On Monday, August 8, 2016 at 11:30 a.m., The Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) District Police observed a suspicious person on campus in the Emeritus Parking Lot of the SRJC Santa Rosa Campus. The person was casing parked vehicles and bicycle racks in the area. Casing is the act of a person surveying an area for an opportunity to commit theft or another type of crime. In this incident the suspicious person was riding his bicycle slowly through the parking lots looking into unoccupied vehicles. He was also observed looking at bicycles parked unattended near the bicycle racks on the north side of Shuhaw Hall.
While observing this behavior, the officer saw the person commit a traffic violation while riding his bicycle on Elliott Avenue. The officer conducted a traffic stop for the bicycle violation and subsequently identified the person as Santa Rosa resident, 31 year old, Steven M. Sjoen. During a law enforcement records check it was discovered that Mr. Sjoen was on formal court probation for a felony conviction of commercial burglary. During a probation search, Mr. Sjoen was found to be in possession of several burglary tools commonly used in vehicle and bicycle thefts; extra-large set of bolt cutters wrapped in cloth and black tape for concealment, several pair of pliers, several flashlights, several pair of hex type tools, one pair of wire cutters. Possession of these tools was in direct violation of Mr. Sjoen’s terms of probation.
Steven M. Sjoen was arrested without incident for possession of burglary tools, California Penal Code Section 466. Sjoen was transported and booked at the Sonoma County Jail for said violation and for violating his terms of probation.
The SRJC District Police Department would like to remind the community to always properly secure your vehicles, remove items of value, and lock your bicycles when parked on campus. While the SRJC campuses are relatively safe environments, they are not crime free. Please help the SRJC District Police Department by reporting any suspicious activity immediately at (707) 527-1000. Remember, “If you see something, say something!”
