Press Release
Fairhaven Police were called to a Dover Street residence last Tuesday, 1/17, by a citizen who discovered two guns in their basement that belonged to a male party who had been living there. They identified him as 40-year-old Gary Rosonina.
Gary Rosonina
When officers arrived, they were led to a work area in the basement where they located several unsecured firearms. The owners and residents of the multifamily home told police Rosonina was their tenant’s son, and had been squatting in their basement since he relocated here from Arizona.
According to the home owners they wanted Rosonina, who was not paying rent, to leave their house. They said when they confronted him with this issue, an argument ensued and he left the premises.
After examining text messages between the home owners and Rosonina, Sergeant Daniel Dorgan learned that he was possibly renting a room in a local motel. It was also determined that Rosonina had an active warrant for his arrest for motor vehicle offenses and no firearms license.
A short time later, Officer Wayne Mello Jr. found the man’s vehicle in the parking lot of the Huttleston Motel. Officer Mello, along with Officer Marcy Haaland, set up surveillance on the hotel, and kept an eye on the vehicle. Police did not immediately move in to take Rosonina into custody because he was determined to be in possession of several firearms.
The vehicle eventually drove out of the parking lot, and was stopped by Officers Mello and Haaland, Sergeant Dorgan and Officer Phil Lacerda. Rosonina, who was the sole occupant of the vehicle, was taken into custody without incident.
After Rosonina was taken into custody, police located a 12 gauge shotgun, a .45 caliber handgun and an AR-15 rifle equipped with a 37 mm grenade launcher in his hotel room.
Officers also seized a small quantity of heroin and methamphetamine. Back at the residence, police seized another 12 gauge shotgun, several handguns, 12 high capacity feeding devices and assorted ammunition.
Rosonina was charged with possession of heroin, possession of methamphetamine, unlawful possession of ammunition, 12 counts of unlawful possession of a high capacity feeding device, 8 counts of improper storage of a firearm and 8 counts of possession of a firearm without a gun license.
All of the firearms in the basement and in the hotel room had been left by Rosonina loaded and unsecured. A high capacity feeding device is a gun magazine that can hold more than ten rounds of ammunition.
Rosonina was arraigned in Third District Court Wednesday morning and held without bail. A dangerousness hearing was held Friday, at which Rosonina was ordered held until February 24th to await a show cause hearing.
Click here to download the entire 1/26/17 issue: 01-26-17 KindnessChall
