NORTH COAST, Calif. – Sonoma County officials said a woman from Richmond, Va., was arrested Monday for warrants related to February’s home invasion robberies and a murder in Sonoma County.
Amber Hembree, age 20, also known as “Skittles,” was arrested for the crimes, according to Sgt. Spencer Crum of the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office.
Hembree and four men are accused of committing two Sonoma County home invasion robberies on Feb. 8, Crum said. One home invasion robbery occurred in the 1900 block of Fulton Road, the other in the 3600 block of Melcon Lane, both in unincorporated Santa Rosa.
Crum said that in both of these cases victims were tied up; two men, one at at each home, were shot. In the robbery on Melcon Lane, the victim, 54-year-old Jose Luis Torres, died as a result of his wounds. The victim from Fulton Road has survived his injury.
Detectives found the suspects’ car in Vallejo following the robberies, a pursuit ensued around Mare Island. Crum said the suspects ultimately crashed and fled on foot in Vallejo.
All four of the men were taken into custody that day but Hembree managed to escape after fleeing from the car crash, Crum said.
Crum said Sonoma County Sheriff’s detectives obtained a no-bail warrant for Hembree, charging her with one count of murder, four counts of robbery and one count of kidnapping.
He said detectives have continued to work leads in the case which led them to a home in Chester, Va. Detectives then alerted the US Marshals Service as to Hembree’s probable location.
On Monday morning, agents from the US Marshals Service found Hembree hiding in an attic of the home located in the 12000 block of Chestertowne Road. Crum said she was armed with a stolen, loaded handgun but was taken into custody without incident and was booked into a jail in Chesterfield County, a suburb of Richmond, Va.
Detectives from the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office immediately flew to Virginia to interview Hembree. Crum said she was due to be in court on Wednesday morning and is expected to be extradited to Sonoma County soon.
Sheriff Rob Giordano expressed his appreciation to the US Marshals Service. “Interagency cooperation of this serious case was so valuable. Along with the perseverance of our detective team, we hope to give the families some resolution. Our sincere thanks goes out to the US Marshals for their dedication and commitment.”
REGIONAL: Fugitive wanted in Santa Rosa home invasion robberies and murder arrested in Virginia
- Lake County News reports
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