Chaos nearly unfolded on the streets of downtown SRPD as a man whizzed around, his driving reeking of alcohol and his jacket hiding a Glock. It all went down on December 21 just as the morning rush hour began to simmer, when a pair of SRPD Command Staff officers, on foot patrol, caught a glimpse of a vehicle that seemed to dance with danger at every turn on Mendocino Ave near Fourth Street, according to the City of Santa Rosa.
The cops were quick on the draw – not with their guns, but with their authority to keep peace. They watched as the suspect parked and approached the car, zeroing in on Ramses De Jesus Navarette, a 32-year-old Cloverdale local who found himself in the wrong kind of spotlight. It was detailed how the officers "immediately observed signs and symptoms of alcohol use" and directed Navarette to participate in field sobriety tests, which he failed, leading to his arrest for DUI, as per the City of Santa Rosa.
But that wasn't the end of Navarette's troubles. When the officers searched the jacket he had shed before struggling through the sobriety test, they discovered an unloaded Glock handgun concealed within—a stark reminder of the danger that can lurk hidden in the fabric of everyday life. Consequently, Navarette was carted off to Sonoma County Jail, where he was booked for not only driving under the influence but also for possession of a concealed firearm.
Navarette now faces charges under VC 23152(a) for the DUI and PC 25400 (a) (1) for his secreted weapon.
