Oxnard police arrest documented gang member for possession of loaded gun
OXNARD, Calif. - Oxnard police arrested a man Friday evening after finding him in possession of a loaded handgun, hiding near homes on Gardenia Street.
Officers from the department's Neighborhood Policing Team were patrolling the Sierra Linda Neighborhood around 7:21 p.m. when they reportedly saw a suspicious person walking near the intersection of Lantana and Gardenia Streets.
Officers said they watched the man walk up to the porch of a home on the 1200 block of Gardenia without entering the residence. They believed he did not live at the home and was purposely hiding from them.
Police then decided to approach the porch and the suspicious man emerged from the porch area with his hands up.
Officers searched the area where the man had been hiding and reported finding a loaded .22 caliber handgun in a planter box.
They reached out to the resident of the home who told police she had no knowledge of a handgun being kept in the planter.
Police spoke with the 24-year-old Oxnard man and determined he was a documented gang member and convicted felon. A records search revealed the handgun was not registered to him.
The man was arrested at the scene and faces felony charges for being a felon in possession of a firearm, carrying a loaded firearm not registered to him and carrying a concealed firearm on his person.
Anyone with more information about this incident or other criminal activity in the city is encouraged to contact the Oxnard Police Department at 805-385-7600, or you can remain anonymous by calling the Ventura County Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.