Area Police Nab 4 Suspended Drivers in Undercover Court Sting

Four suspended Sonoma County drivers were cited Wednesday during a undercover sting operation targeting repeat DUI offenders at Sonoma County Courthouse in Santa Rosa.

Cited in the sting were four men from Sonoma, Rohnert Park, Willits and Boyes Hot Springs.

Police from the "Avoid the 13 Sonoma County DUI Task Force" conducted the undercover court sting at the Sonoma County Hall of Justice between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and noon, police said in a news release.

Officers from t, Santa Rosa Police Department, Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office, Sebastopol Police Department, Cotati Police Department, and participated in the operation.

Officer in plain clothes monitored defendants appearing in court for DUI offenses as well as suspended and unlicensed violations. When defendants left the court, the undercover officers maintained surveillance of them as they walked outside to their vehicle.

If the suspended or unlicensed driver got behind the wheel of a vehicle and drove, the person was apprehended by motor officers waiting nearby.

According to the news release, the following people were apprehended:

At 9:35 a.m., Christopher Charles Clark, 46, of Rohnert Park was stopped after driving away on a suspended license from a previous driving on a suspended license case where he failed to appear. That violation was from a previous DUI conviction. He was issued a citation to appear in court and his vehicle was impounded.

At 9:50 a.m., Juan Pablo Pena,  41,  of Boyes Hot Springs, was stopped after driving away on a suspended license for two prior DUI offenses. He was issued a citation to appear and his vehicle was impounded for 30 days.

At 10:06 a.m., Charles Kevin Duncan,  26, of Willits was stopped after driving away on a suspended license for failing to appear in court for driving without a license. His vehicle was impounded for 30 days. He was issued a citation to appear in court.

At 10:45 a.m., Brian Otto Schmidt, 45, of Sonoma was seen driving away on a suspended license for 3 prior DUI’s. He was appearing in court for two pending driving on a suspended license violations. He was issued another citation for driving on a suspended license and his vehicle was impounded for 30 days.

This operation was conducted as part of 2011 Winter Mobilization Period that began Friday, Dec. 16, and continues through Monday, Jan. 2. The purpose of the operation is to apprehend dangerous drivers and reduce alcohol related fatal and injury collisions through increased enforcement and public awareness.

The DUI Task Force reported 65 DUI arrests since Friday, Dec. 16. Funding for the Avoid Campaign is made possible through a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.