Traffic stop leads to the seizure of an illegally possessed firearm

On Thursday, January 16, 2025, at approximately 5:26 pm, an officer with the Santa Rosa Police Department (SRPD) conducted a traffic enforcement stop while patrolling on Airway Drive. Upon approaching the vehicle, the officer smelled freshly burnt marijuana emitting from the car and saw loose marijuana on the center console of the vehicle. After contacting the driver, the officer learned the driver also did not have a valid driver's license. The officer had the driver exit the vehicle and conducted several field sobriety tests to determine if the driver was under the influence of marijuana while driving. The driver was determined not to be impaired at the time of the traffic stop.  

The driver, Marcello Morel, a 28-year-old resident of Stockton, was however driving with partially burnt marijuana blunts and numerous open containers of alcohol in the passenger area of his vehicle. During a further search of the vehicle, the officer located a loaded Glock 9mm handgun and a total of 29 rounds of ammunition concealed in a backpack on the front passenger floorboard. The firearm was not registered to Morel. 

Morel was arrested and booked into Sonoma County Jail for the following charges: 

25850(a) PC – Carrying a loaded firearm in public 

25400(a)(1) PC – Carrying a concealed weapon in a vehicle 

25850(c)(6) PC – Carrying a loaded handgun while not the registered owner 

SRPD is committed to making Santa Rosa a safe place to live, work and play through the reduction of violent crime and illegal possession of firearms. In 2024, SRPD increased the seizure of illegally possessed firearms 51% by taking 390 firearms off the streets. Of those guns, 124 were privately manufactured firearms commonly known as “ghost guns.” This was a 125% increase in ghost gun seizures over 2023. 

Santa Rosa Police Department case number 25-690. 

Media inquiries can be made to Sgt. Patricia Seffens, Public Information Officer, at 707-543-3634 or pseffens@srcity.org.