Suspect Arrested In Vehicle With Loaded 'Ghost Gun' And Drugs: Police

SANTA ROSA, CA — Police arrested a man on probation on suspicion of carrying illegal drugs, ammunition, and a loaded 9mm homemade firearm.

Police stopped Steven Molina, a 55 year-old Santa Rosa resident, overnight Tuesday near Steele Lane and Berkeley Drive.

Molina's vehicle had tinted windows, which can be a violation under certain circumstances but usually ends in a "fix-it ticket."

However, the officer recognized Molina, according to a Santa Rosa Police Department news release.

According to police, the officer who searched Molina's vehicle found 112.9 grams of suspected methamphetamine and a loaded 9mm firearm with an extended magazine. The firearm was located in a black bag under the front passenger seat.

Molina was charged with having an unregistered firearm, violating probation, having a controlled substance, and other charges related to having previous felony convictions.

The firearm police found was a privately manufactured firearm, or “ghost gun.

Molina is prohibited from possessing firearms. But self-made guns are of particular concern to law enforcement because they are virtually untraceable.

The most recent arrest involving a privately manufactured firearm was Nov. 20, when Santa Rosa police arrested a Rohnert Park teen following an investigation into a suspected illegal firearms manufacturing operation.

In February 2024, Santa Rosa police arrested a high schooler suspected of having an unserialized firearm, being a minor in possession of a handgun, unlawful manufacture of a firearm, and gang enhancement, police said at the time.

According to police these guns are of particular concern to law enforcement agencies because they typically lack a serial number and are often unregistered, making them untraceable, thereby hindering investigations into crimes involving firearms. They also allow for people unqualified to have a gun to obtain firearms by circumventing the necessary background checks.

Under California law, individuals must be eligible to own or possess a firearm in order to manufacture or assembled their own —including through the use of 3D printing. They must also ensure that the firearm is legal to possess or manufacture in the state. California law prohibits individuals from manufacturing or assembling certain classes of firearms, including assault weapons and machine guns. Additionally, California law generally prohibits the manufacture of unsafe handguns.

A self-manufactured handgun must meet certain design features under state law. A self-manufactured semiautomatic handgun, even if temporarily altered for single-shot firing, must include safety and security features. And serial numbers are required for self-made firearms.

Molina was taken to the Sonoma County Jail.

Read More:

Rohnert Park teen arrested following an investigation into a suspected illegal firearms manufacturing operation.