Campbell Police issue statement on recent firearm enforcement incidents

by CrimeVoice Admin , March 15, 2021

Photos: Campbell Police Department

Originally published 2-3-21 via Facebook
by the City of Campbell Police Department:

“According to the Center for American Progress, on average, someone is killed with a gun every 3 hours in California. From proactive stops to community members reporting suspicious activity, our officers continue to work hard to keep firearms off the streets of Campbell.

On January 2, officers located the origin of a reported gunshot during an investigation. They arrived at the residence of Benjamin Taele to serve a search warrant. During the search officers found an unmarked/unregistered loaded firearm (ghost gun), high-capacity magazine, ammunition, and drugs. Taele was arrested and booked on multiple charges including owning firearms and ammunition with a restraining order.

On February 6, Peter Mastroieni was contacted outside of a hotel on W. Hamilton Avenue. At the same time, the hotel called to report that Mastroieni was using a stolen credit card and identity to pay for his room, he had also given the wrong name to our officer. Mastroieni was on Post Release Community Supervision (PRCS) for possession of ammunition as a felon and had a $500k warrant for drug sales and gun possession. Mastroieni was found to be in possession of a loaded revolver, possession of heroin and meth for sales and was under the influence and in possession of syringes and meth pipes.

On February 15, suspicious activity was reported, and officers responded to an apartment complex on Almarida Drive. Upon contact of the suspect, ammunition was observed in plain view in the suspect’s vehicle. The suspect, Louis Orta, was on PRCS for stealing a vehicle in another county. When officers searched Orta and his vehicle, they found a loaded firearm, methamphetamine, a meth pipe, and needles. Orta is prohibited from owning ammo & firearms with prior felony convictions for violence while being on probation.

These are just a few instances, out of many, where our officers were able to successfully remove guns from those involved in various crimes. Let’s continue to work together to put a stop to gun violence. If you see any suspicious activity in your area, please don’t hesitate to call us at (408) 866-2101. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through our free mobile application (Campbell Police Department), downloadable from the App Store or Google Play.”