Sonora Police Department

23 Years Ago, our nation lost 2,977 fellow Americans - 343 Firefighters, 60 Police Officers and 8 Paramedics. Today, we honor them. We will never forget! 💔🇺🇸
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Arrest for Felony Threats and Assault with a Deadly Weapon

27-year-old Braydan Alan Ruhga of Sonora was arrested on felony charges following an early morning disturbance in the Crossroads Shopping Center.

Shortly after 1:00 am this morning, Officers responded to the 1,000 block of Sanguinetti Road for a peace disturbance between two males. Information provided to investigating officers suggests the argument started after the victim, in this case, requested Ruhga turn down the music in his vehicle. Rugha reportedly threatened bodily harm to the victim while presenting an axe handle in a threatening manner. As the altercation continued, Ruhga presented a larger axe handle and advanced on the victim after he tried to get away.

A witness called 911, and officers arrived on scene within minutes. Thankfully, nobody was injured during the altercation, and Ruhga was taken into custody without incident.

It is important to remember that individuals identified herein were arrested on suspicion of the crimes for which they have been charged. All such charges are merely accusations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. This principle is fundamental to our legal system and should be respected by all.

Our sincere condolences go out to the family of Officer Austin Machitar of the San Diego Police Department, who lost his life in the line of duty. Austin, rest easy, our brother.
Our thoughts are also with Officer Martinez, who is in intensive care, fighting for his life.

Thank you for joining us for Sonora PD's 2024 NNO event yesterday. It was an excellent opportunity to bring the community together with first responders under positive circumstances to get to know one another better and have fun doing it.

Participating service partners include the California Highway Patrol, Tuolumne County Probation, Manteca District Ambulance Tuolumne Division, Adventist Health, Chicken Ranch Rancheria, and Friends of Sonora Police Department.

We also want to express our gratitude to our generous sponsors, whose contributions of prizes and supplies helped make this event a success.

Sonora Fly Co.
Grocery Outlet
Chicken Ranch Rancheria of Me Wuk Indians of California
Wilco Farm Store
Pinocchio's
Applebee's
Flappy's Pizza Co.
Doc's Dawgs
Walmart
Friends of Sonora Police Department
Goodness Cafe
Kona Ice

Come join us at Rotary Park for ! Enjoy some fun games, food, and our live k9 demo!

Come Join us for a night of fun, free food, raffle prizes and so much more at Rotary Park in Sonora!

UPDATE

Update on PD Lobby Closure

The customer service lobby at the Police Department will reopen at 8:00 a.m. on Friday, August 2, 2024, and we will return to normal business hours and services.

The public parking lot at the corner of Green Street and Linoberg has also been re-opened.

Thank you for your patience during this project.

UPCOMING LOBBY CLOSURE

The Police Department's lobby will be closed to the public between Wednesday, July 17, 2024, and Thursday, August 1, 2024, to accommodate necessary repairs to our dispatch center and customer service department. The parking lot accessing our lobby will also be closed during this time.

Please call 209-532-8141 for general assistance or 9-1-1 for emergency assistance.

The following services will be available between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday;

Vehicle Releases
Report Requests and Processing
Parking Citation Processing
S*x Offender and Arson Registration

We appreciate your patience and understanding.

The roadway has been reopened. Please watch out for fire crews in the area.

Fire crews are on scene of the located on W. Stockton St. There are no evacuation warnings or orders at this time. W. Stockton St is closed at Ponderosa St to Highway 108.

Forward progress has been stopped at 2 acres. All evacuation warnings have been lifted. Road closure at Stockton road will remain for several hours as fire crews will continue to mop up.

Fire crews are on scene of the located on W. Stockton St. There are no evacuation warnings or orders at this time. W. Stockton St is closed at Ponderosa St to Highway 108.

Evacuation warnings have been issued for the area of Silver Pine and Golden Dove.

Fire crews are on scene of the located on W. Stockton St. There are no evacuation warnings or orders at this time. W. Stockton St is closed at Ponderosa St to Highway 108.

Fire crews are on scene of the located on W. Stockton St. There are no evacuation warnings or orders at this time. W. Stockton St is closed at Ponderosa St to Highway 108.

FINAL UPDATE———
The all-clear has been given and evacuation warnings are lifted.

