Fire evacuee nearly shot by stray bullet in Petaluma motel

PETALUMA, Calif. - A Glass Fire evacuee was nearly hit by a stray bullet in her Petaluma motel room after a neighboring guest fired off nine rounds.

Petaluma Police said they received a 911 call from a guest at the Motel 6 in Petaluma on Sept. 29 at approximately 9:30 a.m. The caller reported shots being fired at the motel.

Wayne Perry, a Santa Rosa resident, told KTVU that his mother was the guest who called police. He said he and his mom were evacuated from their Santa Rosa neighborhood due to the Glass Fire. They were staying in separate rooms when the incident happened. Perry said he received a frantic call from his mother.

“She said somebody had shot through her hotel room while she was sleeping and it had gone through her headboard less than three inches from hitting her in the head,” Perry said.

Officers determined a man, identified as 52-year-old Jose Gomeznunez of Lodi, had fired off nine rounds inside his room. Some of the bullets went through the wall and entered an adjacent motel room that the woman was staying in. Two of the rounds were fired through the door of the motel room. One of the rounds went into an empty motel room and the other round was found in a second story balcony railing. No one was hurt.

Petaluma Police said Gomeznunez was standing in front of his motel room when officers arrived and he was safely taken into custody. They said he had a loaded 9mm handgun in his possession.

Gomeznunez was booked into the Sonoma County Jail for shooting into an inhabited dwelling and being a felon in possession of a firearm. His bail was set at $250,000.

Cristina Rendon is an Anchor/Reporter for KTVU. Email her at cristina.rendon@foxtv.com and follow her on Facebook & Twitter: @CristinaKTVU