So far in 2022, Manteca Police officers are seizing illegal guns off the streets every two days on average.
On Sunday a traffic stop yielded the 32nd and 33rd illegal gun taken off the street his year, respectively, after officers discovered a loaded 12-gauge shotgun that had been reported stolen out of Stockton wedged between the driver’s seat the door and a loaded .40 caliber handgun beneath the passenger seat that had the serial numbers filed off.
When officers first pulled over the vehicle for speeding and other vehicle code violations, authorities claim that when approaching the vehicle, they noticed the strong odor of cannabis as well as unpacked cannabis that was in plain sight. While possession of cannabis and cannabis products is legal in California, it must be kept in a lockable container – loose cannabis is akin, according to police, to an open alcoholic beverage inside of a vehicle.
Kavon Fields, 22, was arrested for possession of a stolen handgun, being a felon in possession of a firearm, being a felon in possession of ammunition, and other firearms-related charges. The passenger, 20-year-old Nygee Jordan, was arrested for possession of a handgun with an obliterated serial number and possession of a loaded handgun in public.
As of Monday afternoon, Fields was still in custody at the San Joaquin County Jail on charges that resulted in $250,000 bail and is due to appear in the Manteca branch of the San Joaquin County Superior Court on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. Jordan was released from custody on Monday.
While the potential for arresting suspects armed with illegal firearms may present a public hazard, the Manteca Police reiterated in a social media post on Monday that they made sure that such an undertaking was done in a way to prevent any possible hazard or harm to the wider law-abiding community.
“We also note that, although we’re seizing one illegal firearm every two days on average, our Officers are doing so safely,” the post read. “The firearms in this case were easily accessible to the suspects while they were seated in the vehicle.
“Our Officers acted in a safe, professional manner to disarm the suspects and take them into custody without incident.”
To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.
