Stolen Audi Crash Uncovers 3 Loaded Guns, Ghost Guns In Santa Monica

Four people tied to the stolen Audi were detained, while another person was taken into custody after allegedly trying to hide a bag of guns.

By Scott Snowden, Patch Staff

Aug 31, 2026 5:01 PM PDT

Three loaded handguns, including two unserialized “ghost guns,” were recovered during a Santa Monica police investigation involving a stolen Audi. (Santa Monica Police Department)

SANTA MONICA, CA — A stolen Audi, a crash, fleeing occupants and a backpack containing three loaded handguns led to multiple arrests in a Santa Monica police investigation, authorities said.

The chain of events began Aug. 25 while Santa Monica Police Department officers were conducting an operation targeting catalytic converter thefts, according to an SMPD social media post.

Officers spotted a black Audi they had previously observed near Ocean Avenue, police said. A short time later, officers found the Audi after it had crashed near Second Street and Colorado Avenue.

Several occupants fled from the vehicle, prompting a coordinated police response that resulted in officers locating and detaining those involved, according to SMPD.

The investigation then took an unusual turn.

After the occupants fled, a person who police said was not associated with them approached the abandoned Audi, removed a black backpack and ran from the area.

Using SMART Center resources, officers located the person as he discarded the backpack in a nearby alley, police said. Another person, also described by police as having no connection to the Audi's occupants, then picked up the backpack and attempted to conceal it at a nearby construction site.

Officers recovered the backpack and found three loaded handguns inside, including two unserialized weapons commonly known as ghost guns, according to police. The person accused of attempting to conceal the backpack was taken into custody.

Police subsequently determined that the Audi had been stolen during an armed carjacking being investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department's Rampart Division.

Four people associated with the Audi were taken into custody, including two juveniles, SMPD said. Police did not identify those detained or provide information about possible charges.

SMPD credited alert officers, SMART Center technology and cooperation with other law enforcement agencies for the arrests and recovery of the weapons.