Felon found with gun, narcotics in Santa Rosa traffic stop

(KRON) – A Vallejo resident and convicted felon was found driving with a privately made gun and narcotics early Sunday morning, according to authorities. 

The Santa Rosa Police Department said officers pulled over a vehicle without license plates at around 1:05 a.m. Officers said they noticed “in plain view” open containers of marijuana.

The driver, according to police, informed authorities he had a loaded firearm under his seat. Officers later located a loaded, unregistered, and unserialized 9mm P80 privately made firearm and a suspected crack cocaine.

Police said they discovered the driver, identified as Vallejo resident Tabarrie Merritt, is a convicted felon prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.

Merritt, 45, was arrested and booked into the Sonoma County Jail, where police said he admitted to concealing additional narcotics on his person. 

He was booked into jail on the following charges:

• Possession of a firearm in public
• Carry a concealed firearm in a vehicle
• Possession of a firearm by a prohibited person
• Possession of live ammunition by a prohibited person
• Possession of a controlled substance while armed with a firearm
• Possession of a controlled substance