Crime & Safety

Hitchhiker Accused of Stabbing Driver To Be Arraigned

30-year-old man arrested on suspicion of stabbing incident near Guerneville.


A hitchhiker accused of stabbing a driver who picked him up will be arraigned in Sonoma County Superior Court on Tuesday afternoon.

Aaron Anthony Barbee, 30, was picked up as he was hitchhiking on River Road in the Guerneville area around 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sonoma County sheriff's Sgt. Carlos Basurto said.

At some point, Barbee attacked the driver, who suffered stab wounds to the torso and right hand, Basurto said. The driver stopped the car, made Barbee get out, then drove to a gas station in Santa Rosa where he called his sister, who took him to a hospital, Basurto said.

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The driver's 8-year-old son also was in the vehicle, Basurto said.

About an hour later, Barbee attempted to steal a man's cellphone in the plaza in downtown Sebastopol near the Whole Foods Market parking lot, Sebastopol police Sgt. Mike Nielsen said.

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The man called Sebastopol police, who were already aware of the stabbing incident because the sheriff's office had put out a bulletin, Nielsen said.

"Our cases matched," Nielsen said.

Basurto said Barbee gave a San Rafael address but also has a Guerneville address.

Barbee was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon and child cruelty in the stabbing incident, and attempted robbery and being under the influence of a controlled substance in the Sebastopol incident.

He also has a parole hold stemming from a previous burglary and is being held without bail in Sonoma County Jail.

By Bay City News Service

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