A routine check in a supermarket parking lot turned into something out of an action movie on Tuesday, when Arapahoe County deputies say they found an AK-47, a MAC-10 with a suppressor, and a large amount of ammunition in a stolen car sitting outside the King Soopers on S. Havana Street.
Deputies arrested the driver, identified as 41-year-old Johnathan Quintero, and took him into custody. No injuries were reported.
How Deputies Tracked The Stolen Car
According to the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office, the sheriff's special response team got a Flock alert about a stolen vehicle near E. Mississippi Avenue and S. Peoria Street. Deputies later found the car parked at the King Soopers on S. Havana Street, watched a man get into it, and then carried out what they described as a safe, high-risk stop.
The sheriff's office post identified the suspect as Quintero and stated that he told deputies there were illegal firearms inside the vehicle.
Weapons Seized And 'Hot-List' Alerts
In its post, the sheriff's office said deputies recovered a large quantity of ammunition along with an AK-47 and a MAC-10 that was fitted with a suppressor. The same post noted that some of the firearms had defaced serial numbers.
Flock Safety, which operates the license-plate camera network, states that its system can alert officers when a vehicle on a shared "hot list" is detected, helping law enforcement quickly track down stolen cars.
Legal Implications
Federal law makes it illegal to possess a firearm with a removed or altered serial number, a violation outlined in Legal Information Institute, and it can bring prison time along with steep fines. The ATF's National Tracing Center runs an obliterated-serial-number program that provides forensic help to restore markings and trace where a gun came from.
Suppressors are regulated under the National Firearms Act, as described in the Legal Information Institute, which means unregistered devices can trigger additional federal charges. The ATF has stated that it assists local agencies with tracing and restoration efforts related to such weapons.
Case Status And Next Steps
The sheriff's office said Quintero faces multiple charges, including auto theft and weapons violations. The post did not include booking or arraignment details.
Investigators are expected to trace and forensically examine the seized weapons as part of the case, and the sheriff's office asked anyone with information to contact them.
