Santa Rosa police make DUI arrest after vehicle chase

Santa Rosa police say a suspected drunk driver fled from officers early Saturday morning on a stretch of city road where five people have been hit and killed by vehicles over the past year.

An officer tried to stop a Ford F-150 that was traveling southbound on Stony Point Road shortly before 2 a.m.

Instead of pulling over, the driver accelerated to over 50 mph as it crossed Occidental Road near Highway 12, according to a Santa Rosa Police Department news release. There have been three fatal crashes involving pedestrians and two involving bicyclists on Stony Point Road since July, including three deadly collisions near the highway overpass.

Officers said the vehicle drove on the shoulder of the road and wove through traffic as it continued south toward Todd Road. Police eventually detained two people who had been in the car after the vehicle turned onto Todd Road and stopped outside of a residence.

Alejandro Cruz-Ortiz, 29 of Santa Rosa, was arrested and faces several charges including driving under the influence, evading law enforcement and driving without a license, according to the news release. He was booked into the Sonoma County Jail and remained there as of Saturday afternoon, according to the jail’s online inmate roster.

You can reach Staff Writer Will Schmitt at 707-521-5207 or will.schmitt@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @wsreports.