Juvenile Arrested After Loaded Firearm Found During Traffic Stop

An officer with the Santa Rosa Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a maroon sedan on Marlow Road, just south of Jennings Lane, after observing several vehicle code violations. The driver, a 16-year-old female, was found to be operating the vehicle under a provisional license that carried restrictions prohibiting passengers under the age of 20 without a licensed passenger in the vehicle who is at least 25 years old.

During the stop, the driver was evaluated through a series of standardized field sobriety tests. Two juvenile male passengers, ages 16 and 17, were also present in the vehicle in violation of the driver's provisional license restrictions.

The driver consented to a search of the vehicle. During the search, officers located a loaded Ruger handgun concealed beneath the right front passenger seat. An investigation revealed that the firearm was not registered to any occupant of the vehicle and was not legally possessed by anyone present. Further inquiry determined that the firearm had been previously reported to law enforcement as a lost firearm.

The juvenile male (17) who had been seated in the right front passenger seat was placed under arrest and booked into the Sonoma County Juvenile Hall on the following weapons-related charges:


25400(a)(1)PC: Carrying a concealed, loaded firearm in a vehicle while not the registered owner of the firearm (felony).
25850(a)PC: Carrying a loaded firearm in a vehicle (felony).
29610(a)PC: Minor in possession of a firearm (felony).
29650 PC: Minor in possession of ammunition (misdemeanor).

The remaining minors, including the driver, were released to the custody of their parents. The identities of those in this case remain confidential due to their age.

The Santa Rosa Police Department reminds the community that the illegal possession of firearms — particularly by minors — is taken extremely seriously. The reduction of gun violence remains a top priority and is a key part of how the Santa Rosa Police Department keeps Santa Rosa a safe place to live, work, and play.

Santa Rosa Police Department Case # 26-4038