputy then discovered the license plate of the Malibu had been reported stolen, so he began pursuing the suspect.

The pursuit led to a Highway 101 on-ramp, at which point a second deputy rammed his patrol car into Watson’s vehicle, trying to stop him, but the maneuver was unsuccessful. Deputies stopped the high-speed chase out of concern for public safety. Watson then drove south along the shoulder of the northbound side of the highway, causing another driver to crash their vehicle while trying to avoid a head-on collision with him. The driver and passenger of that car sustained minor injuries.

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