Officers Initiated the Stop for a Moving Violation When a Passenger Alerted Them About a Rifle
A routine traffic stop early Saturday morning led to the arrest of five individuals after Santa Monica police officers uncovered firearms, drugs, and open alcohol containers in the vehicle.
Officers initiated the stop for a moving violation when the front passenger alerted them to the presence of a rifle inside the car. Following this information, all five occupants were detained. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed a loaded handgun in addition to the rifle, as well as open alcohol containers.
The five suspects were arrested on multiple charges, including carrying a concealed firearm in a vehicle, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a controlled substance while armed with a loaded firearm, and parole violation. Authorities have not yet released the identities of the suspects.
The investigation is ongoing, and no further details were available at the time of publication.