A suspect is currently in custody after Turlock police pulled him over and found that he was in possession of a sawed-off shotgun.
Turlock police officers were in the area of Tully Road and Canal Drive when they pulled over a vehicle for a traffic violation at approximately 9:24 p.m. on Sunday, said Turlock police spokesperson Sgt. Stephen Webb.
The suspect in the vehicle, Cody Costa, 28, was found to be in possession of an illegal sawed-off shotgun — a shotgun that has had its barrel shortened, making it easier to conceal.
Sawed-off shotguns under 26 inches in length are illegal in the state of California.
Costa was arrested and booked into the Stanislaus County Jail for possession of an illegeal sawed-off shotgun, felon in possession of a firearm, and violating his probation.
You can own a sawed off shotgun in California. The barrel has to be 18″ min in length and the overall length of the shotgun can’t be less than 26″.
(Penal Code § 12020(c)(1).)
A short-barreled shotgun means a firearm designed or redesigned to fire a fixed shotgun shell that has a barrel or barrels of less than 18 inches in length or an overall length of less than 26 inches; any weapon made from a shotgun which meets the barrel length or overall length criteria; any device which may be restored to fire a fixed shotgun shell and which meets the barrel length or overall length criteria; or any part or combination of parts designed and intended to convert a device into a short-barreled shotgun or which would permit an individual to readily assemble a short-barreled shotgun.