Cathedral City Felon Arrested On Weapons Charges

CATHEDRAL CITY, CA — A 29-year-old felon suspected of having two handguns -- one of which was stolen -- in Cathedral City remained behind bars Friday and is being held without bail.

Javier Ernesto Estrada of Cathedral City was arrested Thursday afternoon on suspicion of being a felon in possession of a firearm, a stolen firearm, ammunition, possessing an unregistered firearm, committing a felony while on bail and violating Post-Release Community Supervision, according to Sgt. Paul Heredia of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

Heredia said that the Riverside County Gang Task Force Region 2 assisted the Coachella Valley Violent Crime Gang Task Force at 9:30 a.m. Thursday by serving a search warrant at a residence in the 67000 block of Verona Road.

"During the service of the search warrant Gang Task Force Officers located a 9mm semi-auto handgun and .40-caliber semi-auto handgun," Heredia wrote in a statement. "The .40-caliber handgun was previously reported as stolen."

Estrada was subsequently arrested along with 35-year-old Sarah Gaffney of Cathedral City, who was suspected of being in possession of Fentanyl, according to Heredia.

Both suspects were booked into the John J. Benoit Detention Center in Indio, but Gaffney posted $5,000 bail and was released the same day, while Estrada remained held without bail, according to court records.