2 Men Pulled Over for Erratic Driving Nabbed for Firearms and Narcotics
Photo: what police found
EMERYVILLE — Police pulled over a car for erratic driving and nabbed two armed men on September 2. The driver and passenger taken into custody are facing multiple firearms and narcotics charges.
Dangerous driving is what attracted the attention of police. The car was spotted zigzagging across multiple lanes and cutting off other drivers in the area around Powell Street. All this jostling was occurring near freeway ramps, which feed traffic to and from the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge.
Officers finally caught up with and pulled over the driver near Bay Street. The vehicle was searched during the traffic stop and two loaded weapons were recovered.
A loaded semi-automatic pistol was found hidden under the driver’s seat. A computer check revealed that it was reported stolen.
Officers continued searching inside the car. Inside a backpack on the passenger’s side, a second loaded handgun was found, along with narcotics. A bulletproof vest was found inside the trunk next.
Both men were arrested without further incident. The driver was identified as 18-year-old William Ponce-Ramirez from Antioch. His passenger was Gustavo Giovanni Barrera, 21 of Bay Point.
Ponce-Ramirez faces five charges –
• Addict in possession of a firearm
• Possession of ammunition
• Carrying a concealed weapon in a vehicle
• Carrying a stolen loaded firearm
• Manufacture/import/sale of a large-capacity magazine
Barrera faces three charges –
• Possession of controlled substances while armed
• Carrying a loaded firearm in a vehicle while in a public place
• Carrying a concealed firearm in a vehicle.