The fire was contained to less than one acre. No injuries or damage to structures have been reported.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

UPDATE———
No structures have been threatened. Although forward progression has stopped, evacuation warnings remain in place out of an abundance of caution. The cause of the fire is unclear but will remain under investigation at this point.

ORIGINAL POST——-

Sonora City Fire, Sonora PD, and other emergency resources are working a vegetation fire at the 400 block of Symons Lane. Forward progression has been stopped by fire resources. Evacuation warnings have been issued for Symons Lane and Crooked Lane.

Update on PD Lobby Closure

The customer service lobby at the Police Department will reopen at 8:00 a.m. on Friday, August 2, 2024, and we will return to normal business hours and services.

The public parking lot at the corner of Green Street and Linoberg has also been re-opened.

Thank you for your patience during this project.

UPCOMING LOBBY CLOSURE

The Police Department's lobby will be closed to the public between Wednesday, July 17, 2024, and Thursday, August 1, 2024, to accommodate necessary repairs to our dispatch center and customer service department. The parking lot accessing our lobby will also be closed during this time.

Please call 209-532-8141 for general assistance or 9-1-1 for emergency assistance.

The following services will be available between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday;

Vehicle Releases
Report Requests and Processing
Parking Citation Processing
S*x Offender and Arson Registration

We appreciate your patience and understanding.

The entire law enforcement community mourns with the family of Officer Bowen who lost his life in the line of duty yesterday.

Rest easy our brother.

It is with profound sadness that the City of Vacaville Police Department confirms the tragic passing of Officer Matthew Bowen, who was killed this morning in the line of duty.

Officer Bowen was initiating a traffic stop and was struck by a vehicle. The driver was taken into custody. Officer Bowen was transported to Kaiser Hospital and despite the best efforts of emergency responders, he succumbed to his injuries.

Officer Bowen started with the City of Vacaville on June 13, 2023. Prior to, he served as a Police Officer with the City of Concord Police Department. He has served with the highest level of dedication and honor, and his loss is deeply felt by the Department, the City and the community. He is survived by his wife, two sons, parents and brother.

It is with much gratitude that we thank our neighboring agencies who have poured out a tremendous amount of support during this time. We request that the public respect the family’s privacy as they are faced with this heartbreaking loss.

The California Highway Patrol is conducting the investigation. Media inquiries regarding the investigation of this incident should be directed to the California Highway Patrol, Golden Gate Division Public Information Unit.

All other media inquiries may be directed to Vacaville Lieutenant Cardona at 707.469.4801.

Police Chief Ian Schmutzler will be issuing a statement at 6:30 PM at the Vacaville Police Department, 660 Merchant Street.

Today around 11:30 am, Tuolumne CAL OES received multiple calls from the public asking if we were reaching out to confirm Everbridge-related information. We were not. We promptly contacted our partner agencies to determine if they were responsible for the calls. They confirmed they were not.

Concerned for community safety, we issued a press release immediately to alert residents about this suspicious activity. Three hours later, one of our partner agencies informed us that a contracted third party, specializing in community preparedness, had initiated the outreach without prior coordination with them or us.

We expressed frustration at the lack of communication and coordination, emphasizing how this oversight undermines our preparedness efforts. We urged our partners to inform Tuolumne County OES of any future community outreach to help us better advise the public about such calls.

We appreciate the public's vigilance and remain dedicated to protecting our community.

**PRESS RELEASE** Callers Posing as State or County OES Officials

July 4th marks the date in 1776 when Congress approved the Declaration of Independence, establishing the United States of America.......Happy Birthday, USA!

Please Celebrate Independence Day safely.

Remember, fireworks spark fires!

All forms of fireworks are illegal in Sonora, including those marked safe and sane, such as fountains, sparklers, smokeballs, snake-type fireworks, ground-spinning fireworks, pinwheels, most novelty fireworks, and pop-its.

These two pups were found in the area of N Shepherd St this morning. If you recognize them as belonging to you, please contact Sonora Police Department at 209-532-8143

On Tuesday we had the privilege of joining other local law enforcement agencies in support of the annual Tuolumne Couunty Special Olympics Torch Run through downtown Sonora.

A great time was had by all.

Thank you to Sonora area CHP for coordinating law enforcements participation.

Go Ravens!

