SALINAS — Monterey County Sheriff’s deputies announced they have arrested a 42-year-old man from Pacific Grove for possession of three firearms: a loaded .45 caliber pistol, an AR pistol carbine and a Japanese Type 11 light machine gun.
The suspect was apprehended Sunday around 8:30 p.m. during a traffic stop in Castroville according to a press release from the Sheriff’s Office.
Related Articles
Man sentenced to 16 years for role in death of Belmont high school student
Masked suspects held in armed robbery at East Bay jewelry store, police say
Alameda County Public Defender says ICE courthouse raids ‘must stop immediately’
Oakland man guilty of murder after simple marijuana transaction went awry
Monterey County boutique owner fined $150,000 for selling illegal fur products
A deputy was patrolling near Poole Street and McDougal Street when they noticed a vehicle driving down the middle of the road toward oncoming traffic. The officer stopped the vehicle, which was driven by a female and had a male passenger. Another deputy arrived on scene to assist, alongside his K-9 partner.
While searching the vehicle, the law enforcement dog discovered a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia.
Officers later found the three firearms, one of them, a loaded 1911 A-1 pistol, within arms-reach of the passenger. Two of the apprehended weapons did not have serial numbers.
The deputies identified the passenger as 42-year-old Brian Richard Knabb, a convicted felon from Pacific Grove.
Sheriff Tina Nieto described the WWII-era firearm in a press release as “a weapon of war…capable of firing over 500 rounds per minute.”
With bail set at $50,000, Brian Richard Knabb was booked into the Monterey County Jail on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a machine gun, possession of a controlled substance while armed, possession of an unserialized firearm and other charges.
The female driver was cited for possession of a controlled substance and released.