2 arrested for possession of firearms at Citrus Plaza

REDLANDS, Calif. — Authorities responded to two separate incidents at the Citrus Plaza shopping center on Saturday, Nov. 3, resulting in arrests involving loaded firearms.

In the first incident, officers were called to Target in response to a report of a transient carrying a backpack with stolen items, according to the Redlands Police Department Weekly Update. Upon confrontation by store employees, the individual allegedly threatened to shoot them. Law enforcement later located a man matching the description at a nearby bus stop. He attempted to walk away but was taken into custody, according to authorities. A loaded sawed-off shotgun was discovered in his backpack. The man was arrested for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

In a second incident that evening, a 13-year-old boy from Highland was arrested after being found in possession of a loaded, unregistered "Ghost gun," according to the police report. Police responded to a report of a "suspicious armed subject" at Game Stop within the same shopping center. An off-duty officer witnessed a group of juveniles arguing outside the store and observed one of them pull out a handgun. Officers located three minors across the street, matching the description, and recovered the firearm. One of them was identified as a runaway.