Roseville carjacking leads to 30 year to life

A man who carjacked and kidnapped a woman in a 2009 incident west of Roseville was sentenced today to 30 years to life in state prison.

Rick Anthony Cooley, 32, a Sacramento resident and a three-strike offender, was given the lengthy term by Placer County Superior Court Judge Colleen Nichols, who also scheduled a restitution hearing for April 14.

Cooley was convicted after entering a plea of no contest on Feb. 17 to a felony charge of kidnapping during the commission of a carjacking.

In addition, he admitted to special allegations that he had committed three serious or violent felonies for which he served prison sentences.

The incident involving the carjacking occurred on Nov. 12, 2009, when a woman who was driving to work was struck from behind by another vehicle on Vineyard Road near Roseville.

The woman got out of her car to exchange information with the other driver. However, that driver, later identified as Cooley, punched her in the face and forced her back into her car. He then got into her car and drove away, leaving his own vehicle on the roadside with the engine running.

Cooley drove around for about four hours with his kidnapped victim before returning to an area near the original crime scene. He released the woman there and again drove away in her car.

The victim contacted a local resident, who then called the Placer County Sheriff’s Office to report the crime. Investigating officers were able to track the crime to Cooley because his abandoned car was registered in his mother’s name.

Cooley was arrested later in the day without incident, according to Placer County Deputy District Attorney Doug Van Breemen, who prosecuted the case.