Wanted Man Arrested in Fort Bragg With Stolen Gun, Deputies Say

[Evidence photo from MCSO]

This is a press release from the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office. The information has not been proven in a court of law and any individuals described should be presumed innocent unless proven guilty:

On June 4, 2026, at approximately 11:16 p.m., Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office deputies observed Jesse Peters operating a vehicle on South Main Street in Fort Bragg. Deputies were aware that Peters had an outstanding felony warrant for his arrest and initiated an enforcement stop. The vehicle yielded at the intersection of Cypress Street and South Main Street, where deputies contacted Peters at the driver’s side door and advised him of the warrant.

Peters complied with deputies’ direction to exit the vehicle. As deputies were placing him in handcuffs, Peters informed them he had a firearm in a shoulder holster. Deputies safely removed the firearm, and a records check revealed it had been reported stolen out of Modesto, California in 2017. Deputies also located suspected methamphetamine in Peters’ pockets.

Based on probable cause, deputies conducted a search of Peters’ vehicle. Inside, they located a loaded 12-gauge shotgun under the back seat, additional ammunition, and more suspected methamphetamine. A records check further showed that Peters had at least one prior felony conviction and multiple prior drug-related convictions.

Peters was arrested, transported to the Mendocino County Jail, and booked on the listed charges. The items recovered at the scene were seized and booked into evidence at a Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office facility.

This incident highlights the ongoing efforts of the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office to remove stolen firearms and dangerous narcotics from the community and to hold prohibited persons accountable for illegally possessing weapons.