In Santa Rosa, a man with a history of felonies was caught by police carrying a loaded handgun. The Santa Rosa Police Department reported that their Special Enforcement Team (SET) was conducting patrols on Saturday night when they encountered two individuals they deemed suspicious on the 900 block of Sunset Avenue.
Contacted by SET officers, who were in the area as part of targeted efforts to curb gun violence in the city, the two were found loitering near West Avenue around 9:20 PM. In the course of their investigation, a probable cause search resulted in the discovery of a concealed weapon.
Police uncovered a Glock model 21 .45 caliber handgun loaded and hidden on Jose Rubio, a 22-year-old resident of Santa Rosa. Rubio, known to law enforcement as a convicted felon, is barred under law from possessing firearms or ammunition. The Santa Rosa Police Department's Facebook page indicated that Rubio now faces multiple felony weapons charges, including possession of a firearm by a felon.
His companion, a juvenile, was also swept up in the police investigation. The unnamed minor was not charged, however, and was released to his home. The formation of the Special Enforcement Team by the Santa Rosa Police comes as a direct response to a troubling uptick in instances of illegal firearms and violence gun-related in the area, as part of their broader commitment to ensuring community safety.
