Man charged with gun crimes after Grizzly Peak gunfire
An officer saw Johan Loaiza "throw a firearm down the hill," according to charging papers. Police later found the gun.
A man is facing gun charges after being spotted by a witness shooting a gun in the Berkeley-Oakland Hills on a recent weekend, court papers show.
A woman called police at about 5 a.m. Sunday, March 8, after seeing two men fire eight rounds from a handgun and then get into a white car, the University of California Police Department wrote in court papers.
Responding officers found that car on Grizzly Peak near Signpost 14, police said.
They conducted a high-risk stop and detained both men inside.
During the detention, an officer saw one of the men, identified as Johan Loaiza, "throw a firearm down the hill," according to charging papers.
Police ultimately found the pistol, which had no serial number, on the hillside, UCPD said.
They also found "multiple open alcoholic beverages" in the car, where they located a magazine that matched the gun, along with more ammunition, police wrote.
Outside the car, police found more bullets along with spent casings, UCPD wrote.
During the car search, officers also found almost 15 grams of suspected methamphetamine and nearly 7 grams of suspected cocaine, according to charging papers.
That morning, police arrested Loaiza and the other man, Bernardo Antonio Loyola, in connection with multiple gun and drug-related allegations, UCPD wrote.
Both are Walnut Creek residents, authorities said.
In the end, only Loaiza was charged — with carrying a loaded firearm and possession of a firearm without serial numbers, according to charging papers.
He entered not-guilty pleas last week on March 11.
Read more about crime near UC Berkeley.
During a hearing that day, Loaiza's public defender asked Judge Bentrish Satarzadeh to release him on his own recognizance.
According to court records, Satarzadeh agreed to the request over the objection of the prosecution.
He is set to return to court May 4 for a pretrial hearing.
