Yesterday, Santa Rosa Police Department (SRPD) officers responded to a call about a brandished firearm and a possible theft on West Ave. A witness provided descriptions of the suspect vehicles, which led to an SRPD officer swiftly locating one of the vehicles. The police made a traffic stop and detained the driver, who was the car's sole occupant. As reported on a social media post by Santa Rosa Police, during the ensuing investigation, SRPD K9 Ghost, trained in firearms detection, signaled the presence of a gun inside the vehicle. A further search resulted in the discovery of a loaded short-barreled AR-15 style rifle in the passenger area.
After this discovery, SRPD's Gang Detectives were called to lead the investigation. An 18-year-old Santa Rosa resident, identified as Luis Alfredo Garcia, was taken into custody. Garcia faces several charges, including robbery, possession of an assault weapon, and participation in a criminal street gang. Additionally, the firearm found was not registered with the Department of Justice, adding to the list of Garcia's charges.
The incident highlights ongoing gang-related concerns within the area and the use of unregulated firearms. The charges against Garcia include robbery (211 PC), possession of an assault weapon (30605(a) PC), possession of a firearm not registered with the Department of Justice (25850(c)(6) PC), and participating in a criminal street gang (186.22(a) PC), as well as possessing a concealed firearm in a vehicle (25400(a)(1) PC).
