Sonora, CA – A Sonora man was arrested after allegedly using his vehicle as a weapon in the parking lot of a local automotive store.
A caller reported to the Sonora Police Department just after 10 a.m. on Thursday, June 18, 2026, that a person he knows tried to run him down. The victim relayed that he saw the suspect, 76-year-old Robert Alvarez of Sonora, driving an older model Ford Explorer SUV in the O’Reilly’s parking lot on South Washington Street. The victim told officers that when Alvarez saw him, he hit the gas, heading straight for them, “causing the victim to jump out of the way to avoid being hit.”
Alvarez fled the scene, and a “be on the lookout” was issued. That afternoon, around 2:30 p.m., the SPD says an officer discovered Alvarez’s SUV parked at the Sonora Senior Center on Greenley Road. The victim identified Alvarez, and he was taken into custody without incident for felony assault with a deadly weapon.
