DISTURBANCE LEADS TO AN ARREST FOR STOLEN FIREARM
[SOURCE: Coalinga Police Chief Darren Blevins Press Release 7:30 AM March 11, 2019]
Early Monday morning, March 11, around 1:30 am, officers from the Coalinga Police Department responded to Fastrip gas station located on Elm Avenue after receiving the report of a disturbance. Officers were informed by the caller that there were several Norteño criminal street gang members outside the store provoking a fight with a possible rival Bulldog criminal street gang member.
As officers were reporting to the area, they were given a description of the fleeing vehicle. Officers spotted the vehicle described as a white Chrysler 300, in the area of Cambridge and Hannah Street and performed a traffic enforcement stop.
Coalinga police officers found 18-year-old Coalinga resident, Rafael Vargas, 18-Year-old Coalinga resident, Alvaro Araujo and 22-year-old Lemoore resident Alexis Barrio inside the vehicle. All three occupants were confrontational and uncooperative with officers.
Officers detained all three men and searched the vehicle. They discovered a loaded black .380 semi-automatic handgun which was determined to be stolen out of Coalinga last year.
All three men were arrested and later transported to the Fresno County Jail on charges of carrying a loaded firearm, possession of stolen firearm, carrying a loaded firearm inside a vehicle, carrying a loaded firearm while participating in a criminal street gang, felon in possession of a firearm, possession of ammunition, driving without a license and a misdemeanor bench warrant.
