Sonoma Car Wash Employee Held For Attempted Murder Of Deputy

SONOMA, CA — A 20-year-old Sonoma man is being held in lieu of $1 million bail on suspicion of the attempted murder Sunday of a Sonoma County sheriff's deputy. Ryan Pritel is accused of shooting one of three deputies who responded to Jolly Washer Car Wash, 19249 state Highway 12, in Sonoma, at about 11 a.m. Sunday. The deputies had gone to gas station/car wash after the manager called and said an employee was acting strangely and had what appeared to be a BB gun, sheriff's officials said.

"The evidence demonstrates that Ryan Pritel pulled a loaded 9-mm handgun from his waistband as three uniformed deputies approached him," said police Lt. John Cregan, of the Santa Rosa Police Department, which has been tasked with investigating the shooting.

"Pritel fired one gunshot, and struck one of the approaching deputies in the upper body. The deputy, who was struck by the round, returned two shots. The suspect quickly hid behind a stopped pickup truck, and both deputy’s rounds struck the pickup truck. No one was injured by the deputy’s bullets."

Evidence — 17 witness statements, deputies' body-worn camera footage and surveillance footage from the car wash — gave "investigators a clear understanding of what occurred," Cregan said.

The deputy shot and injured in the incident was flown to an area hospital; he has since been released from the hospital and is expected to fully recover from his injuries, Cregan said.

It is alleged the gun fired by Pritel had a high capacity 20-round magazine loaded with a combination of 9mm full metal jacketed rounds and 9mm snake rounds.

It is further alleged Pritel was armed with a second loaded magazine in his pants' pocket with a combination of the same rounds.

Santa Rosa police are still investigating the shooting, which included detectives serving a search warrant at Pritel's residence in the 800 block of Third Street in Sonoma — not far from the car wash where he worked.

Anyone with pertinent information that may help detectives is encouraged to call the Santa Rosa Police Department at 707-543-3590.

"Detectives are actively seeking assistance from anyone who may have witnessed or recorded any actions leading up to and after the deputies’ contact with Pritel," Cregan said. "We are also seeking information regarding any prior contacts with Pritel in the weeks leading up to this incident."

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Mugshot via Santa Rosa Police Department