Photo: Jadden Dempsey
May 18, 2021 – Ventura County, Ca.
Some boys never seem to outgrow their childhood interest in playing with guns, as evidenced by the May 14 th arrest of 19-year-old Oxnard resident Jadden Dempsey.
According to Ventura County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Sgt. Eduardo Malagon, the VCSD’ Gang Unit caught wind of the fact that Dempsey was “involved in the sales of cocaine,” with the further suspicion that he was “in possession of illegally-obtained firearms.”
Dempsey cache
This has historically proven to be a bad combination in the eyes of law enforcement, and inspired detectives to dig a little deeper into the young Mr. Dempsey’s recent activities. That preliminary investigation enabled the cops to obtain a search warrant of Dempsey’s person, residence, and vehicle. Within hours of the issuance of the search warrant, detectives showed up at the Dempsey home and made contact with him.
The ensuing search lead detectives to discover “cocaine packaged for sale,” other indicia of sales, and “a loaded short-barreled AR-15 style rifle” which carried no legally-required serial number. According to Malagon, “the rifle had characteristics which classify it as an assault weapon as per state law.” As the search continues, “two additional unregistered firearms” were found inside the home.
One of those appeared to have been a “ghost gun,” so labeled due to it’s lack of a commercial serial number. Further evidence gathered in the home indicated that Dempsey was a handy young man and had been “building these firearms himself.”
Handy and entrepreneurial or not, Dempsey was cuffed up and transported to Ventura County Jail, where he was booked on charges of possession of cocaine for sale and possession of illegal firearms.
Photos: Courtesy Ventura County Sheriff’s Department Gang Unit, Ventura County Jail Booking
