San Francisco man arrested for a domestic violence restraining order

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — A San Francisco man was tracked down and brought back to Sonoma County, where he was booked into jail Sunday to face charges including false imprisonment and leading officers on a chase Saturday through Petaluma and down U.S. Highway 101, Petaluma police said.

The series of incidents involving Brandon Roman, 26, started around 4 p.m. Saturday when officers were dispatched to a report that Roman was violating a domestic violence restraining order by being at a residence in the 300 block of South McDowell Boulevard on the city’s east side, Petaluma police Sgt. Patrick Gerke said in a news release.

A woman reported that Roman was at her house, which was in violation of domestic violence restraining order she’d recently obtained against him, Gerke said.

When officers got to the victim’s home, they could not find her.

“The Petaluma Police Department dispatch center was able to make telephone contact with the victim and learned she was in Roman’s vehicle at the Washington Square Shopping Center,” Gerke said. “The dispatch center also learned Roman was armed with a weapon and refused to let her out of the vehicle.”

When two Petaluma officers located Roman’s car at the Washington Square Shopping Center on South McDowell Boulevard and tried to make contact with him, Roman drove off with the victim still inside his car, Gerke said.

Roman drove out of the shopping center onto South McDowell Boulevard — traveling northbound in the southbound lanes, Gerke said.

At the intersection of South McDowell and East Washington Street, Roman reportedly ran a red light and turned westbound on East Washington at which point Gerke said officers lost sight of him because of how fast he was driving.

Several Petaluma police officers searched the area for Roman’s car and the victim, which included checking southbound U.S. Highway 101.

Petaluma officers found the victim standing on the side of the road in Novato, Gerke said. The victim, who was not injured, told police Roman let her out of his car.

“It was determined that Roman was armed with a handgun, he had stolen items from the victim, and had possibly fled to San Francisco,” Gerke said.

Petaluma PD’s Investigations Unit notified the San Francisco Police Department that Roman was wanted and was possible en route to San Francisco.

On Sunday, Petaluma police got word from San Francisco police that Roman was located and taken into custody within the city of San Francisco.

Petaluma police took custody of Roman, who was booked into Sonoma County jail on suspicion of false imprisonment, domestic violence, violation of a restraining order, robbery, felony evading a peace officer, and felon in possession of a firearm.

Roman’s bail was set at $815,000.

He is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday.