December 25, 2021 - Merced –Merced Police Officer Manuel Mendoza was traveling northbound on ‘R’ Street in the City of Merced on Christmas Eve when he noticed a vehicle with expired registration and equipment violations. Officer Mendoza initiated a traffic stop for these violations. A registration check revealed the vehicle expired in March of 2020. The driver, Carlos Lomeli Jr. (20), was arrested after Officer Mendoza conducted an inventory search of the vehicle and located a “Ghost Gun” being hidden in the center console of the vehicle. The vehicle was impounded for expired registration over six months. Carlos Lomeli Jr. was arrested and booked at the Merced County Jail for being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm, being in possession of an undetectable firearm, and expired registration.

Case Number: 21-77635

Merced Police are asking anyone with any information regarding this crime to contact Officer Manuel Mendoza at 209-388-7794 or by email at mendozam@cityofmerced.org.

Other ways to contact us or report crime include:

For any emergency call or text 911

For non-emergency call 209-385-6912

Anonymous Tip Line (Non-emergency) call 209-385-4725

Anonymous Tips online at http://www.mercedareacrimestoppers.org/index.html.

Some crimes can be reported online through the Merced PD website https://www.cityofmerced.org/departments/police.

Source: Merced Police Department