Alleged Santa Paula gang member facing 6 years in prison for gun charges

An alleged Santa Paula gang member will face up to six years in prison after he was convicted for multiple firearms offenses.

On November 19, 2018, the Fillmore Police Department’s Investigative Unit received reports about a woman who had a warrant for her arrest. The woman was reportedly living at a home on the 700 block of Harvard Boulevard in Santa Paula.

Investigators served the warrant and encountered the female subject and her boyfriend, Emilio Montiel, 36, at the residence. At the beginning of the search, Montiel gave a false name to detectives and refused to follow instructions.

During the search, the investigators found a loaded handgun and suspected that both the woman and Montiel were under the influence of drugs and the two were arrested.

Detectives conducted another investigation along with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Forensic Science Laboratory to analyze the handgun. The forensic analysis determined Montiel’s DNA was on the handgun.

Another search warrant was served for Montiel’s cell phone and photographs were found showing that he was in possession of a second handgun.

Montiel had a jury trial within the Ventura Country Superior Court system and on May 17 was found guilty of being a felon in possession of firearms, obstructing a peace officer and providing false information.