For the second time this week, a traffic stop originating from a stop sign violation led police to recover a loaded handgun on Friday night, officials said.
Officers pulled over a car about 11:50 p.m. at Navarro Avenue and Howard Street after seeing it run a stop sign, Pasadena police Lt. Anthony Burgess said.
After initially providing a false name to police, the woman at the wheel was found to be unlicensed, he said. She and a passenger were ordered out of the vehicle, which police then searched prior to impound.
Inside a handbag in the car, officers found a loaded handgun with its serial numbers destroyed, Burgess said.
The woman, 21-year-old Asia Williams of Pasadena, was arrested on suspicion of weapon-related violations, he said. She told officers she had the weapon for protection.
She was released from custody the following morning on a bond pending criminal proceedings, according to Los Angeles County booking records.
A similar arrest took place Monday, after police pulled over a car for running a stop sign at Glen Avenue and Tremont Street, according to the lieutenant.
Officers soon learned the driver, 22-year-old Shelton Charles of Pasadena, was on probation stemming from a prior conviction, Burgess said.
Police found a loaded handgun inside the car and arrested the driver, he said.
Los Angeles County Superior Court records show Charles was on probation following an attempted burglary conviction in late-2018.
He was being held without bail pending his court appearance, records show.