BERKELEY -- Ending a six-week crime spree that authorities said included two high-speed chases, assault of a sheriff's deputy and stealing more than 10 vehicles, fugitive Dimitri Koa Storm was arrested Tuesday in Berkeley.
Storm, 43, was caught about one block from the campus of UC Berkeley after a brief chase early Tuesday morning.
Storm told police his name was James Rollston -- the name of one of his victims in Santa Cruz County. Police later identified him by fingerprints, said Berkeley police officer Jennifer Coats.
Santa Cruz County deputies were told early Thursday morning that Storm was apprehended.
"Now knowing his history, we are glad that none of our officers were hurt," Coats said Thursday.
Coats said Berkeley police received calls about a man trying to break in to cars on the 1500 block of Summit Road about 3 a.m. Two officers found Storm.
"They went to detain him, and he tried to pull away from officers and pulled off running," said Coats.
The officers grabbed him and handcuffed him.
Storm suffered minor injuries during a brief struggle, she said. Storm told police his name was James Prouty Rollston, but authorities later fingerprinted him and identified him as Storm.
Storm was arrested on suspicion of burglary, attempted burglary, resisting arrest and giving false identification to a police officer, police said.
He was booked into Santa Rita Jail in Dublin rather than Berkeley
Jail in part because he was taken to a hospital after his arrest, police said. He is expected to be arraigned Friday at Wiley Manuel Courthouse in Oakland and remained in jail in lieu of $1 million bail, according to jail records.
THE TRAIL
Since March, Storm has been accused of stealing 10 vehicles, burglarizing more than 40 vehicles, pointing a gun at a Soquel Hills resident, slamming a deputy's arm in an SUV door in Petaluma and leading authorities on chases in Sonoma, Marin and Monterey counties.
Deputies considered him armed and dangerous.
"This is now his seventh county that I'm aware of in the last 40 days" where Storm has committed crimes, said Santa Cruz County sheriff's deputy April Skalland.
"I think people are probably going to be very relieved that he's in custody. It's great that it ended the way it did because nobody got hurt," Skalland said.
She thanked residents for providing deputies with tips in the past few weeks, and continued to advise residents to lock doors and stay vigilant for other burglars.
Storm is expected to remain in Santa Rita Jail and answer to the Berkeley charges before he is transported to any of the other counties for prosecution. It was not clear Thursday where Storm's next stop would be, authorities said.
"The many district attorney's offices will have to work that out," said Coats.
Storm attended San Lorenzo Valley schools as a youth and has ties to Santa Cruz County, deputies said.
His family told deputies that he believes he is a police officer, and authorities said he has a history of mental health problems.
Storm's criminal history dates to 1989 and includes a four-year prison term for burglary in Santa Cruz County in 2001.
HIS spree
His most recent arrest before Thursday was in Santa Cruz in January 2013. In that case, police said Storm was drunk when he challenged a man to a fight near West Cliff Drive and Pelton Avenue. When someone took him up on his offer, Storm exposed himself and inserted a finger into his rectum, police said.
Storm later pleaded no contest to misdemeanor lewd conduct and was sentenced Feb. 1 to two years of summary probation.
In the past 40 days, deputies said Storm's pattern was to rifle through unlocked cars and homes. Other times, he stole unlocked vehicles -- mainly SUVs -- and later ditched them and found another vehicle to steal in the same area.
He appeared on a home surveillance video while prowling in Ben Lomond in March, and later was confronted by a Soquel Hills resident who returned home and found Storm taking items.
Storm pointed a gun at the resident and fled, deputies said.
Deputies caught up with Storm him on April 5, when they found him sleeping in a stolen SUV in Petaluma.
They shot Storm twice with a stun gun, but he slammed a deputy's arm in a door of the SUV and led them on a chase to Marin County with K-9s and a helicopter.
Deputies said Storm left behind a backpack during the chase, which contained a flash drive with a resume of a San Lorenzo Valley resident. Sonoma County deputies called the owner of the resume and eventually linked Storm to more than 20 vehicle burglaries in the San Lorenzo Valley.
