A felony suspect has landed in custody after sheriff's deputies uncovered a loaded ghost gun during a vehicle search in San Marcos. According to the San Diego County Sheriff's Office, the incident occurred yesterday on South Rancho Santa Fe Road when deputies noticed an occupied car behaving suspiciously.
The search, which ensued just before 6:30 p.m., yielded a loaded, privately manufactured weapon—referring to the increasingly prevalent ‘ghost gun’, which lacks any serial number to identify it uniquely and, therefore, to easily track it. Found alongside the firearm were 48 rounds of 9mm ammunition. The presence of these ghost guns continues to pose a significant challenge for law enforcement, partly due to the inherent difficulty of quickly tracing them in criminal investigations.
In the same vehicle, a large assortment of illegal narcotics were discovered, including cocaine, ecstasy, fentanyl pills, and psilocybin mushrooms. Arrests at the scene included Justin Gioia (02/07/1999), Nathaniel Brown (08/07/1987), and a 17-year-old juvenile female. The adults were to be booked into the Vista Detention Facility, while the minor was later released into parental custody. Details disclosed in the Sheriff's Office's statement highlighted variegated drug sales and firearms charges pending against the trio.
The Sheriff's Office encourages anyone who observes suspicious activity in their area not to hesitate to immediately call the Sheriff's Office at (858) 565-5200.
