Man Fires Rifle Into Air Near Rohnert Park School

ROHNERT PARK, CA — A Rohnert Park man was arrested on suspicion of firing a rifle into the air during a confrontation with two people in a car early Saturday morning near a school, according to the Department of Public Safety.

Officers responded to reports of gunfire in the 7200 block of Burton Avenue at 3:14 a.m. Saturday and detained the occupants of a vehicle leaving the scene.

They told officers that they'd pulled over in front of Technology Middle School to check their GPS and talk. While they were there a man came out and accused a male victim in the vehicle of assaulting a female victim in the vehicle.

That suspect was later identified as Jonathan Sanchez-De Paz, 25.

Another suspect, later identified as 29-year-old Jose Avalos-Hernandez, appeared in a nearby driveway holding a rifle. He started shooting and the driver of the stopped vehicle fled the scene.

Officers from multiple law enforcement agencies found the residence in question and evacuated most of the residents, who said they had rented the garage out to Avalos-Hernandez.

Officers evacuated nearby residences and persuaded the two suspects to come outside. They were both detained, at which time investigators determined that they were both on probation and under the
influence of alcohol.

Inside the converted garage officers found a .223-caliber rifle and high-capacity magazines, which are prohibited under state law.

Avalos-Hernandez and Sanchez-De Paz were both arrested and booked into Sonoma County Jail.

— Bay City News; Image via Shutterstock