Machine Guns, Ghost Guns Found In Coachella; Child, Teen Arrested

COACHELLA, CA — An 18-year-old man and a 15-year-old juvenile were arrested Wednesday in Coachella on suspicion of possessing ghost guns, two of which were modified to be fully automatic machine guns, according to the sheriff's office.

The arrests came around 5 p.m. Wednesday after a search warrant was served at a home in the 46000 block of Tyler Street in Coachella.

During the search, sheriff's deputies found three non-serialized firearms (ghost guns), several high-capacity magazines and ammunition. The firearms included an assault rifle and two Glock-style semi-automatic handguns. The handguns were modified with a device commonly referred to as a “switch,” which converts weapons into fully automatic firearms, according to the sheriff's office.

Juan Madrigal, 18, of Coachella, and a 15-year-old juvenile, who was not identified due to age, were arrested. Madrigal was booked into Indio's John Benoit Detention Center on suspicion of possession of a machine gun, possession of a non-serialized loaded firearm, child endangerment, and violation of probation. Jail records show Madrigal was released Thursday on $35,000 bail.

The 15-year-old was booked into Indio Juvenile Hall on suspicion of a juvenile in possession of a firearm, juvenile in possession of a machine gun, juvenile in possession of a non-serialized firearm, and juvenile in possession of ammunition, according to the sheriff's office.

Anyone with information about the incident or other crime in the Coachella area can contact the Thermal Station’s Coachella Community Action Team at 760-863-8990. If you wish to remain anonymous, call Valley Crimestoppers at 760-341-7867.