Santa Rosa police arrest two suspects in transit mall assault

Bay City News

SANTA ROSA — Police on Friday arrested two suspects in connection with an assault that occurred in Santa Rosa earlier this week and sent three victims to the hospital.

Elijio Garfia, 24, of Cotati, was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a controlled substance, according to the Santa Rosa Police Department.

A 16-year-old, also of Cotati, was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon.

Police responded at 6:17 p.m. Tuesday to a report of an assault at the Santa Rosa Transit Mall and found three victims with serious injuries.

The victims were taken to a hospital.

Investigators said seven to eight men had confronted the victims and one of the suspects struck the victims several times with a golf club.

Police said it appears the attack was not random, and the suspects had an ongoing dispute with at least one of the victims.

Following the attack, the suspects fled.

During the ensuing investigation, officers obtained information that enabled them to identify two of the suspects.

On Friday around 9:30 a.m., officers took Garfia into custody following a traffic stop in the 3300 block of Moorland Avenue.

Police said he was in possession of a usable amount of cocaine.

Also on Friday morning, the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety located the 16-year-old suspect, and he was booked into juvenile hall.