A police patrol vehicle followed an SUV in the early morning hours, and when they finally stopped and searched the Toyota Four-Runner in which four men were traveling, they stumbled upon a loaded .9mm pistol that was reported stolen by its owner.

The cruising men were all arrested and charged with being in possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition, as well as handling stolen goods.

The four pleaded not guilty to the three charges that Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith read to them when she arraigned them this morning, but being unable to offer them bail, under the amended Firearms Act, Smith remanded Kashief Gallego, 21, Akeem Garcia, 20, Parris Williams, 22, and Ijaman Young, 19, to prison until their next court date on June 25.

Gallego, Garcia and Williams are all residents of Maxboro, Sandhill village, while Young is a resident of George Street in Belize City, and police believe that he is an associate of the gang that is centered in this area and carries this street’s name.

Court papers indicate that the gun police recovered from inside the SUV is a black .9mm Glock pistol that its owner, Herman Pastor, Jr., had reported to police as having been stolen from him.

According to police, the SUV was being driven by Parris Williams.

Police were on patrol in the vicinity of Fairweather Street and Caesar Ridge Road around 1:45 a.m., when they spotted the gray SUV on Fairweather Street.

They reportedly followed the vehicle until they were able to intercept it around Prince Street.

A search of the four occupants led to nothing incriminating, but when police searched the vehicle, they found the firearm, which was loaded with 14 rounds.