Planada man arrested on gun charges after shooting investigation, Merced sheriff says
A 32-year-old Planada man was arrested Friday on gun charges after an investigation into a shooting led to him, the Merced County Sheriff’s Office said.
The investigation was for a shooting that took place Jan. 8 in Planada. Nobody was injured.
Shortly after the shooting, a vehicle involved was found abandoned. It contained several firearms, the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post.
Two suspects connected to the shooting were arrested shortly after abandoning the vehicle, the post said. On Friday, the sheriff’s office SWAT team executed a search warrant in connection with the shooting with hopes of identifying more suspects.
During the search, detectives uncovered an unserialized rifle equipped with a high-capacity magazine, an unregistered pistol and ammunition, the post said.
Juan Ceja Prado was arrested and booked into jail on multiple charges:
- Possession of a high-capacity magazine.
- Possession of an assault weapon.
- Possession of ammunition by a prohibited person.
- Being a felon in possession of a firearm.
- Shooting at an occupied vehicle.
Those with additional information about the incident can contact Det. Jose Sanchez at 209-385-7472.
This story was originally published January 23, 2026 at 1:54 PM.
