During a late-night traffic stop yesterday, a Santa Rosa Police officer discovered a loaded revolver in a black Dodge Charger, leading to the arrest of the vehicle's passenger. According to the Santa Rosa Police Department, the incident occurred around 11:30 pm near Stony Point Rd. and West 3rd Street.
The vehicle pulled over for what was initially a simple equipment violation became the scene of a more serious discovery when the officer, making contact with the occupants, caught the strong odor of burnt marijuana drifting from the interior. In searching the vehicle, the officer found a loaded revolver beneath the seat where Mateo Juventino Rognlien, age 24, was sitting. Claiming ownership of the firearm, Rognlien, however, could not account for it being unregistered. Adding to the suspicion were articles of clothing and items being found with criminal street gangs commonly associated, scattered within the car.
Rognlien, who hails from Antioch, faced immediate legal repercussions as he was arrested and booked at Sonoma County Jail. The charges against him, as detailed by the Santa Rosa Police Department's report, include unlawfully possessing a firearm under section 25850(c)(6) PC and carrying a concealed firearm as per 25400(a)(1) PC. The driver of the Charger, who has not been identified in the reports, was released from the scene without charges. The case, numbered 24-11651, is still under investigation by the local authorities.