Santa Rosa police have arrested two men following a high-stakes traffic stop on Guerneville Road this past Saturday night. Members of the department’s Special Enforcement Team pulled over a vehicle for an equipment violation, only to find two passengers with known gang associations and violent criminal histories.
A K9 unit alerted officers to a loaded Springfield Hellcat 9-millimeter handgun hidden inside the car, which was later classified as an illegal assault weapon due to several modifications. Twenty-seven-year-old Israel Birkey was booked on multiple felony firearm charges, while twenty-four-year-old Edward Beltran was arrested for a probation violation.
The driver was released without charges, as the Special Enforcement Team continues its crackdown on the rise of illegal guns and street violence in the city.