The Curious Case of Robert Sonza

A career criminal is let out again & again

here's the FOX report on the April '22 incident
- lol: "Sonza was later transported to San Francisco County Jail where he was booked for multiple counts, including driving a stolen vehicle, evading a police officer in a vehicle, possession of a large-capacity magazine, and reckless driving, police said."
First Suspect Arrested In SFPD’s ‘Bait Car’ Campaign Has Prolific History of Car Break-Ins
- 10.12.23
- really just references Dan Noye's first report
  - this was when Sonza was arrested as a result of the "bait car" (9.1)
  - "Over the past five years, Sonza has been arrested more than a dozen times. He has convictions for car burglary, grand theft, hit and run, shoplifting and more. He was on probation at the time he was accused of breaking into the Oldiges' rental car.
  - Robert Sonza also has been accused of evading arrest on several occasions, trying to drive away but slamming into other cars, causing injuries, putting anyone on those streets in danger."
  - but the report simply skims the details & blandly notes that he had serious charges made aginst him, but he plea-bargained out to time served
- the SFist report seems similarly sanguine about the cases
post from Dan Noyes (a few days ago 11.27)
- tweet
- "You asked for the names of the lawyers and judge involved."
- his report is bizarre:
  - 11.22.23 19:03
  - describes an incident in April '22
    - SFPO Riley Bandy
    - police trapped Robert Sonza (24) but he broke out & led police on a chase
    - he tried run officer Bandy over
    - officers caught him
    - "At first, prosecutors charged Sonza with several counts of 'Assault upon a peace officer with a deadly weapon,' 'Hit and run,' 'Evading an officer with willful disregard,' 'Leaving the scene of an accident,' 'Resisting arrest' and a misdemeanor, 'Possession of burglar tools.'
    - In a plea deal, all the charges got dismissed, except a single count of 'Evading an officer'."
    - This included an incident from Feb. 2 of '23:
      - "Police responded to the Japantown Garage for a report of an auto burglary. Officers tried to detain Sonza as the suspect, but he fled – got in his car, ran over an officer's foot, and hit a parked car.
      - That case brought nine more charges, including 'Assault upon a peace officer,' 'Burglary of a vehicle,' 'Hit and run,' and 'Resisting arrest.'"
    - "through their offices, the public defender, Sylvia Nguyen; the prosecutor on the case, Farrah Zarea; and the judge, Linda Colfax, declined my requests for an interview."
  - Jenkins laid it off on Boudin, and Noyes didn't press her
  - Sonza has been arrested again (9.1) breaking into a "bait car"
  - Bandy then wrote a victim impact statement requesting leniency for Sonza, tho "There is no indication from the transcripts that the judge considered Bandy's statement, or even read it."
  - as of this report, Sonza remains in SF County jail
  - Redit convo
    - redditors similarly bewildered
I checked the SF county jail records– he seems to still be there, with a next court date of 12.29
- docket # 23013891, court Dept 022
the SF court records weren't very useful
- case number CRI-23013891, CRI-22004081, CRI-23013891
the judges is a former PD
- "Colfax is proving to be a formidable candidate. She has already raised more than $80,000 toward a goal of $200,000. A member of the ACLU's Northern California chapter's board of directors, Colfax has lined up an impressive list of endorsements among the city's progressive political camp.
- Those backing her judicial candidacy include her boss, Public Defender Jeff Adachi; City Attorney Dennis Herrera; openly gay state Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco); openly gay Supervisor David Campos; and former vice presidential candidate Matt Gonzales, the former supervisor who lost his mayoral bid to Gavin Newsom."
this isn't her first repeat offender
- "The San Francisco Superior Court is notoriously opaque, and it often seems like they will do everything possible to keep the facts quiet. We still don’t have the plea transcript as of press time, after more than two weeks of inquiry."

11/27/23 17:54