Police Take 2 Guns Off Bustling Old Pasadena Streets Over Weekend

If any number of American university studies over the past 20 years are correct in their conclusions, the prevalence and availability of greater numbers of guns result in greater numbers of shooting injuries and deaths. Nearly every day, Pasadena police confiscate illegal firearms in Pasadena — this year, through the end of October, 217 guns in 243 days.

On Saturday and again Sunday officers took custody of illegal guns and their owners in the busy Old Pasadena shopping district, according to a Police Dept. spokesperson.

In one case, officers were called because the man who turned out to have a gun in his car was reportedly involved in a fight.

“Things like that have that potential of escalating,” said Lt. Rudy Lemos. “The guy could’ve gone back to his car [to get the gun]. He was in a fight.”

“Fortunately, police were there, they detained everybody.”

In both cases, the gun owners were allegedly driving with their weapons within easy reach. By California law, weapons can only be transported in vehicles if unloaded and stored inside a lock box or in the car’s trunk.

In both cases, the gun owners cooperated with police when asked if they had weapons in their car.

The first incident occurred about 10:26 Saturday morning at the intersection of Fair Oaks Avenue and Colorado Boulevard, Lemos said.

A 44-year-old Las Vegas man was pulled over for an alleged traffic vehicle code violation, Lemos said, but told officers he had a weapon in the glove compartment. Officers reportedly recovered a 9-millimeter handgun. The man also had one fully loaded magazine in the car, according to Lemos.

The man, Gerardo Hernandez, was arrested on suspicion of weapons violations, Lemos said.

In the second incident police were called to the scene of a fight at 1:58 a.m. Sunday at Raymond Avenue at Colorado Boulevard, Lemos said.

Arriving officers separated two men who were fighting, according to Lemos, and during a field interview one of the men reportedly said he had a 9-millimeter Glock on the front seat of his car. Officer located the weapon, Lemos said.

Lemos said that Tony Martinez, 29, of Montebello, was taken into custody for weapons violations.

“There’s a reason why there are California laws to store your weapon properly,” Lemos said.