Anonymous "STOPit" Tip Leads to Arrest for Firearm Possession 

On November 11, 2025, administrators at Montgomery High School contacted the Santa Rosa Police Department (SRPD) regarding an anonymous tip received from the “STOPit” app. The tip was a photo of three individuals with their faces obscured and holding firearms. No information about the identities of the individuals was provided, and the photo appeared to be taken at a residence, not at the school. No threats to any person or the school were disclosed in the tip.  

The SRPD Gang Crimes Team (GCT) assumed the investigation and began working diligently to identify the subjects in the photograph. Detectives identified Axel Silverio Guzman Palomino, an 18-year-old resident of Santa Rosa, as one of the subjects in the photograph. Guzman Palomino is not a student within the Santa Rosa City Schools District. On December 2, at approximately 7:05 a.m., GCT detectives served a search warrant at Guzman Palomino’s residence located in the 800 block of Aston Avenue.  

Detectives located an AR-15 pistol, a .22 caliber rifle, and a Glock 43 pistol. Also located was ammunition and a 3D printed pistol component. It is believed that at least one of the firearms recovered during the search warrant is one of the guns seen in the photograph. The unsecured firearms and ammunition were located in the closet of the bedroom Guzman Palomino shares with his 2-year-old son. 

Guzman Palomino, who was home at the time of the search warrant, was arrested and booked into Sonoma County Jail for the following offenses: 

30605 PC – Possession of an Assault Weapon 

273(a) PC – Child endangerment 

23920(b) PC – Possession of a non-serialized firearm 

25100(c) PC – Criminal storage of a firearm 

Guzman Palomino’s child was not home at the time of the search warrant and remains in the custody of his mother.  

Based on their investigation, GCT detectives do not believe there was a connection to Montgomery High School or that the recovered firearms were ever brought to a school campus. Although this arrest was not directly linked to potential school violence, the anonymous tip made through the STOPit app helped to protect the larger Santa Rosa community by removing dangerous and illegally owned firearms off the street.  

The STOPit App is an anonymous reporting platform used by students, staff, and families to report concerns like bullying, harassment, threats, self-harm, or safety hazards via mobile app or web. Santa Rosa City Schools have fully adopted STOPit across middle and high schools to help prevent harmful behavior before it escalates. Through STOPit, Santa Rosa schools and police maintain an open and safe channel where anyone can report concerns without fear, fostering a supportive culture and helping keep students safe. 

Santa Rosa Police Department case number 25-12220. 

Media inquiries can be directed to Sgt. Patricia Seffens, Public Information Officer, at 707-543-3634 or pseffens@srcity.org.