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“Because we are the federal ‘gun police’ and we have the experience with the different firearms that have been manufactured and sold, we’re going to provide any assistance they need,” ATF Special Agent Helen Dunkel said. “ATF is the agency that traces crime guns. This firearm is now involved in a crime because it was stolen.” Whew! We know we feel better knowing the conscientious folks at ATF are on the job. You? The particular gun that Agent Dunkel’s bird-dogging is Salinas city councilwoman Gloria De La Rosa‘s stolen AK-47. Or SKS. Well, it was one of those. Probably. Since both are pretty much always illegal in the Golden State, does it really matter?

Well, yes it does. Particularly if you’re not a councilwoman or other member of California’s privileged class for whom the state’s onerous gun laws don’t really apply. And as monteryherald.com tells it, Dunkel’s making some progress.

An outlawed assault rifle stolen from a Salinas councilwoman’s home was bought at an Arizona gun show, police say, and investigators are now looking into its origins.

The gun was reported stolen in a recent burglary at the St. Michael Way home of City Councilwoman Gloria De La Rosa.

Following up on leads provided by De La Rosa and others interviewed, investigators say they are tracing the gun’s history in hopes of learning details about the weapon. Police believe the gun was either an AK-47 or SKS rifle, both of which are mostly outlawed in California, with rare exceptions.

The assault rifles are legal in Arizona, however, and police believe the weapon may have been legally purchased by De La Rosa’s late son-in-law at a gun show there and later brought into California.

“While they may have in good faith strongly believed that it was legal, ignorance of the law is not a (legal) defense,” Salinas Deputy Police Chief Kelly McMillin said.

But De La Rosa may skate anyway.

Police say they are convinced the weapon was an illegal assault rifle, but because the only evidence comes from a family photo and statements, McMillin said prosecutors don’t have enough to prove possession of an illegal weapon.

“Prosecutors can’t prove it based on suspect statements and a photo,” he said. “Without the gun, you can’t prove it’s an assault weapon.”

We’re sure any of De La Rosa’s constituents would be treated with just as much deference and understanding.

 

 

 

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25 COMMENTS

  1. “We’re sure any of De La Rosa’s constituents would be treated with just as much deference and understanding.”

    LMAO!

  2. Clearly the ATF agents investigating this are Morons.

    Any good Gun-Loon (Thanks to Mike30200 for the excellent moniker) could tell an AK from an SKS at-a-glance (and I mean that literally) but the Federal Agents from the BATFE can’t tell when they have A PICTURE of the item in question. I wonder if they have a hard time finding their asses when their hands are in their back pockets.

    Getting back to Councilwoman De la Rosa, I wonder if this piggy is a going to be a little More Equal than the other animals in the P.R.K…..because it sounds like they are not pursuing charges against the good councilwoman.

    If this gun had been stolen from a young black man (or a poor white man) you can bet your last penny that said YBM would be in jail right now.

    So, Its Friday, 03-Feb-2012 and we are 5-by-5, systems are Nominal and it looks like Double Standards and Hypocrisy are the Order of the Day. Fantastic.

    • “Any good Gun-Loon (Thanks to Mike30200 for the excellent moniker) could tell an AK from an SKS at-a-glance (and I mean that literally) but the Federal Agents from the BATFE can’t tell when they have A PICTURE of the item in question. I wonder if they have a hard time finding their asses when their hands are in their back pockets.”

      Almost exactly what I was going to type.

  3. Proof positive of the contentions that:

    a) The gun control advocates consider themselves better than the great unwashed masses.
    b) It’s not about guns, it’s about control.
    c) When political figures are allowed to escape the consequences of the law, things just get worse.

    QED

  5. Obviously, she’d cry racism and sexism if she was charged with anything, so they’re avoiding the whole thing.

    Boy, being the right race and gender AND a member of the literal ruling class in a state that’s more un-American than most foreign countries must have many perks.

    • I don’t know Silver.
      I think if this were a white councilMAN we would be reading the same story.
      Of course I could be wrong.
      I don’t know California’s rules of privilege.
      Our privileged enjoy the same privileges regardless of race, creed, sex all that bs.

      • San Francisco’s new white male progressive sheriff was arrested and had all three of his guns taken away based on a DV accusation started with the feminist neighbor. His own wife has called the charge totally blown out of context with the wife standing with her husband in his defense.

  7. “While they may have in good faith strongly believed that it was legal, ignorance of the law is not a (legal) defense,” Salinas Deputy Police Chief Kelly McMillin said.
    If this was any regular Jane or Joe off the street they’ld be locked up already. Only cause she’s a politician.

  8. There’s a larger issue at work here…. Isn’t it interesting that law enforcement appears to be far more interested in prosecuting the owner than pursuing the thief who stole it?

  9. What a disgusting example of hypocrisy and/or abuse by the “virtuous officials” in an abyss that is the state of California. Worse yet, the responsible gun-owners always get publicly shamed, disgraced, or incarcerated when any little question is raised about their legal rights. I hate California. I will never go there again …. ever.

  10. When her (and it is indeed hers) gun is eventually used in a crime can we charge her as an accessory after the fact and ruin her life too?
    BTW princess, no makeup or bedtime snacks in prison. Tell the other girls you’re someone important and special, they like that sort of stuff.

  12. The SKS is legal in California, provided you don’t swap out the standard fixed magazine for removable ones. There are quite a few pre ban AKs floating around the state as well as the currently legal AKs with either bullet buttons or paddle grips.

    • A news site reported the model as one with a detachable magazine and based on the photo or something said the mag stolen with the gun holds 30 rounds.

      • I know that there was a rare model of SKS that was made to accept 30 round AK mags, there were also conversions done to some regular SKSs. Might be that, which doesn’t neccessarily make it illegal if it was pre ban, but whatever.

  13. “While they may have in good faith strongly believed that it was legal, ignorance of the law is not a (legal) defense,” Salinas Deputy Police Chief Kelly McMillin said.
    —BS. Everyone knows the gun laws in California since the activists, reporters, and politicians are in the news and in your face about it all the time.

    • Actually, the rules on “assault weapons” are so arcane, most police agencies defer to the Dept. of Justice to make that determination for them. But if it is an “evil black rifle” it is likely going to be confiscated until the police get that legal opinion, I read one story where a cop said all black rilfes are illegal until proved otherwise–even a 10-22 with a stock package.

      And p.s., the rifle did not belong to the concilwoman, it belonged to her son’s widow, who was apparently living in the house.

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