Trio of Documented Gang Members Post Bail After `Ghost Gun’ Arrest

(CNS) – A Coachella man and two teens were released from jail Thursday after posting bail for alleged firearms charges.

Juan Armando Hernandez, 20, and 18-year-olds Rafael Gudino Casillas and Julian Andrew Martinez were arrested Tuesday afternoon in Coachella, according to Sgt. Mariano Matos III of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. All three suspects are Coachella residents and documented street gang members.

Matos said that a male juvenile and documented street gang member was also arrested with the three on suspicion of possessing a non-serialized firearm, a loaded firearm, ammunition, high-capacity magazines and a California non-compliant firearm.

At 3:30 p.m. Tuesday the Coachella Community Action Team conducted a traffic stop and search at Cesar Chavez Street and Avenue 50, where deputies allegedly found three firearms and extended magazines inside a vehicle, Matos said.

One firearm was illegally modified to be fully automatic and another was a non-serialized handgun, according to Matos. A non-serialized gun is more commonly known as a "ghost gun."

Matos said that Hernandez, Gudino and Martinez were arrested on suspicion of possessing a non-serialized firearm, a loaded firearm, a loaded firearm while not being the registered owner, and high-capacity magazines.

The three suspects were booked into the John J. Benoit Detention Center in Indio, according to inmate records. They each posted $10,000 bail on Wednesday and were released from jail.

The male juvenile was booked into Juvenile Hall in Indio, Matos said. There was no other information available on him due to his age.

Anyone with information regarding this incident was asked to call Deputy Molina or Deputy Piscatella from the Thermal sheriff’s station at 760- 863-8990 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 760-341-7867(STOP).

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