Petaluma police: Suspects brandish gun in two incidents

Police are looking for a man who reportedly brandished a firearm in a pair of incidents near downtown Petaluma on Monday afternoon.

Officers responded Monday to Howard Street and Western Avenue, where man said he was walking his dog when a light blue Toyota Prius with three adult white males pulled up alongside him, according to a Petaluma Police Department news release.

The front passenger made a derogatory statement regarding the Raiders football jersey the man was wearing, then brandished a small, black handgun at him out the window, police said. The alleged gunman was described as in his 20s with long dark hair wearing a blue sweatshirt. No description of the other occupants was available.

Then about 20 minutes later another person reported that a front seat passenger in a light blue Toyota Prius pulled up next to her and pointed a black handgun at her head from about three feet away while making a derogatory statement to her at the 7-11 store on Howard Street.

The victim also described the suspect as having a red hat and a beard in addition to the earlier description provided. After the second incident the Prius continued Northbound on Howard Street.

At about 4 p.m. a resident in the area of Marble Way reported seeing a matching Toyota Prius driving slowly past his driveway as if casing his residence. This resident was able to provide still photos of the vehicle from his home surveillance to officers for further investigation.

The light blue Toyota Prius was further described as having a blue, out-of-state license plate, with yellow lettering, with license plate number appearing to be PPD774. The vehicle also had damage to the passenger side front corner.

Anyone with information is asked to call Petaluma Police Department Officer Nagi at (707) 778-4372.

Amelia Parreira is a staff writer for the Argus-Courier. She can be reached at amelia.parreira@arguscourier.com or 707-521-5208.