Full Notification

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 20, 2026
Issued By:
Community Engagement Liaison Kelsey McCarthy, Petaluma Police Department, (707) 364-6086, [email protected]

Extensive Investigation Uncovers 5 Illegal Firearms, Narcotics, and Stolen Vehicle

An investigation that began with a reported armed confrontation in April 2026 led Petaluma Police Department Investigators to uncover evidence of additional suspected criminal activity. Below is a summary of the initial incident, subsequent investigation, and charges.

Initial Incident:
On April 7, 2026, at approximately 1:04 p.m., an Officer with the Petaluma Police Department was dispatched to the 1000 block of Petaluma Boulevard North where it was reported that a group of suspects pulled into a parking lot and confronted a single victim.

The suspects, later identified as Kevin Tovar (20, Petaluma), Matthew Delucca (19, Petaluma), Carlos Soto (23, Petaluma) along with a 17-year-old juvenile suspect, allegedly made criminal threats toward the victim while displaying a handgun.

Further review of the incident and associated evidence which included, dispatch records, body-worn camera footage, witness statements, surveillance footage, and Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) information, led Petaluma Police Department Investigators to establish probable cause that the suspects acted together to locate, intimidate, and threaten the victim with a firearm in a coordinated act, supporting charges of: (422 PC) Criminal Threats, (236(a) PC) False Imprisonment by Menace, (417(a)(2) PC) Brandishing a Firearm, (25400(a)(1)PC) Carrying a Concealed/Loaded Firearm, and (182(a)(1)PC) Conspiracy.

Based on these circumstances, prior law enforcement contacts with the involved individuals, and the knowledge that certain suspects were not legally permitted to possess the firearms involved, Investigators authored and obtained search warrants.

Evidence collected through the search warrants further indicated involvement by one or more of the suspects in several other instances of criminal activity including the discussion, organization, and execution of vehicle thefts; illegal possession of firearms; conspiracy; criminal threats; and possession of narcotics.

Subsequent Investigation:
On August 19, 2026, Petaluma Police Department Detectives, assisted by members of the Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) Team, Community Impact Response Team (CIRT), Drone Team, and K9 Team, served search warrants at multiple residences and locations associated with the investigation.

During the searches, the team recovered a stolen vehicle that had been disassembled, along with five illegal firearms, including: one ghost assault rifle, two ghost handguns, and two additional handguns.

The suspects were taken into custody and booked on the following charges:

Kevin Tovar:

• Criminal Threats (422 PC)
• False Imprisonment (236 PC)
• Brandishing a Firearm (417 PC)
• Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person Following a Juvenile Adjudication (29820 PC)
• Conspiracy (182 PC)
• Prohibited Possession of a Firearm Until Age 30 (29820(b) PC)
• Possession of a Controlled Substance (11350(a) HS)
• Possession of a Firearm with an Altered or Obliterated Identification Mark (23920(a) PC)
• Possession of a Large-Capacity Magazine (32310(a) PC)

Matthew Delucca

• Conspiracy (182 PC)
• 2 Counts Unlawful Firearm Transfer / Transfer Without a Licensed Dealer (27545 PC)

Carlos Soto Jr.

• Conspiracy (182 PC)
• Possession of a Large-Capacity Magazine (32310(a) PC)

The juvenile suspect was charged with:

• Possession of a Stolen Vehicle (496d(a) PC)
• Possession of an Assault Weapon 30605(a) PC
• Possession of an Unserialized Firearm (29180(c) PC)

The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Petaluma Police Department by calling in to our non-emergency line (707) 778-4373, reporting it anonymously through nixle.us/tip/petaluma-police-department or by emailing [email protected]