FALLBROOK, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI)– A man was arrested in Fallbrook Wednesday afternoon after deputies discovered a loaded ghost gun in the vehicle in which he was driving, according to officials at the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office.
According to the report, deputies made a traffic stop on a vehicle for a vehicle code violation around 4 p.m. at 1600 South Mission Rd., near downtown Fallbrook.
There were three occupants in the vehicle, who each provided the officers with identification, the report said.
Reportedly, when officers conducted a records check on each of the occupants, they found that the driver of the vehicle, Ryan Rotherforth, 28, had served a temporary restraining order for a domestic violence incident and could not own or possess any firearms. The rear passenger was also confirmed to have a valid 4th Waiver.
Officers searched the vehicle and found a loaded firearm inside a small black handbag that was behind the front passenger seat and was allegedly easily accessible to any person inside the vehicle, according to authorities.
According to the report, deputies seized the firearm and discovered it was altered, unserialized and had live ammunition in the magazine.
Rotherforth was arrested and is facing felony charges, including carrying a loaded firearm in public, altering a firearm and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, according to authorities.
Officials report that privately manufactured guns (PMF), also known as “ghost guns,” do not contain a serial number or other identifiable markings, making it difficult for law enforcement to track the firearms back to their owners, which hinders investigations and crime-solving efforts.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
