Shasta Lake City loud exhaust traffic stop leads to discovery of meth, “ghost gun”
SHASTA LAKE CITY, Calif., — Authorities say a traffic stop related to a vehicle’s loud exhaust led to the discovery of methamphetamine and an un-serialized and un-registered “ghost gun” early this morning, Tuesday, Nov. 2.
Two men were arrested as a result of the enforcement stop, which occurred in the area of Oasis Road and Twin View Boulevard, according to officials.
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At just after midnight, a deputy assigned to the City of Shasta Lake was conducting routine patrol when he noticed a vehicle pass him “with extremely loud exhaust,” Shasta County Sheriff’s Sergeant Garet Baldwin has since reported.
Based on the observed vehicle code violation, the deputy conducted a traffic enforcement stop on the vehicle and contacted the driver, Keith James Stumbaugh 42, of Shasta Lake City, and passenger Kevin William Delong, 51, of Redding.
Authorities say a loud exhaust related traffic stop led to the discovery of methamphetamine and an un-registered and un-serialized “ghost gun” early this morning. Shasta County Sheriff’s Office photo
During the stop, SCSO’s K-9 “Ace”, who is trained to detect the presence of narcotics, was deployed to conduct an exterior “sniff” of the vehicle.
“As Ace circled the vehicle he alerted to the presence of narcotics inside the vehicle,” explained Baldwin. “A search was conducted of the interior of the vehicle and deputies located a baggie of methamphetamine hidden near the center console.”
Upon closer inspection of the car’s interior, deputies discovered a loaded 9mm semi-automatic handgun in the trunk. The firearm did not have a serial number or identifying marks and was not registered, commonly referred to as a “ghost gun”.
Deputies conducted a records check on Stumbaugh and learned he was a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
Based on their investigation and findings, deputies arrested Stumbaugh and he was later booked into the Shasta County Jail in Redding on suspicion of possessing a controlled substance while armed with a loaded firearm, being a felon in possession of a firearm, carrying a concealed weapon in a vehicle, carrying a loaded firearm in public, and being a felon in possession of ammunition – all felonies.
He was also booked on misdemeanor charges of possession of a firearm without a serial number and possession of a
controlled substance; and online jail records indicate he remains in custody in lieu of $25,000 bail or bond.
Delong, who was found to be in possession of methamphetamine – a misdemeanor, was cited and released.
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Trevor Montgomery, 50, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).
Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County-based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.
Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.