Around 1:30 on the afternoon of Thursday, December 18, police conducted a raid on a house in the Lake Independence area. By the time the dust had settled, a young couple were in police custody and some weapons and ammunitions were taken off the streets.
This morning the couple appeared in Magistrate’s Court and were arraigned before Magistrate Roberto Ordonez. Shelton Moguel, 21, and his girlfriend, Anna Maria Hunter, 18, were slapped with ten charges each of being in possession of arms and ammunition without a gun license.
According to police, when they searched #8142 Balan Street, located behind the Charles Bartlett Hyde Building in the Lake Independence area of the city, they found an amount of ammunition and at least three guns.
Both Moguel and Hunter pleaded not guilty for being in possession of the following: (1) 9mm pistol, (1) live .380 round, (20) .32 live rounds, (1) black plastic magazine, Scherer brand, designed to carry thirty 9mm rounds, (4) .38 live rounds, (2) S&B brand Winchester, (51) 9mm live rounds, 48 bronze, and 3 aluminum casing, (1) .44 revolver, Super Black Hawk, Ruger brand, (8) 357 live round, prohibited ammunition (2) .44 live round, and (1) 7.62 live round, prohibited ammunition.
Under the new amendment to the Crime Control Act, the Magistrate’s Court cannot grant bail to persons who are charged with weapons or ammunition charges. Persons charged with such offences face mandatory remand to the Hattieville Prison. Once a person is charged with arms or ammunition possession, they must be remanded for at least seven days before they can apply, usually through an attorney, to the Supreme Court for a bail application.
Their case was adjourned until January 20, 2009. They are being defended by attorney Richard “Dickie” Bradley.