Illegal Guns Seized In Probation Search: Santa Rosa Police

SANTA ROSA, CA — A call about a disturbance Sunday night at a Santa Rosa home led to the arrest of a probation in connection with several gun charges, police said.

Officers were sent at 7:09 p.m. Sunday to the disturbance call in the 800 block of Sonoma Avenue, Santa Rosa police Sgt. Matt North said.

"Once there, they discovered that one of the residents, 37-year old Charles Anthony Mitchell, was on criminal probation and subject to search and seizure," North said.

To ensure Mitchell was in compliance with court-ordered probation terms, officers did a probation search and found Mitchell with two illegal firearms: a short-barreled rifle and a self-manufactured shotgun not immediately recognized as a firearm, North said.

Officers also found Mitchell with an unregistered assault rifle, illegally possessed metal knuckles, a collapsible baton, and nine high-capacity ammunition magazines, the sergeant said.

Mitchell was arrested and booked into Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of felony possession of a short-barreled rifle, felony possession of firearm not immediately recognized as a firearm, felony possession of an unregistered assault rifle, felony possession of metal knuckles, felony possession of a baton, an infraction for possession of high-capacity ammunition magazines and misdemeanor violation of probation.

As of Monday, Mitchell remained behind bars in lieu of $520,000 bail, according to sheriff's jail records.