Sonoma County sheriff's deputies arrested a Richmond man Tuesday night for possession of illegal weapons after receiving complaints about semi-automatic gunfire in a rural area east of Geyserville.
The gunfire around 10:45 p.m. was reported in an area eight miles up Pine Flat Road and the responding deputies were aware of a similar gunfire incident in April that involved a gray Toyota pickup truck, sheriff's Sgt. Cecile Focha said.
Deputies stopped a gray Toyota pickup on Alexander Valley Road near the Russian River Bridge and found the driver was the same person involved in the previous gunfire incident, Focha said.
Inside the truck, deputies found an AR-15 rifle, a .38 revolver and bullets, exploding targets, a lock pick set, a loaded 100-round drum-style magazine and other illegal high-capacity rifle magazines, some of which were loaded, Focha said.
Deputies also recovered a handgun that was thrown out of the passenger window before the truck was stopped, according to Focha.
The driver, Samuel Mielke, 35, of Richmond, a convicted felon prohibited from possessing firearms, was arrested on suspicion of illegal weapons possession and possession of burglary tools, Focha said.
Mielke was booked into Sonoma County Jail under $50,000 bail, Focha said. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday in Sonoma County Superior Court.
A passenger of the pickup truck was released at the scene and driven by a deputy from the remote area, Focha said.
--Bay City News
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