Santa Rosa Man Arrested For Murder After Nine Hour Manhunt In Water Tanker Truck Hiding Spot

Sonoma County deputies arrested William Rufner for murder after finding him inside a water tanker truck following a fatal mobile home stabbing.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 20, 2026, 1:27 PM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from The Mercury News

Violent Encounter Reported At West Santa Rosa Mobile Home

A quiet neighborhood west of Santa Rosa became the site of a grisly homicide investigation late Wednesday evening. Sonoma County sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the 5000 block of Taylor Avenue at approximately 9:40 pm after a witness reported seeing a man, later identified as William Rufner, fleeing a mobile home while covered in blood. A bystander who entered the residence discovered an adult woman unresponsive on a bed with significant bleeding, prompting an immediate emergency medical response to the Stony Point Road area.

Emergency Life Saving Measures Fail At The Scene

The first responding deputy arrived within minutes of the initial 911 call and secured the perimeter to allow medical personnel to enter the home. Despite the rapid arrival of paramedics and their attempts at life saving interventions, the woman succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. While the specific cause of death has not been detailed by investigators, the scene was immediately processed as a homicide, and a large scale search for the fleeing suspect was initiated across the surrounding rural properties.

Nine Hour Manhunt Ends In Water Tanker Discovery

Law enforcement launched an extensive overnight search that lasted nine hours and involved multiple deputies scouring the Taylor Avenue corridor. The manhunt reached a conclusion Thursday morning when deputies discovered Rufner hiding inside a water tanker truck parked in the vicinity. The suspect was taken into custody without further incident, ending a tense period for local residents who had been alerted to the presence of a potentially dangerous individual in their community.