A routine traffic stop in Santa Rosa led to a felony arrest Friday after officers discovered a loaded handgun hidden inside a vehicle.
A Santa Rosa Police officer pulled over a maroon sedan on Marlow Road for multiple vehicle code violations, only to find a 16-year-old driver operating the car in violation of her provisional license. During a consensual search of the vehicle, police located a loaded Ruger handgun tucked beneath the front passenger seat.
Investigators determined the firearm had previously been reported lost and was not legally registered to anyone in the car. A 17-year-old male passenger was arrested and booked into Sonoma County Juvenile Hall on several felony weapons charges, including minor in possession of a firearm.
The driver and a second passenger were released to their parents, while police reaffirmed that removing illegal guns from the streets remains a top priority for community safety.
