Sebastopol teen held in break-ins

A 16-year-old Sebastopol youth was in custody Wednesday, suspected in a series of Sebastopol area burglaries including break-ins at an apartment, a city office and at an alternative school where he'd lived, law enforcement officials said.

The teen also was a suspect in an attempted break-in at Sebastopol Hardware, according to Sebastopol police Sgt. Mike Nielsen.

The suspected crimes all occurred between Monday and Tuesday morning.

Sebastopol police and Sonoma County sheriff's detectives arrested the teen later Tuesday on suspicion of three burglaries, possessing stolen property and attempted burglary.

Sheriff's Sgt. Mike Raasch said the youth had been living at Greenacres Homes and School outside of town when school officials Monday reported he'd run away and that there'd been a burglary of $551 from the school office.

Meanwhile, between Monday night and Tuesday morning, Sebastopol police had reports of a burglary at the city's Morris Street public works office, the hardware store attempt and the apartment burglary, said Nielsen.

In the apartment burglary, a Wilton Street resident called 911 at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday to say she'd just found someone in her bedroom and had chased him out a window, Nielsen said.

At the Gravenstein Highway North hardware store the youth had scaled a fence into the garden sales area then used a fire extinguisher to bash on a door lock but failed to open it, the sergeant said.

Surveillance video and witness identification linked the suspect to the three city cases.

Deputies initially located the youth, who was carrying brand new electronics items, Raasch said. He admitted he'd used the stolen cash to purchase the items, said Raasch.

The teen was being held at Sonoma County's juvenile detention center.

You can reach Staff Writer Randi Rossmann at 521-5412 or randi.rossmann@pressdemocrat.com.