Santa Rosa man arrested for possession of a loaded firearm in a public place
Photo: gun and weed
Originally published as a Petaluma Police Department Nixle post –
“On 12/08/2021 at approximately 2:23 AM, the Petaluma Police Department Dispatch Center received a call from a community member who was reporting two subjects were causing a disturbance in the parking lot of an apartment complex, near Rocky Memorial Dog Park. The reporting party believed they were intoxicated and were inside a vehicle.
Petaluma officers arrived and located the described vehicle and made contact with the sole occupant, who was later identified as Carlos Hernandez-Zepeda. During their initial investigation, one of the officers observed in plain view, a loaded Glock handgun in the passenger compartment of the vehicle, within reach of the occupant.
Hernandez was quickly detained, and the loaded firearm was retrieved, along over five ounces of marijuana. Officers discovered the firearm was unregistered and Hernandez was prohibited from owning a firearm in California due to being under the age of 21.
Hernandez was subsequently arrested for being in possession of a loaded firearm in a public place and later transported to the Sonoma County Jail where he was booked.
The officers are currently investigating the origins of the firearm and if it is a “ghost gun”.
The Petaluma Police Department would like to thank the alert community member who notified the police of the suspicious behavior.”
