Amador County – A 22-year-old Stockton man was arrested on multiple charges including possession of a sawed-off shotgun and auto theft the week before Christmas.

The Amador County Sheriff’s Office released details Dec. 28, saying a deputy discovered a stolen vehicle was being driven on Highway 88. Resulting was a brief pursuit, and the apprehension of John William Rogers, 22, of Stockton.

Rogers’ is in custody at the Amador County Jail with bail set at $100,000. He was charged with auto theft and the possession of stolen property, a short barreled shotgun, and a firearm with a removed serial number. He was also charged with being in possession of a firearm with a previous misdemeanor conviction and a current restraint against another person. Rogers was also charged with the commission of a felony while currently released on a pending felony.

At about 2:41 a.m. Dec. 22, a deputy patrolling the area of Pine Grove conducted a registration check of a white 1995 Saturn sedan traveling east on Highway 88. The vehicle was reported stolen from San Joaquin County.

Amador County Sheriff Martin Ryan said in the release that deputies “attempted to stop the vehicle at Highway 88 and Gayla Drive.” The vehicle turned “onto Gayla Drive, then turned onto Foothill Pines Court, which ended at a dirt embankment, at which time the vehicle yielded to deputies.”

The deputies conducted a “high risk detention of the vehicle,” detaining Rogers, the sole vehicle occupant.

Rogers was found to have shotgun ammunition in his pocket, and in a search of the vehicle, “deputies located a sawed-off shotgun. The stock of the shotgun had been sawed down to a pistol grip and the barrel had been cut down to nine inches in length.”

“The serial numbers on the shotgun had been scratched off,” Ryan said, “and the shotgun was equipped with a make-shift sling which would allow it to be readily concealed under a coat.”

Deputies also located a black Halloween style mask, gloves and a change of clothing in the front passenger compartment, adjacent to the shotgun.

“Rogers refused to be interviewed when asked about the commission of any recent criminal acts,” Ryan said.

“Given the totality of the circumstances,” Amador County sheriff’s detectives sent out messages and fliers “to all regional law enforcement agencies regarding the arrest, in an effort to identify any crimes wherein Rogers, the vehicle and/or weapon were involved.”

By Dec. 28, no additional criminal acts were identified, but it was “determined that Rogers was currently released from custody in San Joaquin County on a pending felony auto theft case.”

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.