Mendocino County Man Arrested After Pursuit Along Sonoma Coast

The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office arrested a Mendocino County man for robbery and other offenses after a pursuit along state Highway 1 on the  Sonoma Coast this afternoon. 

The sheriff's office was informed just before noon that a man was  acting erratically in front of the Ocean Cove Store and Campground at 23125 Highway 1 in Jenner, Sgt. Kevin Young said.

The white male adult in his 20s was reported to be hacking at bushes with a kitchen knife in front of the store, Young said.

Before deputies arrived, the suspect reportedly brandished a knife and stole a Chrysler minivan from a resident on Kelly Court, Young said.

The suspect drove away and, still armed with the knife, took four packs of cigarettes from a store at the Fort Ross Lodge at 20705 Highway 1 in Jenner, Young said.

Deputy Mark Provost pursued the stolen minivan that headed south on Highway 1 as the suspect forced cars off the roadway. The deputy ended the pursuit when the suspect drove the minivan in excess of 75 mph, Young said.

Provost soon found the minivan parked along Highway 1 at Meyer's Grade. When Provost tried to contact the driver, the van lurched forward 100 feet and crashed into a mile marker, causing the van to become inoperable,  Young said.

Provost took the suspect, identified as 21-year-old Marcus Meloy of Point Arena, into custody. Meloy was booked into the Sonoma County jail for armed robbery, burglary, auto theft and brandishing a weapon, Young said.

-Bay City News