Watsonville Gang Task Force arrested suspect for firearm possession

The Watsonville Gang Task Force reports they arrested a convicted felon Thursday evening.

Watsonville Police said during a routine patrol they contacted 18 year-old suspect Raul Castillo Arana at around 6:00pm near his Watsonville residence, which is in the 300 block of Bree Lane.

Investigators said Arana, who is a convicted felon, was on searchable probation and was not allowed to possess firearms. Police said Arana had a loaded firearm in his possession, which was not registered.

According to the Gang Task Force, Arana was arrested for violating his probation, possession of a loaded firearm as a convicted felon and possession of ammunition by a convicted felon and was booked in the Santa Cruz County Jail.

This is the Gang Task Force’s second firearm seizure of 2015, according to authorities.

The Gang Task Force said it has seized 78 firearms since 2012, 26 of which were seized during 2014.