Porsche Driver Accused Of DUI, Leading Petaluma Police On Chase

Petaluma CA

20 November, 2020

7:46 PM

Description

PETALUMA, CA — The driver of a silver Porsche was arrested Thursday morning on suspicion of evading police, DUI and other charges after he led officers on a chase from Downtown Petaluma, police said. Officers initially tried to stop Mahmoud Ramadan, 31, at 10:29 a.m. Thursday when they saw him run a red light on Petaluma Boulevard South, Petaluma police Sgt. Rick Cox said. Officers had their lights and sirens activated but Ramadan did not stop, Cox said. Instead, Ramadan ran several stop signs at a high rate of speed throughout the westside residential area of Petaluma, Cox said. The pursuit was terminated because of unsafe conditions and Ramadan's reckless driving, police said. But officers were soon flagged down by several witnesses who told them the Porsche was parked on Baker Court. When officers got to Baker Court, more witnesses told them two people got out of the Porsche and ran off. "Alert neighbors in the area observed Ramadan and his passenger, later identified as an elderly, seventy-one-year-old male, enter a residence's rear yard and conceal themselves in an unlocked detached garage," Cox said. K-9 Officer Gutierrez responded with his canine partner, Jax, and ordered the two to come out of the garage. "Ramadan and the elderly male exited the garage and were taken into custody without further incident," Cox said. "During the investigation, officers observed signs of intoxication and suspected Ramadan was operating his vehicle while under the influence." Ramadan was arrested and booked into Sonoma County jail on suspicion of felony evading, reckless driving, DUI and driving on a suspended license. According to Petaluma police, Ramadan was already on probation out of Riverside County for a DUI conviction, which was why his driver's license was suspended. "Ramadan's passenger was determined not to have committed any crimes and was an innocent bystander," Cox said. "Because of Ramadan's reckless driving and the high level of endangerment he put his passenger in, a felony elder abuse charge will be forwarded to the district attorney's office for review."