Man arrested after Salinas PD say K-9 finds well hidden firearm during traffic stop

SALINAS, Calif. (KION)--Salinas Police say one man is behind bars following a traffic stop.

Officers with the Violence Suppression Task Force (VSTF) say they made a traffic stop on a silver BMW for multiple violations, in the area of Laurel and Linwood.

Officers say they noticed how nervous the occupants were and that the driver, 20-year-old Cesar Garcia, was currently out on bail pending another firearms charge from Soledad Police.

K9 Oakley was called in to conduct a sniff of the vehicle. Officers say K9 Oakley located a unregistered loaded 9mm semiautomatic firearm hidden inside the dash of the vehicle under the radio. They say the firearm was hidden so well, a plastic piece had to be removed to recover it.

Garcia was booked into the Monterey County Jail on several charges ranging from gang member in possession of a firearm to commuting a new felony while on bail.