Last Saturday's traffic stop on Guerneville Road turned into a gun bust for Santa Rosa's Special Enforcement Team, which seized a modified, loaded Springfield Hellcat 9mm and hauled two local men off to jail, according to police. Officers reported finding the handgun, outfitted with a threaded barrel and compensator, along with a 10-round magazine inside the vehicle. A 27-year-old man was booked on a stack of firearms charges, while a second occupant was arrested on a probation violation, the department said.
What Officers Say They Found And Who Was Booked
In a post on the Santa Rosa Police Department's X page, officers said they pulled over a vehicle heading eastbound on Guerneville Road on Saturday. After a police K-9 alerted on the car, officers conducted a probable-cause search that turned up the loaded Springfield Hellcat and the 10-round magazine inside.
https://t.co/oStki65jgM pic.twitter.com/k5ltlivuZb
— Santa Rosa Police (@SantaRosaPolice) March 29, 2026
Police identified the two men in the car as 27-year-old Israel Birkey and 24-year-old Edward Beltran, both from Santa Rosa. Birkey, who police say is a convicted felon, was booked on weapons counts that include being a felon in possession of a firearm, being a felon in possession of ammunition, and unlawful possession of an assault weapon. Officers also cited allegations that the gun was concealed and loaded in the vehicle.
Beltran, according to the department, was arrested on a Sonoma County probation violation tied to associating with known criminal street-gang participants. The probation condition and alleged violation were not further detailed in the post.
How California Law Frames The Alleged Crimes
Under California law, possession of a firearm by certain prohibited persons is a felony under Penal Code §29800. Unlawful possession of an assault weapon is addressed in Penal Code §30605. State law also bars people who are prohibited from owning firearms from possessing ammunition, with guidance on how that is handled set out in Penal Code §30305.
Carrying a concealed firearm in a vehicle is covered by Penal Code §25400, and carrying a loaded firearm in public is addressed in Penal Code §25850. Prosecutors can charge those offenses as misdemeanors or felonies, depending on prior convictions and other aggravating factors, which will matter a lot for how Birkey's case is ultimately filed.
Santa Rosa Gun Enforcement Backdrop
The stop comes amid an ongoing local push to crack down on illegal guns. Santa Rosa police and city officials have repeatedly highlighted rising seizures of unregistered or unlawfully possessed firearms, along with concerns about more young people being caught with guns.
As the San Francisco Chronicle reported in 2023, the department has documented a sharp year-over-year jump in juveniles arrested with firearms. Police officials have pointed to that trend when explaining why specialized enforcement units, like the team involved in Saturday's stop, have been expanded and remain active on corridors such as Guerneville Road.
What Happens Next
According to the police post, the driver of the vehicle was evaluated at the scene and released. Investigators booked Birkey into custody on the listed weapons counts, while Beltran was taken to jail on the alleged probation violation.
Media questions were directed to Sgt. N. Gillotte is using the contact information provided in the department's online notice. It was not clear from the release whether the Sonoma County District Attorney's Office had formally filed charges yet, and the post did not include court case numbers or full booking details.
