On Tuesday, June 7th, 2022, at 8:29 pm, a Turlock Police officer near Goodwill, 749 N Golden State Blvd, Turlock, observed a vehicle violate the California Vehicle Code, so he made a traffic stop on it.

The officer made contact with the vehicle’s multiple occupants and identified them, which included its driver, David Mendes, 32, of Turlock. All subjects were ran and Mendes returned with a misdemeanor warrant. He was arrested.

The officer then checked the vehicle’s identification number to confirm that it matched that of the vehicle which the license plates belonged to, however, it was not a match. The vehicle’s identification number was ran and it returned stolen out of Merced.

Additional officers responded to the stop and removed the rest of the subjects from the vehicle at gunpoint, detaining them in handcuffs to further investigate.

A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of a ghost gun, which is a self manufactured firearm without a serial number or other way to identify it, and narcotics.

Further investigation led officers to believe that Mendes knew or should have known that the vehicle he was driving was stolen.

Eventually, all subjects except for Mendes were released.

Mendes was booked into the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center on charges of joyriding, possession of an undetectable firearm, and possession of methamphetamines, as well as his misdemeanor warrant for possession of methamphetamines.