Healdsburg police find firearm in backpack, arrest 2 juveniles after pursuit

The Healdsburg Police Department arrested two juveniles Tuesday afternoon after locating a handgun in a backpack following a chase through town.

Officers arrived at the 400 block of Grove Street in Healdsburg around 3:40 p.m. after someone reported “suspicious individuals wearing hoodies and having their faces covered with bandanas,” according to a news release.

The call followed another from the complex the day before, where officers responded to a report of gunshots and found evidence that someone had fired a handgun two times without striking anyone. Police believed the shooter was targeting another person.

On Tuesday, officers saw two individuals who, when they attempted to contact them, took off running. The runners, who police say were a 15- and 16-year-old from Healdsburg, jumped fences and ran through yards in an attempt to evade police.

Officers however caught them in the 700 block of Healdsburg Avenue and found a pistol and a loaded magazine during a search of one of the juveniles’ backpacks, according to the news release.

Officers arrested the two, who were not identified, on charges of possessing a loaded firearm, possession of a concealed firearm in public, possession of stolen property and resisting arrest. It was not clear from the release if the handgun was the stolen property.

The 16-year-old suspect was on juvenile probation for a previous firearms charge. Police continue to investigate if the incidents Monday and Tuesday at the apartment complex are related.

You can reach Staff Writer Andrew Graham at 707-526-8667 or andrew.graham@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @AndrewGraham88