The following is a press release issued by the Ukiah Police Department. The information has not been proven in a court of law and any individuals described should be presumed innocent until proven guilty:
On 9/2/21, at approximately 0004 hours, an Officer from the Ukiah Police Department initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle at the 800 block of S. State St. for not having any tail lights. The vehicle had three occupants inside. The Officer provided UPD Dispatch the license plate number and learned the vehicle had been reported stolen out of Sebastopol, Ca. the day prior. UPD Dispatch also learned the main suspect for this stolen vehicle was 41- year-old Gregory Ungaretti. Ungaretti had active arrest warrants for drug possession as well as firearms possession and he was to be considered “armed and dangerous.”
Additional UPD Officers and Deputies from the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene to assist. A high-risk stop was conducted and all three occupants were taken out of the vehicle and detained without incident. The two passengers inside the vehicle were 33-year-old Tara Hill and Ungaretti. The driver of the vehicle was identified as 34-year-old Alicia Gallups. A records/warrants check was done on all three subjects. Ungaretti’s warrants were confirmed out of Lake County and Sonoma County. The Lake county warrants were for vehicle theft. The Sonoma County warrants were for possession and transportation of a controlled substance, possession of a short-barreled shotgun, possession of a silencer, and being a convicted felon in possession of ammunition. Gallups and Hill did not have any warrants.
Officers searched the vehicle and found over a ¼ pound (157 Grams) of suspected methamphetamine, heroin, and oxycodone. No firearms were located.
All three occupants were arrested and booked at the Mendocino County Jail for possession of a controlled substance for sales, transportation of a controlled substance and conspiracy. The vehicle was towed and stored pending pick up from the registered owner. Ungaretti had an additional charge of vehicle theft.
As always, our mission at the Ukiah Police Department is to make Ukiah as safe as possible. Additionally, the UPD would like to thank the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office for their quick response and assistance with this incident.