Ventura County – In the first place, you have to wonder how many arrests began with a blown stop sign?
It’s always a good idea to carefully obey motor vehicle laws when driving with a loaded gun in your car. 23-year-old Oxnard resident Connor Gehrke apparently didn’t know, or remember, this. On the afternoon of July 17th he rolled through a stop sign in downtown Ventura.
Here’s one guy who didn’t stop
That moment of driving oversight soon had a VPD patrol unit behind him with flashing red lights. When the cop checked the DMV database, he realized that Gehrke was driving on a suspended license.
Operating a vehicle without a valid license leads to the vehicle being immediately impounded. Prior to the tow truck hauling Gehrke’s car away, however, the cop took a peek inside the trunk. That is when he discovered “a loaded shotgun” and an undisclosed amount of “controlled substances.”
Here’s what the officer discovered
What was initially a simple traffic ticket quickly became a felony arrest. handcuffed and transported to Ventura County Jail, Gehrke faces several charges. These include –
- felony possession of a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle;
- possession of a controlled substance with a firearm;
- possession of a firearm by a felon.
He remains held at Ventura County Jail, with his bail set at $50,000.
