Cloverdale Armed Robbery Suspect Was a Person of Interest in the 2017 Murder of Mendocino County Woman Nicole Smith
Nicole Smith
On November 19, 2017, 32-year-old Mendocino County woman, Nicole Smith, was murdered. As she laid in her bed at a Manchester Reservation home, an unidentified person fired a shotgun through the walls leaving one injured and Smith dead.
The following day, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office arrested 28-year-old Roman Soto for his suspected involvement in the crime. Soto assaulted a fellow inmate in the Mendocino County jail, but, still, within days was released due to lack of sufficient evidence to tie him to the crime.
Today, approximately four years later, Soto is back behind bars in Sonoma County for his alleged involvement in a Cloverdale convenience store armed robbery.
Roman Soto
A press release from the Cloverdale Police Department explained the December 6, 2021 armed robbery occurred at Quick Stop and a subsequent investigation identified Soto as the suspect at that point living in Santa Rosa.
On Wednesday, December 8, the white Acura Infinity G37 sedan associated with Soto was located near the 3000 block of Common Way in Santa Rosa. This vehicle matched the vehicle seen on surveillance camera “leaving the Quick Stop moments after the robbery.”
Cloverdale Police officers and Sonoma County Sheriff’s deputies maintained constant surveillance on the vehicle and, around 5:11 p.m., Soto was seen approaching the vehicle and law enforcement converged detaining Soto.
Armed robber in Cloverdale. [Photo provided by the Cloverdale Police]
As per a list of Soto’s prior convictions obtained by MendoFever, Soto’s criminal record is extensive and predates the murder of Nicole Smith, that case in which he was identified as a person-of-interest.
- 6/19/2015- Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Receiving or Concealing Stolen Property, Evasion, Violation of Probation
- 9/1/7017- Possession of Controlled Substance, DUI Alcohol/Drugs with BAC > .08
- 11/10/2017- Driving with Suspended License for Drunk Driving, Speeding Greater than 65 MPH
- 11/12/2017- Possession of a Controlled Substance for Sale, Violation of Felony Parole
- 11/19/2017- Street Terrorism, Battery, Violation of Felony Parole
- 12/9/2020- Revocation of Probation, Drive w/ License Suspended for Drunk Driving, DUI Alcohol/Drugs with >.08
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- Firearms, cash, and robbery evidence taken by investigators from Soto’s Santa Rosa Department [Pictures from the Cloverdale Police Department]
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When we spoke with MCSO Captain Greg Van Patten last year about the investigation in Smith’s murder, he was unable to comment in detail characterizing it as “an active homicide investigation. My comment will be limited so that I do not jeopardize the integrity of the investigation.”
Smith’s family is offering a $20,000 reward for anyone who provides information leading to the arrest and conviction of all responsible suspects in Nicole’s murder.
If you know anything about Nicole’s murder, please contact the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 463-4611.
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This looks like the same face that camera caught in Lake county when the home owner was murdered they never caught that person yet maybe they should look into that.
I thought that guy that broke in through that garage in Santa Rosa n sexually assaulted that 9 yr old lil girl awhile back looked like hun. The other dude they arrested with him in connect to the assault looked like the other dude with him in the state st shooting . I drive by that house everyday like wtf! Why hasn’t this been solved. The 2 from the assault look a lot a lot like em
ditch the costume and wash the cash but if he were smart enough to hide the evidence he would be working a job not robbing quickie marts.
He’s quite the professional. Wow- that’s almost $200!! Totally worth doing armed robbery and possibly accidentally shooting and killing somebody…Glad they got him before he fled and retired to Monte Carlo or some exotic country!
Kym, OD instead of DO in title in MENDOCINO.
Thanks, fixed.
When I read the list of Soto’s prior convictions, I keep thinking to myself, and that’s just the stuff they know about.
White acura just like that in news the other day about a shooting murder of a former Oakland PD officer, working as a security guard in Oakland. LE, check the bullets.
The only common link I can see in these types of cases is the perp is an out of control man. They end up in an expensive kennel that’s a real hell hole where rehabilitation isn’t going to happen. Making them worse. And there’s not enough kennel space to keep them all in. So they’re routinely let out to make room for new participants in the prison system. The only thing we as a society can do is try to shift/stop the behavior before it occurs. Questions about these men should be asked. How many of them had dead beat dad’s? How many had mother’s who didn’t want them but felt HAD to go to full term birth? Those are me questions. I’m sure social scientists have their own list. But we should try to figure out why these men commit these horrible actions. Then commit ourselves to the core issues to remediate the problems with the next generation of men.
Why? Short answer is they are addicts. Remediation? More support for women. Moms, sisters, daughters, grammas and aunts. Help support their basic life requirements; housing, food security, safety, education, access to healthcare, counseling and childcare. These are core issues for remediation of problems you refer to for raising the next generation of children in our communities. Commit, volunteer, speak up, reach out, shelter and lend your voice when it counts to support coming generations of our men.
This is pathetic, a serial criminal, out on the loose, murdered someone and robbing still.
Sorry, but for these types there is no rehabilitation. Can we stop trying to “change” these POS!! Put this scum away for life, if we would have done it earlier this young woman would be alive today.
Stop the experiment California, build more prisons, put these career criminals away for life, no parole, no resubmittal to real society.
Save more lives!
somebody tell sherriff almond and his posse of HIGHWAY ROBBERS