Santa Rosa candidate Alvarez facing weapons charge

Santa Rosa City Council candidate Eddie Alvarez has a misdemeanor weapons charge pending in Sonoma County Superior Court.

Alvarez, 32, was arrested by Rohnert Park police shortly before 1 a.m. May 26 as he was driving away in his mother’s car from a Rohnert Park nightspot.

Police searched the vehicle after Alvarez was unable to provide identification and found a small amount of marijuana on the carpeting and an unloaded .45 Ruger handgun registered to Alvarez in a back-door side compartment.

Alvarez was booked into Sonoma County Jail on misdemeanor charges of possession of marijuana and possession of a concealed weapon.

The marijuana charge was quickly dismissed after Alvarez, who describes himself as a “self-medicator,” produced a doctor’s prescription to use medicinal marijuana due to a back injury he suffered two years ago.

Alvarez’s attorney, Ken Beyries of Santa Rosa, said a settlement conference is set for Oct. 17 to decide, in conjunction with the District Attorney’s Office, whether to dismiss the weapons charge or go to trial.

Beyries said it was Alvarez’s brother who had put the gun in the car without his knowledge.

Alvarez, who operates a jewelry business, said he has applied for a concealed-weapons permit. He is one of 15 candidates competing for Santa Rosa’s City Council.

You can reach Staff Writer Mike McCoy at 521-5276 or mike.mccoy@pressdemocrat.com.