4 Arrests Made In Fatal Party Shooting, Santa Rosa Police Say

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — Four people have been arrested in connection with a fatal shooting early Sunday at a party in the Roseland area of Santa Rosa, police said.

The person hosting the party called the Santa Rosa Police Department around 4:50 a.m. Sunday and said someone was shot and possibly dead at his apartment in the 1900 block of Lazzini Avenue, Santa Rosa police Sgt. Christopher Mahurin said.

Officers responded and found a man dead from at least one gunshot wound.

Police identified the victim as Sergio Santana, a 28-year-old Santa Rosa resident.

Detectives with Santa Rosa Police Department’s Violent Crimes Unit launched a homicide investigation and identified the primary suspect as Bryan David Martinez-Gonzalez, 20, of Santa Rosa, Mahurin said.

Detectives, SWAT team members, and crisis negotiators served a search warrant Thursday at Martinez-Gonzalez's residence in the 2300 block of Lemur Street, and at 2:17 p.m., Martinez-Gonzalez was taken into custody without incident.

"Martinez-Gonzalez is being charged with homicide, related to the fatal shooting death of Sergio Santana," Mahurin said.

Martinez-Gonzalez was expected to be booked into Sonoma County jail with no bail.

During the course of the investigation this week, three others were arrested for their suspected roles in connection with the homicide, police said.

Raul Rafael Cardenas-Valencia, 23, of Cloverdale, was arrested for violation of probation; Jesse Villavicencio, 19, of Cloverdale, was also arrested for violation or probation and on suspicion of aiding a principal to avoid prosecution or punishment; and Julio Cesar Gonzalez, 26, of Santa Rosa, was arrested on suspicion of destroying/concealing evidence and aiding a principal to avoid prosecution or punishment.

"This case is being investigated as a possible gang crime, but the investigation is still ongoing," Mahurin said. "The motives and actions leading up to the shooting are also still being investigated."