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Machine gun, assault rifle allegedly found in Temple City ex-con’s home
POSTED BY CHRISTINA KELLEY ON FEBRUARY 21, 2018 IN CRIME | 44 VIEWS | LEAVE A RESPONSE
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Los Angeles County District Attorney Seal. Courtesy Los Angeles County District Attorney.
An ex-con and his daughter accused of possessing an illegal cache of weapons in their Temple City home are due in court next month for arraignment on felony charges, the top prosecutors of the county and the state announced Wednesday.
Steven David Ponder, 57, was charged Tuesday with seven felony counts, including possession of a firearm by a felon, unlawful possession of ammunition, possession of a destructive device, possession of an assault weapon, possession of a machine gun and possession of a short-barreled rifle or shotgun. The felony complaint also alleges that he was previously convicted of counterfeiting money and possession of a machine gun in 2001.
Riley Elizabeth Ponder, 27, faces felony counts of possession of an assault weapon, possession of destructive device and prohibited transfer of firearms, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney Office.
“One way we as prosecutors can help prevent gun violence is to strictly enforce state laws that prohibit people convicted of certain crimes from owning or possessing firearms,” District Attorney Jackie Lacey said during a news conference in downtown Los Angeles. “I am committed to prosecuting individuals who violate court orders by failing to give up their guns as they pose a serious threat to our community.”
She was joined by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra.
“We must do all we possibly can to remove weapons from individuals who should not be in possession of them,” he said. “At the California Department of Justice, public safety is our number one priority.”
Prosecutors said that on Feb. 14, officers searched Steven Ponder’s home and discovered a stockpile of illegal weapons and ammunition. During the search, authorities also discovered that his daughter was in illegal possession of a weapon and ammunition, according to prosecutors.
Riley Ponder was immediately taken into custody, posted a bond the following day and was given a March 8 arraignment date. Her father surrendered last Thursday and was released on bail the following day. He is scheduled to be arraigned on March 19.
If convicted as charged, the elder Ponder faces up to eight years in state prison, while his daughter could face five years behind bars.
“We should all be proud of the work our Division of Law Enforcement special agents do every day without fanfare,” Becerra said. “They place themselves in dangerous, difficult situations to keep guns out of the wrong hands and to keep us safe.”
Machine gun, assault rifle allegedly found in Temple City ex-con's home - MyNewsLA.com
And in other news
San Diego City Attorney issues restraining orders against 10 gun owners
By Matt Boone,Mark Saunders | Updated Feb. 16, 2018, 7:18 p.m. PST
SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - The City Attorney's Office has obtained gun violence restraining orders against 10 San Diegans they say "posed a serious danger to themselves and others."
The orders require the gun owners to surrender or sell all their firearms and not to acquire or possess any firearms or ammunition for one year, which is the maximum length of time allowable by law.
"Our federal government is inexcusably ignoring the growing problem of gun violence in our schools and communities. The City of San Diego will not tolerate federal inaction," City Attorney Mara Elliott said in a release. "We’re doing everything in our power to respond to this epidemic of senseless killing by removing guns from the hands of unstable and irresponsible gun owners."
RELATED: San Diegans demand stricter gun laws from legislators
The cases presented by the office include individuals believed to be suffering from mental health problems:
"A 23-year-old ex-marine who had developed a paranoia that all males wanted to harm him. He had walked into a Kearny Mesa auto parts store with a loaded handgun, but called police before shooting anyone.
A 39-year-old San Carlos man who, while intoxicated (at three times the legal limit), believed he was shooting at raccoons and rats in his backyard. Terrified neighbors called police as bullets flew into their backyards.
A 60-year-old otay mesa man who grabbed a .38 revolver and fled his home after his family discovered he was molesting his grandchild. The man was arrested with the gun in his vehicle.
An 81-year-old man from Carmel Mountain who threatened to shoot his 75-year-old wife and a neighbor because he believed they were having an affair. His wife escaped the house, barefoot, by climbing a fence and running through cactus. His family reported him to be in the early stages of dementia.
A 53-year-old Allied Gardens man with significant mental health issues who used a firecracker to damage a neighbor’s front door. Neighbors called police after hearing what they thought were gun shots coming from his apartment. Officers seized a bayonetted rifle and two illegal high-capacity magazines from his apartment.
A 38-year-old Allied Gardens man who threatened to kill himself, his wife, and their young child if she left him. His wife had overheard him distraught and crying in the bathroom, and cocking his .40 caliber pistol.
A 28-year-old Mission Valley man who grabbed a gun case and threatened suicide. When his exgirlfriend tried to call for help, he grabbed her by her hair, threw her on the ground, and pushed her head into a wall. Police seized two handguns, two rifles, and a shotgun.
A 33-year-old Mid-City man who locked his wife in a car with him, threatening her with a loaded firearm. When the San Diego Police Department arrived on the scene and searched the car, they found a meth pipe along with two loaded firearms that did not belong to him. He later surrendered a Glock 9mm and a .380 handgun.
A 35-year-old Allied Gardens man with a small arsenal and a history of domestic violence, whose wife suffered a serious laceration to her forehead and feared he might kill her. The man owned a 9mm pistol, a mosquito semi-automatic pistol, a Ruger .22, a Springfield .40 caliber pistol, a Ruger rifle, a Mossberg shotgun, and an unmarked handgun.
A 40-year-old La Jolla man who told his fiancé by text message that he wanted to shoot her in the head, then visited his fiancé’s ex-boyfriend and threatened to kill him while holding a knife behind his back. The man surrendered a handgun and an AR-15, the semi-automatic rifle."
California state law allows family members, housemates, and officers may petition to have a person's access to firearms denied if they pose a danger to themselves or others. Courts may also grant an extension of the order if they find it appropriate.
A spokesperson for San Diego County Gun Owners, a pro-gun group, said they had no comment on the law.
10News is reaching out to the local NRA chapter for comment.
