UPDATE: SF DA Boudin Files Charges Against Teen Robbery Suspects Arrested with Ghost Guns
SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) -- San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin announced Wednesday that his office has filed charges against two men alleged to have been in possession of ghost guns during a robbery in the city's Mission Bay neighborhood last week.
According to police, Alex Clarks, 19, Gabriel DeSouza, 18, and two 17-year-old boys whose names weren't released, robbed a man Friday near Terry A. Francois and Mission Bay boulevards.
During the robbery, the suspects took the man's possessions and then hit him over the head with a gun. The suspects were also seen in the Fisherman's Wharf area breaking into at least two vehicles and casing multiple others, police said.
Following a police pursuit, officers arrested all four suspects. Inside the getaway vehicle, officers located three unregistered, un-serialized firearms also known as "ghost guns," including two pistols that had extended magazines and a rifle.
The District Attorney's Office has charged Clarks, a Vallejo resident, and DeSouza, a Richmond resident, both with second-degree robbery, three felony counts of second-degree burglary, possession of stolen property, and several other charges related to possessing and concealing a gun.
Both DeSouza and Clarks were arraigned in court on Wednesday morning. Despite pleas from prosecutors that the pair remain in custody, the court denied the motion and the two will be released on home detention and GPS monitoring, prosecutors said.
"Ghost guns are flooding our communities and endangering public safety, which is why my office has filed a case against ghost gun manufacturers to stop the flow of them onto our streets," Boudin said in a statement. "We will continue to hold those who use these deadly weapons accountable for the harm they cause and will continue our efforts to attack this problem at the root."
As part of a crackdown on ghost guns, which can easily be purchased online and assembled in as little as 15 minutes, Boudin, along with California Attorney General Rob Bonta, filed a civil lawsuit in San Francisco Superior Court last year against three ghost gun manufacturers.
The suit filed against defendants Blackhawk Manufacturing Group Inc., GS Performance LLC, and MDX Corporation alleges the companies' business practices violate state laws that prohibit fraudulent business practices and false advertising. The suit further alleges the three companies are in violation of the federal Gun Control Act, as well as the state's Firearms Law, which require background checks during firearm sales.
The lawsuit remains ongoing.
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