Gun left behind at San Mateo store leads to arrest of ex-con

A gun left behind at a store in San Mateo led to the arrest of a man who police said was a convicted felon.

Sione Laulea, 42, of San Mateo was arrested Thursday for several firearm-related charges, police said Saturday.

Laulea was the subject of an investigation that started when an employee of a store near South Norfolk Street and Fashion Island Boulevard called the police on Sept. 26, 2024. The employee called after finding a bag with a pistol in it.

Officers responded to the scene and collected the firearm which they found was unregistered and loaded with ammunition.

Video footage in the store showed that a man who drove a white Kia placed the bag in a shopping cart but left the store with the bag still in the cart.

Police identified the man as Laulea who they later discovered was a convicted felon and was prohibited from possessing firearms.

An arrest warrant for the man and a search warrant for his residence were subsequently authorized.

Police arrested Laulea after spotting him driving the same white Kia along Highway 101. Officers also seized an AK-47-style assault rifle, ammunition, a bullet-proof vest, and firearm accessories during the raid of his home.

Laulea is currently booked in San Mateo County Jail. He faces charges for the illegal possession of an assault weapon and felony possession of a loaded firearm, ammunition, and body armor.