A traffic stop last week for expired registration and a seat belt violation resulted in a 20-year-old Tracy man being arrested for possession of an assault weapon.

According to the Manteca Police Department, 20-year-old Donovan Conrad was stopped by a Manteca Police officer who noticed that the vehicle did not have current tags – they were more than six months overdue.

In the process of cataloguing the inventory of the vehicle before it was towed officers discovered an AR-style pistol with a loaded magazine nearby – resulting in additional charges for Conrad.

He was booked into the San Joaquin County Jail on July 24 for a variety of charges including possession on an assault weapon and was subsequently released from custody that same day.

According to the California Attorney General’s Office, a gun is considered an “assault weapon” when it meets clearly-defined  — having to either be listed on a master roll of AR or AK-style guns curated by the state, be listed on the original Roberti-Roos assault weapons list, or meet the specific characteristics as defined by Senate Bill 23.

Because Conrad’s gun had no buttstock and a barrel that was 16-inches or less in length, it would legally be classified as a pistol and would be classified as an assault weapon under California law because of its ability accept a detachable magazine while also having a shroud over the barrel – allowing it to be held while being fired without burning the hand of the person shooting it.

Firearms have been a hot topic this year for Manteca Police who spent the early part of the year taking an illegal gun – guns that were stolen, illegally modified, or in the possession of prohibited individuals – off the street every other day.

To contact Bulletin reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.