Friday, Jan. 11, 2013

Traffic stop nabs 4 on gun and gang tie charges

A Saturday night traffic stop led to the arrest of four people on gang and weapons charges.

Street crimes Detective Jake Bento stopped a light-colored sedan near Fourth and H streets for undisclosed vehicle code violations at 10:25 p.m., according to a police report.

Passenger Luis Anguiano, 29, of Los Banos was determined to be on Merced County probation, so authorities conducted a compliance check.

A loaded handgun was found hidden inside the vehicle, according to police.

Placed under arrest on suspicion of gang crimes and possession of a loaded firearm in a vehicle were Joseph Gonzalez, 28, the driver of the vehicle, Anguiano and the remaining passengers, Mario Carreras, 26, and Luis Setterberg, 30. All four reside in Los Banos. Anguiano was also arrested on suspicion of being a felon in possession of a firearm and violation of probation. He is being held without bail.

Gonzalez, Carreras and Setterberg are each being held pending $355,000 bail. All four men are in custody at the Los Banos Police Department

"This was a good stop that took a gun off the streets and this is another example of the great work the men and women of this department do every week," Cmdr. Ray Reyna Jr. said.