Three teenagers were arrested and a fourth given a citation after being found in a vehicle with an unregistered firearm while allegedly smoking weed, the Los Banos Police Department said.
On March 20 at approximately 10:21 p.m., officers responded to the area of Nevada Avenue and West J Street following reports of gunshots.
Police said Officer Julian Pacheco was in the area and quickly approached a black Escalade occupied by five males, three being juveniles, police said. All of the individuals were under the age of 21 and were smoking marijuana, according to law enforcement.
A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of an unregistered, loaded, black handgun concealed beneath a rear passenger seat, police said.
The firearm is believed to belong to one of the juveniles who was arrested on suspicion of carrying a concealed firearm in a vehicle, being a minor in possession of live ammunition, being a minor in possession of a firearm and being a minor carrying a loaded firearm with aggravated circumstances.
The suspect was transported to the Merced County Juvenile Detention Center.
Police said Andrik Flores and Christopher Amador Perez, both 19, were arrested on suspicion of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Another juvenile was issued a citation for being in possession of marijuana. He was released to a parent.
Police did not say what happened to the fifth individual in the vehicle.
The Los Banos Police Department encourages anyone with information related to this incident to contact law enforcement at 209-827-7070.
