KTLA

Chino Hills men caught with ‘ghost gun’ assault rifles: SBSD

A San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department patrol vehicle appears in an image posted on the agency's website in April 2019.

The discovery of a cache of “numerous weapons and ammunition” on Tuesday resulted in two Chino Hills men being put behind bars, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said in a news release.

Authorities were conducting a probation check on 30-year-old Hector Torrepaniagua at his home in the 3100 block of Chino Hills Parkway when they found his roommate, 31-year-old Ruben Acosta, was “in possession of multiple weapons and ammunition,” the SBSD said in a news release.


Those weapons included unserialized rifles — often referred to as ghost guns — as well as “modified” assault rifles, high-capacity magazines, tactical gear, radios and “several hundred rounds of ammunition,” deputies said.

“Torrepaniagua was arrested for possession of ammunition and Acosta was arrested for manufacturing of an assault weapon, possession of an assault weapon, and criminal storage of firearms,” the release said.

Jail records for Acosta do not list the criminal storage of firearms charge, only the manufacturing and possession charges. He was released on bail, and no court appearance has been scheduled.

Torrepaniagua faces the possession of ammunition charge, for which his bail was set at $30,000 and for which he will appear in court on Thursday.

Jail records show Torrepaniagua also faces a charge of DUI causing bodily injury, willful child abuse with possible great bodily injury or death, and violating probation. On those charges, his bail was set at $50,000, and he’s due to appear in Rancho Superior Court on Friday.

Anyone with information about this case is urged to call 909-364-2000.

To report information anonymously, call the WeTip Hotline at 1-800-78-CRIME (27463) or leave information at wetip.com.