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Man Found Living In Park Storage Room With Stolen Arsenal In Santa Ana

SANTA ANA (CBSLA) — A 37-year-old man was arrested on various weapons charges after police say he was found to have turned a storage room at a park into living quarters with an arsenal.

santa ana park weapons
(credit: Santa Ana Police Department)

Ruben Perez, of Santa Ana, was identified Tuesday as the man who was reported forcing entry into a storage room at Carl Thornton Park, 1801 W. Segerstrom Ave. Police say when the person who reported the break-in tried to speak to Perez, he was threatening and said he had a "strap."

Officers who tried to speak to Perez described him as uncooperative and "a minor use of force occurred," Santa Ana police officials said. When the officers searched the storage room, officials say they found Perez had been living there amid several stolen items.

ammunition santa ana park
(credit: Santa Ana Police Department)

One of the stolen items found was a loaded 45-caliber handgun, about 18 magazines of various calibers all loaded with ammunition and a weight vest whose weights had been replaced with loaded magazines. One of those magazines was extended, holding 31 rounds of 9mm ammunition.

Perez has arrested and booked at Santa Ana Jail on various weapons charges, police said.

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