Nine people were arrested Thursday in connection with a multiagency weapons investigation led by the Woodland Police Department that involved search operations in Woodland and Sacramento, the latter resulting in a shooting incident and three nearby school lockdowns.
Assisted by neighboring law-enforcement agencies including the Davis Police Department, Woodland police served 17 search warrants as part of the ongoing investigation. Officials did not release specifics as to what prompted the investigation, though many of the arrests were for drug-related violations in addition to weapon offenses.
In Sacramento, agents with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were serving one of the search warrants at a house on 17th Avenue in the Oak Park neighborhood at about 7 a.m. when agents heard gunfire from inside the residence.
“A male subject armed with a gun fled out the back of the residence,” Sacramento police said in a news release. “The armed male was met by ATF agents in the backyard of the house, where an agent discharged his firearm at the suspect, striking him.”
That suspect was treated at a nearby hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, police said. No officers were hurt.
As a result of the shooting, three nearby schools in including neighboring Christian Brothers High School were placed on lockdown until the situation stabilized, police said.
Woodland police identified the apprehended suspects as:
* Alfonso Vasquez, 27, of Woodland, arrested for possession for sales of cocaine, maintaining a place where narcotics are sold, being armed with a firearm during the commission of a felony, and possession of narcotics while possessing a firearm.
* Jason Zaragoza, 40, of Woodland, arrested for being an ex-felon in possession of a loaded firearm, which allegedly was stolen, and for being an ex-felon in possession of ammunition.
* Justin Johnson, 31, of Woodland, arrested for violating the terms and conditions of post-release community supervision and violation of gang activity conditions.
* Cesar Gutierrez, 26, of Woodland, arrested for violating the gang activity conditions of his parole.
* Miseal Escobedo, 21, of Woodland, arrested for possession for sales of concentrated cannabis, conspiracy, and a criminal street-gang activity enhancement.
* A 15-year-old Woodland male, arrested for a violation of his probation based upon his possession of gang paraphernalia and failure to provide weekly drug tests.
* Robert Holguin, 27, of Sacramento, on a warrant charging him with various firearms charges and criminal conspiracy, and for possession for sales of methamphetamine.
* Raymond Asif, 34, of Sacramento, arrested for possession for sales of methamphetamine.
* Leonard Morales, 32, of Sacramento, arrested for possession for sales of methamphetamine and for being an ex-felon in possession of a firearm.
The investigation is ongoing, Woodland police said.
— Reach Lauren Keene at lkeene@davisenterprise.net or 530-747-8048. Follow her on Twitter at @laurenkeene