BARSTOW, Calif. (VVNG.com) — The Barstow Police Department arrested a man on Tuesday not only for possession but also for manufacturing illegal ghost guns, officials said.
On Tuesday, October 4, 2022, at about 12:12 a.m., Officer Bryce Carson conducted a follow-up investigation in the 2000 block of Borrego Drive regarding red-tagged apartments that were being occupied.
The red-tagged apartment was previously determined to be unihabitable by the City of Barstow’s Code Enforcement.
“As officers made entry into the red-tagged apartment they located a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun,” stated a news release. “Through investigation, officers obtained evidence that Benjamin Satterwhite, a 43-year-old resident of Barstow, occupies the apartment and was identified as the owner of the firearm.”
A records check of Satterwhite determined that he is prohibited from possessing firearms. Officers were unable to locate Satterwhite and obtained a warrant for his arrest.
Officer Carson conducted further follow-up within the apartment complex of another red-tagged apartment and contacted Edward Wooten a 37-year-old resident of Barstow. As officers knocked on the door to the apartment, Wooten answered the door armed with a loaded 38-caliber ghost gun revolver.
As officers spoke with Wooten he told officers that he had another firearm in his backpack inside the apartment. Officers checked the backpack and located an unloaded semi-automatic Glock-style ghost gun.
Wooten was detained for trespassing and being in possession of the unregistered firearms. Wooten also provided officers with additional information that he had more unregistered firearms at his residence
Officers obtained consent to search Wooten’s residence in the 1600 block of De Anza Street where numerous “Ghost Guns” were discovered as well as ghost gun-manufacturing equipment.
Officer B. Carson placed Edward Wooten under arrest for P.C. 25850 (c)(6) – Possession of Un-Serialized/Unregistered Firearms and P.C. 16351 – Possession of “Ghost Gun” Manufacturing Equipment. Wooten was booked at the Barstow Police Department and released on a citation.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation may contact Officer B. Carson at (760) 256-2211 or at bcarson@barstowca.org.
Those wishing to remain anonymous may also provide information by calling the WE-TIP hotline at 1-800-79-CRIME (27469) or by going to www.wetip.com.
