Los Banos police find drugs, loaded stolen shotgun in home; 7-year-old taken into protective custody

Los Banos police found suspected methamphetamine and a loaded, stolen shotgun inside a home where a 7-year-old child was present, and the child was placed in protective custody, the Los Banos Police Department said.

Officers with the department’s Gang Unit served a search warrant on Tuesday, Oct. 27, at a home in the 100 block of Santa Rosa Street, as part of an investigation into suspected methamphetamine sales.

They found suspected methamphetamine, prescription muscle relaxants, glass smoking pipes, digital scales and packaging materials, according to the department. They also found a loaded, stolen shotgun that wasn’t secured.

Because of the drugs and the unsecured gun, Merced County Child Protective Services came to the home, and the child was placed in protective custody, police said.

Who was arrested

• Ricky Peterson, 40, was arrested on suspicion of possessing a controlled substance while armed with a loaded gun, child endangerment and receiving stolen property.
• Valarie Nevarez, 42, was arrested on suspicion of child endangerment and criminal storage of a firearm.

Both were booked into the Los Banos City Jail. A third adult, a 33-year-old woman, was arrested on an outstanding warrant and on suspicion of drug possession, and was released at the scene.

An arrest doesn’t mean a person committed a crime. Everyone arrested is presumed innocent unless convicted.

What’s still unknown

The police announcement doesn’t say:

• How the child is related to the adults, or where the child is now
• Where or when the shotgun was stolen
• Whether prosecutors have filed charges, or when anyone is due in court

Sources: Los Banos Police Department post, Oct. 28, 2026.