City of Santa Rosa, CA, CivicReady Public Safety Alerts & Notifications
SRPD News Release: Man Arrested for Arson Following Foot Pursuit by Officer
Man Arrested for Arson Following Foot Pursuit by Officer
On Saturday, September 28, 2024, at approximately 7:00 am, the Santa Rosa Police Department (SRPD) Communications Center received multiple calls about a man acting aggressively who may have started a fire along the south side of the Santa Rosa Creek Trail just west of the 1500 block of Apple Creek Lane. One caller advised the dispatcher that the man had armed himself with a metal pole or stick. A witness later advised responding officers the man was seen with a lighter near the scene of the fire. When an SRPD officer and Santa Rosa Fire Department (SRFD) personnel arrived on the scene, the suspicious man was no longer in the area. The officer left and began checking the area for the man suspected of starting the fire.
As the SRFD personnel were extinguishing the fire and assessing the damage, they saw the suspect nearby and requested an SRPD officer return. The officer arrived and contacted the suspect, who was at the time holding a small lighter and repeatedly igniting the lighter’s flame while ignoring the officer’s instructions. The suspect then ran away from the scene. The officer chased after him for approximately 3 minutes. As other officers were rushing to the scene, the suspect attempted to hide behind a bush. He was quickly found and taken into custody. The suspect was identified 28-year-old Antonio Martines, a transient from Santa Rosa.
A SRFD Fire Investigator working with officers relayed information regarding a similar fire in the same area the day prior on September 27. SRPD officers are investigating whether the two fires are related.
Martines, who is on felony formal probation for assault with a deadly weapon, was arrested and booked into Sonoma Jail for the following charges:
451(c) PC - Arson
148(a)(1) PC - Obstructing or resisting a peace officer
1203.2(a) PC - Violation of probation
The fire on Friday, September 27, 2024, burned an area approximately 100 feet long and nearly 10 feet wide. The fire on Saturday, September 28, 2024, consumed several square feet of vegetation. We are grateful to the community members who quickly called 911 and began extinguishing the fires before the arrival of fire and police personnel. Thank you to our partners at the Santa Rosa Fire Department for their swift response and assistance in identifying Martines.
Santa Rosa Police Department case number 24-11454.
Media inquiries can be made to Sgt. Patricia Seffens, Public Information Officer, at 707-543-3634 or pseffens@srcity.org.
