Arizona man smuggled 29 guns, including 27 assault rifles, into Riverside County, officials say
An Arizona man was caught with almost 30 firearms, including 27 assault rifles and 15 ghost guns, in Riverside County on Monday, officials said.
Alexis Ayala Molina, a 22-year-old from Phoenix, was “committing suspicious and unsafe driving actions” on the 10 Freeway at Chiriaco Summit, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said in a news release.
After he was pulled over by the U.S. Border Patrol, the Coachella Valley Violent Crime Gang Task Force joined the investigation, which found Ayala Molina allegedly had 29 guns, one bolt-action rifle, one semi-automatic pistol and 27 assault rifles.
The assault rifles appear to be similar to AK-47s, a photo provided by investigators shows.
Of the 29 guns, 15 are ghost guns, weapons without a serial number, making them impossible to trace.
The guns came from the Tempe, Arizona, area and were being smuggled into California, investigators determined.
Ayala Molina was booked into the John Benoit Detention Center, where he remains in lieu of $55,000 bail.
He faces multiple charges, including possession of several assault weapons, transport of assault weapons, and altering or removing serial numbers from firearms, all of which are felonies.
He’s due to appear in the Indio Larson Justice Center on Friday.
Anyone with information is asked to call Officer Martinez at 760-836-1600.
If you have non-emergency information regarding gang activity, call 951-922-7601.
To report information anonymously, call Crime Stoppers at 760-341-7867.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
