Gun-Waiving Suspect Found Hiding Under Blanket In Backyard

SANTA ROSA, CA – A 27-year-old Santa Rosa parolee was arrested Sunday after he reportedly brandished a handgun during an argument with a man, who was in a car with a woman and children, according to authorities.

Deputies received a disturbance call from a neighbor at about 11:30 a.m. near East Robles and Brooks avenues in southeast Santa Rosa, the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office said.

Investigators said the citizen witnessed an argument between two rival gang members in which one suspect pulled out a gun, held it to his side and walked toward the second man, who was in a car with his girlfriend and kids, deputies said.

The man in the vehicle drove off without further confrontation, while the suspect walked south along a creek and hopped a fence, the department said.

A search began and the sheriff’s helicopter Henry-1 was launched to provide "perimeter assistance" for arriving deputies, who were flagged down by a man on the 3400 block of Brooks, who stated a person was hiding under a blanket in his backyard, deputies said.

Deputies found the suspect and parolee, identified as Rico Lemay, and he was arrested without incident.

Meanwhile, Boomer, the Sheriff’s bomb-sniffing Golden Retriever, reportedly located behind a well pump Lemay’s black backpack with a .9 mm-semiautomatic handgun, loaded with 16 rounds of ammunition, face masks, gloves and methamphetamine and heroin packaged for sale, deputies said.

Lemay was booked without bail into the Sonoma County Jail on charges of suspicion of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, felon in possession of ammunition, assault with a deadly weapon, violation of probation, possession of large-capacity magazine, possession of narcotics while armed, possession of narcotics for sales, child endangerment and a county parole violation.

• ALSO SEE: Tattoos Lead Cops To Security-Camera Theft Suspect

--Images via Sonoma County Sheriff's Office