Yesterday's traffic stop in Santa Rosa ended with a 17-year-old in handcuffs after officers say they found a loaded Ruger handgun tucked under the right front passenger seat of a maroon sedan full of teens on Marlow Road just south of Jennings Lane. Police said the driver, a 16-year-old girl with a provisional California license, and several other minors were in the car when officers pulled it over. One 17-year-old passenger was arrested and booked into Sonoma County Juvenile Hall, while the other minors, including the driver, were released to their parents at the scene.
Traffic Stop And What Police Say
According to the Santa Rosa Police Department, an officer stopped the maroon sedan and the 16-year-old driver agreed to let officers search the vehicle. During that search, officers reported finding a loaded Ruger handgun concealed beneath the right front passenger seat.
Police said the firearm had previously been reported lost and was not registered to anyone inside the car. The incident is documented under case number 26-4038. Officers evaluated the teen driver using standardized field sobriety tests, and the 17-year-old passenger was arrested on multiple firearm-related counts, according to the department.
Provisional License Limits
California’s provisional license rules make that traffic stop even more fraught. New drivers are not allowed to carry passengers under 20 during the first 12 months unless a parent, guardian or another licensed driver who is at least 25 is also in the vehicle, as outlined in the California DMV driver handbook. The rule is part of the state’s graduated licensing program and is designed to reduce crashes involving inexperienced teen drivers.
Charges And Legal Implications
Police said the 17-year-old was booked on several counts, including carrying a concealed, loaded firearm in a vehicle under Penal Code section 25400(a)(1), carrying a loaded firearm in public under Penal Code section 25850(a), minor in possession of a firearm under Penal Code section 29610(a), and possession of live ammunition under Penal Code section 29650.
Those laws can expose a case to felony charges in California, depending on how it is filed. The concealed-carry provision in Penal Code section 25400 is detailed at Justia, and the loaded-carry rules in Penal Code section 25850 are also outlined on Justia. The juvenile firearm provisions in Penal Code sections 29610 and 29650 are available via California Public Law and California Public Law, respectively.
