With a loaded semiautomatic handgun on the seat beside him and a wad of cash in one hand, a man had no explanation for why he was parked in a West Valley neighborhood Thursday.
The 31-year-old man turned over about $3,500 in cash, a loaded TEC-9 handgun and a clip of 20 rounds without incident. He was then questioned and booked into jail for investigation of aggravated robbery.Police responded to a report of a man with a "machine gun" in the area of 2800 South and 3000 West Thursday morning after a woman inside a nearby residence fled out a back window and called for help. They arrived to find the man sitting in his car, police Sgt. Lynn Hanson said.
The people inside the home told police they owed the man some rent money but claimed he didn't take the $3,500 from them, Hanson said. They also couldn't recall his name.
Police had the man's car well-covered when they confronted him. "Those TEC-9s can be pretty bad," Hanson said.
The TEC-9, which resembles a mini machine gun, came under scrutiny during the national debate on assault weapons and is recognized as a common weapon of choice for gang members and drug dealers.
"We have seen those weapons converted (to operate as an automatic) in the past and used in drive-by shootings," said John Minichino, resident agent in charge with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.