Police: Felon arrested with gun
A Merced man was arrested for illegally having a gun, according to Merced police.
Officers in the Merced Police Department’s Gang Violence Suppression Unit were looking for Jason Villa, 37, of Merced, whom they described as a “wanted gang member,” according to a news release.
They found the man, who is on probation, leaving a home just after 8 p.m. Friday in the 500 block of West Childs Avenue, police said. Inside his kitchen was a .380-caliber handgun.
Villa is being held at Merced County jail for a felony warrant and suspicion of being a felon in possession of a firearm with gang enhancements. His bail amount is $300,000, according to jail records.
Merced police ask anyone with any information regarding this or other alleged crimes to contact Gang Violence Suppression Unit Sgt. Brian Rodriguez at 209-385-4710, or the Merced Police Department Tipster Line at 209-385-4725. The public can send information via anonymous text messages to the police department by dialing 847411 and including the word “Comvip” as the keyword in the text message.
Thaddeus Miller: 209-385-2453, @thaddeusmiller
This story was originally published September 11, 2016 at 2:33 PM with the headline "Police: Felon arrested with gun."