Suspected gang activity in Santa Rosa neighborhood led to the arrest of 10

Nine young men and one teenager were arrested Friday night in Santa Rosa in an hourslong anti-gang operation in Roseland that resulted in the seizure of three loaded guns, prescription drugs and a knife, authorities announced early Saturday.

The crackdown stemmed from repeated complaints over weeks that law enforcement reported receiving from residents at Beachwood and Myrtlewood drives between Dutton Avenue and Highway 101.

Neighbors reported dealing with loud music, public intoxication, drug use and alleged gang activity that police said resulted in fear and intimidation. There were also concerns about loud arguments and physical altercations, authorities said.

“The citizens in that area were being intimidated by gang members and were calling us for help,” Sgt. Tommy Isachsen said on Saturday. “They were too scared to leave their houses and too scared to even go to dinner.”

The men arrested were known to officers from past gang investigations, he said, and they were being monitored prior to the operation on Friday night. With the exception of one Clearlake resident, the detained suspects are all from Santa Rosa and range in age from 15 to 29.

The recovered firearms included two semiautomatic handguns and a revolver, along with 20 unlabeled prescription pills, police reported.

The arrests came in a planned operation using traffic stops in the neighborhood, Isachsen said.

Reports by residents earlier this month notified police that young men were walking around their neighborhood dressed in gang attire, Isachsen said, and that they were fighting in the streets and making threats to motorists.

The suspects taken into custody Friday were arrested on various weapons, gang and parole offenses, as well as open consumption of alcohol and underage drinking, police said.

The arrested men were identified as: Jonah J. Colon, 18; Fabian Ramos Liscano, 20; Gabriel Glenn Hawkins, 20; Antonio Sanchez-Maldonado, 21; Martin Ethan Oliver, 29; Carlos Daniel Anguiano, 21, of Clearlake; Roberto Estrada Durante, 20; and Kevin Armando Flores Figueroa, 20.

The name of the 15-year-old was not released. He was found carrying a concealed, loaded firearm, police said.

Two other juveniles were detained and later released to a guardian, police said.

The arrests were coordinated by a joint operation between officers from the Santa Rosa Police Department, Sonoma County Adult and Juvenile Probation and a safe streets task force that is part of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

You can reach Staff Writer Alexandria Bordas at 707-521-5337 or alexandria.bordas@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @CrossingBordas.