Cops snag Sonoma burglary suspects

Deputies from the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office arrested a Sonoma Valley couple accused of committing a commercial burglary on 8th Street East.

The incident began this morning shortly after 2 a.m when an alert deputy spotted a white Nissan Altima backed into the driveway of The Rental Place located in the 21500 block of 8^th St East in Sonoma. The deputy noticed there was a sun shade placed in the front windshield which the deputy found odd given the time of day and positioning of the car.

The deputy called for backup and several other deputies responded. They walked the fence line of the business and heard a commotion coming from a shed on the property. They then saw a person, later identified as 30-year-old Sonoma resident Vicente Valencia,  going through a fence on the opposite end of the property pulling a piece of equipment behind him back towards the Altima.

As Valencia got to the car, deputies confronted him and took him into custody without incident. They also arrested his girlfriend who was waiting in the driver’s seat of the car. She was identified as 31-year-old Michelle Castorena from Sonoma.

Deputies found that the item Valencia was pulling behind him was a $600 power washer stolen from The Rental Place. They also found several tools in his pocket that were used as burglar tools to pry an opening in the chain link fence and remove a hinge from the shed to gain entry.

Both Valencia and Castorena were transported and booked into the Sonoma County Jail on charges of burglary, possession of burglary tools and conspiracy. Valencia was also charged with a probation violation from a previous drug case.