Driver arrested, AR-15 seized after Thousand Palms traffic stop

(Riverside County Sheriff's Dept.)

A Cathedral City man was arrested on Friday after police say they found an AR-15 assault rifle and semi-automatic handgun in the vehicle he was driving.

The Coachella Valley Violent Crime Gang Task Force conducted a vehicle stop near Stanton Drive and Sonoma Circle in Thousand Palms about 8pm Friday, according to a news release. The driver of the vehicle fled on foot and was apprehended a short distance away.

During the stop officers say they seized an AR-15 Assault Rifle and a 9mm Semi-Auto Handgun.

The driver of the vehicle, Mateo Ramirez Hernandez, 20 of Cathedral City, was arrested for possession of a concealed firearm, possession of an assault rifle and an outstanding arrest warrant for evading police.