Police: Man arrested after armed robbery at Santa Rosa gas station

SANTA ROSA, CA — A local resident is behind bars following an early morning armed robbery at a Santa Rosa gas station, where the suspect allegedly used an unserialized firearm, commonly known as a "ghost gun," to threaten a store clerk.

The incident occurred on the morning of Wednesday, November 6, 2024, at approximately 6:37 a.m. Santa Rosa Police officers were dispatched to a gas station in the 200 block of Dutton Avenue after receiving reports of an active robbery. According to investigators, a male suspect entered the convenience store wearing a face mask and a dark hooded sweatshirt. He approached the counter, pulled out a handgun wrapped in a bandana, and placed it directly in front of the employee.

Fearing for her immediate safety, the employee complied with the suspect’s demands and handed over an undisclosed amount of cash from the register. The suspect then grabbed the money and fled the premises on a bicycle, heading eastbound onto the nearby Joe Rodota Trail.

Responding officers quickly established a perimeter in the surrounding area and launched a search. During the search, officers located a bicycle, discarded clothing matching the description of the suspect's attire, the face mask, the stolen cash, and the firearm. These items were found concealed under the Pierson Street bridge along the Prince Memorial Greenway.

The weapon was identified as a loaded 9mm semi-automatic "ghost gun" equipped with an extended magazine containing 27 rounds of ammunition. Approximately an hour after the robbery, officers spotted the suspect, identified as 35-year-old Juan Carlos Lopez, walking near Wilson Avenue and 5th Street. Lopez was detained without incident and subsequently booked into the Sonoma County Main Adult Detention Facility on charges of armed robbery and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.