Springfield witnessed a significant seizure of illegal firearms yesterday when Springfield Police Department officers recovered an AK-style rifle, a machine gun, and another firearm from a stolen vehicle. According to a report released by the Springfield Police Department, the arrest of two suspects led to the confiscation of these weapons on the 700 block of State Street.
At about 6:45 p.m., officers were called to investigate a report regarding a stolen vehicle. On arrival, they spotted a man with the vehicle keys, later identified as 22-year-old Jean Rodriguez-Claudio, saddled with charges that included possession of a machine gun and possession with the intent to distribute drugs. The discovery of the firearms, one being a Zastava rifle loaded with 31 rounds of ammunition, painted a troubling picture of the potential level of violence the suspects might have intended.
During the search that followed Rodriguez-Claudio's arrest, officers found the additional weapons, including the machine gun modified with a sear-selector switch, rendering it fully automatic. Loose rifle ammunition was also retrieved from the car. The details of the police response suggest a potential disaster was averted in that parking lot in the early sweeps of the evening.
Another twist came as officers prepared to tow the confiscated vehicle. A 16-year-old boy approached, claiming ownership of the firearms. Given his juvenile status, details such as his name and specific charges are being withheld. Jean Rodriguez-Claudio, on the other hand, faces a raft of serious charges, among them, receiving stolen property less than $1200, and possession of a large capacity firearm during the commission of a felony, pointing to the severity of the situation.
