What started as a routine traffic stop in South Sacramento ended with a convicted felon in handcuffs and a loaded handgun pulled from a satchel at his feet, according to deputies.
Central Division patrol deputies said they stopped a vehicle this afternoon near Power Inn Road and Elder Creek Road and found a loaded Taurus semi-automatic handgun tucked inside a satchel on the passenger-side floorboard. The gun, deputies reported, was equipped with a 15-round magazine that is illegal under California law. The driver, identified as 36-year-old Dante Powell, is a convicted felon and was taken into custody and booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail.
What deputies reported
In a post from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office on X, officials said Central Division deputies conducted the stop in the Power Inn Road and Elder Creek Road area and located the Taurus handgun inside the floorboard satchel. The agency wrote that the firearm was loaded, fitted with a 15-round magazine that is illegal under state law, unregistered, and that Powell was taken into custody and booked into the county main jail.
Potential legal consequences
Under California law, a person with a prior felony conviction who "owns, purchases, receives, or has in possession" a firearm can face charges under Penal Code § 29800, which can carry state-prison exposure. State law also restricts ammunition-feeding devices, making possession of magazines that hold more than 10 rounds a crime under Penal Code § 32310. Prosecutors may add charges related to unregistered or serial-number-less firearms if investigators determine the weapon lacks proper identification.
Where this fits locally
The sheriff's office has highlighted similar traffic-stop gun recoveries in South Sacramento in recent months as part of routine patrol and weapons enforcement efforts. Local coverage and prior sheriff social posts have documented comparable confiscations earlier this year, including a February incident that deputies said involved a loaded handgun and suspected narcotics during a traffic stop. A February traffic stop that turned up a loaded handgun and suspected narcotics was among those earlier cases.
What happens next
The sheriff's office did not immediately release further details on specific charges beyond Powell's booking. Prosecutors will decide what to file after deputies complete and submit their reports. For non-emergencies or to track court filings and custody status, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office and Main Jail pages list contact and booking information. The Sacramento County Main Jail site includes public lobby hours, phone numbers, and inmate lookup resources.
