Police Arrest Man with Stolen Loaded Handgun

Published on June 30, 2022

Palo Alto, CA – Alert patrol officers investigating a suspicious vehicle earlier this week arrested the occupant for possession of a stolen loaded handgun.  The weapon was equipped with a high-capacity magazine.

On Tuesday, June 28, 2022 at about 3:35 a.m., officers on routine patrol observed a suspicious vehicle illegally parked in the 400 block of Waverley Street.  The vehicle, a blue 2018 Nissan Altima, was in the red zone adjacent to the driveway of the 7-Eleven convenience store with the engine running and the sole occupant apparently asleep behind the wheel.  When officers contacted the man, they saw a black handgun in plain view on the front seat within the man’s reach.

Officers safely detained the man without incident.  The investigation revealed that the firearm, a 9mm semi-automatic handgun, was loaded and equipped with a high-capacity magazine.  It had also been reported stolen in Houston, Texas, back in 2017.

Police arrested the suspect, 21-year-old Juan Pedro Vargas Pinzon of East Palo Alto, and booked him at the Santa Clara County Main Jail for possession of a stolen firearm (a felony), possession of a loaded firearm (a felony), and carrying a concealed firearm (a misdemeanor).  His booking photo appears above.

Anyone with information about this incident or suspect is asked to call our 24-hour dispatch center at (650) 329-2413.  Anonymous tips can be e-mailed to paloalto@tipnow.org or sent via text message or voice mail to (650) 383-8984.