K9 Ridge assists In locating drugs and stolen property.

On May 29th, at about 1:45 P.M., Officers were called to the 1100 block of Sanguinetti Rd. for a report of threats. Officers arrived on scene and immediately located and detained the suspect who was later identified as 37-year-old transient James Koenig Jr. in handcuffs. During the course of the investigation, it was disclosed that Koenig had threatened to shoot the victim stemming from a previous altercation that they had.

K-9 Ridge was deployed to conduct a sniff of Koenig's vehicle and alerted to the odor of controlled substances in the vehicle and a search was conducted. During the search of the vehicle, Koenig was found to be in possession of a controlled substance, drug paraphernalia, a “Billy club,” a canister of pepper spray as well as a stolen chainsaw. A records check of Koenig confirmed that he was on Tuolumne County Probation for drug-related offenses and was also a convicted felon. Koenig was prohibited from possessing pepper spray as a result of his felony conviction.

Koenig was subsequently arrested for the charges of criminal threats, possession of a billy club, felon in possession of pepper spray, possession of stolen property, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Koenig was booked at the Tuolumne County Jail with bail set at $25,000,

Officer’s were able to contact the owner of the stolen chainsaw and returned the saw after it was stolen from his residence in May of 2023 inside Sonora City Limits.

"The individuals identified herein were arrested on suspicion of the crimes for which they have been charged. All such charges are merely accusations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty."

Our dedicated volunteers and a police officer were out this weekend to remind us that Memorial Day is not just about barbeques and days off from school. Please pause with gratitude to honor the sacrifices of our nation's fallen military heroes.

Congratulations, Officer Scott Ryan. On Monday, May 20, he graduated from the San Joaquin Delta College POST academy, a six-month intensive training program designed to certify candidates to work as peace officers in California.

Scott Ryan was selected by academy staff to represent his class as Class President. He received awards in the categories of Code of Ethics and Arrest and Control for his exemplary work.

Officer Ryan will now undergo 12 weeks of field training with our agency. We wish him a safe and rewarding career.

Wishing you a happy and safe Memorial Day Weekend.

Just a friendly reminder that the Sonora Farmers Market will begin this Saturday, May 18th, and run 7:30-11:30 am every Saturday through October 12th.

Theall Street Parking Lot, between Stewart Street and Shepherd Street, will be closed every Saturday beginning at 3:30 a.m. so vendors can set up for the event.

No parking signs will go up in the area every Wednesday reminding the community that there will be no parking in and around that lot after 3:30 a.m Saturday mornings.

We appreciate the decision not to drive intoxicated, so we ask you to plan ahead and park in alternate locations. As a courtesy, we will attempt to locate a phone number for the vehicle owner on file, but please understand that we must tow vehicles left beyond 3:30 a.m.

Your cooperation will make for a better event for everyone.

Thank you City of Sonora! We are grateful to be a part of this incredible community.

This is a great event! We hope to see you there.

The community is invited for some family fun at the third annual Cars, Cops and Coffee!

Join us on Sunday, May 19 from 8 to 11 a.m. at the Health Pavilion and Diana J. White Cancer Institute, 900 Mono Way in Sonora.

An incredible line up of classic and custom cars will be on display, along with live music by The Lack Family, delicious food and treats by Kona Ice and Taco Shop El Rey, face painting and balloon twisting by Vivid Face Art, outdoor games and much more!

Admission is free, and car entries are a donation of just $25.

All proceeds will benefit the Cancer Patient Support Fund, which helps local cancer patients and their families with expenses that insurance doesn’t cover, including transportation to and from appointments, in-home support, medication copays and so much more.

Visit AdventistHealthSonora.org/CarShow to learn more.

A Sonora City Resolution temporarily allows open containers within the cordoned area on May 11 during the 2024 Round-Up Parade. Cordoned area refers to locations within the street closures east and west of Washington Street, from Elkin Street to Restano Way. Glass containers are strictly prohibited.

During the parade, adults 21 and older may have open containers of alcohol from 10:00 am until the end of the parade, or sooner if otherwise directed by the Sonora Police Department.

All open containers must be removed from public areas before the re-opening of any streets and/or at the direction of the Police Department.

The resolution does not create exceptions for Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) licensees regarding off-sale beverages.