In what could have been just another routine traffic stop, Santa Rosa police found themselves apprehending Jesus Pacheco, a convict illegally armed with a loaded gun. The 38-year-old Santa Rosa resident was pulled over by officers from the city's Special Enforcement Team (SET) late Saturday night. According to a news release from the Santa Rosa Police Department, Pacheco's silver Mercedes sedan was stopped near Corby Avenue and Hearn Avenue around 11:40 p.m. for undisclosed reasons.
Upon contact with Pacheco, officers smelled alcohol and spotted Modelo beer cans inside his car. This led them to search the vehicle, where they discovered a loaded, concealed Colt 1911 .45 caliber firearm in the center console. Pacheco attempted a brief escape as the officers tried to handcuff him but was quickly taken into custody. The passenger in Pacheco's car cooperated and was released at the scene, the release stated.
Pacheco, with a prior felony record, faces multiple charges, according to the Santa Rosa Police Department's Facebook post. The charges include felonies for firearm and ammunition possession by a prohibited person, carrying a concealed and unregistered firearm, and misdemeanors for resistance or obstruction of arrest.
The Santa Rosa Police Department has an ongoing commitment to "making the City of Santa Rosa a safe place to live, work, and play," as the enforcement efforts by their SET demonstrates. The team is tasked with tackling the uptick in illegal firearm possessions, and the related rise in gun violence. They have been actively conducting operations throughout the city to address these concerns, a mission that likely led to the encounter with Pacheco.
Sgt. Matt White of the Santa Rosa Police Department is listed as the media contact for this incident. Following Pacheco's arrest, he was booked into the Sonoma County Main Adult Detention Facility on the aforementioned charges.
