Wanted felon arrested after foot chase, Petaluma police say

Petaluma police officers Thursday engaged in a foot chase and arrested a man they said was a wanted felon.

Ronald Stamp, 34, of Petaluma, was taken into custody near the Lynch Creek Trail north of Payran Street. He is being held without bail in the Sonoma County Jail on an outstanding warrant for a prior weapons violation.

Petaluma police responded about 11 a.m. Thursday to reports of a man carrying a makeshift spear on the trail near North McDowell Boulevard, according to a news release.

Near the trail and the Highway 101 undercrossing, officers observed two men, one of whom matched the description of the man with the spear. The man, later identified as Stamp, fled southwest along the trail toward Payran as the officers approached, police said.

Stamps later jumped into the Petaluma River and tried to swim across to Jess Avenue on the other side. More officers arrived, apprehended Stamp and eventually learned of the warrant for his arrest, police said.