Wanted felon arrested after found with missing Sonoma Co. woman

GUERNEVILLE, Calif.

On Friday, the woman was reported missing from her Sonoma County home and had last been seen in Fremont with 32-year-old William Tweedie, who was wanted in Sonoma County for a felony probation violation, Lt. Tim Duke said.

Detectives worked throughout the night to track down Tweedie and developed information that led them to a home off of Westside Road in Guerneville, where they found a vehicle registered in his name, the lieutenant said.

Duke said deputies arriving on the scene spoke with the property owner, identified as 51-year-old Steven Gary Hill, but he refused to cooperate with them.

Concerned for the safety of the missing woman and believing that she was inside the home, the sheriff's office SWAT team was called to negotiate with Hill.

The SWAT team was able to establish a dialogue with the property owner, prompting Tweedie to exit the home and surrender on the felony warrant around 10 a.m., according to the sheriff's office.

The missing woman was found inside the home, apparently unharmed.

Duke said an investigation into the case is ongoing but that the woman appears to have gone missing voluntarily and decided to join Tweedie, who is an acquaintance.

A search of the Guerneville home also turned up a loaded firearm, the lieutenant said.

Tweedie was arrested for allegedly being a felon in possession of ammunition, which violated the terms of his probation, and for a new charge of being a felon in possession of a loaded firearm, according to the sheriff's office.

Hill was also arrested on suspicion of knowingly aiding, harboring and concealing a felon to avoid or escape arrest.

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