Healdsburg Man Sentenced for High Speed Pursuit and Possession of Illegal Firearms

Defendant Fabian Flores-Gonzalez, 18 years old of Healdsburg, was sentenced Thursday to one year in county jail and three years of formal probation for leading officers on a high speed pursuit and possession of illegal firearms and drugs.

District Attorney Ravitch stated, “This defendant placed several motorists in danger with his reckless driving.  Luckily he was taken into custody without further incident.”

On June 13, 2018 at about 12:22 a.m. Officer Craig Smith of the Healdsburg Police Department was northbound on highway 101 when he observed Flores-Gonzalez driving on the highway at a high rate of speed.  Officer Smith initiated a traffic stop and Flores-Gonzalez exited at the Dry Creek Road off ramp.  Flores-Gonzalez stopped his vehicle near the bottom of the ramp and Officer Smith gave him further instructions to turn off the roadway.  Flores-Gonzalez, however, ignored the instruction and drove back up the on ramp and merged onto the highway.  Flores-Gonzalez reached speeds of up to 93 miles per hour as Officer Smith and other Healdsburg officers joined the pursuit.  After swerving across the highway Flores-Gonzalez slowed rapidly and entered the grassy median.  When it appeared that Flores-Gonzalez was going to enter the southbound lanes, Officer Smith used his patrol vehicle to block his path of travel.

Once Flores-Gonzalez was blocked he exited his vehicle and ran across the southbound lanes of highway 101 carrying a duffle bag.  Officer Smith immediately set off on a foot pursuit.  Officer Smith caught up with Flores-Gonzalez and tackled him on the steep grassy slope off the shoulder of the highway.  Flores-Gonzalez was then placed in handcuffs.

A search of the duffle bag that Flores-Gonzalez was carrying contained an illegal short barrel semi-automatic firearm and a loaded revolver.  A further search of his vehicle revealed some marijuana and a quarter pound of hallucinogenic mushrooms.  Also recovered from the vehicle’s trunk was a small safe containing $19,400 in cash.

Flores-Gonzalez pled no contest to felony evading, felony possession of an illegal rifle, and felony possession of narcotics for sale and was sentenced to serve a year in county jail and three years of felony formal probation.

The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Thomas Gotshall.  Officer Craig Smith of the Healdsburg Police Department headed the investigation.