Posted on 11/19/2014 1:53:34 PM PST by BenLurkin
NEWPORT BEACH (CBSLA.com) A man and a woman faced multiple weapons charges Wednesday after Newport Beach police found seven AK-47 assault rifles and hundreds of rounds of ammunition in their vehicle, authorities said.
The discovery was made during a traffic stop on Nov. 14 at approximately 8:48 pm near the intersection of Bristol Street South and Irvine Avenue, according to Newport Beach Police spokeswoman Jennifer Manzella.
An officer observed a green Dodge Caravan leaving a gas station with expired registration and an unspecified equipment violation, Manzella said.
The officer conducted a vehicle stop and determined that the driver had a suspended license and that the vehicles other occupant was on probation, according to police.
A search of the van revealed that there were a total of seven AK-47 assault rifles, six 30-round high-capacity 7.62 caliber magazines, two 10-round magazines, and over 350 rounds of 7.62 caliber ammunition inside, police said.
One of those rifles had been reported stolen out of the state of Georgia, and all the rifles were modified to fire in fully automatic mode, according to Manzella. The barrel on one of the weapons had been sawed off shorter than 16 inches in violation of California state law.
The search also revealed drug paraphernalia, burglary tools, and a notebook with identity theft information inside the van, according to Manzella.
Officers arrested Andrew Cardiel, 42, of Banning, and Heather Gurule, 30, of Yucaipa, were arrested on several charges including transporting a machine gun, possession of a short-barreled rifle, possession of high-capacity magazines, and conspiracy.
Cardiel was also charged with possession of burglary tools, possession of drug paraphernalia, false evidence of registration and driving on a suspended license.
Both suspects were being held on $500,000 bail.
I can't even afford one, much less spell them.
Why inventory the contents when the police will deny responsibility for anything stolen from them?
So let’s get this straight...
In California, where normal people can’t have a semi auto AR a detachable magazine, and have to navigate all kinds of approved gun lists and waiting periods and I prefer not to know what else, there are known criminals wandering around with full auto AK’s. Have the people of California bought safety at the expense of liberty or was Ben Franklin right?
They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety. —Benjamin Franklin
“Why inventory the contents when the police will deny responsibility for anything stolen from them?”
There just might be a big old sack of cash in the back. Civil forfeiture and all that.
The liberal scum may think so, but there are a few million others who didn't...
MOLON LABE
The police say they're full auto.
I'm just a little skeptical that there are very many people who drive a Caravan around with an expired registration who have the funds to acquire fully automatic AKs or the gunsmithing skills to convert semi-automatic AKs to fully automatic. (It's still probably a lot easier for a criminal to acquire a scary-looking AK on the cheap in Georgia than in California.)
Militia members? That would account for the arrest...
“The police say they’re full auto.”
Reporters like to pretend all AK’s and AR’s are full auto, so normally I’m skeptical, but the article was very specific about saying they were illegally modified to be full auto.
But my point remains. California’s laws only serve to disarm normal citizens while leaving the criminals fully armed.
They’re CLIPS! oh...wait....
It was my understanding under California law that:
California says:
If you’re on probation or parole you essentially waive your 4th amendment rights to unreasonable search and seizure. You can be detained and searched with or without reasonable suspicion at any time.
If you’re inside of a motor vehicle, the passenger area of that motor vehicle can be searched pursuant to your probation terms. It’s reasonable to search anywhere that you could reasonably access, it’s reasonable for someone in the passenger area of a vehicle to be able to access anywhere in that area.
If it’s your vehicle, the engine compartment and trunk are fair game also.
No warrants or additional probable cause are needed.
People who steal guns should be hanged. No exceptions.
I had guns stolen and cannot tell you how pi%$ed I was for some time.
I does say that. But where are the Feds? They would ordinarily be very interested in the seizure of seven unregistered machine guns. In any state.
Nearly 90% of the big busts that our local LEOs make (drugs; etc.) are because of expired tags on the vehicle.
“But where are the Feds? They would ordinarily be very interested in the seizure of seven unregistered machine guns. In any state.”
You would think. The ATF was probably too busy running guns to the cartels, raiding a legal 80% lower company, setting up some autistic guy in a sting or looking for weapons THEY lost.
I also noticed that they said the SBR was a violation of California law, when that’s also a Federal violation.
Maybe the local police just accidentally intercepted a Holder consignment being shipped south of the border so they can be “tracked”...
As someone who is familiar with that area, at 8:48 p.m., there’s very little traffic. The Dodge Caravan probably stood out like a sore thumb. Excellent bust, IMO.
I had a scary but ultimately miraculous situation happen in that area about 10 years ago. Going south on the 405 one morning, I was very early to work, which was highly unusual, and I got off on the Bristol Street off ramp to make a right to go to my office. There was a guy right off the off ramp begging for a ride. Begging. I was at the stop light at the off ramp and since I was early and he was begging, I gave him a ride. I know, stupid.
He said he wanted to go down Bristol to Jamboree, which was a couple miles (and would take me right by Bristol/Irvine where this bust happened). After he got in my car and we were driving along, I got a very bad vibe. Very bad. As I drove along, I noticed to my right just slightly behind me a police car. It paced me. I immediately began to feel better about my situation. I do not know if my passenger knew it was there. The cruiser stayed with me until I dropped him off. I have never picked up a hitchhiker since. Those cops over there are on the BALL.
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