Four arrested in Lodi on weapons violations

Four separate incidents all took place Thursday

Lodi Police Department officers were kept busy Thursday, recovering loaded firearms in four separate incidents.

At about 12:53 a.m., officers stopped a vehicle in the area of Stockton and Lockeford streets. Upon contacting the driver, officers noticed a gun in the vehicle, police said.

Officers attempted to give orders to the two men in the vehicle, but the driver fled and a pursuit began, police said.

The driver threw the gun out of his window as he led officers on the chase, but pulled the vehicle over a short time later. Both occupants were ordered out of the vehicle at gunpoint, police said.

Lodi resident Pedro Lopez, 29, was arrested on suspicion of evading arrest and several felony weapons violations, police said. He was booked into San Joaquin County Jail.

At 2 p.m., officers responded to an argument in the area of West Walnut Street and South Orange Avenue, where it was reported that a man involved retrieved a rifle from the bushes of a nearby residence and entered a vehicle, police said.

Officers located the vehicle in the area of Lodi Avenue and Hutchins Street and detained 26year-old Connor Closson of Lodi at gunpoint, police said.

A .270-caliber rifle was located in the back of the vehicle, along with items used to make butane honey oil, police said. An investigation determined the rifle Closson possessed was reported stolen.

Closson was arrested on suspicion of possession of stolen property, burglary, drug offenses and a court order violation, as well as several felony weapons violations. He was booked into San Joaquin County Jail.

At about 4:51 p.m. officers responded to the report of a man on a bicycle with a handgun in his waistband in the 200 block of East Pine Street.

Officers located Herman Zamora, 31, of Lodi, in the 00 block of South Main Street. Police said Zamora disobeyed officers’ commands and attempted to flee on his bicycle, but was taken into custody after a brief struggle.

A loaded .22 caliber revolver was found in Zamora’s waistband, police said.

He was arrested on suspicion of resisting arrest, several weapons violations and gang enhancements, and was booked into San Joaquin County Jail.

The final arrest was made at about 10:38 p.m., when officers stopped a vehicle in the 100 block of South Cherokee Lane.

Officers learned the driver, 20-year-old Jorge Navarrete of Lodi, was on probation and parole. A search of his vehicle was conducted and officers found a loaded 9mm handgun under the front passenger seat, police said.

Navarrete and his passenger, 26-year-old Miguel Garcia Leon of Lodi, were both arrested and booked into the San Joaquin County Jail on suspicion of several felony weapons violations and gang enhancements.