Santa Rosa teen suspected of threatening woman with ‘ghost gun’ in school parking lot

A Santa Rosa teen was arrested Wednesday morning after police said he assaulted his girlfriend in a high school parking lot, threatened her friend with a gun and then fled from police, triggering a car chase.

The incident occurred just after midnight in the parking lot at Piner High School on Fulton Road where 19-year-old Alejandro Huerta was arguing with his girlfriend and her friend, the Santa Rosa Police Department said.

“Huerta assaulted his girlfriend, prevented her from leaving his vehicle, and pointed a handgun at her companion, threatening to kill her,” the department said in a statement.

When police arrived, Huerta was driving away in his Nissan sedan. An officer tried to pull Huerta over, but he kept driving southbound on Fulton Road, according to the statement.

Police chased Huerta and stopped him at a shopping center at the corner of West Third Street and Stony Point Road. Officers found a 9mm handgun with a large-capacity magazine and no serial number on the passenger seat, the statement said.

The incident represents the fourth time in three days that Santa Rosa police have reported seizing a gun without a serial number, commonly referred to as a “ghost gun.” Authorities with the city said they are increasingly finding such guns during arrests involving gang members or violent felons.

Huerta was booked into Sonoma County Jail on eight felony charges, including assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a gun on school grounds and possession of a gun not by the registered owner. He was also arrested on misdemeanor charges of domestic violence assault and evading police.

You can reach Staff Writer Matt Pera at matthew.pera@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @Matt__Pera.