During a routine traffic stop in Santa Rosa on Saturday night, police officers recovered two loaded firearms with the assistance of their canine compatriot, "Ghost." The vehicle, which lacked an essential front license plate, was pulled over near B Street and Third Street around 11:20 PM, leading to the arrests of three individuals, according to a social media post from the Santa Rosa Police Department.
An SRPD officer noted the smell of marijuana and sight of open containers in the vehicle, and a statement issued by the Santa Rosa Police detailed. The driver, Antonio Monter, along with passengers Michael Diaz-Fernandez and Aaron Cade, were detained as officers conducted a probable cause search. Within an innocuous satchel in the backseat lay an unregistered 9mm privately made firearm, alongside suspected fentanyl pills.
Santa Rosa's K9 "Ghost," trained to detect firearms, signaled another weapon hidden in the trunk. There, officers found and confiscated an unregistered .40 caliber gun. Monter and Diaz-Fernandez were booked into the Sonoma County jail on multiple charges related to possession of concealed and loaded firearms, with Diaz-Fernandez additionally facing narcotics charges. Cade, whose involvement with the narcotics remained uncharged, was booked on an outstanding felony warrant from Sacramento County.
