Traffic Stop Near Highway 101 and Rohnert Park Expressway Leads to Multiple Felony Charges
Photo shared by Rohnert Park DPS
ROHNERT PARK, CA — “On September 8, 2026, at approximately 3:11 a.m., a Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety Sergeant conducted a traffic stop on a white Nissan sedan for a vehicle code violation. The vehicle stopped near the southbound Highway 101 on-ramp at Rohnert Park Expressway.
The driver provided the Sergeant with a false name. When questioned about his identity, the driver fled southbound on Highway 101. Two additional occupants remained in the vehicle as the pursuit continued into Petaluma.
The driver exited Highway 101 at East Washington Avenue, where he collided with a guardrail. He then fled from the vehicle on foot, while the two other occupants remained at the scene.
With assistance from a Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office deputy operating a drone, officers located the driver hiding in a nearby creek. The driver was identified as Joshua Hankins, 29, of Redding, California.
Hankins was found to be on Post-Release Community Supervision (PRCS) and had two outstanding felony warrants.
During a search of the vehicle, officers located a firearm and ammunition.
Hankins was additionally arrested and booked on the following charges:
- 148(a)(1) PC – Resisting/Obstructing a Peace Officer
- 3455(a) PC – Violation of Post-Release Community Supervision
- 2800.2 CVC- Felony Evading
- 20001(a) CVC – Felony Hit and Run
- 29800(a)(1) PC – Felon in Possession of a Firearm
- 30305(a)(1) PC – Felon in Possession of Ammunition
- 529(a)(3) PC – False Impersonation of Another Person
- 485 PC – Theft or Misappropriation of Lost Property
The two occupants were transported to a local hospital for evaluation and were later discharged. Hankins was also transported to a local hospital for evaluation before being transported to the Sonoma County Jail, where he was booked on the listed charges and his outstanding warrants.”
