5 Arrested in Connection with El Verano Burglary

By Bay City News Service

Five people were arrested Friday evening after a group was found in Maxwell Park with a bag containing a stolen handgun, the sheriff's office said today.

Deputies first contacted a group of four around 7 p.m. when they were called to the park on a report of minors drinking alcohol, according to Sgt. Dave Pedersen.

The deputy recognized one person, 18-year-old Jarvis Angel Medel, as an alleged gang member who was present during a robbery and assault at El Verano Elementary School on March 29th, Pedersen said.

The deputy asked the subjects about a backpack sitting with them, but they all denied it was theirs. When he opened it, the deputy found it contained a loaded semi-automatic handgun that had been reported stolen in a burglary the previous day in El Verano, Pedersen said.

A number of other items had also been stolen in the burglary, including jewelry, video game consoles, a laptop computer, electronics and two other handguns, as well as coin and trading card collections.

Deputies searched the homes of three homes and interviewed four of the suspects.

They located a small amount of cocaine at one home, and arrested an additional adult, the brother of one of the subjects, but no other stolen property, Pedersen said.

Police arrested and charged Medel and 20-year-old Sonoma resident Juan Angel Chavarria with possession of stolen property, carrying a loaded firearm in public, being a criminal gang member in possession of a loaded firearm and participation in a criminal street gang.

Bail was set at $100,000. The adult arrested on a drug charge was Erick Gomez-Miranda, a 23-year-old Sonoma resident. He was placed on a no-bail immigration hold. Two 16-year-olds from Sonoma were arrested on suspicion of possession of stolen property, carrying a loaded firearm in public, being a criminal street gang member in possession of a loaded firearm and participation in a criminal street gang. sg0219a04/21/13 CONTACT: Sonoma County Sheriff's Office, Sgt. Dave

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