Mysterious Case Lying On LA Street Contained Deputies' Missing Assault Rifle

LOS ANGELES, CA — A Lennox man earned the gratitude of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department after he came across a case he though contained a musical instrument — but in fact carried an assault rifle that deputies had lost over the weekend.

Deputies from the South Los Angeles Station responded to a call Saturday night when they discovered their Colt M4 fully automatic carbine was missing. The rifle was inside a hard storage case with five magazines, each loaded with 30 rounds of .22-caliber ammunition, the department announced.

After they realized the rifle was missing, deputies began searching the station parking lot and retraced their route to no avail. Deputies believe the weapon may have fallen from the trunk of their patrol vehicle, according to officials.

That may have been because the weapon was scooped up by a Lennox man, potentially minutes after it fell from the vehicle.

The resident found the storage case near 104th Street and Condon Avenue at around 11:30 p.m. Saturday, assuming a musical instrument was inside. He later opened the case and saw it contained a rifle and ammunition. He turned the weapon over to the South Los Angeles Station on Monday, according to Capt. Nicole Palomino.

"We deeply appreciate the honesty and integrity shown by our Lennox community members who acted responsibly and returned the lost rifle to our station," Palomino said in a statement. "We're truly grateful for their quick thinking and commitment to doing what's right which makes a difference."

An internal review has begun, which includes an evaluation of whether deputies followed policies and procedures properly and what improvements can be made in the future, officials said.