What started as a simple parking violation near the Santa Monica shoreline on Tuesday ended with four underage occupants in handcuffs and a car full of contraband, according to police.
Santa Monica officers said they approached a vehicle parked at Appian Way and Arcadia Terrace after spotting several municipal and vehicle code violations. Inside, they reported finding a loaded handgun, a nitrous oxide tank, marijuana and open containers of alcohol. All four people in the car were under 21, police said, and were booked on a mix of drug and weapons charges.
According to a Santa Monica Police Department Facebook post, officers first noticed open containers of alcohol, visible marijuana and a nitrous oxide tank in plain view inside the parked car. A loaded handgun was then recovered from the vehicle. The post states the four occupants were arrested on “various drug and gun charges” and asks anyone with information about the case to call 310-458-8491.
Routine stops turning up weapons and nitrous
Police say this is not an isolated incident. Local reporting and the city’s weekly police summaries describe a recent trend in which routine traffic stops and public-drinking contacts are turning up loaded firearms and nitrous oxide tanks. That pattern was highlighted in a run of gun busts earlier this year. The Santa Monica Daily Press also reported on an April traffic stop that yielded a loaded handgun and nitrous oxide, and the city’s own Blue Notebook recaps list multiple similar cases.
Legal implications
Under California law, carrying a loaded firearm in a vehicle on a public street is generally illegal. Penal Code 25850 covers those violations, and the offense can be charged as either a misdemeanor or a felony depending on the circumstances.
Recreational use and certain forms of possession of nitrous oxide are also prohibited in California. Penal Code 381b addresses nitrous oxide, and in this case prosecutors will decide which specific counts to file after reviewing the evidence.
The department is asking anyone with tips related to the incident to call its non-emergency line at 310-458-8491, or dial 9-1-1 in an emergency. “Members of the public are encouraged to contact the Santa Monica Police Department at 310-458-8491,” the post reads, reflecting the department’s request for community assistance.
