A traffic stop near Bear Valley Road and Seventh Avenue in Hesperia led to a loaded handgun being pulled from a car and the arrest of a 49-year-old Los Angeles man. Rupert Lewis was taken into custody after deputies said they found the weapon inside his vehicle, according to investigators with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.
The stop happened at roughly 7:53 p.m. on October 1, and it wasn't an ordinary patrol unit that pulled Lewis over. According to Victor Valley News, investigators with the Hesperia Gang Investigations Team carried out the stop.
During the stop, deputies identified Lewis as a convicted felon, the outlet reports.
Felony Charges Tied to the Firearm and Ammunition
Once the loaded handgun turned up inside the car, Lewis was booked into the High Desert Detention Center on suspicion of violating California Penal Code Section 29800(a)(1), felon in possession of a firearm, and Section 30305(a)(1), prohibited person in possession of ammunition, per the same account. Under Section 29800(a)(1), a convicted felon caught owning, purchasing, receiving, or possessing any firearm faces a felony punishable by 16 months, two years, or three years in state prison, according to California Legislative Information.
Section 30305(a)(1) bars anyone already prohibited from possessing firearms from owning, possessing, or controlling any ammunition or reloaded ammunition, according to California's penal code.
Hesperia's Policing Setup and Where Lewis Was Booked
Hesperia has never run its own police department. The city has contracted its local law enforcement services to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department since incorporating in 1988, per the City of Hesperia. That arrangement means specialized units like the Hesperia Gang Investigations Team operate directly out of the county sheriff's structure rather than a separate municipal force.
Lewis was processed at the High Desert Detention Center in Adelanto, a Type II facility run by the sheriff's department that can house more than 2,100 pre-trial and sentenced inmates, Hoodline previously reported.
Deputies working out of the Hesperia Sheriff's Station have carried body-worn cameras since a department-wide rollout began in September 2023, according to Victor Valley News.
Authorities are asking anyone with additional information about the Hesperia incident to contact the Hesperia Sheriff's Station at 760-947-1500, or to submit anonymous tips through We-Tip at 844-909-3006. It remains unclear whether the handgun found in Lewis's vehicle was reported stolen or unregistered, and whether the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office will pursue additional gang-related enhancements in the case.
