A Santa Rosa man was arrested early Saturday morning, June 20, after authorities said he climbed onto the roof of a recreational vehicle, set fires and prompted the closure of part of Santa Rosa Avenue during a standoff that lasted several hours.
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The incident began around 10:55 p.m. Friday, June 19, when Santa Rosa police responded to a report of a man on top of an RV who refused to come down, according to the Santa Rosa Police Department.
Police identified the man as 47-year-old Santa Rosa resident Jeramy Patton, who authorities said was on pre-trial release for another incident that occurred earlier in the week. Once officers arrived on scene, Patton told them he had a gun, explosives in a backpack and planned to set the RV on fire.
Officers monitored Patton from the ground and with a drone during the incident. Police said he repeatedly rummaged through a backpack, damaged the RV’s rooftop air-conditioning unit with a metal bar and threw large rocks, one of which struck a vehicle in a nearby parking lot.
Around 12:50 a.m. Saturday, Patton started a fire on top of the RV, according to police. Although the first fire was extinguished, authorities said he started a second fire that spread across the roof and into the vehicle’s interior, causing significant damage.
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In response to the fire, authorities closed a portion of Santa Rosa Avenue. The Santa Rosa Fire Department responded and remained on scene as the fire grew and part of the RV’s roof began to collapse. It wasn’t immediately clear on Saturday which section of the road was closed and when it reopened.
Police said officers fired less-lethal projectiles at Patton in an effort to get him off the burning vehicle. He initially refused but later complied after repeated commands from officers.
Firefighters used a hose line to slow the spread of the fire while officers provided Patton with a ladder. After a few minutes, Patton climbed down and was taken into custody without further incident, according to authorities.
Patton was taken to a local hospital for evaluation before being booked into Sonoma County jail on suspicion of arson, vandalism, resisting or delaying a peace officer and violating a court order.
Authorities said the investigation remains ongoing.
You can reach Staff Writer Isabel Beer at [email protected].
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