Earlier today, Millbrae saw a felon cuffed and stuffed after a traffic stop revealed a trove of illegal hardware under his seat. San Mateo County Sheriff's Deputies pulled over Ricine Vernard Fowler, 41, at the corner of Rollins Road and Millbrae Avenue, only to find the Berkeley man riding with more than just his driver's license; a loaded gun and a high-capacity magazine, both items a clear violation of his post-conviction restrictions, according to a press release from the sheriff's office.
A simple vehicle code violation snowballed into a major find when deputies, after learning of Fowler's outstanding assault warrant from Solano County, went through his vehicle that was towed for obstructing traffic, they didn't just find his registration and proof of insurance—they found a loaded firearm concealed neatly but not neatly enough under the driver's seat. The felon, now facing charges including PC 29800(A)(1) for possession of a firearm by a felon, PC 25850(A) for carrying a loaded firearm in public, and PC 30305(A) for possessing ammunition, certainly didn't expect to end his day behind bars at the Maguire Correctional Facility.
This wasn’t Fowler's first run-in with the law, and his prior convictions stripped him of the right to pack heat legally—but that didn't stop him. His history added weight to the new charges, significantly upping the ante of his alleged crimes. Not only was he booked for the weapons charges but also for a high-capacity magazine under PC 32310—his bail is set at a stout $50,000.
