Early this morning in Santa Rosa, a concerned citizen's call prompted police to check on the wellbeing of a local man, which led to the discovery of a loaded firearm and the arrest of a convicted felon. The Santa Rosa Police Department received a request for a welfare check on an individual exhibiting strange behavior, later identified as Rafael Pulido Valencia, a 50-year-old from the area, as detailed by the Santa Rosa Police Department.
At around 7:15 am, officers contacted Valencia at a residence in the 400 block of Avalon Avenue. During that time, they noticed loaded handgun magazines visibly protruding from his pocket. According to the police report, Valencia appeared paranoid and possibly under the influence, leading the officer to detain him for safety purposes, and he disclosed that a loaded handgun was resting just inside his doorway.
A subsequent search by responding officers uncovered a 9mm Smith and Wesson handgun on a couch near the entrance of the home, which a records check revealed to have been reported stolen. Valencia himself was identified as a convicted felon and a self-proclaimed gang dropout.
Following these findings, Valencia was taken into custody and is now facing three felony charges for being a felon in possession of ammunition, a felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of stolen property. The Santa Rosa Police Department confirmed these charges. Valencia was booked into the Sonoma County Jail due to these violations.
