22-year-old arrested in San Marcos on suspicion of ghost gun possession

Danielle Dawson
·1 min read
4

SAN MARCOS, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — A 22-year-old San Marcos man is facing gun-related charges after he was arrested on Friday for possession of a suspected ghost gun, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.

Tristan Banuelos was taken into custody around 11 p.m. in the 500 block of Spanish Oak Avenue.

Deputies from the San Marcos Sheriff’s Station were dispatched to the scene after neighbors reported a group of “suspicious people” in the area, the department said.

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Upon arrival to the scene, deputies contacted a group of four people who were standing around a pickup truck. After approaching the vehicle, they noticed a loaded handgun in the passenger seat. The firearm turned out to be a ghost gun, according to the sheriff’s department.

“Ghost guns” differ from firearms from licensed manufacturers, in it that they do not have a serial number or other identifiable marking — something that makes it difficult for law enforcement agencies to track.

Banuelos, who was the driver of the pickup truck, was taken into custody in connection to the incident. He faces felony charges of carrying a loaded gun in a public place or public street, and owning or possessing a gun without a serial number.

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