In a joint operation that took place yesterday, a Santa Rosa man was arrested after police discovered an arsenal of weapons and illegal narcotics. According to a social media post from Santa Rosa Police, a search warrant led to the uncovering of methamphetamine and multiple firearms, marking a significant stride in ongoing efforts to combat illicit activities in the area.
The operation spearheaded by the Santa Rosa Police Department's (SRPD) Narcotics Team and Gang Crimes Team, in coordination with the Petaluma PD, resulted in the traffic stop and subsequent arrest of suspect Kelly James Roach. During the search, detectives found a "loaded 1911 Colt .45 in a Crown Royal bag on the floorboard where the suspect was sitting," along with roughly "two and a half ounces of suspected methamphetamine," as reported on the Santa Rosa Police Department's Facebook page. Roach, a 59-year-old from Sonoma, was identified to be a convicted felon and therefore, is prohibited from possessing firearms.
Further searches at two storage units in Rohnert Park uncovered additional guns, ammunition, and firearm components. This cache, currently under police examination, might shed more light on the scale of operations managed by the suspect. Meanwhile, the search at a residence in Sonoma turned up clean, with no contraband discovered.
Following his arrest, Roach faces multiple charges, including violating California Penal Codes and Health and Safety Codes concerning the unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, ammunition, a loaded firearm in a public place, and a concealed firearm in a vehicle. California's strict laws on assault weapons were likewise invoked, with Roach finding himself on the wrong side of the 30605 PC Possession of an Assault Weapon charge.
