A Santa Rosa man, identified as 42-year-old Peni Cere, was arrested following allegations of sexual assault involving impersonation of a police officer and threats to report the victim to immigration authorities, police confirmed Wednesday.
Earlier this month, a woman reported to the Santa Rosa Police Department that she was violently sexually assaulted in June while sleeping in her vehicle on Montgomery Drive near 2nd Street. According to her account, a man wearing a police uniform and badge forced his way into her car and threatened to call U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) before assaulting her.
The victim said she was initially afraid to report the incident due to the threat of deportation but was persuaded by a family member to come forward.
Police identified the suspect as Peni Cere, a Santa Rosa resident who worked as a uniformed security guard in multiple city locations, often during night shifts. After conducting a search and surveillance operation, officers located Cere parking a vehicle on College Avenue, roughly four blocks from the assault site, on the evening of August 7.
Cere was arrested and booked into the Sonoma County Main Adult Detention Facility on charges of assault with intent to commit rape and threatening arrest or deportation to facilitate sexual assault. He is being held on a $250,000 bail.
Law enforcement officials expressed concern that Cere’s bold actions and use of his fake police identity to threaten ICE involvement might have intimidated other potential victims into silence.
The Santa Rosa Police Department emphasized its adherence to the California Values Act—California’s sanctuary law—which prohibits local police from investigating or arresting individuals based solely on immigration status and limits cooperation with ICE enforcement.
“SRPD policy goes further by explicitly prohibiting officers from inquiring about a person’s immigration status or cooperating with ICE enforcement actions,” the department stated. “Our priority is public safety, and we are here to support every member of our community without fear of deportation or immigration consequences.”
Due to the sensitive nature of the crime and to protect the victim’s identity, police declined to release further details.
“We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the victim for her bravery and trust in our department,” officials added.
