A former Santa Rosa man reversed course Thursday after previously insisting he did not break the law when he crossed October wildfire barricades to visit his mother’s destroyed Fountaingrove house.
Evan Neumann, 45, of Mill Valley, pleaded no contest to illegally entering a disaster zone, a misdemeanor, in a plea bargain with prosecutors carrying two years’ probation and 40 hours of community service.
Neumann’s change of heart came after he vowed last week to take his case to trial. He accused police and prosecutors of a “perversion of justice” for arresting him Oct. 17 as he walked with his brother, Mark Neumann, 32, of Santa Rosa, on Parker Hill Road. Jury selection was scheduled for Friday.