SMC Teen Found With Loaded 'Ghost Gun' In His Waistband During Traffic Stop: Police

COLMA, CA — Police arrested an 18-year-old man for possession of a loaded “Ghost” gun and resisting arrest during a traffic stop Nov. 3 in Colma.

At 9:42 a.m. on Nov. 3, Colma Police Department officers said they stopped an Audi near Hillside Boulevard and F Street after noticing what appeared to be illegal tint on the driver and passenger windows. During the stop, the officer discovered that the driver's vehicle registration had expired in 2024, despite the license plate displaying a 2025 sticker.

Police said that because the driver was on probation, the vehicle and its passengers were subject to a search. Police said they searched the passenger, Carlos Esparazasanchez, 18, of San Francisco, and found a loaded unregistered gun in his waistband. Esparazasanchez was arrested but resisted being placed into the back of the patrol vehicle, police said.

Esparazasanchez was arrested on multiple charges, police said, including obstructing/resisting a peace officer, carrying a concealed weapon, carrying a loaded firearm and possessing a loaded firearm while not being its registered owner.

The driver was released after the incident, but his vehicle was towed because its registration expired, police said.