Coalinga DUI Traffic Stop Leads to Gun, Ammo Seizure, More Felony Charges

A traffic stop that began with a DUI arrest led officers to recover a firearm and ammunition after a follow-up search warrant was served in Coalinga, authorities said.

According to the Coalinga Police Department, officers stopped a blue 2010 Honda on Tuesday for a vehicle code violation and arrested the driver, Rigoberto Perez, on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. During a search of the vehicle, officers found 19 rounds of unspent .45 ACP ammunition inside a backpack.

No firearm was found at the time, police said.

Investigators determined Perez was a convicted felon with prior gang enhancement violations, according to the department. Officers then obtained a search warrant for his residence in the 800 block of Hazelhurst Street in Coalinga.

On Friday, at about 11:15 a.m., the Coalinga Police Department, in partnership with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium, served the warrant and found a .45 caliber handgun along with additional ammunition in one of the rooms, police said. The gun and ammunition were taken into evidence.

Perez, who was already in custody on the DUI charge, now faces additional charges of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and in possession of ammunition, which were filed with the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office.

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