Thursday, April 30, 2009
More than a dozen weapons seized in gang raid
The raid targeting a small Santa Ana gang led to the arrest of one man.
By DENISSE SALAZAR
The Orange County Register


SANTA ANA – Authorities seized more than a dozen rifles and handguns during an early morning raid that spanned Orange and Riverside counties and targeted a small Santa Ana gang.

The investigation began when a patrol officer stopped a car April 10 and found three gang members in the car. A search of the silver 2005 Toyota Corolla revealed evidence that the gang possessed several prohibited large-caliber military-style weapons, said Santa Ana police Sgt. Lorenzo Carrillo.

That led to search warrants being executed at 7 a.m. Thursday at a residence in the 600 block of Brianna Way in Corona and in the 600 block of South Shelton Street near Bristol Street in Santa Ana.

Santa Ana gang and homicide detectives and patrol officers teamed up with probation officers and the Riverside County Gang Task Force to search the homes. Among the weapons found in various locations of the residences were a military-style rifle with a sniper scope, an assault rifle, six pistols and other weapons.

"This is huge," Carrillo said about the weapons that were taken off the street. "We get excited when we get one. Removing a firearm is a good deal because we are going to prevent a crime or solve a crime," he said.

The weapons, with an estimated value of more than $12,000, will be tested to see if any of them have been used to commit crimes. It could take 40 days to get ballistics results.

Two men were arrested as a result of the investigation. Rudy Saul Vasquez, 31, of Santa Ana was arrested Thursday on suspicion of parole violation, being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm, possession of assault weapons and gang enhancements. David Ortega, 18, of Santa Ana was arrested after the car stop and is being held on the same charges.

Carrillo said other members of the gang have been charged with murder, possession of firearms and sale of narcotics.

Police are looking for an additional suspect in connection with the case.

The Gang Homicide and Felony Assault Reward Program offers people up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest of a gang homicide or felony gang assault suspect. The program was launched after the 2006 jump in gang violence. Eight rewards have been given.

Bullet Button?

that piss me of on so many levels

Stolen rifle.

Bangers don't use nightforce optics, gauranfuckinteed.

Hope to high hell that the dept finds the owner and returns it.   POF lower, nightforce scope, looks like a semi-custom upper.   Bet there is somebody on ARF or within 1-2 degrees of seperation that the rifle belongs to.

Fuck, that is exactly how I picture my next build.  (The build itself, not it sitting on an ATF table.)

Stolen (or mostly) guns for sure.  What gangbanger picks a K-31 for a drive by?  Hope that rot in prison for a long time.   But, we all know how that goes.  Someone will let these "poor misguided" men go without serving their full sentence.  Hope whoever legally owned these weapons get them back.

F.A.S. Out

K-31 = C&R, no waiting period, no NICS

Just a guess, but I'd wager those guns were on their way to TJ to be sold to the Mexican gangs down there.

why bother when you can buy a FA AK in mexico for under 200 bucks?

  Outstanding members of society .

Don't give em any friggen ideas. The powers that be don't need much of an excuse to butt rape our wallets for more.

That AR has a BB.  It maybe stolen, but its not illegal.

It's evil looking to media= illegal  
I hate reading/watching anything by so called journalists because they are all  biased and refuse to be informed on any subject they write about. Quite a few of them seem to have worse spelling and grammar than I do but then I am just a high school graduate so I have an excuse.

The obvious solution here is to infringe on citizens rights, and not control the border better.

And we know these dimwits are not citizens by....?

Looks like 6 handguns, 7 rifles and 1 shotgun.

The AK looks like it has a raddlock and one of the ARs looks like it has a BB.

News report said only one assault weapon. Other AR no have maglock?