Petaluma Police Arrest Suspect With Ghost Gun, 267 Grams Of Marijuana

PETALUMA, CA — A Petaluma man was arrested Friday night after a cleaning staff at a motel found a handgun and a large amount of marijuana in a room they entered to clean, authorities said.

Officers were called to Motel 6 at 1368 North McDowell Boulevard at 1:57 p.m. after motel staff reported their discovery, the Petaluma Police Department said in a statement.

The staff took the items in the room and turned them over to arriving officers.

A a Polymer 80 handgun was recovered, which is commonly known as a "ghost gun." It contains a 29-round high-capacity magazine. Some 267 grams of marijuana were also seized by police.

Valentin J. Rodriguez, an 18-year-old from Petaluma, was arrested after he returned to the motel at 6 p.m. looking for the confiscated items. He was identified by the police as the suspect who had paid for the room.

Rodriguez was booked into the Sonoma County Main Adult Detention Facility on suspicion of possession of a firearm without a serial number, possession of an assault weapon, possession of a large capacity magazine and possession of armor piercing, authorities said.