Suspect Arrested On Weapons Charges After Naugatuck Traffic Stop: PD

NAUGATUCK, CT — A 29-year-old Naugatuck man was arrested on weapons charges last week after police found an illegal handgun in his vehicle during a traffic stop, according to authorities.

Police pulled over Aric Small-Rivera at about 5 p.m. on Friday after noticing that his 2013 Mercedes-Benz SUV had illegally tinted windows.

Officers began searching the vehicle and found a loaded Springfield XD 9mm handgun under the driver seat.

"The serial number of this firearm had been manually removed rendering it unreadable and thereby illegal to possess, furthermore, Aric had no active pistol permit," Naugatuck police wrote on Facebook (see below).

Small-Rivera was taken into custody and charged with the following:

• Carrying Pistol Without a Permit
• Illegal Possession Weapon in Motor Vehicle
• Illegal Alteration of Firearm Identities
• Operating Motor Vehicle while Registration is Suspended
• Failure to Comply with Window Tinting Requirement
• Operating a Motor Vehicle Without a License

He was released after posting bond on bail of $100,000, and he is scheduled to appear in Waterbury Superior Court on April 20.

"The Naugatuck Police Department will continue in our efforts to remove illegal firearms from the streets of our community and commends our officers’ proactive measures," authorities said. "The origins of this firearm remain under investigation currently."