Intoxicated Man With Handgun Arrested In Mission Viejo

MISSION VIEJO, CA —A person who imbibed too much on the Fourth of July created a tense situation for Orange County Sheriff's Department officers in Mission Viejo overnight.

Early on July 5, Mission Viejo community services officers were alerted of an unconscious and intoxicated person in the area of La Mar and La Real, according to Orange County Sheriff's Department officers.

"A security guard flagged down an officer upon discovering the man," OCSD officers reported over social media. They initially approached the man they believed to be impaired by alcohol or other substances, to render medical aid and quickly realized that he had a Glock-style handgun on his person.

"They kicked the gun away and handcuffed the 18-year-old male," Lt. Quyen Vuong reported. The young man then told the officers that he carried the Glock 19 BB gun "for protection," Vuong said.

No one was injured, and the man was taken to jail, according to officers.

"These BB guns are the exact replica of the real firearm," Vuong explained. "Carrying a replica firearm creates a level of danger for everyone involved."