Santa Rosa Man Arrested for Alleged Assault on a Peace Officer, Criminal Threats
SANTA ROSA, CA — “The Santa Rosa Police Department has arrested an 18-year-old man in connection with an armed threat investigation and vehicle pursuit that occurred in Santa Rosa on September 6, 2026, and has separately arrested his mother on a felony accessory charge.
Shortly before 3:00 a.m. on September 6, 2026, officers with Santa Rosa Police Department (SRPD) responded to the 1400 block of Gloria Drive after the victim reported that an acquaintance had threatened to come to his home and shoot him. It was believed the suspect was armed and en route to the victim’s home.
Officers located the suspect vehicle near the victim’s home and attempted an investigative traffic stop. The vehicle initially yielded, then fled with wanton disregard for public safety. The pursuit ended a short distance later, when the suspect intentionally rammed his vehicle into a marked patrol vehicle occupied by an SRPD K9 officer and his K9 partner. The driver fled from his vehicle on foot and was not located during an extensive search. Neither the officer nor his K9 partner were injured during this incident.
During a search of the suspect’s abandoned vehicle, officers recovered a loaded, unregistered pump-action shotgun concealed in the trunk. A second occupant of the vehicle, a female in her late teens, was arrested at the scene for conspiracy per Penal Code 182(a)(1).
Detectives with the SRPD Violent Crimes Investigations Team (VCI) responded to the scene and assumed the investigation. On September 6, 2026, a judge signed an arrest warrant for the driver, identified as Fox Wheeler, age 18, of Roseville, for violations of Penal Code sections 422(a) (criminal threats), 245(c) (assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer), 182(a)(1) (conspiracy), 29820 and 25850(a) (carrying a loaded firearm). A search warrant for Wheeler’s Roseville residence was obtained following additional investigation.
On September 10, 2026, the joint regional SWAT team comprised of the Roseville Police Department and the Rocklin Police Department executed a search warrant at a Roseville residence and served the arrest warrant, taking Fox Wheeler into custody without incident. Clothing and electronic devices related to this incident were seized.
Following the service of those warrants, SRPD VCI detectives arrested Amber Wheeler, age 51, of Roseville, the mother of Fox Wheeler, on a charge of Penal Code section 32, accessory after the fact, a felony. She was arrested in Roseville and booked into the Placer County Detention Center.
The Santa Rosa Police Department extends its gratitude to the Roseville Police Department, Rocklin Police Department, and their joint regional SWAT Team for their outstanding assistance in this investigation and the safe execution of the search and arrest warrants. Their professionalism, coordination, and commitment to public safety were instrumental in bringing this case to a successful resolution.
This incident highlights the critical importance of the swift actions taken by responding officers, who quickly located the suspect after receiving information that an armed individual was en route to confront the victim. Their rapid response prevented a tragic outcome and likely averted a potential homicide, ultimately protecting both the victim and the community.
Santa Rosa Police Department case number 26-9793.”
