Law enforcement officers report that an ex-resident of Sonoma with a known criminal history from 2024 came back to his town, proceeded to reoffend, and eventually was captured by the police. The individual who once lived in Sonoma was apprehended on February 5, facing multiple charges in connection to a series of thefts he’s suspected to have carried out during the last few months. This act of unlawful sprees bears a striking resemblance to the criminal records of this person, previously taken into custody in 2024 for likened allegations. Michael Chilton, a 44-year-old male, was first arrested on June 20, 2024.
After his initial arrest, subsequent arrest warrants were issued following his release. Chilton, apparently has accumulated charges across several jurisdictions, as per the records from law enforcement. His charges include evading court appearances, resisting apprehension, and committing acts of violent threat like waving an ax at deputies in Amador County, where he was believed to have been hiding.
Efforts from Sonoma Police in unison with the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office led to the apprehension of Chilton on February 5, accusing him of a string of thefts and break-ins. Following his arrest, Chilton was put behind bars in the Sonoma County Jail, where he is currently incarcerated.
On the morning of February 5, a call came into Sonoma Police from a property owner of a commercial building on Fifth Street West in Sonoma. It was reported that the proprietor witnessed suspicious activity at the rear of their property through surveillance footage, which led them to notify the authorities quickly. Arriving at the scene, the police, along with the county’s deputies, found Chilton trespassing on the property, attempting to unlawfully remove items.
The Sonoma Police had previous knowledge of Chilton as he was taken into custody the prior summer for thefts related incidences within the Sonoma Plaza and downtown vicinity. The investigation culminated in his arrest for several counts of theft, breaking and entering, along with possession of stolen goods.
Multiple items were recovered by the Sonoma Police during their months-long investigation that started in 2024. The stolen items were traced back to a variety of locations, including residential properties, construction sites, eateries, vineyards, and Little League grounds. Intriguingly, a large portion of the crimes involved theft of outdoor furniture like seats, tables, and benches from business establishments in Sonoma.
Tracking back to 2024, Chilton was arrested on June 20, following the issuance and execution of search warrants at his household and a pair of storage units. After being processed and momentarily released, he retreated to Amador County, where he later neglected to appear in court for the 2024 theft case from Sonoma. Consequently, an arrest warrant was issued in Sonoma under his name.
In an unexpected turn of events on July 25, 2024, deputies from Amador County reported an encounter with Chilton, whose vehicle had pulled to the side due to mechanical problems. Expecting to be detained under the existing Sonoma warrant, Chilton was transported back to the Sonoma County Jail. However, to the surprise of many, he was released after a couple of days and returned to his old habits of criminal misconduct.
It wasn’t until Feb 5, when police officers managed to locate Chilton at the Fifth Street West property, he was finally taken into custody based on the outstanding arrest warrant. During the arrest, Chilton’s vehicle, found parked near the vicinity of the property, was searched and turned out to contain a wet outdoor table and chairs, suspected to be stolen from the historic Maysonnave House.
This damp antique table was identified by the Sonoma League for Historic Preservation as belonging to the Maysonnave House, leading to an additional felony theft charge. The stolen table and chairs were then instantly returned to its original location, matching the condition they were before the theft.
On February 7, detectives from Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office Property Crimes Investigations Unit traveled to San Francisco with additional search warrants for other locations connected to the suspect. More stolen items related to three extra theft cases in Sonoma were found during the search in San Francisco. The recovered items were returned to their rightful owners in Sonoma.
Consequently, Chilton’s charges were updated. Currently, he is being held in custody on two felony warrants with new charges added to his name. These include: felony theft with two prior records of petty theft, felony possession of stolen property, felony burglary, felony grand theft, misdemeanor petty theft, felony destruction of property, and misdemeanor drug-related offenses.
In an effort to trace back yet unaccounted stolen items, Sonoma Police are seeking help from the public. They are particularly looking for three large circular tables coated with blue rubber, which were taken from Dutch Brothers Coffee on Broadway. Information regarding these items is being actively solicited by the police department.
In an effort to address these issues and prevent future thefts, local enforcement officers are ramping up security measures. Despite the continuous rise in related events, the Sonoma law enforcement bodies hope that strengthening their cooperation with the local community will enable them to address this alarming situation and restore peace in the area.