A man wanted in connection to a shooting earlier this year in Santa Rosa was arrested late last week in Mendocino County after leading police on a chase and jumping from a bridge, authorities said.
Nathan Little Bear Hoaglin Jr., 21, was arrested Friday on suspicion of multiple charges related to a February shooting just south of downtown Santa Rosa and for fleeing police, according to a Fort Bragg police news release.
Hoaglin is suspected of shooting a 26-year-old man in the shoulder following an argument between two groups Feb. 18 in the 500 block of Barham Avenue. The man shot was treated and later released from the hospital.
During a preliminary investigation, police determined the fight was because of a “presumed gang affiliation,” Sgt. Patricia Seffens told The Press Democrat in February. Police had not determined who started the argument.
Authorities identified Hoaglin as the suspect about a week after the shooting and issued a reward from the Sonoma County Alliance Community Engagement and Safety Rewards Fund for information leading to his arrest.
On Friday, Fort Bragg police officers pulled over a vehicle Hoaglin was driving and noticed he was possibly intoxicated, the release said. But Hoaglin then took off in the vehicle, which also had two passengers.
He drove on Highway 1 for about 10 minutes, lost control of the car and crashed into another vehicle on the Jack Peters Creek Bridge in Mendocino. The three got out of the vehicle, jumped off the bridge and ran. The other driver was not injured.
Officers found a loaded unregistered handgun with a high capacity magazine in the Hoaglin’s vehicle.
Hoaglin was found and detained in the 45000 block of Main Street. He was booked into the Mendocino County jail for a warrant for attempted homicide and participation in a criminal street gang. He is also suspected of seven charges, including violating his post release community supervision, evading police, child endangerment, carrying a loaded firearm in public and leaving the scene of an accident.
He is being held in lieu of $1,030,000 bail.
The two passengers, a 19-year-old and 16-year-old, were later arrested and booked into the Mendocino County jail and Mendocino County Juvenile Detention Center, respectively.
All three had minor injuries after jumping from the bridge but were medically cleared before being booked.
Fort Bragg Police are asking that anyone with information on this incident contact Sgt. De Leon at 707-961-2800, ext. 214.
You can reach Staff Writer Madison Smalstig at madison.smalstig@pressdemocrat.com. On X (Twitter) @madi.smals.
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