Identity Theft Accusation by a Former Roommate

My question involves criminal law for the state of: california

I just found out there is a warrant out for my arrest from 2006! I had no idea about it. I had a room mate situation gone bad and they accused me of using their bank card...I was his housekeeper in lieu of rent and as I got to know him, I found out he was a drunk and psycho. He'd have me go take his car to put gas in it for the next day or go get food etc when he was to drunk to do it himself. When I spurred his sexual advances things got ugly. The day before I left I had to call the police on him. He knows good and well he gave me permission to run errands for him...this is really a retaliatory issue.

Fast forward to now, and when I was running for a Position in my town someone who didn't like me dug up the warrant. I was embarrassed beyond belief. I live in a totally different county. I'm a mom, I'm an active volunteer...I don't need to be dealing with this mess.

So twice now the sheriff has come to my door, once when I was legitimately not home (my neighbor told me), and once tonight, I was home, but to freaked out and scared to answer the door. I'm in the process of trying to find an attorney who will work with me on payment (not easy) He knocked twice but then left...didn't say anything, didn't leave a card...

Do I have to answer the door?
Would it be I. My best interest to contact the sheriff and let them know I'm actively working on getting it taken care of?
My concern is that with this being so old, that I look, like I'm evading...and I'm honestly not!!

What should I do in This situation?

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Would it be I. My best interest to contact the sheriff and let them know I'm actively working on getting it taken care of?

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taking care of what? There is a warrant for your arrest apparently so taking care of it is when the warrant is served (you are arrested) and the process of dealing with the issue in court follows.

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What should I do in This situation?

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find an attorney ASAP.

Of course you need to be dealing with this mess - it's NOT dealing with it that has landed you in such a pickle today.

Nobody can force you to answer the door. Of course, a warrant can be obtained to open the door for you, too.

You'll likely receive two very different bits of advice here. One will be to deal with it now and get it out of the way as quickly as you can. The other will be to ignore everything until someone arrives with an arrest warrant and then deal with the fallout there.

I know which one I'd pick.

I'm trying to AVOID arrest. It is better to walk in with an attorney from what I understand than to be a sitting duck and wait to be arrested before dealing with anything. Now that I know about it I'm trying to be proactive. I'd have been proactive about it 9 years ago had I even had any clue. I've even been stopped for speeding and it never came up.

What I'm asking is if I contact the sheriff's department to let them know I'm aware of the warrant and am seeking an attorney to go in on my own....would they take that into consideration and stop showing up at my door? I'm not going to get arrested in front of my child if I can avoid it.

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Had I known about it trust me, it would have been handled a long time ago. I have no intention of waiting to get arrested. That to me is like the guilty person's avoidance. Just trying to find an attorney on a single mom's salary is proving difficult.

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I was home, but to freaked out and scared to answer the door. I'm in the process of trying to find an attorney who will work with me on payment (not easy) He knocked twice but then left...didn't say anything, didn't leave a card...

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My concern is that with this being so old, that I look, like I'm evading...and I'm honestly not!!

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Did you say that you're honestly not evading?