Two men were arrested after police detained them, and multiple others, as they fled from where gang-related graffiti and a handgun were found in Santa Rosa, authorities said.
The Santa Rosa Police Department received a call about 10:35 p.m. Thursday reporting about 20 people spray painting gang-related signs on residential buildings in the 900 block of Sunset Avenue, Sgt. Patricia Seffens said in a news release.
Other callers reported seeing some of the group carrying baseball bats. Some were wearing clothing or accessories that were blue ― a color associated with a local gang.
Police arrived and began detaining individuals as they ran from the area.
Officers located an unregistered and loaded small revolver, a mask and a blue can of spray paint near where the men took off.
They also found what police described as fresh blue graffiti that included several nicknames and symbols associated with Santa Rosa criminal street gangs, Seffens said.
Police identified many of those detained as gang members, but did not establish who had tagged the buildings and who brought the gun. The investigation is ongoing.
Officers determined two of the men who were possibly under the influence of alcohol when police detained them were on probation, which prohibited them from having or drinking alcohol.
Rohnert Park resident Roberto Casarias, 24, and Santa Rosa resident Alejandro Perez, 32, were arrested and booked into the Sonoma County jail on suspicion of violating their probation.
Casarias and Perez were not in Sonoma County jail as of Tuesday morning.
You can reach Staff Writer Madison Smalstig at madison.smalstig@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @madi.smals.