3 Loomis Men Arrested with Stolen Guns Following Pursuit

Three Loomis men were arrested early this morning after a Placer County Sheriff’s deputy watched them fire guns from their vehicle in rural Loomis.

The guns, an AR rifle and a 12-gauge shotgun, were stolen from a Loomis gun shop Monday.

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The deputy was parked at the Sierra Presbyterian Church on Barton Road, near Sierra College Blvd., at 2:44 a.m. when he saw a vehicle, driven by Aaron Lee Patrick, 24, pull over and park on the shoulder. Moments later, the deputy heard several gunshots and saw muzzle flashes coming from the car. The deputy immediately pulled out onto Barton Road and a pursuit ensued.

Patrick drove through stop signs at a high-rate of speed and drove from Barton Road to Brace Road. As Patrick approached Sierra College Blvd., a tire blew out on the vehicle, which then struck a median. Patrick ran from the disabled car, but the deputy was able to stop him about 100 yards away. He was taken into custody without further incident. Other deputies, and officers from the Rocklin Police Department, found the other two suspects sitting in the car with their hands up. They are Kyle James Lopez, 21, and Ronald Paynter, 23.

Although their motive for shooting is under investigation, the men may have been shooting at road signs or at the ground.

Inside the car, deputies found two of the three weapons that were stolen from National Gun on Taylor Road in Loomis early Monday morning.  Detectives are investigating the men’s connection to the stolen weapons. All three suspects were booked at the Placer County Jail on multiple felony charges, including willful discharge of a firearm, receiving stolen property, and conspiracy. Bail was set at $110,000 for Lopez and $25,000 for Paynter. 

Patrick, who is on Post Release Community Supervision, is being held on $125,000 bail. He is a state prison parolee classified under AB109, or “realignment,” as a “non-violent, non-serious, non-sex-offender.” PRCS offenders are supervised by county probation officers and local law enforcement, rather than state parole.