A late-night speeding stop in Canyon Country quickly escalated into a gun case, deputies say, when someone inside a car allegedly hurled a loaded ghost gun and extra ammunition into a nearby residential block. Deputies with the Santa Clarita Valley Station’s Special Assignment Team detained both occupants, reported recovering additional rounds, and said the pair remain in custody while detectives sort through the case.
Deputies Say Loaded Ghost Gun Tossed From Speeding Car
Special Assignment Team deputies say they pulled over a vehicle on Sierra Highway after watching it travel at a high rate of speed. As they moved in, they reported seeing an occupant throw a loaded privately made firearm and additional ammunition into a nearby residential area.
According to the station, the driver, a 21-year-old described as being on probation, was arrested on multiple felony weapons counts, along with reckless driving and driving without a valid license. Deputies say the 20-year-old male passenger was booked on weapons-related charges and for an outstanding assault warrant.
Both men were transported to the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station jail, where deputies say they remain in custody. The case has been turned over to the station’s JAG detectives for follow-up, per the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station Facebook post.
Why Ghost Guns Matter in California
Privately made firearms, commonly called ghost guns, lack factory serial numbers and are notoriously hard to trace once they turn up at crime scenes. A 2024 report from the California Attorney General’s Office notes a dramatic spike in ghost gun recoveries from 2019 to 2021 and outlines statewide enforcement and legislative efforts aimed at curbing that trend, according to the California Department of Justice.
Peer-reviewed research has reached similar conclusions, finding that privately made firearms have grown as a share of crime guns in recent years and that their lack of serial numbers complicates investigations for local agencies and prosecutors. That study is available via PMC.
Local Enforcement in the Santa Clarita Valley
The Santa Clarita Valley Station increasingly leans on proactive traffic and business patrols to interrupt weapons and drug trafficking before it lands on neighborhood streets. Deputies frequently publicize those stops on social media, in part to generate tips and keep residents tuned in to what is happening around them.
Similar busts along Canyon Country corridors have popped up in recent months. In one recent case, a routine stop led to a sizable drug seizure, with a suspected dealer allegedly caught hauling a significant stash, as previously reported in Half-Pound Meth Seized. Deputies say these types of patrols are meant to keep residential areas safer by catching weapons and narcotics before they are used in violent crimes.
Legal Implications
Because the driver was reportedly on probation and the passenger had an outstanding warrant, prosecutors may pursue multiple felony weapons charges alongside potential probation violations.
California’s Penal Code section 29800 makes firearm possession a felony for many people with prior felony convictions or certain qualifying warrants, according to the California Legislature, and related statutes cover unserialized firearms and ammunition.
How to Report Tips
Anyone with information about this stop is asked to contact the Santa Clarita Valley Station at (661) 260-4000, or call 911 in an emergency.
Non-emergency tips and virtual deputy appointments can also be submitted through the station’s webpage at Santa Clarita Valley Station.
