3 Arrested As Pursuit Ends In Crash Near Novato

SONOMA AND MARIN COUNTIES, CA ? Three people were arrested early Tuesday on suspicion of trying to break into a Sonoma County marijuana dispensary, then leading law enforcement on a pursuit into Marin County, according to Petaluma police.

The series of events started around 2:45 a.m. Tuesday when the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office requested the help of Petaluma police officers with a commercial burglary in progress on Ely Road North at a marijuana dispensary just outside of city limits in the county's jurisdiction, Petaluma police Lt. Garrett Glaviano said.

Petaluma police officers responded and saw several cars leaving the area.

Three of the cars matched descriptions of the suspects' cars from a marijuana dispensary burglary Monday morning in Santa Rosa, Glaviano said.

Officers tried to stop the cars but they fled and entered U.S. Highway 101; officers pursued the cars onto southbound US 101 but terminated the chase when speeds increased over 100 mph, Glaviano said.

During the initial pursuit, Petaluma officers saw one of the cars, a Mercedes-Benz, taking the San Antonio Road exit. Petaluma officers returned to the exit and found the Mercedes just off the freeway offramp. When officers tried to contact the people in the Mercedes the driver took off and headed southbound on Silveira Ranch Road, a frontage road near the Waste Management Redwood Landfill in Novato, Glaviano said.

Officers again tried to stop the car but the driver refused and continued to flee, the lieutenant said. The Mercedes continued south to the dead end of the road, drove through a cattle fence and then a chain-link fence in an attempt to escape, before crashing into a solar panel.

The suspects got out of the car and ran off so officers requested help to search the area, Glaviano said. Officers from the California Highway Patrol and deputies from the Marin County and Sonoma County sheriff's offices responded. Additionally, the CHP provided a helicopter crew to help coordinate the search and the suspects were located and arrested without further incident.

The suspects were identified as Joshua Hawkins-Butler, 29, of Oakland; David Hill III, 18, of San Pablo; and Shawntanique Blocker, 31, of Oakland.

All three were booked into the Sonoma County jail on suspicion of evading with disregard for safety, conspiracy, obstructing officer/resisting arrest and possession of burglary tools. Jail records Wednesday morning indicated the three were no longer in custody.

"This is an active investigation," Glaviano said. "We are working with allied agencies in the area to determine if this incident is related to any other investigations."