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Gun-crazy teen busted near Maxwell Park

Posted on August 12, 2014 by Sonoma Valley Sun

A teenager who boasted of his skills with homemade guns led deputies to a cache of firearms after being arrested late Friday night for shooting a modified pistol in Maxwell Park.

Alerted to the gunshot, deputies found the man walking hurredly, with a limp, near Arbor Avenue and School Street. The 16-year-old behaved suspiciously as if he was concealing something, according to the Sheriff’s report.

The suspect admitted that he was hiding a loaded gun in his pocket and there was more ammunition in another pocket. The officer removed a modified flaregun that contained one live .22 caliber round. He then found four additional unfired .22 caliber rounds in his pants pocket.

The teen bragged about his knowledge of guns and fancied himself an amateur gunsmith, stated Sergeant Cecile Focha. He told officers that he affiliates with Norteno gang members, so he carries a gun with him for protection from Surenos.

The young man volunteered his cell phone to show videos of himself shooting various firearms, makeshift pistols and long guns in what appeared to be the backyard of a home. His Facebook page had photos of him holding different firearms.

He mentioned that he had several more guns at his house.

The young man said he had become rather paranoid from smoking a lot of marijuana lately. He said he sold several guns to random people on the street. He said he didn`t care if anyone got killed with the guns, he just wanted to get rid of them, the report said.

During the execution of the search warrant at his residence, pellet guns that had been modified to shoot .22 caliber bullets were discovered, along with homemade firearms in varying stages of construction. Authorities removed hundreds of rounds ammunition for shotguns, rifles and other caliber weapons.

According to the report, the young man did not appear to grasp the severity of the crimes he was being charged. “Throughout the interview he laughed about his skills with homemade guns,” Sgt. Focha stated. “He mentioned repeatedly how popular he was because he is well-known for his ability to produce firearms.

He was booked into Juvenile Hall on eight gun related charges.




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