6 Replica Guns, 3 Firearms Seized From Baltimore Home
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A Baltimore City drug bust has led to the discovery of a mini arsenal, including several replica guns. It's the second recent arrest involving fake guns in Baltimore.
WJZ's Amy Yensi explains why it is cause for concern.
The guns may not be real, buy they look real, and they're being used in real crimes.
Baltimore police recovered a stash during a drug bust Tuesday morning. Six out of the nine guns seized were replicas. One had a silencer on it.
Three suspects -- including father and son 52-year-old Theodore Radcliffe III and 30 year-old Theodore Radcliffe IV, and 28 year-old Kenya Spence -- were arrested for possessing the arsenal.
Just last week, CitiWatch cameras caught a man passing a woman what looked like a gun. The transaction happened in plain sight. Dezay Williams and Maryanna Mayo were later arrested.
"They don't face the same consequences as possessing a real gun, we understand that, but it certainly has consequences when you carry, and these aren't toys," said T.J. Smith, Baltimore City Police Department.
Baltimore police are making it clear -- replica guns have no place on city streets, where they're often used in robberies and the drug trade.
Spokesperson T.J. Smith says officers have trouble telling if the guns are fake or real at first glance.
"You could look at these pictures alone and I don't think an expert marksman is going to be able to immediately recognize, 'Oh, that one's real, that one's fake,'" said Smith.
Police recommend that parents make sure their child's replica gun has an orange tip or some other type of identifier, and to avoid the use of the replicas out in public.
"Most people are going to look at the picture and try to figure out which ones are real, which ones aren't. If you're wrong, the price to pay could be death," said Smith.
Police don't believe this is a growing trend, but they want to get out there and inform the public so it stays that way.
This has been an issue WJZ has been into for weeks. Wednesday night at 11, Vic Carter will investigate -- more and more children are carrying replica guns. How can we get them off the streets?