Full Notification

Petaluma Police Department 
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release 
Wednesday, June 12, 2024

Incident:                      Felony Financial Elder Abuse
Report Number:          24-2029
Occurred Date :           May 16, 2024
Occurred Time:           5:46 PM
Location:                     259 N. McDowell Blvd, Petaluma
Suspect:                      Florian Matei (age 25, Sacramento)
Charges:                     368(d)(1) PC Elder Abuse- Financial

Incident Summary:
 
On May 16, 2024, at 5:46 P.M., the Petaluma Police Department received a missing persons’ report of an 85-year-old male who was missing after leaving his home to go to the store. At the time, Petaluma Police Department Officers located the victim’s vehicle unoccupied in the Trader Joes parking lot and the victim was nowhere in the area. The victim’s family informed us that they had spoken to the victim on the phone for a short time prior to our arrival and could hear a male voice in the background trying to sell him jewelry. They were unsure where he was or who he was with.
 
Officers conducted an emergency ping for the victim’s cell phone and discovered he was in the area of Cotati. Officers also learned that the victim’s last bank transaction was at a local casino. The victim returned to his vehicle about an hour later and was met by Officers. Officers learned that the victim was approached by a male subject who wanted to sell him gold jewelry. The male subject drove the victim to various banks and a casino in an attempt to have him withdraw large amounts of cash. In total, the victim withdrew more than $4,000 and gave it to the subject. The victim was eventually transported back to the parking lot. The jewelry was later determined to be fake, having minimal value.
 
Officers obtained video surveillance from the casino and identified a license plate for the suspect’s vehicle. Through additional investigative leads, officers determined the male’s identity to be Matei (25). Matei was contacted by Daly City PD in December 2023 for similar behavior.
 
The Petaluma Police Department Investigation’s Unit took over the investigation and authored a warrant for Matei’s arrest. On June 7, 2024, Petaluma Police Officers were conducting patrol in the Plaza shopping center when they observed Matei’s vehicle. Officers conducted an enforcement stop and took Matei into custody without incident.
 
Matei was booked into the Sonoma County Jail for 368(d)(1) PC – Felony Financial Elder Abuse. After being booked into the county jail, Matei’s identity was verified through a Fingerprint ID system. It was then discovered that Matei had an alias and was a fugitive from justice from Fairfax County, Virginia, having an outstanding arrest warrant for abduction by force and four outstanding warrants for robbery by force.
 
Media inquiries can be directed to Sgt. Ryan McGreevy at (707) 778-4415 or [email protected].