Photo: Santiago Gomez
Ventura County – Life as a “known gang member” appears to require constant vigilance if one is to avoid the watchful eye and long arm of the law. Evidence of that was reported by Ventura County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Det. Jose Torres who described “a month long investigation” into the activities of 27-year-old Saticoy resident Santiago Gomez.
Gomez—who has a history of convictions for the unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition—had attracted enough attention from the VCSD Gang Unit on the morning of June 6th to qualify for a search warrant with his name on it. That search warrant was served on Gomez’s Saticoy residence by detectives who promptly discovered a cache of weapons inside the home.
Gomez’ guns
Those weapons included “an AK-47 style rifle and a loaded handgun.” The rifle was found to have had the serial number “removed,” while research on the handgun indicated that it had been stolen in an earlier burglary. Along with the two weapons, “gun holsters and different caliber ammunition” was found in the house.
Although Gomez was not on the premises at the time of the service of the search warrant, he was subsequently located by deputies and was taken into custody “without incident.”
Gomez was transported to Ventura County Jail, where he was booked on charges of being a felon in possession of prohibited firearms, illegal possession of ammunition, and unlawful transfer of a firearm involving the alteration and obliteration of serial numbers. He remains in custody with his bail set at $250,000.
Photos: Courtesy Ventura County Jail Booking, Ventura County Sheriff’s Department Gang Unit
