Man, 22, arrested in San Marcos on suspicion of weapons possession: San Diego County Sheriff

Photo of the ghost gun confiscated during an arrest on May 10, 2024. (San Diego County Sheriff’s Department)

SAN MARCOS, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) – A 22-year-old San Marcos man is facing gun possession charges after he was arrested Friday for possession of a suspected ghost gun, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.

Tristan Banuelos was arrested in the 500 block of Spanish Oak Avenue around 11 p.m.

Officers from the San Marcos Sheriff’s Station were dispatched to the scene after neighbors reported a group of “suspicious individuals” in the area, the department said.

When officers arrived at the scene, they contacted a group of four people standing around a pickup truck. As they approached the vehicle, they noticed a loaded handgun in the passenger seat. According to the sheriff’s office, the gun turned out to be a ghost gun.

“Ghost guns” differ from firearms from licensed manufacturers in that they do not have a serial number or other identifiable markings — something that makes them difficult for law enforcement to track down.

Banuelos, the driver of the pickup truck, was taken into custody in connection with the incident. He is charged with felony counts of carrying a loaded firearm in a public place or street and possessing or possessing a firearm without a serial number.