Santa Rosa man accused of threatening Coddingtown Mall employees arrested after standoff

After a more than five-hour standoff outside a Herbert Street apartment Monday, Santa Rosa police arrested a man accused of threatening to stab employees and set off explosives at a Coddingtown Mall store during the weekend, officials said in a press release issued Tuesday.

Alejandro “Alex” Fuentes, 56, of Santa Rosa, was arrested on suspicion of making criminal threats and is being held in the Sonoma County Jail, where his bail was set at $2 million, they said the authorities

Police said Fuentes showed up at the store, which they did not identify, shortly after 10 a.m. Sunday. They said he was armed with a knife, which he used to threaten employees.

According to a report made to police, Fuentes had previously called the store “29 times in approximately 30 minutes making threats over the phone to employees and the business, including a threat to set off explosives in the store,” according to the news release from the police .

Fuentes left the store before police arrived, but threatened to return and “stab someone,” officials said.

Police said Fuentes was known to authorities because he had also called 911 “over 100 times between (Saturday and Sunday) … threatening police department personnel.”

Police went to Fuentes’ apartment in the 1600 block of Herbert Street on Sunday. He refused to answer the door and only spoke to them through a window and from a balcony, officials said, adding that after a while Fuentes stopped responding.

Police remained at the scene to make sure Fuentes did not leave the apartment, officials said.

Shortly before 7:30 a.m. Monday, police tried to speak with Fuentes again, but he refused to answer his door, officials said.

Based on the threats Fuentes was accused of making while at the mall, investigators obtained a search warrant and an arrest warrant for Fuentes and his property, according to the release.

Meanwhile, a member of the Santa Rosa Police Hostage Negotiation Team began speaking with Fuentes on the phone. After multiple conversations for more than five hours, officials opted to activate the police tactical unit.

Officials said Fuentes had refused to surrender peacefully and “threatened to shoot officers from his balcony.”

“Due to Fuentes’ refusal to surrender, threats to community members, threats to use firearms against officers, and his escalating behavior, SRPD evacuated the surrounding apartments and members of the SRPD SWAT team surrounded Fuentes’ apartment. For about an hour, SWAT team members tried to negotiate with Fuentes, but he continued to threaten officers and refused to surrender.” , officials said in the press release.

After all nearby residents were evacuated, the SWAT team deployed tear gas and forced open Fuentes’ door where he surrendered.

After searching the apartment, investigators recovered a knife believed to be the one brandished in Coddingtown, officials said.

Contact writer Anna Armstrong at 707-521-5255 or [email protected]. AX (Twitter) @annavarmstrongg.