2nd Arrest In 2 Weeks For Sonoma County Man Accused Of Drugs, Firearms Crimes

SONOMA COUNTY, CA -- A Santa Rosa man was arrested twice in two weeks earlier this month on suspicion of drug- and firearm-related offenses, police said.

At 5:05 p.m. on May 5, detectives pulled over a vehicle that was traveling north on Olive Street from Sebastopol Road for a vehicle violation.

The driver stopped in the parking lot of the Courtyard by Marriott at 175 Railroad St., according to Santa Rosa police.

The driver was unable to provide a driver's license or any form of photographic identification, and was escorted from the vehicle. The driver was searched and found to be in possession of drug paraphernalia, police said.

Police searched the vehicle and found drug paraphernalia consistent with narcotic sales. Underneath the driver's seat they found a semi-automatic firearm equipped with an attachable flashlight and laser. The
firearm was reported stolen to the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office in 2006, police said.

The driver was later identified as 20-year-old Pablo Barajas-Curiel of Santa Rosa. He was arrested and booked into Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of carrying a concealed stolen firearm and possessing
stolen property.

Barajas-Curiel bailed out of custody the following day, but police continued to investigate.

On May 17 at about 1 p.m., Barajas-Curiel was contacted and detained at the Santa Rosa Police Department. A short time later, police searched his home in the 2800 block of Pearblossom Drive, across the street from a neighborhood park.

According to police, inside his home detectives found another semi-automatic firearm loaded with an attached and illegal 30-round high-capacity magazine. The serial numbers were removed to conceal its origin
and owner.

Detectives also found an illegal drum-style high-capacity magazine loaded with 50 rounds, a large amount of ammunition, cash, drug paraphernalia and a quarter-pound of suspected cocaine, police said.

Barajas-Curiel was arrested again and booked into Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of numerous drug and firearm offenses.

Bay City News contributed to this report/Images via Santa Rosa police