An officer on patrol who stopped to talk with a driver in West Berkeley found a gun hidden under the man’s floor mat, leading to the driver’s arrest, court papers show.
Police arrested 44-year-old Humferto Mejia on May 11 after a Berkeley police officer found him parked on Harrison Street near Eastshore Highway at about 11:10 p.m., according to court papers. The officer searched Mejia’s vehicle after seeing “multiple open containers of alcohol” in its center console, police said. Police also found methamphetamine in Mejia’s pants pocket during the search, BPD reported.
As police were taking Mejia into custody, a records check revealed that he was a felon, and was therefore prohibited from having a gun, according to police.
On May 13, the Alameda County district attorney’s office charged Mejia with possession of a firearm by a felon and carrying a concealed firearm in a vehicle. Both are felonies. He also was charged with possession of methamphetamine, which is a misdemeanor, according to charging documents.
Mejia’s prior conviction, for felony possession for sale of a controlled substance, took place in San Francisco County in 1994. He was placed on probation after that conviction, according to court papers.
A judge released Mejia on his own recognizance May 13. He is scheduled to enter a plea May 29 before Judge Yolanda Northridge at the René C. Davidson Courthouse in Oakland, according to court records online.