Storm also threatened a Big Sur store clerk in Big Sur and led deputies on a chase before stealing more vehicles in Carmel, Palo Alto and the Soquel Hills.
At a news conference in Felton on May 2, Santa Cruz County deputies offered a $500 reward for his arrest, considering him armed and dangerous. By that time, Storm also was wanted in Santa Cruz County on suspicion of robbery, vehicle thefts, vehicle burglaries and other charges.
Warrants also were issued in Sonoma and Monterey counties for assault on a peace officer, evading police, vehicle theft and other charges.
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DIMITRI STORM'S CRIMINAL RECORD
Dimitri Storm's rap sheet dates to 1989 and includes arrests in Santa Barbara County, Humboldt County, Eureka, Santa Cruz and San Francisco.
PRISON: His most serious conviction in Santa Cruz County was for first-degree felony burglary. In December 2001, he was sentenced to four years in prison.
DRUG POSSESSION: In December 1997 in Santa Cruz County, Storm pleaded guilty to felony drug possession for sale, court records state. He was sentenced to 120 days in Santa Cruz County Jail, restitution and probation with a probation officer for three years.
INDECENT EXPOSURE: On Jan. 28, 2013, Storm was drunk near West Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz when he challenged people to fight and exposed himself, police said. He was arrested and later pleaded guilty to misdemeanor indecent exposure. Storm was sentenced to summary probation, which does not assign a probation officer but allows authorities to search him.
TIMELINE
Dimitri Storm has been suspected of crimes in Santa Cruz, Monterey, Santa Clara, Monterey, Sonoma, Marin, San Mateo and Alameda counties since March, authorities said.
March 27, Fairfax: Storm stole a Ford Ranger at Fairfax Community Church during an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in which he asked for money.
March 31, Ben Lomond: Fifteen vehicles were broken in to in Ben Lomond. A home surveillance camera caught images of Storm stealing from two of the vehicles and evidence linked him to all the thefts, authorities said.
April 2, Soquel Hills: A resident returned home near North Rodeo Gulch Road and saw a burglar who deputies later identified as Storm. Storm pointed a gun at the resident and fled in a stolen Lexus. Storm ditched the car that afternoon and stole a Ford Explorer from a garage, also in the Soquel Hills.
April 5, Petaluma: Storm was sleeping in a stolen SUV when deputies awakened him, questioned him and shot him twice with a stun gun. Storm pulled out the stun gun darts and slammed a deputy's arm in a door. He led deputies on a chase to Marin County and was not found.
April 9, BOULDER CREEK: A home surveillance camera in Boulder Creek captured images of Storm prowling. The image was posted online April 10, and deputies searched the area unsuccessfully.
April 11, Boulder Creek: A stolen Toyota Highlander was found abandoned on West Hilton Drive in Boulder Creek with stolen license plates. About the same time, a black Audi Q5 SUV is reported stolen from a home in Felton. Deputies linked both SUVs to Storm.
April 13, Carmel: Deputies suspect Storm dumped a stolen Audi Q5 in Carmel and stole a silver Lexus.
April 17, Big Sur: Storm appeared drunk when he threatened to fight a clerk at a Big Sur convenience store. Storm left in a Lexus, led deputies on a chase and escaped the next day in another stolen vehicle.
April 22, Palo Alto: Driving a Mercedes Benz stolen from Carmel, Storm picked up a female hitchhiker and drove to San Mateo County. He talked about having weapons and the woman fled. The Mercedes was later found near Palo Alto near where another vehicle was stolen by Storm.
April 25, Soquel Hills: A resident spotted Storm sleeping in a stolen Ford Ranger near Darma Ridge Road but didn't realize it was Storm. Storm left, dumped the Ranger and stole a Toyota 4Runner.
May 7, Berkeley: Storm was arrested on the 1500 block of Summit Road while trying to break in to cars. He resisted arrest and gave officers a false name. He remained in Santa Rita Jail Thursday in lieu of $1 million jail, according to jail records.
Copyright 2013 - Santa Cruz Sentinel, Calif.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
