SRPD Arrests Suspect Following Armed Assault; K9 Ghost Helps Locate Firearm

The Santa Rosa Police Department (SRPD) arrested a suspect following a violent armed assault that occurred on March 15, 2026, at a business in the 1000 block of Santa Rosa Plaza, thanks to coordinated patrol, investigative work, and the assistance of SRPD K‑9 Ghost. 

At approximately 6:00 p.m., SRPD officers were dispatched to investigate a report of a suspect who brandished a handgun during a confrontation with a coworker inside a downtown business. During the incident, the suspect assaulted the victim, threatened violence, and pointed a loaded handgun at the victim’s face at extremely close range. The victim feared for his life and fled the scene prior to calling the police. The adult male victim sustained superficial injuries to his hand, neck, and face during the assault, none of which required medical attention. 

The investigating officer was able to identify the suspect as Mitchell Lagleva, a 35-year-old resident of Rohnert Park. 

Shortly after 9:40 p.m., SRPD officers located Lagleva’s vehicle parked near his residence in the 1400 block of Gold Way, Rohnert Park. When officers observed Lagleva leave the area in the vehicle, they conducted an enforcement stop and took him into custody without incident. 

An SRPD K‑9 officer deployed his canine partner, K‑9 Ghost, to conduct an open‑air sniff of the vehicle. K‑9 Ghost positively alerted to the presence of a firearm near the driver’s seat. Officers subsequently located a loaded, privately manufactured semi‑automatic handgun under the driver's seat of the vehicle. The firearm was unserialized and equipped with a loaded magazine. 

A detective with the SRPD Gang Crimes Team later authored a search warrant for Lagleva’s residence. During the service of the search warrant, additional evidence was recovered, including ammunition, firearm accessories, and a high‑capacity magazine believed to have been inserted in the firearm during the original assault. 

The suspect was arrested and booked into the Sonoma County Jail on multiple felony charges, including: 

245(a)(2) PC - Assault with a firearm 

25400(a)(1) PC – Carry a concealed firearm in a vehicle 

25850(a) PC – Carry a loaded firearm in public 

The Santa Rosa Police Department commends the teamwork between patrol officers, detectives, and the K‑9 unit in safely resolving this incident and removing a dangerous, illegal firearm from the community. 

Santa Rosa Police Department case number 26-2718. 

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