SAN MARCOS (CNS) — A 22-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possessing a ``ghost gun'' in San Marcos, authorities said today.
Neighbors called law enforcement just after 11 p.m. Friday to report a group of suspicious people in the 500 block of Spanish Oak Avenue, said Sgt. Nicholas Arvanitis of the sheriff's San Marcos station.
Deputies contacted four people hanging around a pickup truck, Arvanitis said.
``During the contact, a handgun loaded with bullets were clearly visible on the passenger seat,'' he said. ``The firearm turned out to be a ghost gun.''
Tristan Banuelos, the driver of the pickup truck, was arrested on suspicion of carrying a loaded gun in a public place or public street and owning or possessing a gun without a serial number, he said.
``Unlike weapons made by a licensed manufacturer, ghost guns don't have a serial number or other identifiable markings,'' Arvanitis said.
``The lack of a serial number makes it extremely challenging for law enforcement agencies to track these firearms to their owner or maker, hindering or delaying investigations and crime-solving efforts.''
