Knife-wielding woman suspected of attacking man in Petaluma park arrested

PETALUMA — Police in Petaluma arrested a woman early Wednesday who allegedly attacked a man with a knife in Lucchesi Park the prior evening, according to authorities.

Police said on Tuesday at around 7:19 p.m., officers responded to a report of an attempted stabbing on the south side of the park.  The victim, a 30-year male, told officers he was lying on the ground near the park’s community center when a female ran around the building yelling obscenities waving a kitchen knife.  The victim said the female suspect made a slashing motion at him, so used a nearby bicycle to keep from being struck. 

The victim told police he ran away and thought she had left the area, but she soon returned and he was forced to jump over a fence to get away from her a second time. The victim, who is a transient living in West Petaluma, was not injured. He told officers he recognized the suspect and identified her as Sarah Coleman, who lives in a tent along the Petaluma River. Officers were unable to find the suspect after searching the area, but said part of the incident was captured on surveillance video from the community center. 

At around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, the victim called the police department to report seeing the suspect in a shopping on North McDowell Boulevard. Responding officers located the 35-year-old Coleman and placed her under arrest for assault with a deadly weapon. Police said knife was recovered from Coleman’s backpack.   

The suspect told police that the victim had in fact started the altercation Tuesday evening, claiming it stemmed from a previous assault in April. Coleman was transported to Sonoma County Main Adult Detention Facility. Police are continuing their investigation into the incident.