A traffic stop near Bear Valley Road and Pawnee Road in Apple Valley ended with a 62-year-old man in handcuffs after deputies say they found a loaded firearm in his vehicle and ammunition stuffed in his pocket. Kirk Thibodeaux now faces charges tied to a warrant that, it turns out, was already waiting for him on the very same allegations.
Traffic Stop Turns Into Weapons Investigation
The encounter began on Oct. 26 when Apple Valley Station deputies pulled over a vehicle for multiple vehicle-code violations, according to VVNG. What started as a routine stop quickly escalated once deputies reported spotting drug paraphernalia in plain view inside the car. A subsequent search turned up additional paraphernalia, the outlet reported, along with a loaded firearm inside the vehicle.
Deputies also found ammunition in Thibodeaux's front pocket, per the same account. That detail, combined with the loaded gun, led deputies to arrest him on suspicion of being a felon in possession of a firearm and a felon in possession of ammunition.
An Outstanding Warrant for the Same Allegations
It turned out Thibodeaux was already wanted. The station's report notes he had an outstanding felony warrant tied to the identical firearm and ammunition charges, and he was booked on that warrant at the High Desert Detention Center.
The arrest echoes an earlier case out of the High Desert. In August, Victorville Station deputies opened an investigation into a convicted felon's alleged illegal possession of firearms and ammunition in Apple Valley, according to vvng.com. Deputies, assisted by the Victorville City Gang Impact Team, served a search warrant at a residence around 7:01 p.m. that Aug. 26, recovering two firearms and several boxes of ammunition, including a black Walther P380 with an obliterated identification number and a .44-caliber revolver. That case ended with the arrest of Jaime Guzman Martinez, who was booked into the High Desert Detention Center in Adelanto on charges including felon in possession of a firearm, felon in possession of ammunition, and altering a firearm identification number.
No details have been released about whether prosecutors have filed charges against Thibodeaux or what became of his case moving forward.
