Vallejo police seize guns at multiple locations
Vehicle enforcement stops over weekend lead to 5 arrests and multiple guns seized, including assault rifle.
Operation P.E.A.C.E. Officers seized six handguns, one assault rifle, made five arrests, issued two citations and impounded two vehicles on Friday. Vallejo Police Patrol Officers also seized one one handgun during an enforcement stop.
At approximately 4:41 p.m., officers conducted a vehicle enforcement stop at the intersection of Louisiana and Calaveras streets for false registration. Upon approaching the vehicle officers initiated contacted with 31-year-old Vallejo resident Eugene J. Smith, who was the front passenger in the vehicle. Further investigation revealed that Smith has an outstanding warrant for his arrest.
Officers conducted a vehicle search and located a blue Glock style pistol loaded with 16 rounds of ammunition under the front passenger seat. Smith was arrested without incident and booked into the Solano County Jail on five counts of felony firearms charges.
Later that day at 7:53 p.m., officers were patrolling an apartment complex located in the 200 block of Maine Street when they observed several doubleparked and illegally parked vehicles in the fire lane near one of the buildings.
Approximately 15-20 individuals were standing around the vehicles and immediately dispersed upon noticing officers, leaving the parked vehicles open and unattended. Upon approaching one of the vehicles, officers saw a black AR-style rifle on the floorboard and a pistol protruding from a blue jean jacket on the backseat.
The AR rifle had one bullet in the chamber and 28 rounds of ammunition in an extended magazine. The pistol had one bullet in the chamber and 31 rounds of ammunition in an extended magazine. Officers also located a black beanie cap and face mask on the rear seat next to the pistol. All evidence was collected for DNA analysis and the investigation remains ongoing. No suspect(s) were detained/arrested.
About an hour later at approximately 8:43 p.m., officers initiated a vehicle enforcement stop on the 100 block of Marquette Ave. During the stop, officers initiated contact with 27-yearold Washington state resident Christopher J. Melone.
Upon further investigation, Melone admitted that he was driving with a suspended driver’s license and was confirmed to be on active probation with a search clause. Prior to the subsequent vehicle search by officers, Melone revealed that he had a handgun in the glove compartment. Officers retrieved the handgun and determined it was loaded with 10 rounds of ammunition in the magazine. Another 15 rounds of ammunition was located in the center console of the vehicle.
The illegally possessed firearm was a Glock style semi-automatic pistol that had been illegally converted to function as a fully-automatic pistol. Melone was arrested without incident and booked into Solano County Jail on four felony firearms charges.
Officers later conducted a traffic stop on the 600 block of Tuolumne St. for vehicle code violations. During the stop, officers determined the driver and occupants were on searchable probation.
Further investigation revealed that each of the occupants were in possession of loaded firearms concealed in their waistline. The suspects included 23-year-old Vallejo resident Christopher Mercado Lewis, 25-year-old Benicia resident Maurice Anthony Green, and 27-year-old Pomona resident Robert Manalesa. All three suspects were arrested and booked into the Solano County Jail.
Later, officers returned to the 200 block of Maine Street when they observed 18-year-old Vallejo resident Melvin King Johnson running from officers. Johnson was observed crouching down behind a parked car and attempting to hide. When Johnson proceeded to walk away, he was stopped by additional officers and detained.
Officers searched the area where Johnson was hiding and located a black and green Glock-style semi-automatic handgun loaded with a total of 29 bullets, including the bullet in the chamber. The illegally possessed firearm was determined to have been stolen. Johnson was arrested and booked into the Solano County Jail.